Leadership news content | IoD NZ

type: Leadership
date: 22/12/25

Reading the signals: what mattered most to the governance community in 2025

Reading the signals: what mattered most to the governance community in 2025

Reading habits in 2025 reveal what really commanded attention in the boardroom.

My governance playlist

type: Leadership
date: 11/12/25

Boardroom Premium

Leading with the ‘why’: Margie Apa on board judgement and clarity

Leading with the ‘why’: Margie Apa on board judgement and clarity

Boards must ‘rationalise how we go forward’ – a level of sophistication the former Te Whatu Ora CEO says is essential in governance.

Board-management relationship
Decision making
Purpose

type: Leadership
date: 01/12/25

Emerging directors under pressure: inside a simulated governance crisis

Emerging directors under pressure: inside a simulated governance crisis

A digital failure at a fictional health provider tests the judgement, values and leadership of the next generation of directors.

type: Leadership
date: 25/11/25

IoD recognises five new Distinguished Fellows

IoD recognises five new Distinguished Fellows

Our 2025 Distinguished Fellows bring deep governance experience across energy, construction, education, textiles and more

type: Leadership
date: 14/11/25

‘You listened us to agreement’ – leading with humility

‘You listened us to agreement’ – leading with humility

Sir Ashley Bloomfield on the power of listening, governance and learning from every seat at the table.

Public sector

type: Leadership
date: 14/11/25

Boardroom Premium

Merging to lead, not just survive

Merging to lead, not just survive

Intentional governance, independent facilitation and shared values shaped a new model for disability leadership.

Board composition
Diversity & inclusion

type: Leadership
date: 23/10/25

What rising acceptance of violence means for boards

What rising acceptance of violence means for boards

In a time of heightened division, directors must act as custodians of civility – trust, stability and effective governance depend on it.

type: Leadership
date: 16/10/25

Trust with teeth: managing chair-CEO tension for performance

Trust with teeth: managing chair-CEO tension for performance

Behind every high-functioning board lies a dynamic that shapes decisions, sharpens oversight and builds strategic clarity.

CEOs
Chairing
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 16/10/25

Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger DistFInstD remembered as a ‘towering figure’

Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger DistFInstD remembered as a ‘towering figure’

A long-serving member of the Institute of Directors, Bolger is being remembered for his leadership in politics and governance.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 29/09/25

Creating culture and civility in the workplace

Creating culture and civility in the workplace

Incivility erodes trust, wellbeing and performance. Directors who embed civility protect their people and their licence to operate.

Wellbeing

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

Leadership Conference

‘We are human first, before we are directors’

‘We are human first, before we are directors’

What happens when directors feel safe to speak – and challenge?

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

Leadership Conference

Boards in the age of grievance: leading when trust is fragile

Boards in the age of grievance: leading when trust is fragile

Edelman’s global research warns directors to act with courage, empathy and clarity.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

Leadership Conference

Entry to impact: making your mark in the first 90 days

Entry to impact: making your mark in the first 90 days

Your board seat is earned. Now here’s how to make it count.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

Leadership Conference

Boards that adapt: trust, ambition and humanity in practice

Boards that adapt: trust, ambition and humanity in practice

From execution discipline to human-centred leadership, here’s how boards can lift performance and create long-term value.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Judgement at the heart of governance: hard lessons from corporate crises

Judgement at the heart of governance: hard lessons from corporate crises

Joe Aston tells directors that ignoring red flags and over-relying on CEOs leaves boards exposed.

CEOs
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

Leadership Conference

Boards that win: Bowen Pan’s challenge to directors

Boards that win: Bowen Pan’s challenge to directors

Ambition, pace and relentless execution are essential if New Zealand companies are to scale globally and lift Aotearoa’s future growth.

Decision making
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 22/09/25

Leadership Conference

Contribution over comfort: the mindset of a high-performing chair

Contribution over comfort: the mindset of a high-performing chair

Dame Rosanne Meo, George Adams and Marama Royal on leading boards with courage, conviction and meaningful connection.

