How can we lift the performance of boards?

Overview

A recording of a webcast held on 9 November which discussed insights from the recently released New Zealand boards and frontier firms report.

Kirsten Patterson, IoD Chief Executive, is joined by Murray Sherwin, Chair of the New Zealand Productivity Commission, and experienced non-executive directors Mark Cross, Bridget Coates and Whaimutu Dewes to discuss the report. The panellists share their perspectives and insights on lifting the performance of boards to improve the performance of companies.

Panellists

Murray Sherwin CMInstD

Chair, Productivity Commission

Murray is an economist with over 35 years' experience across a wide range of public policy roles. His previous roles include: chief executive and director general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand; chair of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission; member of the board of Executive Directors of the World Bank in Washington DC; member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Group; and a member of the Advisory Board of the New Zealand Debt Management Office. Murray is a Charter Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.

Bridget Coates CMInstD

Bridget’s current governance positions include being a director of Tegel Group Holdings, the chairperson and CEO of Kura Nutrition and White Cloud Dairy Innovation Limited, and a member of the Fonterra Board Sustainability Advisory Panel. Bridget has recently completed a term as director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and was previously a director of New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Sky City Holdings Ltd and Fisher and Paykel Appliances. In 2014 Bridget was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to business.

Mark Cross CMInstD

Mark is an experienced professional director with more than 20 years of international experience in corporate finance and investment banking. Mark is currently a non-executive director of Xero, Chorus and Z Energy and is chair of Milford Asset Management. He is also a director of Virsae, a privately-owned enterprise SaaS company. He is a former director of Genesis Energy and Argosy Property.

Mark has held senior positions with Deutsche Bank in London and Australia, and prior to that at Lloyds Corporate Finance/Southpac Corporation in Australia and New Zealand. Mark holds a Bachelor of Business Studies (Accounting & Finance) degree from Massey University New Zealand, is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a chartered member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Whaimutu Dewes CFInstD

Whaimutu Dewes is of Ngati Porou and Ngati Rangitihi descent and lives in Gisborne. He is the chair of the Sealord Group Limited and Ngati Porou Forests. His former directorships include the Aotearoa Fisheries, Ngati Porou Fisheries, the Treasury Board, Housing New Zealand Board, Television New Zealand Limited and the AMP New Zealand Advisory Board. Whaimutu has also held senior management roles at Fletcher Challenge and the Department of Maori Affairs. Whaimutu has a Master’s degree in public administration and degrees in arts and law.