Leadership NZ Yearbook 2016 by Leadership New Zealand

YEARBOOK 2016

THE PEOPLE

VISION Enriching New Zealand through active leadership in a connected community.

We thank the following people for their generous support of Leadership New Zealand

MISSION To build an exceptional leadership culture that develops and celebrates resilient, courageous, authentic leaders who: - Have a strong awareness of issues of significance for New Zealand; - Value diversity, engage in meaningful conversation, connect and work successfully across difference; - Build and transform organisations, communities and effect positive social economic and cultural change across society.

LEADERSHIP NZ TRUSTEES Peter Garnett – Chair, Leadership New Zealand; Company Director Nick Astwick – Deputy Chair, Leadership NZ; Chief Operating Officer, Kiwibank; Alumnus 2010 Carol Bellette – Group General Manager Shared Services, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu; Alumna 2012 Martin Fenwick – Chair, Altris Ltd Tara Pradhan – Strategy, Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement and Social Change; Alumna 2007 Neville Pulman – Chief Code Cracker, The Customer Code; Alumnus 2006 George Riley – Trustee, Te Tii Waitangi (B3) Ahu Whenua Trust; Alumnus 2009 Samuelu Sefuiva – Public and Social Policy Consultant Hilary Sumpter – Chief Executive, Kerikeri Retirement Village; Alumna 2010 Christien Winter – Executive Director, Sheffield

VALUES Courageous Generous of spirit Inclusive Acting with integrity Innovative Apolitical Celebrating diversity Pumanawa Kaiarahi O Aotearoa

LEADERSHIP NZ TRUST PO Box 5061 Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141 T: +64 9 309 3749 E: info@leadershipnz.co.nz W: www.leadershipnz.co.nz

LEADERSHIP NZ STAFF Sina Wendt-Moore – Chief Executive Louise Marra – Programme Director Annette Bartlett – Programme Leader Judy Whiteman – Network Connector Tania Hack – Communications & Office Co-ordinator Nicola Campbell – Programme Facilitator

DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Leadership New Zealand, its members or the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, no responsibility can be accepted by the publisher for omissions, typographical or printer’s errors, inaccuracies or changes that may have taken place after publication. All rights reserved. YEARBOOK 2016

LEADERSHIP NZ ADVISORY TRUSTEES Sir Bob Harvey – Chair, Advisory Trustees; Champion for Auckland – Overseas Investment, Auckland Council David McGregor – Deputy Chair, Advisory Trustees; General Counsel, Envirocounsel Reg Birchfield – Publisher, RJMedia Jo Brosnahan – Founder, Leadership NZ; Company Director Tony Carter – Chair, Air New Zealand; Director, Fletcher Building, ANZ Bank NZ; Corporate Director Maureen Crombie – Director, Monterey Art Gallery; Alumna 2006 John Hinchcliff – Emeritus Vice Chancellor, AUT University; President, Peace Foundation Peter Kerridge – Director, Kerridge and Partners Ltd Chris Laidlaw – Wellington Regional Councillor; Writer Louise Marra – Director, Spirited Leadership; Leadership NZ Programme Director Tim Miles – Chief Executive, Spark Digital Tony Nowell – Director, Valadenz; Corporate Director Suzanne Snively – Executive Chair, Transparency International; MD, More Media Enterprises; Corporate Director Dr Morgan Williams – Chair, WWF New Zealand PATRON Lady Beverley Reeves EDITORIAL TEAM AND CONTRIBUTORS Peter Garnett, Dame Susan Devoy, Dr Anne Messervy, Jo Brosnahan, Reg Birchfield, Judy Whiteman, Kimberly Rees, Tania Hack, Sian Henderson, Louise Marra, Annette Bartlett, Justin Maddock, Sarah Graham, Curative Ltd

YEARBOOK 2016

CHAIR’S FOREWORD

As in the previous four years, this Leadership NZ year has been underpinned by a theme – ‘Mindful Leadership.’ At the Mindful Leadership Summit held in Washington in 2015, it was described as being “about recognising that your leadership is in service to others. It’s about creating the space in your life to cultivate self-awareness and compassion, and about leading with authenticity in a way that inspires others.” This has certainly had an impact on our leadership Programme participants as they have progressed through their year with us. I am sure the challenges and experiences they have shared will make them stronger in their future leadership journey and will encourage them to adopt a mindful leadership style. I am confident mindful leadership will go a long way to enabling each of them to take our vision of ‘enriching New Zealand through active leadership in a connected community’ back into their work, community and personal life environments. As I reflect on the past year and the challenges many world leaders have faced, I can only wonder at how different our world might have been if mindful leadership was the pervasive style of leadership. I think of Syria and the ‘mindless’ leadership being demonstrated there, inflicting such a terrible toll on innocent civilians and creating the enormous refugee crisis for the Middle East and European countries. What a difference it would be to observe a USA Presidential campaign based on candidates ensuring they were ‘being mindful and treating others with profound levels of respect and compassion while achieving the traction needed to move things forward and create change.’ These are but two topical examples of where I am sure the adoption of mindful leadership would make a fundamental difference in our world. With this in mind, I was delighted that our annual Dinner with a Difference, hosted in partnership with AUT and Curative, was truly a ‘Dinner with a Difference – A Mindful Leadership Experience.’ An evening where our guests embraced mindfulness from the moment they entered AUT’s Sir Paul Reeves Building. Our panel talked about their commitment to mindful leadership and the importance of having a senior executive commitment for a mindful leadership initiative to be useful. The

highlight of the evening was our wonderful keynote speaker, Dr Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey. Elizabeth shared with us her experience of the mindful leadership revolution that she has witnessed and been a part of, across the globe and about her personal commitment to practice mindfulness. As one of our participants noted, she is “such a grounded soul, who spoke eloquently and very consciously of the bigger picture, of developing ourselves through finding mentors… For a mindfulness topic, Elizabeth embodied a peak of awareness, and also discipline.” On behalf of the Trustees, I again acknowledge and thank our generous funders and volunteers for their ongoing support. It is appreciated and is very important for this small not-for-profit organisation to continue to deliver its valued leadership Programme. We invite others, who would like to support scholarships to enable continued participation by a full diversity of New Zealanders, to make a donation to our Sir Paul Reeves Scholarship Fund (information is available on our website). The last three years as Chair of Leadership New Zealand have passed quickly. It has been a privilege to work with such a dedicated group of Trustees and with our CEO Sina and her small, passionate, hard working team. A big thank you goes to each of you for your valuable contributions. Our congratulations go to the Graduands of 2016. We look forward to following you as you continue on your leadership journey. I leave you with these words from Dr Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey:

“The Power of One… is one person’s willingness to help another, one person’s commitment to love the world, one person’s passion to set in motion a ripple of such magnitude that it creates a sea change. Imagine if a small woman in India thought that caring for the poor and dying was too much trouble we might never have been inspired by a nun named Theresa. This is the Power of ONE…ONE Person, ONE Planet, ONE People.” Peter Garnett Chair

CONTENTS

CHAIR’S FOREWORD

Peter Garnett

THERE IS AN I

IN LEADERSHIP Dame Susan Devoy

MINDFULNESS CAN HELP 4 LEADERS CREATE THRIVING ORGANISATIONS Dr Anne Messervy

GRADUATION SPEECH

Justin Maddock and Sarah Graham

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW + EVENTS

MINDFULNESS &

PRESENCE

Louise Marra

2016 LEADERSHIP NZ

A photo essay

GRADUAND BIOGRAPHIES

From the Class of 2016

ARRESTING LEADERSHIP TALES

Pat Snedden

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

NORTHLAND ALUMNI:

Kimberly Rees & Sian Henderson

Building the Region’s Future Jo Brosnahan

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PIECE Dame Susan Devoy

There is an I in Leadership This year we launched a nationwide leadership campaign that called on New Zealanders to show leadership and to actively plan for the future. “That’s Us” is our country’s first anti-racism campaign. We called it That’s Us because effectively it’s about the kind of people we want to be, the kind of people we should be and the kind of country we want to leave behind for our children. We are asking Kiwis to start sharing their own stories about racism, intolerance and hatred: but to also share their hopes for the future.

of us need to show leadership when it comes to race relations.