Chairing
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 19/09/25

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Trust, technology and talent: key themes from the 2025 Leadership Conference

Trust, technology and talent: key themes from the 2025 Leadership Conference

Courageous chairing, demographic change and the challenge of leading new boards are reshaping effective governance in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 18/09/25

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Christopher Luxon to directors: lead at the speed of change

Christopher Luxon to directors: lead at the speed of change

At the IoD Leadership Conference, the Prime Minister calls on directors to lead strategically on technology, performance and productivity.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 18/09/25

The importance of shared spaces – and being heard

The importance of shared spaces – and being heard

Are boards truly making space for new voices – and how do relational aspects help create stronger governance?

type: Leadership
date: 16/09/25

How you communicate can make or break the boardroom

How you communicate can make or break the boardroom

What we say – and how we say it – can shape boardroom culture. Linguist Dr Meredith Marra explains why communication styles matter.

type: Leadership
date: 05/09/25

Trust under pressure, but not beyond repair

Trust under pressure, but not beyond repair

How can boards lead with purpose in a complex world that wants them to speak up?

type: Leadership
date: 04/09/25

Bowen Pan: Boards are key to building successes that can shift a country’s trajectory

Bowen Pan: Boards are key to building successes that can shift a country’s traje...

Why New Zealand boards need to shift from compliance to growth.

Innovation

type: Leadership
date: 27/08/25

The real test for boards: productivity

The real test for boards: productivity

Dame Rosanne Meo DistFInstD says New Zealand is facing its toughest governance context in decades, with productivity the most urgent issue.

Productivity

type: Leadership
date: 07/08/25

Titan tragedy shows the danger of dominant CEOs

Titan tragedy shows the danger of dominant CEOs

From Titan to Qantas, unchecked power exposes governance flaws. Boards must question, challenge and hold CEOs to account.

CEOs
Governance failures

type: Leadership
date: 22/07/25

Keeping the board on track: lessons from the driver’s seat

Keeping the board on track: lessons from the driver’s seat

Like an F1 race, governance moves fast. George Adams CFInstD shares the instincts that set great chairs apart.

Board dynamics
Chairing
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 13/06/25

Governance news bites – 13 June

Governance news bites – 13 June

A collection of governance-related news you might have missed in the past two weeks.

CEOs
Compliance
Diversity & inclusion

type: Leadership
date: 12/06/25

Why inclusion belongs in the boardroom

Why inclusion belongs in the boardroom

Pride Month is a reminder that LGBTQIA+ inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good governance.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 11/06/25

Cultivating courage: Psychological safety in the boardroom

Cultivating courage: Psychological safety in the boardroom

Do you feel safe enough to be brave?

Diversity & inclusion

type: Leadership
date: 28/05/25

Courage, connection and authenticity: Leadership lessons from the front line

Courage, connection and authenticity: Leadership lessons from the front line

Leadership doesn’t live in models or mission statements – it lives in experience, says Dr Ellen Joan Ford.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 27/05/25

How to break a toxic organisational culture

How to break a toxic organisational culture

A board’s failure to govern culture risks not just performance but legacy and reputation.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 23/05/25

Institute of Directors Annual General Meeting 2025 report

Institute of Directors Annual General Meeting 2025 report

A new President, a new face on our board and a member’s motion passed.

Reporting

type: Leadership
date: 15/05/25

Boards' most important job: Lessons from a 100-day CEO

Boards' most important job: Lessons from a 100-day CEO

The chief executive failed and so, initially, did the board. Ethics, contracts and scrutiny matter.

