Mele Wendt: Courage is key to making a difference in the boardroom

Her first formal foray into governance was when she was 28, as university staff rep on the board of a residence hall. Little did Mele Wendt know that would be the beginning of a flourishing career as a director. Earlier this year, Mele was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to governance, the Pacific community and women. We recently spoke with Mele and she shares with us her views on governance, her proudest achievements and what she thinks is the biggest challenge facing directors.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself

I’m a wife, mother, grandma, consultant and board director based in Wellington. I am a proud Samoan-Palagi born in Samoa and grew up in both Samoa and Fiji. I came to Aotearoa when I was 18 to attend Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and have lived here ever since. My career has been heavily based in the education sector - starting out as a high school teacher, then roles at Victoria University of Wellington (including the founding Pacific liaison officer and managing the domestic recruitment operation), and then as the executive director of the Fulbright scholarships programme. Alongside full-time paid work, I have enjoyed governance roles on a number of boards over the years, starting when I was 28 as the university staff rep on the board of a hall of residence. Over the past five years since leaving Fulbright I have been doing a mix of consulting and having governance roles. I’m very fortunate in that I’m also able to regularly spend time with family (especially grandchildren), be involved in various groups and causes, travel and pursue other interests.

Tell us about the boards you are involved in

I recently stepped down as chair of the Pasifika Education Centre in Auckland, and now serve on two boards - Te Kura and Wellington Community Trust. Te Kura, formerly known as The Correspondence School, provides distance learning from early childhood to Year 13. It has over 23,000 students (including adults) enrolled across a year, several hundred staff and an annual budget of over $50 million. Wellington Community Trust is one of the 12 independent regional trusts formed from the sale of the Trust Bank in 1988, and distributes $1.5 million in grants annually for charitable, cultural, philanthropic and recreational purposes in the wider Wellington region. Both boards are ministerially appointed and have great people on them who I enjoy working with. It was a real privilege working with Te Kura board chair, Dame Karen Sewell, who recently stepped down and who has such great leadership, skill, wit and empathy/humanity.

What I like about both entities is that they do really good things. Te Kura educates those unable to attend school because of distance/isolation, bullying/alienation/expulsion, psycho-social needs, long-term illness, pregnancy, particular learning needs, and so on. Wellington Community Trust provides financial support to a range of charities, social services and community groups doing amazing work for the good of Wellington’s people, the environment, arts, culture, sport and recreation.

What do you think is the biggest challenge for directors?

Apart from staying on top of the many governance responsibilities in a world that is constantly changing, at a more behavioural level, I think the biggest challenge for directors is courage - acquiring it and using it. Aristotle said, “Courage is the first of human qualities, because it is the quality that guarantees the others”. In other words, any great trait a person has will always remain hidden unless they have the courage to use it. You can’t be honest if you don’t have the courage to tell the truth. You can’t be innovative if you don’t have the courage to try new things. Courage is strength in the face of adversity. Courage is having purposeful, robust but respectful korero/talanoa/discussion.

I think there could be more courage demonstrated in many of our board rooms. There is too much passivity, group-think, fear of confrontation and 'rocking the boat’ and not wanting to sit with the discomfort. Yet without courage you can’t have the right conversations that lead to change or you waste a lot of time getting there. We all need to develop more courage, bringing our vulnerabilities but not be driven by them. We also need to encourage greater diversity and inclusion on our boards, mentor newer directors, and advocate for and create a governance environment that encourages courage!

What are you passionate about outside of your governance work?

All my jobs and governance roles have advanced my personal goal of being involved in programmes/organisations that transform people’s lives for the better. My paid and voluntary work has enabled me to engage with and help Pacific people, especially Pacific women and girls. I am passionate about the self-determination of Pacific countries and people, ensuring the preservation of our languages, cultures and histories, and improving the education and other outcomes of Pacific people and other minority communities. As a survivor of family violence I am also involved in programmes to eliminate family violence, including being an active White Ribbon Ambassador along with my husband of 25 years, Eteuati Ete. We are also passionate about and active supporters of the creative and Pacific arts. We love Wellington, and love our large aiga/family, especially our grown-up children, their partners and our four grandchildren.

What are your proudest achievements in your career in governance

In January this year I was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours 2019, for services to governance, the Pacific community and women which came as a bit of a surprise and was received with much humility. In my 22 years in governance, being a woman director of colour and often being the youngest person around the table has sometimes been quite challenging. However, owing to my passion, courage, advocacy and particular perspectives and experiences, especially around Pacific peoples and issues, I have instigated changes and improvements to occur in the various organisations and causes I’ve been involved with. I’m also proud of having helped save an important organisation from closure, and assisted various entities to get through some significant issues and have major successes over the years.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of IoD?

I enjoy the opportunity to meet and network with a range of directors, and to discuss governance issues and experiences with each other. I also benefit from upskilling myself on governance issues, best practice and developments. I have been an IOD governance facilitator and I really enjoy helping others improve their governance knowledge and skills in a workshop setting and sharing my experiences with them. At the same time I learn too.

What do you do to keep on top of your game?

I do a lot of reading, attend various professional events, and stay in touch with a few people who are directors, including one or two who provide advice and mentoring. A few months ago, a small group of us formed the 'Wellington Governance Group' which meets monthly in the CBD and discusses different aspects of governance. It is really insightful and interesting as well as fun. For the past year, I have also been involved with a group of community-focused folks - the 'Coalition for Community Governance' - who are passionate about improving the quality of governance in the non-profit/community sector and have been meeting regularly to develop a national strategy in community sector governance. Watch this space!

What particular IoD courses did you find really helpful? Why?

I’ve done most of the IoD courses, including the Company Directors Course in 2017, but I think the one that was the most helpful was the very first one I did - in 2006. The course was called "Governance for Senior Management” and it provided me with a good, broad theoretical base of effective governance as my governance career was getting started.

What advice would you give to directors who are starting out in their governance career?

Do some governance training - the one-day IOD ‘Governance Essentials’ course is a good start - and read lots about governance and talk to different people about it. If looking for board appointments, be proactive, use your networks, go to events, get a good governance CV, apply for roles, contact board chairs, and keep trying.

Before undertaking a board role do your homework about the organisation and the people and ensure it is a good fit with your values and goals.

Once appointed, prepare, learn, observe, ask questions, figure out what skills you need, find your voice, and learn when to talk and when to listen. Be respectful.

Always be your authentic self, be courageous, keep purpose and vision front-and-centre, and build positive relationships and trust with your fellow directors.