If New Zealanders aren’t aware that prejudice is a problem, then we won’t be able to address it. That’s why sharing our own personal stories is so important. While a third of all complaints we receive are about racial discrimination, we know that most New Zealanders never formally complain.

Every year around 400 people make formal complaints to us about racism they’ve faced, they come from all over the country and from a wide range of circumstances. However, we know the overwhelming majority of people never complain or go public when a car drives past and the people in it scream a racist obscenity, when the woman registering students at university smiles at every other student but the brown ones or when shoppers are racially profiled while out with the kids.

We live in one of the most ethnically diverse nations on earth. One-in-four Aucklanders are Asian Aucklanders. Maori and Pacific Kiwis are a young, fast growing population. For the first time in a century our latest census recorded more than one million people living in New Zealand were born overseas, 300,000 more than in the 2001 census. The bottom line is about all of us building a future where New Zealand children know they are valued and not just tolerated. I believe we are at a crossroads when it comes to race relations, ethnic diversity and national identity. Right now we need leaders and leadership: and I don’t just mean politicians. All

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Every single New Zealander has a role to play in building a future that is founded on mana. Every one of us needs to show personal leadership, what we do now will define the kind of country we become.

“By raising the voices of those New Zealanders who face racial intolerance in their everyday life: we’re hoping other New Zealanders will take the time to listen.”

These are those “casual” or “quiet” racist encounters that never feel casual or quiet when you and your family are the ones being humiliated. Many people don’t think racial intolerance or racism is a problem: often because they do not experience it themselves. By raising the voices of those New Zealanders who face racial intolerance in their everyday life: we’re hoping other New Zealanders will take the time to listen. We suspect many of us don’t realise when something we say is unfair or biased: but we would if someone pointed it out to us. We’ve always had a problem with racism in New Zealand – ask any Maori New Zealander. Businessman and mobile technology innovator, Ian Taylor was a bright student and he remembers being told by adults and kids alike: Ah, but you’re not really Maori! What’s changed since Ian was small is we’ve also become incredibly diverse, one of the most ethnically diverse nations on earth in less than a generation. Racial intolerance is on the rise overseas and closer to home, we’ve become very diverse in a short period of time, while overt racism is not widespread yet: we are confident New Zealanders are ready to take part in meaningful conversations that will talk about the realities of racism and what each of us can do about it. Not long ago we publicly called out

Dame Susan Devoy

Neo Nazi fascists who wanted to march against child abuse. Many Kiwis joined us when we argued that the symbols of a regime that murdered 1.5 million children have no place at a march against child abuse. That’s not us. We suspect the overwhelming majority of Kiwis do not stand alongside these kinds of people but if the rest of us are unable to talk openly about racism then the loudest, angriest voices are often the only ones we hear. We just need to look around the world right now to see what happens when racial intolerance and racism is normalised. We think New Zealanders are better than that. As well as one of the most ethnically diverse nations on earth we are also one of the most peaceful. If we want to pass this legacy on to our children and their children then we’re

going to have to work at it. How we treat one another, whether it’s with respect or not – is up to us. Whether we sit back and silently watch while someone is racially bullied on the bus because they are Muslim or at a rugby game because they’re Fijian or whether we stand up for that stranger: it’s up to us. We’re all responsible for the kind of country and community we live in and that includes politicians as they are not just everyday New Zealanders, they’re statesmen and stateswomen who have the honour of representing us in our parliament. As Race Relations Commissioner my role is to “promote and protect human rights for all people in Aotearoa New Zealand and foster harmonious relations.”

“We think New Zealanders are better than that. As well as one of the most ethnically diverse nations on earth we are also one of the most peaceful. If we want to pass this legacy on to our children and their children then we’re going to have to work at it.” – Dame Susan Devoy

In other words I’m responsible for encouraging everyone to treat each other with respect, dignity and mana: irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion. We’ve come a long way as a nation in terms of treating each other with respect but what’s clear is some of us, including a few politicians, still have a long way to go. But ultimately it isn’t up to me, it’s up to everyday New Zealanders. We must challenge ourselves to be better people. The streets of our towns and suburbs are where race relations will thrive or die: it is really up to us. Sadly we have had incidents such as a young Jewish boy having his yarmulke ripped off his head and hate screamed at him. Hours later in Avondale a young Muslim mum and her children had cans and abuse hurled at them from a passing car. Peace and human rights start at home, with everyday people. We need to stand up for the kind country we want to live in. And the work starts right here in our communities with everyday Kiwis showing leadership. The i in Leadership is there for a reason. It’s up to us. That’s Us. YEARBOOK 2016

PARTNER’S PERSPECTIVE Dr Anne Messervy AUT Business School

Mindfulness can help leaders create thriving organisations It is fair to say that the last five years have seen an explosion of research studying mindfulness in organisations. The practice of mindfulness is also steadily making its way into leadership development programmes, with mindfulness-enhancing techniques, such as meditation and conscious breathing, increasingly incorporated into Business School curricula around the world. And as the theoretical understanding and practical experience of the concept continues to mature, there is merit in reflecting on some of the ways in which mindful leaders can enable thriving in individuals, teams and organisations. Where originally ‘mindfulness’ was regarded primarily as a Buddhist-inspired meditation practice, it has since become a widely adopted leadership term that describes a state of open and engaged attention on the present moment (also referred to as present-moment awareness). In a state of mindfulness, the individual is connecting with him/herself as a total person – in terms of body, mind, emotion and spirit. This increased sense of self-awareness can enhance the individual’s ability to respond authentically, thereby potentially improving his/her effectiveness as a leader. The contemporary (Western) understanding of mindfulness also emphasises that it is not about retreating from reality, but rather about looking the present moment straight in the eye. In this sense, a mindful state enables a leader to assess the current reality (or another person) from a non-judgmental space and without the tyranny of having to repeat behaviour merely because ‘it worked in the past.’ Instead, mindfulness allows a range of creative possibilities to emerge and for

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the leader to consider new approaches to familiar problems. At an organisational level, the research interest in mindful leadership is part of a larger groundswell in organisation studies, that of Positive Organisational Behaviour (POB). With its roots in positive psychology, POB concerns itself with ways to enable individuals and organisations not just to survive, but to thrive. From this perspective, leadership is about supporting individuals to fulfil their potential and create meaningful work experiences, thereby contributing to an overall sense of contentment with life. Another way in which mindfulness can contribute to thriving in organisations is that it offers a means for individuals at all levels of the organisation to discover the ‘leader within.’ POB is about the individ-

ual learning from lived experience and developing an individual sense of competence. In this sense, mindfulness is not a spectator sport or a course to attend to become ‘certified in mindfulness.’ Instead, it is a living practice that should ideally be reinforced several times a day. And this perhaps poses the biggest obstacle to the widespread adoption of mindfulness amongst leaders, as it requires commitment and discipline on a daily basis to tune into one’s mindful state. The range of effective mindfulness practices have been well documented and include meditation, conscious breathing, and exercise. The different impacts of various practices have not been established yet, but what has been shown clearly is that mindfulness – as with other exercises – depends on consistency to yield results. Mindfulness is an emotional state,

“Where originally ‘mindfulness’ was regarded primarily as a Buddhist-inspired meditation practice, it has since become a widely adopted leadership term that describes a state of open and engaged attention on the present moment... mindfulness allows... for the leader to consider new approaches to familiar problems.”