CEOs

type: Leadership
date: 15/05/25

Why directors must champion social cohesion

Why directors must champion social cohesion

When people lose confidence in democracy, it often follows a loss of trust in institutions, leadership, or their ability to shape outcomes.

type: Leadership
date: 24/04/25

New season of Board Matters 2025

New season of Board Matters 2025

In season 4 of Board Matters, host Steven Moe MInstD is joined by a panel of directors to unpack the big issues facing boardrooms in 2025.

type: Leadership
date: 22/04/25

Peter Cox: "It's about respecting the past and not being frozen by it"

Peter Cox: "It's about respecting the past and not being frozen by it"

Peter Cox shares why directors shouldn't forget history, a need for new voices on boards, and the challenges of long term strategy.

Decision making
Succession Planning

type: Leadership
date: 01/04/25

Wellington changemakers receive governance top honour

Wellington changemakers receive governance top honour

Pushing for change and contributing to positive outcomes. Read about the significant mark two women have left on Aotearoa New Zealand.

Board composition
Purpose

type: Leadership
date: 28/03/25

No success without succession

No success without succession

Janine Stewart says the Mainzeal case highlighted the importance of skill sets at the board table and the need for succession planning.

Due diligence
Future-proofing
Liability

type: Leadership
date: 12/03/25

Strategic focus needed to future-proof New Zealand’s economy

Strategic focus needed to future-proof New Zealand’s economy

Traditional economic strengths may no longer be sufficient to ensure our future prosperity, new report claims.

type: Leadership
date: 11/03/25

The wake you leave behind

The wake you leave behind

The wake you leave behind needs to be about normalising the presence of women in governance, not as the exception, but as the expectation.

Board composition
Board dynamics
Chairing

type: Leadership
date: 11/03/25

Why microaggressions could send women off the glass cliff

Why microaggressions could send women off the glass cliff

Burn out and distress might be a result of microaggressions and could be derailing women from getting to the top – and staying there.

Board dynamics
Diversity & inclusion
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 10/03/25

Mentoring: A safe harbour

Mentoring: A safe harbour

Mentoring can enable you to stay the course, overcome challenges or obstacles and move forward with clarity. Find out more.

Chairing
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 20/02/25

Governance and orders of consciousness: a different leadership lens

Governance and orders of consciousness: a different leadership lens

Effective directors and chairs need more than job-based competencies.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 04/02/25

Board Packs support effective decisions

Board Packs support effective decisions

Zero in on governance specific issues with Board Packs - the Institute of Directors’ new board development product.

Board meetings
Conflict of interests
Health and safety

type: Leadership
date: 17/01/25

Steve O’Donnell’s Advanced Directors’ Course insights

Steve O’Donnell’s Advanced Directors’ Course insights

Steve O’Donnell CMInstD of HCL Tech expected insights from IoD’s Advanced Directors’ Course—but says it exceeded expectations.

type: Leadership
date: 09/12/24

Rodney Wong’s Success – finding points of light

Rodney Wong’s Success – finding points of light

Digging deep allows for positive change to take place at the board table, according to Palmerston North director Rodney Wong. Find out more.

Board dynamics
Decision making
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 05/12/24

Good governance means asking the right questions

Good governance means asking the right questions

Director and community leader Arun Chaudhari MInstD shares how the Company Directors’ Course (CDC) has made a difference in his work.

Diversity & inclusion
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 28/11/24

What it’s really like as a non-executive director

What it’s really like as a non-executive director

Three things to consider before becoming a non-executive director.

Leadership
Liability

type: Leadership
date: 20/11/24

First Steps in Governance awards for Canterbury directors

First Steps in Governance awards for Canterbury directors

Three Canterbury directors have an opportunity to increase their governance experience and skills.

type: Leadership
date: 31/10/24

Are directors of founder-led companies being set up to fail?

Are directors of founder-led companies being set up to fail?