Dr Anne Messervy, AUT Business School

and therefore relatively fleeting. To yield benefits, mindfulness techniques should, therefore, be practiced regularly and in a focused manner. A well-established body of evidence already details the individual level benefits of mindfulness such as reduced stress levels. Mindfulness also offers a practical way to address the information overload the average employee faces on a daily basis. In this sense, the practice of mindfulness encourages the opposite of multi-tasking. It asks the individual to slow down and calls for a singular focus

Stephen Archer & Dr Anne Messervy at Dinner with a Difference 2016

on a specific activity (or individual). For a leader, the benefits of such as focused approach are significant. Leadership research acknowledges the impact a mindful leader can have on the collective or group. As Dr Chellie Spiller articulated so well in a previous issue of Leaders: “more mindfulness can create a greater coherence around a higher purpose, more compassion and kindness.” But mindful leadership is not just about kinder, gentler leaders. It also holds the potential to impact positively on organisational level outcomes. Several studies

“But mindful leadership is not just about kinder, gentler leaders. It also holds the potential to impact positively on organisational level outcomes. Several studies have identified improvements in decision-making, creativity and organisational learnings as direct benefits of mindfulness practices in the organisation.”

have identified improvements in decision-making, creativity and organisational learnings as direct benefits of mindfulness practices in the organisation. At a team level, mindfulness has been shown to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity and at the individual level, it enriches emotional intelligence and well-being, leading to higher reported levels of job satisfaction and engagement. Several organisations also report improvements in metrics such as employee stress, absenteeism and staff turnover following the adoption of mindfulness programmes. As with many of the POB practices, the adoption of mindfulness within an organisation offers a win-win opportunity to individuals and the organisation to thrive. The starting point to tap into the potential is the individual leader making a commitment to build his or her mindfulness muscle through ongoing learning and regular practice. In this way, mindfulness can become a powerful tool in any leader’s toolbox.

YEARBOOK 2016

GRADUATION SPEECH Justin Maddock Sarah Graham

What is Leadership? Two representatives of this year’s Leadership NZ 2016 cohort, Justin Maddock and Sarah Graham provide their thoughts as the year comes to an end. JUSTIN MADDOCK: We have spent the last nine months trying to figure that out. To each of us, it means something a little different, what we have taken away unique to our experience and diversity. For me an introduction to poetry and the power of the written word. Leadership requires perspective, empathy but most of all it requires a sound understanding of who you are! Leadership is complicated yet so simple at the same time. I’ll start at the beginning, way back in February on a particularly hot Auckland day.

A room filled with potential, questions, possibility An excited nervousness took hold, what had I signed up for, what would I learn, I know what leadership is! Our first day together, so many names to remember! What does this have to do with leadership? What had I signed up for? The first thing we learnt is leadership starts with you, understanding who you are and what drives you is core to being a good leader. This has been a journey of self-reflection, getting to know the voice in your head. The Far North, or at least further north than a few of us had ventured lay ahead

“Our time together continued to strengthen our bonds, and our understanding of leadership continued to develop. Like the spiral pattern of a seashell our learning had started at our centre and has been expanding outward.” 6

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for Session 2 and an opportunity to explore our connection with the history of this land and its people. A civil society our roots our history The names started sinking in, the faces of friends start to emerge, Confronted by the truth of history Challenged by our fog of knowledge The connection to this land clear and unmistakeable A history needing correction Our time together continued to strengthen our bonds, and our understanding of leadership continued to develop. Like the spiral pattern of a seashell, our learning had started at our centre and has been expanding outward. “Our Economy” - Palmerston North gave us the opportunity to learn more about the primary industries supporting this beautiful country and meet some of the people driving it forward. Standing on the shearing floor, a young woman full of potential Her path seemingly anchored in this the most simple of buildings and places A vision for the future, a path to great leadership

Be careful not to look for leadership in the obvious places Leadership grows everywhere Even on the humble shearing shed floor Christchurch & Hanmer, our friendships were well and truly established. You get this feeling leading into a Leadership NZ retreat that reassures you that this is something special. Time away from our families and partners given to be part of this experience. The bare truth of a life lived so disarming Truth and honesty clears its own path Our group splintered, Scattered to absorb the impact A bus ride – different from the rest We pull together and the airport awaits Boarding calls, flights take us home Our bonds are stronger now, we have shared so much. Session 7 in Wellington lay ahead, sadness for the undeniable fact that this journey is almost finished. So what does Leadership mean now? You recognise it but it feels different. Another story waits to be told Words brought to life on a page for the very first time My life in 10 minutes What will they think? What will they say? A gift or a burden? Our difference is where leadership thrives The countdown starts Deep breath… START To the 2016 Leadership NZ cohort, I thank each and every one of you for the opportunity to be part of something so special and to speak on your behalf. To the Leadership NZ staff from all of us, never stop, this gift must be given to many more. That familiar feeling is back that excited nervousness has taken hold, new friendships anchored in a year-long journey to answer one question. _____________________________________ SARAH GRAHAM: To want. To want to grow up. To want something new. I think I can feel safe in

“How little did I know what this year would actually bring. No suits, well hardly any, and absolutely no shoulder pads. A heck of a lot of sitting in circles, something I thought I’d let go from my drama school years and engaging in that oh so dangerous and lifechanging past time – talking and listening to each other.” the knowledge that we all know what that feels like. Wanting. I had no idea what to expect from this year and this Programme; other than the obvious suits, shoulder pads, important looking bits of paper and briefcases, but what I did know, was that I wanted something in myself to shift. I wanted practical ways of being a better person with the possibility of conquering that overwhelming sense of self-doubt and find fresh ways of taking ownership of my seemingly accidental career. Nothing major. How little did I know what this year would actually bring. No suits, well hardly any, and absolutely no shoulder pads. A heck of a lot of sitting in circles, something I thought I’d let go from my drama school years and engaging in that oh so dangerous and life-changing pastime – talking and listening to each other. But what’s struck me the most this year is just how by being part of this cohort and considered equal with such incredible humans, has allowed me to re-engage with the world around me, see it from different perspectives, and be curious. 2016 has seen the world and our own country sit on the precipice of the past and the present, with old views we liberals thought or maybe more naively hoped were disappearing coming back with vengeance; women have a seat at the table but walking home in the dark is risky, we recycle but buy Nespresso machines, and in our very own country, Aotearoa, a sense of other and entitlement still exists. This world has grown up in so many ways but there is still so far to go when the state of fear overwhelms our humanity. Fear is all around us, in the people we didn’t talk to, in the quick judgment of someone we interact with, in the conversation we’re pretending to listen to while

wanting to check Facebook, it’s all over us and in us, our own fear keeps us safe and allows us the opportunity to sit back and observe the world we live in without ever really having to be in it. This is what this Programme has given me. While I was looking for permission to move forward in my career, this Programme has allowed me to open my eyes. However, for me, opening my eyes has brought with it a sense of dread, of uncontrol, of wanting to fix it. But mainly, an overwhelming feeling that I myself am not capable of changing a bloody thing. Then I stopped and started to listen, to the questions being put to us. Who are you? What do you stand for? What is your sense of self-care? Where is the place you can make the greatest difference? And finally, from Pat Snedden, ‘What would you be prepared to be arrested for?’ Through all this questioning I realised we each, including myself, need first to put on that oxygen mask before we can help others, come from our own grounded place of truth and not conquer our self-doubt, allow it to be present, acknowledge it and get on with nourishing our purpose. I found this quote recently, on Pinterest of all things: When a person tells you that you hurt them, you don’t get to decide that you didn’t. – Louis C.K. It’s stuck with me. We hurt each other. We hurt our planet. Whether we intend to or not. But we have the opportunity to change that interaction by what we do next, by coming back into ourselves, hearing from someone else’s perspective, engaging in empathy. Because we’re all different, what we each value is different. We can respect that; we don’t have to change each other. We can find common ground. And we can change the world.

YEARBOOK 2016

The 2016 Programme Overview February: The Journey – Exploring Leadership – Amora Hotel, Auckland Team-building day; tools, inspiration and connecting; exploring leadership models Nick Astwick

Deputy Chair, Leadership NZ; Leadership NZ Alumnus; Chief Operating Officer, Kiwibank

Sina Wendt-Moore

Chief Executive, Leadership NZ; Leadership NZ Alumna

Louise Marra

Programme Director, Leadership NZ; Director, Spirited Leadership

Nicola Campbell

Programme Facilitator, Leadership NZ; Director, Spirited Leadership

Dr Karlo Mila

Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Auckland; LNZ Alumna

Sir Bob Harvey

Champion for Auckland

Jo Brosnahan

Founder, Leadership NZ

March: Our Roots, Our History – Manaia Health PHO, Whangarei; He Iwi Kotahi Tatou Trust, Moerewa; Kohewhata Marae, Kaikohe; Waitangi Treaty Grounds Our history; Maori perspectives; the Treaty of Waitangi; health, community and community leadership Chris Farrelly

Chief Executive Officer, Manaia Health PHO

Debbie & Ngahau Davis

Joint General Managers, He Iwi Kotahi Tatou Trust

Matua Sid Tau

Kohewhata Marae

Dr Aroha Harris

University of Auckland

The Honourable Justice Joseph Williams

May: Our People: A Civil Society – Ko Awatea, Middlemore Hospital; Pacific Business Trust, Papatoetoe

Elements of a civil society; ethics; values; communities; community engagement; social entrepreneurism; deprivation; human rights; diversity; migration; refugee resettlement; the long tail of underachievement Pat Snedden

Business Advisor

Leilani Clarke

Kinetic Wayfinding Theatre Company

Douglas Lang

Director, Altris

Martin Fenwick

Director, Altris

Josephine Bartley

Local Board Member, Auckland Council Maungakiekie Tamaki Ward; Leadership NZ Alumna

Andrea McLeod

Enliven General Manager, Presbyterian Support Northern; Leadership NZ Alumna

Jenny Oxley

Executive Officer, Manaiakalani

Dr Ellis Situe

Director – Clinical Strategy, Nirvana Health Group, East Tamaki Healthcare

Jenny Wang

Founder, Chinese New Settlers Trust Education Trust

Sarah Ward

Refugee Resettlement Coordinator, Refugee Resettlement Centre

June: Our Economy – Caccia Birch House, Palmerston North

Rural New Zealand, primary industries, agribusiness, science and research, food technology and natural resources Mavis Mullins

Director, Paewai Mullins Shearing Ltd

Sarah von Dadelszen

Farmer; Company Director

Richard Kibblewhite

Director, Splashzone Ltd & Leadership NZ Alumnus

Professor Danny Donaghy

Professor of Dairy Production Systems, Massey University

Janine Sudbury

Sudbury

July: Sustaining our Wellbeing and Values – Kimihia Research Station, Lincoln and Heritage Hotel, Hanmer Springs Sustainability – the outer world of environmental sustainability and the inner world of resilient leadership needed to sustain this; our environmental scorecard; green growth – merging the economy and the environment; how Maori view and balance the environment and economy; our own relationship with the environment Hana O’Regan

General Manager Oraka, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu

Josie Ogden Schroeder

Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Christchurch; Leadership NZ Alumna

Peter Townsend

Chief Executive Officer, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

August: Forces that Shape Our Thinking – Q Theatre; AUT University, Auckland

Design thinking. The influence of the arts, media and culture, and how each determines the way we think and shape our national identity

Dave Wild

Futurist, Smith & Wild

Qiujing Wong

Founder and Chief Executive, BORDERLESS Productions Ltd

Lilian Grace

Founder, Figure NZ

Lisa Taouma

Producer, Fresh TV

Dr Wayne Hope

Associate Professor AUT University, Co-Director of Journalism, Media and Democracy Research Centre (JMAD)

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September: Forces that Shape our Thinking - Governance in the 21st Century – New Zealand Defence Force and Toi Whakaari, Wellington The forces that determine how we lead and govern ourselves, the changing role of the state, relationships with business and civil society, societal expectations, the opportunities and challenges of diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand for leadership and governance, and our future potential Brigadier Chris Parsons

Deputy Chief of Army, NZ Defence Force

Celia Wade-Brown

Mayor, Wellington City

Murray Hickman

Artistic Director & General Manager, Strike Percussion; Leadership NZ Alumnus

Penny Fitt Adam Cooper

Director, Toi Whakaari; Leadership NZ Alumna Director, Creative Leadership; Leadership NZ Alumnus

Teina Moetara

Ruku Ao Leadership Initiative

NgaPaki Moetara

Ruku Ao Leadership Initiative

Mele Wendt

Board Director and Consultant, Mele Wendt Consulting & Scholarship Services Aotearoa

Suzanne Snively

Chair, Transparency International NZ

Teresa Tepania-Ashton

Chief Executive Officer, Maori Women’s Development Inc; Leadership NZ Alumna

October: Presence and Mindfulness for Creative Leadership – Onetangi Community Hall, Waiheke Island Presence and mindfulness for creative leadership; expressing our essence and core; integration and collective creation Vocal Coach

Sylvia Rands Selina Tusitala Marsh

Poet; Senior Lecturer, Auckland University; Leadership NZ Alumna

Steve Hollins

Living Theatre

November: Closing Retreat – Drawing the Threads, Waitakere Estate, Waiatarua, West Auckland

Visions for New Zealand - group visions and visions from the speakers; what that means for New Zealand Leadership; drawing the learning; the journey ahead Frank Olsson