It can be hard to rein in one dominant individual unless boundaries are set.

type: Leadership
date: 09/10/24

Congratulations to our 2024 Emerging Directors

Congratulations to our 2024 Emerging Directors

Members nationwide have been honoured by their branches with Emerging Director Awards.

type: Leadership
date: 02/10/24

Equipping Kiwi boards for robust conversations

Equipping Kiwi boards for robust conversations

How you communicate at the board table matters. Find out why Kiwi boards might be more open to diverse views.

Board-management relationship

type: Leadership
date: 01/10/24

Future-focused governance: Gavin Mark Fernandez on the value of the IoD’s Advanced Directors’ Course

Future-focused governance: Gavin Mark Fernandez on the value of the IoD’s Advanc...

Gavin Mark Fernandez shares how IoD’s Advanced Directors’ Course sharpened his leadership and prepared him for the future of governance.

Diversity & inclusion

type: Leadership
date: 27/09/24

MEMBERS ABROAD

Debi Boffa: Diversity feeds innovation

Debi Boffa: Diversity feeds innovation

Being an outsider can be an asset – how US-based Kiwi Debi Boffa applies her unique lens at the board table.

Health and safety
Leadership
Productivity

type: Leadership
date: 15/08/24

Explainer: Understanding the role of lead director in US corporate governance

Explainer: Understanding the role of lead director in US corporate governance

What is the role of a ‘lead director’ in US corporate governance and why don’t we see it here?

Board composition
Chairing

type: Leadership
date: 15/08/24

Lessons from the Qantas governance review for New Zealand directors

Lessons from the Qantas governance review for New Zealand directors

A review has revealed problems with governance at Qantas and recommended changes.

Leadership
Stakeholders

type: Leadership
date: 14/06/24

Bridging the say-do gap

Bridging the say-do gap

Building resilient, responsible organisations starts with bridging the gap between what is said and what is done.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 13/06/24

Directors must be continuous learners. If you don’t do so, you’ll be out!

Directors must be continuous learners. If you don’t do so, you’ll be out!

Peter Gleason, US National Association of Corporate Directors CEO, urges continuous learning for boards through director certification.

type: Leadership
date: 13/06/24

Focus on the future

Focus on the future

This governance update, from our 2024 Leadership Conference, offers fresh perspective on our Top Five Issues for Directors in 2024.

Climate change
Digital transformation
Innovation

type: Leadership
date: 13/06/24

Governance news bites – 14 June

Governance news bites – 14 June

Governance is always a busy space, and the past few weeks are no exception. Read new, relevant-to-governance items our curated update.

type: Leadership
date: 30/05/24

Director Insights: Enabling productivity

Director Insights: Enabling productivity

Directors share insights into enabling productivity, growing the “top line” and enhancing efficiency through board-led strategy.

Digital transformation
Productivity

type: Leadership
date: 15/05/24

Powering business productivity

Powering business productivity

We can improve business profitability if we try, says a trio of Kiwi experts from the banking, technology and governance sectors.

Digital transformation
Innovation
Productivity

type: Leadership
date: 15/05/24

Think, act, thrive – 2024 Leadership Conference

Think, act, thrive – 2024 Leadership Conference

Stop talking about the challenges of complexity and put your thinking caps on, attendees at the IoD Leadership Conference were told.

AI
Climate change

type: Leadership
date: 02/05/24

Evolving letters with a “sting” in the tail

Evolving letters with a “sting” in the tail

BlackRock’s Chair and CEO Larry Fink’s letters to investors have evolved since 2012, resulting in challenges from activists and Texas.

Leadership
Shareholders
Stakeholders

type: Leadership
date: 09/04/24

Geneva-bound director sings CDC praises

Geneva-bound director sings CDC praises

Marc Rivers shares how he found the Institute of Directors Company Directors’ Course a valuable experience.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 03/04/24

ANZCO Foods CE finds real value in Company Directors’ Course

ANZCO Foods CE finds real value in Company Directors’ Course

ANZCO Foods CE finds real value in Institute of Director's Company Directors’ Course.