Honorary Consul, Consulate of Sweden

Minnie Baragwanath

Chief Executive, Be.Institute Charitable Trust

Rod Oram

Journalist, Sunday Star-Times; Broadcaster

Craig Donaldson

CEO, Kea NZ

Jo Brosnahan

Founder, Leadership NZ

Leadership NZ Events 2016 FEBRUARY 18 Programme Launch KPMG, Viaduct Harbour, Auckland

Mihi Whakatau: Jamie Munro, Partner, KPMG & Leadership NZ Alumnus MC: David Udy, Group Manager Collections, Inland Revenue & Leadership NZ Alumnus

Speakers: Jason Doherty, Partner, KPMG; Peter Garnett, Chair, Leadership NZ;

Vicky Taylor, General Manager, Smartfoods & Leadership NZ Alumna; Sina Wendt-Moore, CEO, Leadership NZ & Leadership NZ Alumna; Louise Marra, Leadership Programme Director, Leadership NZ

JULY 20 Dinner with a Difference: Mindful Leadership Sir Paul Reeves Building, AUT University, Auckland

NOVEMBER 9 From the Raindrop, to the River, to the Sea Sir Paul Reeves Building, AUT University, Auckland

NOVEMBER 19 2016 Graduation Event Q Theatre, Auckland

Mihi Whakatau: Morehu Wilson, Leadership NZ Alumnus MC: Wade Jackson, Covert Theatre Company Speakers: Dr Elizabeth Kapu’uwalani Lindsey; Stephen Archer, Principal,

Mindfulness Training Limited; Dr Chellie Spiller, Lecturer, University of Auckland Business School; Dr Anne Messervy, Lecturer, AUT; Hillary Palmer, Head of Culture and Leadership, Kiwibank; Dr Tracy Berno, Senior Lecturer Gastronomy, AUT

Mihi Whakatau: George Riley, Leadership NZ Trustee & Alumnus MC: Guyon Espiner, Radio NZ host Speakers: Tame Iti; Peter Garnett, Chair, Leadership NZ; Sina Wendt-Moore, CEO

Leadership NZ & Leadership NZ Alumna

Welcome: Mihi Whakatau: George Riley, Leadership NZ Trustee & Alumnus MC: Dr Ainsleigh Cribb-Su’a, Leadership NZ Alumna; Justin Maddock and Sarah Graham, Graduand Representatives

Guest Speaker: Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner YEARBOOK 2016

PROGRAMME DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTION Louise Marra

Mindfulness and Presence Louise runs her own business on radical innovation and leadership and is the Programme Director for Leadership New Zealand. For the past 30 years she has explored the themes of presence and mindfulness through yoga and meditation teaching, chigong, Jungian and transpersonal psychology learning and coaching, and using them in various large mainstream roles. Where are you right now as you start to read this article? Are you here, seeing and reading the words, aware of yourself, of the space around you, of the magazine in your hand and of the words that enter your mind? Or are you half here, a quarter here? Stop for a second and ask what you aware of right now, in this moment. Maybe note down what you are aware of. See how much you can write, see how much you can become aware of as you become aware. Presence has become a more in-vogue practice, and we talk of presence and mindfulness easily, but these are huge topics, deep themes, and more than this, they are real and experiential. They exist. They also are pointing at different things, even if we use these words interchangeably. Presence - think about the words on the paper in front of you, presence practices are trying to get you to become more aware of the paper than the words, the context than the content, the space than all the things arising. A space consciousness where things arise from. Mindfulness is aiming to be aware of all that is happening in the moment, within this space, lets presence meet it. Synchronise with it, with everything that is happening inside us and outside us – our body, our emotional field, our mental field, our energy and all what is happening around it – noise, temperature, people, weather and everything. In some ways it is space meeting everything through us, meeting life. 10

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

So these two themes, themes of this year’s Programme, go to the heart of our existence, who we think we are in each moment and how we recreate ourselves. Why is it important for leadership and why did we choose this theme? With leadership in some ways we need to be artists of the invisible, for the very visible is often easily managed with systems and processes, but the invisible is not. You can’t orchestrate passion, relationships, deep connections, peace, creativity – you can’t just demand and sort and structure it and it is there – this is the domain of true leadership. If you don’t know what is present, how to harness these more invisible qualities leadership is more dry, arid and less of its potential. Also without these practices, I believe, leaders are not really able to distinguish from their true wisdom, or truth and their ego, a shapeshifting part of us that can have us fooled but is more based on resistance to what is, defence, hidden prejudices, and conditioning and mind patterns we have never questioned. We easily talk about intuition and instinct, but really without practices that help us cultivate this space and presence, we may actually be just reinforcing our patterns that feel right but may not be our deeper truth and authenticity to bear. In today’s world with all its challenges, we do need to cultivate these ancient

practices that help us connect, experience, create and clean up our vessel of leadership – ourselves. But just talking about them doesn’t mean we have them. Talking about them does nothing for us, they are experiential practices. In working with leaders, I find resistance high, to really give them the discipline, the tenacity, required to enliven them back into the fabric of our being. It is as though we fear the deeper parts of ourselves and prefer to keep ourselves busy and distracted with 10,000 things. The dance between our deepest being and our doing is an ancient one, a beautiful one, we come back into ourselves, connect, refresh, reflect, deepen and bring this out into our mahi, our relationships, our world. Without this dance, what are you bringing, your anxiety, business, fears, your not-best self? My approach to life now is to prototype relentlessly, give things a go in small ways, see what works and doesn’t, build on it, grow, learn, grow, learn. There are many ways today to do this, many apps, mindfulness teachers etc. Learn by doing, start the dance! See yourself as a living experiment and with curiosity explore. So become a walking, living update of yourself, start somewhere and go on the most magical journey in life – the journey into the true you. So where are you now as you read these words… what are you aware of?

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2016 LEADERSHIP NZ 1. David Hall 2. Darren Lee and the 2016 cohort 3. David Hall, Keren Ross, Darren Lee, Kathy Stirrat and Grant Palmer 4. Dayne Farley

5. Di Taylor, Helen Peters, Pania Schwenke, Marion Schrama and Mini Prasad 6. Mini Prasad and Owen Thomas 7. Eli Tagi and Pauline Hanna 8. A syndicate on the Amazing Race 9. A syndicate on the Amazing Race 10. Leadership NZ Wahine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Annette Bartlett, Nicola Campbell, Sina Wendt-Moore, Jo Brosnahan, Judy Whiteman and Louise Marra 11. Annette Bartlett 12. Coffee prepared by the Umma Trust

12 YEARBOOK 2016

2016 LEADERSHIP NZ 13. Damon Birchfield, Rebecca Sinclair, Kathy Stirrat, Megan Hurnard, Eli Tagi and Phil Brewster 14. A syndicate on the Amazing Race 15. The cohort at Kohewhata Marae 16. Ketan Panchal and the 2016 cohort at Kohewhata Marae 17. Hillary Palmer and the 2016 cohort 18. Mavis Mullins

19. Imogen Parry and Rebecca Sinclair 20. Jen Linney, El-Shadan Tautolo, Kelly Bewley, Megan Tyler, Mary Camp and Sanjoy Nand 21. Jo Brosnahan 22. Kelly Bleakley, Pat Snedden and Louise Marra 23. Keren Ross 24. Louise Marra and the 2016 cohort 25. Maraea Rakuraku at Kohewhata Marae 26. Mat Stone and the 2016 cohort 27. The view from Hamner Springs 28. Pania Schwenke and the 2016 cohort

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2016 LEADERSHIP NZ 29. Pania Schwenke, Nazli Effendi, Hillary Palmer, Justin Maddock, Kelly Bleakley and Neil Swailes 30. Pauline Hanna 31. Phil Brewster, Mary Camp and Di Taylor

32. Sanjoy Nand 33. Phil Brewster, Mary Camp, Nicola Campbell and Darren Lee 34. Rob Kerr 35. Sarah Graham, Hayley Shields and Megan Hurnard 36. Shaun Greaves, Wyndi Tagi, Jade Tang-Taylor and Sina Wendt-Moore 37. Part of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds 38. Sina Wendt-Moore, Celia Wade-Brown and Jen Linney 39. Sina Wendt-Moore and Nick Astwick

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

BACKGROUND: I’m interested in collaboration – how we can work across business, community and government, to achieve shared outcomes while addressing the pressing issues of our time. My background in urban planning provided a holistic training in the disciplines of economics, sociology, and ecology. I also relate to Te Ao Maori – the view that sees everything as interconnected, recognising what we do to our planet we ultimately do to ourselves. I believe it’s time for NZ to move beyond its fascination with property prices and shallow and unsatisfying materialism. Conversations with people who see the deeper possibilities of our time and want to be part of an emerging solution are what inspires me.

Damon Birchfield CEO EcoMatters Environment Trust

REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ Programme has been of immense personal value to me this year. I came onto the Programme with the hope of creating a new peer network but will be finishing with so much more including a whole slew of new reflective leadership tools, knowledge, and friends. At times it seemed impossible to be able to get away on a three-day retreat, but every time I came back to work with new ideas, energy and things to try. The Programme has also given me confidence in my own leadership approach, and has forced me to be very honest with myself – that’s a good thing! Perhaps most importantly of all under Louise’s careful tutelage, it’s reminded me you don’t always need to push. Sometimes it’s just enough to create the space for something to happen, sit back, and let the magic begin and stop trying to control everything. Being constantly reminded of this for over a year really helps that message penetrate and take effect. SKILLS OFFERED: Facilitation, fundraising, governance, strategic planning, community engagement CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Trustee on the board of Environment Hubs Aotearoa, founding trustee He Tohu Aroha. LOCATION: West Auckland

Darren Lee Continuous Improvement Manager ACC

BACKGROUND: Having spent most of my career in the public sector – mainly in change leadership roles – I believe strongly in the concept of public value. I have experience in Project/Programme Management and I have successfully led several large legislative and business-driven projects. Over the last decade, I have developed a passion for customer-centric innovation through Design Thinking and Lean/Continuous Improvement approaches. However, what I am most passionate about is developing that capability in others to create a much more customer-focused organisation. In my current role, I not only help lead ACC’s continuous improvement programme, but my primary focus is to create a wider organisational culture shift through coaching and developing teams and leaders to deliver better services to our customers. REFLECTION: Being a career public servant and almost exclusively with Inland Revenue, I was concerned about how insular my world view had become. Leadership NZ hasn’t just broadened my world view; it grabbed me by the collar, ripped me from the comfort of my nicely sheltered bubble and smashed my boundaries into a thousand tiny fragments so that they can never be reconstructed. It has held up a mirror and challenged me to confront my own views, prejudices, judgements and insecurities. It has awoken my social conscience. It has reignited my empathy for others. It has refocused my sense of purpose. This Programme is reflective, disruptive, thought-provoking and at times it has left me transfixed and gasping for air. The authenticity and integrity of the speakers and community leaders we have been exposed to is inspiring. It has been a deeply rich experience and I am humbled to have shared it with such a safe, diverse and talented group of people as the 2016 cohort. SKILLS OFFERED: Process improvement, people development, governance, coaching, change management LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: I am a proud father of four boys who offer me a leadership challenge every day. I qualified as a Chemical Engineer from Auckland University and joined the dairy industry straight out of university. In the industry, I had roles in both the manufacturing and sales areas and spent time working in the Middle East and China. I have had roles in various other food industry related organizations and joined Auckland Airport in a planning function four years ago. I love the environment as every day is an intellectual challenge and the dynamic nature of the Aeronautical team continues to inspire me.

David Hall Infrastructure Reliability Manager Auckland International Airport

REFLECTION: Leadership NZ has been an amazing journey for me. Each journey is different and mine has fitted well with the theme of ‘mindfulness’. I have a greater knowledge and understanding of myself which has given me internal robustness and external genuineness. The links formed with other members of the 2016 cohort have given opportunities for deep conversations and to explore a wide range of topics. Seeing the world through others eyes has been a great enabler when mixed with my own journey to make me a more mindful leader. The opportunities we have received to listen and enter into conversations with a variety of outstanding New Zealand leaders is something that only few people get and the insights offered have been deeply felt. In addition, my feeling of ‘place’ in New Zealand has been gifted to me by Leadership NZ, something I will be forever indebted for. I thank the 2016 cohort for the friendships developed, the support given and the insights offered. SKILLS OFFERED: Change management, facilitation, strategic planning, mentoring, relationship management CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Board Member, EcoMatters LOCATION: Auckland

YEARBOOK 2016

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

BACKGROUND: I have been with Spark for ten years. During that time I have worked in a variety of roles, from Sales to Operations. I am currently the Head of the Medium Business segment in Spark Digital. I am in an extremely fortunate position to be able to work for Spark in Auckland for most of the week but spend the rest of my time in my hometown of Tauranga. I was born in Australia but spent most of my formative years in the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. In my spare time, I love playing sports and hanging out with my family.

Dayne Farley Head of Medium Business Spark

REFLECTION: Leadership NZ has given me a fantastic opportunity to give me a far deeper understanding of our country

and the issues that we face today. The Programme has opened my eyes to the challenges before us, from the environment and making sure we leave this place in a sustainable state for our children, to education and ensuring all are given the same opportunities. Visiting the Manaiakalani Education Trust was an absolute highlight for me. Spending time on a Marae and learning the Maori worldview was an insightful and inspirational experience and one that will always stay with me. I’ve made deep and lifelong connections with my cohort and it has been fantastic to share my journey with this great bunch of people. We live in a fantastic country and the cool thing is we have the opportunity to make it even better, Leadership NZ has taught me that we can make the difference. SKILLS OFFERED: Sales, leadership, change management, coaching, process improvement CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Junior tennis, Rippa rugby LOCATION: Tauranga

BACKGROUND: I have over 20 years’ experience in the banking and financial services industry, and joined Kiwibank in July 2010 as the Operational Integration Manager in IT. My career to date at Kiwibank has spanned through both technical IT and Business leadership roles to executive leadership positions as the Head of Enterprise Operations, General Manager of IT, and in June 2016 I commenced the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO). As CIO, I am accountable for enabling Kiwibank to continue to deliver its strategic business objectives, which are heavily predicated on technology deliverables – as such the bank’s technology function is now represented at the executive level of the organisation.