CEOs

type: Leadership
date: 07/03/24

Buffett’s annual letter should be required reading

Buffett’s annual letter should be required reading

Warren Buffett is full of lessons on how to run a company and manage your investors.

Shareholders
Succession Planning

type: Leadership
date: 05/03/24

"Ghost hearts" can save lives

"Ghost hearts" can save lives

Lab-grown “ghost hearts”, made from a pig heart and the patient’s own stem cells, can ease the transplant shortage.

Innovation
Wellbeing

type: Leadership
date: 08/02/24

When a director speaks publicly

When a director speaks publicly

Directors’ opinions carry weight publicly. Clarity is crucial when distinguishing personal views from board representation.

Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 25/01/24

Modern organisations need modern boards: Interview with Dan Teo

Modern organisations need modern boards: Interview with Dan Teo

Boards face the demanding task of keeping pace with organisational shifts. Radically CEO Dan Teo shares how boards can remain relevant.

Board-management relationship

type: Leadership
date: 04/12/23

Business Payment Practices Act to increase load for directors

Business Payment Practices Act to increase load for directors

There is a need for speed required by the new Business Payments Practices Act 2023, putting pressure on big businesses.

Audit
Compliance
Transparency

type: Leadership
date: 28/11/23

Hybrid work: the best of both worlds?

Hybrid work: the best of both worlds?

The one-size-fits-all traditional model of work is dead, forever changed by the pandemic.

Future-proofing

type: Leadership
date: 17/11/23

Disruption – two can play at that game: Bremworth case study

Disruption – two can play at that game: Bremworth case study

What links Kodak and carpet maker Bremworth? Disruption.

Future-proofing
Purpose

type: Leadership
date: 01/11/23

Global governance insights - 2023 IoD Leadership conference

Global governance insights - 2023 IoD Leadership conference

The role of board leaders in challenging orthodoxy in response to the unprecedented global changes.

Climate change
Digital transformation
ESG

type: Leadership
date: 19/10/23

Entering uncharted waters: Governance outtake

Entering uncharted waters: Governance outtake

Summary and actions for boards from Tim Groser's 2023 Leadership Conference presentation.

Climate change
Supply chains
Trade

type: Leadership
date: 06/10/23

Seeking expert advice

Seeking expert advice

Before boards seek professional advice they need to know what advice they need. After they get it, they need to know what to do with it.

Board evaluation
Crisis management
Decision making

type: Leadership
date: 06/10/23

Together at the top

Together at the top

The critical relationship between the chair and the CEO.

Board-management relationship
CEOs
Crisis management

type: Leadership
date: 07/09/23

Elizabeth Proust: women in leadership and boys clubs

Elizabeth Proust: women in leadership and boys clubs

Elizabeth Proust AO says hard work isn’t enough for women to cut through the old boys' network.

Board composition
Board dynamics
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 07/09/23

Is your governance structure fit for purpose?

Is your governance structure fit for purpose?

Two high profile governance reviews have hit the headlines this week from very different quarters – what can your boards learn from them?

Board evaluation
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 07/09/23

Double-track fast-track to governance

Double-track fast-track to governance

Sarah Matthews CMInstD has prioritised governance alongside business acumen in a parallel executive/director career path.

Purpose

type: Leadership
date: 05/09/23

Learning, as an expert

Learning, as an expert

Learning from others requires curiosity and a willingness to set your existing expertise to one side.

type: Leadership
date: 11/08/23

Increasing transparency around the gender pay gap a good thing

Increasing transparency around the gender pay gap a good thing

A welcome announcement that the government plans to require companies to report on their gender pay gaps.

Diversity & inclusion
Reporting
Transparency

type: Leadership
date: 26/07/23

IoD chief executive appointed to global leadership role

IoD chief executive appointed to global leadership role

The Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI) has appointed Institute of Directors’ CEO Kirsten Patterson as their new Chair.