Di Taylor Chief Information Officer Kiwibank

REFLECTION: I struggle to put into words my experiences other than confronting, exciting, uncomfortable and at times overwhelming. Leadership NZ for me has been a great opportunity to immerse myself in situations far removed from my normal life that challenge my thinking, values and beliefs. I feel honoured and humbled to be part of this learning experience with my fellow participants, they are amazing and generous. I associate well with our theme of ‘mindfulness’ and I feel my soul is full after our retreats, syndicate catch ups and my triad’s sessions. This is a brilliant learning opportunity that I will definitely recommend to many others. SKILLS OFFERED: Change management, leadership development, strategic planning, people development, organisational development CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Local sporting and school organisations LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: I have been involved in research focussed on the health of Pacific families and communities for almost ten years now. I’m currently a Senior Academic at Auckland University of Technology, and becoming more involved in leadership and shaping the direction of our School of Public Health, and our new AUT South Campus based in Manukau, South Auckland. I’ve loved the challenges presented working with a range of diverse people, and feel privileged to be working towards making a difference in the lives of our Pacific families and communities in NZ.

Dr El-Shadan Tautolo Director of the Centre for Pacific Health & Development Research Auckland University of Technology

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

REFLECTION: I came into this year with Leadership NZ not really knowing quite what to expect. I thought perhaps I would learn some new skills to deal with people, and find a better understanding of some of the issues facing New Zealand. Instead, I have experienced a broadening of my views and a privileged glimpse of some of the amazing and inspiring people that are leading our nation and shaping our future. It has been challenging, not only in response to issues but also personally in terms of – What do I stand for? What is my passion? and Where can I lead? I have made lifelong friendships and connections on this Programme, and I am convinced that we have the leadership potential within our nation to make Aotearoa a great society. The challenge will be how we navigate this journey, and harness the diversity of all people, in the creation of this society. SKILLS OFFERED: Academic research and evaluation, strategic planning and community development, project management, mentoring, community engagement CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Member of Pacific Health & Welfare Network, Cook Islands Health Network, and involved in various activities with local Glen Innes Seventh Day Adventist Church and local community agencies. LOCATION: Auckland

Eli Tagi Owner & Director WE Accounting

BACKGROUND: Talofa Lava and Kia Ora, I have worked in the accounting field for over 15 years both in the government sector and in public practice. I am a fully qualified Chartered Accountant of New Zealand (CA) and a Certified Practicing Accountant of Australia (CPA). I co-founded a Chartered Accounting firm with my wife Wyndi Tagi 5 years ago and WE now employ 8 staff. Our firm works with small to medium business entities, working closely with our clients in all aspects of their businesses. I have worked as an Auditor at RSM Prince where I worked for four years and before that I was with Inland Revenue as an Investigator. I am on a number of boards for a number of community organisations and my real passion is working with clients from all walks of life to empower them to achieve their dreams. I love helping people personally and professionally and hope to be able to help you in the near future. REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ Programme has been an eye opener for me and forced me to challenge my thinking with regards to many issues. Mindfulness was our theme for the year and this was practiced continuously throughout our sessions during the course of our journey. I know personally I have tried to use my learnings both in my personal and professional life, but I also understand that this is a lifelong journey and that long after this year I will still be learning. I feel I have grown as a leader with my experiences that I have gained throughout the year and will hope to develop these new skills further. The quality of the speakers has been outstanding throughout the year with Sir Bob Harvey and Pat Snedden being recent memorable contributors to our group’s leadership journey with their stories being one of my personal highlights. The Leadership New Zealand team has also been outstanding with facilitator Louise pushing our leading edges and constantly challenging our thinking and the paradigms that we develop for ourselves. Faafetai Leadership NZ.

BACKGROUND: I direct international business development and marketing for the leading university brand in NZ’s 5th export industry. Leading global recruitment strategy, we attract the largest body of international students, representing 10% of University’s revenue. A global citizen, I have developed my leadership experience in the international education industry in Australia and New Zealand, working throughout China, ASEAN, South Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, building strategic international partnerships for sustainable business development. I lead a team of professionals and direct business across a large and culturally diverse global sales network. A creative thinker and tenacious problem solver, I am known for my ability to get results. As a trained leadership coach, I invest energy in creating a positive and empowering workplace culture. People come first.

Hayley Shields Deputy Director International Marketing and Business Development University of Auckland

REFLECTION: Leadership NZ is so much more than the Programme’s content. It invites everyone to be open to uncertainty, new experiences and at times profound discomfort with oneself. It could not have come at a better time in my career, and I always trusted that time, place and people would be just as it should be. More than anything the gold has been in the dynamics of the group and the extraordinary people I have had the opportunity to connect with and learn from. To interact and befriend so many diverse, intelligent and open people has been a real privilege.

The learning has been wide and deep across a multitude of cultures, themes and sectors within NZ and I feel empowered by new knowledge and connections. I feel challenged by the big issues of social inequality and innovation necessary for NZ’s future wellbeing but have a strong sense of how my contribution through leadership can make a difference. Mindful leadership must be at the heart. SKILLS OFFERED: Business development, coaching, relationship management, public speaking, leadership development CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Fundraiser for Auckland City Mission, YWCA Board sub-committee, youth mentoring LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: I started my professional accounting career in Wellington as a graduate from Victoria University of Wellington. From day one, I knew that an accounting firm was the place for me. Over the past 15 years, I have been very fortunate to work alongside many inspiring leaders and provided tax advice to some incredible New Zealand businesses. In 2013 I was given the opportunity by KPMG to relocate to Christchurch. I absolutely love working in a city that is rebuilding and creating its own future.

Helen Peters Director KPMG

REFLECTION: I felt incredibly privileged to be invited to join and be part of the 2016 Leadership NZ journey. This journey has been everything and more than I expected. The deep learning about our history and my connection to New Zealand has been empowering and has left me wanting to learn more. The readings, discussions, mindfulness tools and incredibly talented people who have joined me on this journey have all added to the experience. Never before have I focused so deeply on New Zealand’s social and economic environments and felt such an energy and drive to make a positive change and step forward. I am excited about my future and the part I might play in making New Zealand an even better country to work, live and play in. SKILLS OFFERED: Tax compliance and consulting services, accounting, training, mentoring and coaching LOCATION: Christchurch

YEARBOOK 2016

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

BACKGROUND: The past 20 years of my career has been focused on developing and supporting others in the learning and development space. I’ve held many roles from Florist to Contact Centre trainer and most recently Head of Culture and Leadership with Kiwibank, an organisation I’m proud to walk into every day. Every role I’ve had has been to serve others in some way and a lot of my inner energy comes from the satisfaction of seeing others benefit from what I do. This has been enriching, exciting and at times, incredibly challenging trying to strike a life balance of living and working overseas, nurturing a family and understanding my identity – who I am and where I’ve come from and most importantly what my true purpose is.