Chairing
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 13/07/23

2023 IoD Leadership Conference: Panel discussion on governance

2023 IoD Leadership Conference: Panel discussion on governance

Governance panel highlights from the 2023 IoD Leadership Conference.

Decision making

type: Leadership
date: 12/07/23

Failing to plan means planning to fail

Failing to plan means planning to fail

Personal asset planning reminders for the 2020s.

Succession Planning

type: Leadership
date: 23/06/23

Transparency is your shield

Transparency is your shield

You don’t have to make an improper decision for a conflict of interests to get you into hot water.

Conflict of interests
Director duties
Transparency

type: Leadership
date: 21/06/23

Institute of Directors Annual General Meeting (AGM) 21 June 2023

Institute of Directors Annual General Meeting (AGM) 21 June 2023

Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM at the ASB Cube in Auckland. SIxty members attended the AGM in person and 141 members joined…

type: Leadership
date: 05/05/23

Relationship advice, 1,000-page board packs and CEO Barbie

Relationship advice, 1,000-page board packs and CEO Barbie

Governing the health sector, getting along with the CEO and a semi-convincing deepfake were on the bill for day two of IoD’s conference.

Board dynamics
Crisis management
Digital transformation

type: Leadership
date: 04/05/23

Passion, innovation and the Kraken of Doom

Passion, innovation and the Kraken of Doom

The opening day of the Institute of Directors Leadership Conference included humour, insight and profoundly difficult conversations.

Innovation
Trade

type: Leadership
date: 20/03/23

Constructive conversations

Constructive conversations

In this first in a new blog series, IoD Chief Executive Kirsten Patterson looks ahead to what could be an aggressive election campaign.

Decision making

type: Leadership
date: 16/03/23

Transparency and the non-negotiables

Transparency and the non-negotiables

Impact reporting is becoming non-negotiable where the facts have to speak for themselves, according to KPMG’s Kay Baldock.

Accountability
Stakeholders
Transparency

type: Leadership
date: 24/02/23

Being creative with governance

Being creative with governance

There is a shift in thinking about governance happening in the creative sector.

Diversity & inclusion
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 17/02/23

The new CEO is younger and may even be a woman

The new CEO is younger and may even be a woman

Is it time for a new kind of leader to tackle the challenges and expectations present today?

CEOs
Leadership

type: Leadership
date: 18/01/23

Always racing to meetings? It’s slowing you down

Always racing to meetings? It’s slowing you down

Senior leaders must do more than encourage employees to be more selective about the meetings they schedule or attend.

type: Leadership
date: 16/01/23

Could our ability to deal with failure be rooted in our culture?

Could our ability to deal with failure be rooted in our culture?

The final episode of Across the Board, presented by Kirsten Patterson and Sonia Yee.

Governance failures
Succession Planning

type: Leadership
date: 11/01/23

Five issues facing the boardroom in 2023

Five issues facing the boardroom in 2023

Climate change, financial struggles, digital upgrades, and staying afloat in a changing world.

Climate change
Cyber security
Digital transformation

type: Leadership
date: 26/12/22

Life changing events and the courage to say "no"

Life changing events and the courage to say "no"

The fourth episode of Across the Board, presented by Kirsten Patterson and Sonia Yee.

Health and safety
Wellbeing

type: Leadership
date: 19/12/22

23 items of vital vocabulary you’ll need to know in 2023

23 items of vital vocabulary you’ll need to know in 2023

Passkeys? Post-quantum cryptography? Vertiports? Get up to speed here.

Digital transformation

type: Leadership
date: 05/12/22

What does it take to get a seat at the table?

What does it take to get a seat at the table?

The first episode of seven-part podcast series Across the Board.

Board composition
Diversity & inclusion

type: Leadership
date: 17/11/22

What is our new public media organisation for?

What is our new public media organisation for?

The board of the merged TVNZ/RNZ public media organisation will have some strategic challenges.

Purpose
Transparency