Hillary Palmer Head of People Experience Kiwibank

REFLECTION: I’m privileged to be part of Leadership NZ and grateful to Kiwibank for providing me with this opportunity. I’ve relished the chance to step out of my work world and participate in a thought provoking, challenging and stimulating environment with the cohort. An environment which has challenged my perspective, given me space to reflect and question who I am and what I stand for. My world view on self, identity, community, whanau, power, ego, and truth have all been disrupted. Because of this, I feel a sense of awakening and connection to myself and my country. I’ve been inspired by the depth and breadth of speakers we’ve been exposed to, challenging my assumptions and views on the issues we face in New Zealand. The real stories and experiences that Leadership NZ have curated, has been a true gift. At times it’s felt a touch self-indulgent to take this time out but Louise, Nicola and the Leadership NZ crew have made this a fantastic Programme to be part of and I’m very thankful for their guidance, knowledge and reassurance throughout the year. SKILLS OFFERED: Culture development, mentoring, coaching and leadership development LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: I am a writer, and a co-founder of information design micro-studio The Infographers. I explore wellness, renewal, resilience and wild places at Tiny Sanctuaries. And I am a fully paid-up founding member of Fail Club (#FailClubForever). I spent the bulk of my 20’s in bed, and then came out the other side – on wobbly legs – to a brand-new life and a brand-new business. Now, four years later, I find myself pulled by words. By writing. I have so very many questions about wellbeing. Individual, collective. All of it. I want to know how we might nourish wellness – radical, radiant wellness – in ourselves, in others, in our communities, environments, systems.

Imogen Parry Writer, co-founder of The Infographers Explorer at Tiny Sanctuaries Founding member of Fail Club

REFLECTION: Leadership New Zealand has been a gift. A joy-filled gift. A complex gift. A gift – the kind with strings. It has been a rhythmic stepping away. A chance to find a more thoughtful – more meaningful – engine than simply good-lord-I’ve-got-so-much-to-catch-up-on. It has interrupted the noise. It has provided the white space to ask: where is it that I wish to direct my attention? This year I have opened – to new conversations, new ways of being. New friendships. I have given thanks. For kind words. For ground-shifting wisdom. For being entrusted with others’ lived experiences. For nights under painted ribs. For syndicates who always carry snacks. This year I surfaced what it is that is drawing me. I noticed where I am blinkered. I acknowledged what I am afraid of. I learned to value my intuition. And – eventually – my difference. This year, I ended and began. SKILLS OFFERED: Writing, storytelling, public speaking, event planning and hosting CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: My role as Fail Club failer and champion is ongoing. I am a Creative Mornings Auckland volunteer. And I am also the founder and host of the Needs A Name Tea-Drinking Goddess Gang – a small group of women who gather monthly to drink tea and talk life. Our conversations explore courage, pain, fear, joy, gratitude, sex, selfcare, and All The Rest. I am drawn to small groups and events that nourish wellbeing and connectedness. LOCATION: Auckland BACKGROUND: I have had a long and fulfilling career with ACC, an organisation in which I strongly believe. Starting as a case manager and working through various operational roles and some time in the Minister’s office, I am now the strategic advisor to the Chief Operating Officer. This time has been punctuated with bursts of time out to travel overseas, to teach and to try out the private sector. Outside of work, you can generally find me enjoying New Zealand’s beautiful outdoors with my partner Caron. I’m an absolute animal nut and don’t spend the time I would like walking dogs for Huha (Helping you help animals). I also do my bit to support the vibrant arts and café culture in Wellington where I have lived for the last four years.

Jennifer Linney Strategic Advisor for Operations Group ACC

REFLECTION: Leadership NZ has taken me to places I never expected to go. At times soaring with the exposure to inspirational speakers and stimulating discussions that left me internally debating social issues, reflecting and wondering what my role could be to make New Zealand a better place. Then there were the times I felt challenged and even terrified. Writing poetry and reading it out loud? You have to be kidding? The theme of mindfulness was timely for me, not something that comes naturally, definitely a work in progress but already helping me feel calmer and more focused. I feel like I have really grown through my Leadership NZ experience. I seldom take the time to reflect on my life ambitions, my way of being and really dissecting the things that are critical for me to be the best leader I can be at work and outside of work. I don’t feel like I have quite worked this out yet but am much clearer in the direction I want to take and what I want to achieve. SKILLS OFFERED: Relationship management, facilitation, integration, strategic planning, governance, people development, organisational review LOCATION: Wellington

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

BACKGROUND: I come from a technology-based background. I found myself applying for a role with the port seven years ago in the IT service delivery space; from there I was fortunate enough to move into Port operations and haven’t looked back. I recently took on a new role with the commercial team which has given me the opportunity to look behind the curtain of operations to better understand the commercial aspects of service delivery and leadership in our business.

Justin Maddock

REFLECTION: The Programme was something that found me and quite by accident; not really knowing what I was in for was probably a blessing at the time. Phrases like “prepare to be tested” and “it will take you to some uncomfortable places” were not your typical referral headlines. However, I dove in head first and thank goodness. Yes, I have been tested and boy have I been uncomfortable but strangely I have enjoyed every minute of it. After each session, I find myself looking for space from it all, but all too quickly the excitement of the next session arrives and the rollercoaster starts again!

Manager Commercial Relationships Ports of Auckland

The hum of the conversation so comforting, a friend sits opposite you, 36 friends sit with you. Your Leadership NZ fix well and truly administered. What is it about this cohort that resonates? Truth, honesty, difference, acceptance. We are on a journey together to find out what leadership is. LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: My diverse 30-plus year career has spanned the public, private and Crown entity sectors primarily in health, wealth management and insurance based in Wellington. I’ve held a range of senior management positions and I am a strong people leader. I love generating team spirit and success in direct reports and building strong, sustainable relationships with external parties. I’ve been at ACC for three years and am currently helping lead ACC’s multi-year transformation programme to improve our customer experience and help create an organisation that Kiwis trust and value. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity which I’m relishing. I’m married to Doug and we have two adult children currently having their own adventures living in Auckland. While we miss having our kids around, we’re enjoying our empty nest and the freedom to explore the things we love.

Kathy Stirrat Programme Operations Lead, Transformation Programme ACC

REFLECTION: It’s been an amazing year and an incredible journey on the 2016 Programme. I’ve been privileged to travel alongside an inspiring group of people and through them and the carefully crafted Programme have been exposed to and challenged by new experiences, tools, conversations, thinking and opportunities. This has expanded and reshaped my own worldview and at the same time given me a stronger, clearer sense of who I am, what I value and what’s important to me in the future. Our theme of mindfulness has been a constant touch point throughout the packed Programme and the presencing techniques are a gift to continue with into the future. The year has been about connections, centring and challenge and I’m working through what my response – ability will be. I’m excited about where this Programme may lead me and I’m open to a new world of possibilities. I’m immensely grateful to ACC for sponsoring me on this Programme and gifting me this amazing experience. The next step is up to me! SKILLS OFFERED: Relationship management, strategic and systems thinking, organisational change management, communicating, leadership and people management, governance CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I have been taking a break after decades of community and church involvement but am ready to play my part again and am currently exploring options for future community involvement. LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: Downtown Auckland 1960s – Joyce from Nuhaka meets William from Cumbria. My parents fell in love, had three children, and settled in provincial Taranaki. I grew up immersed in rugby league, surfing, punk music and the local art scene. These interests and pursuits have served me for life; I’m an obsessive guitarist and instrument builder, love the outdoors and the rugged west coast. Tamaki Makaurau 1999 – Cybele from Colville meets Kelly from Taranaki. We are happily married and have three children. I’m an exhibitions project manager at Auckland Museum where I have worked for the past 12 years. I love working with a wide range of people which sparks my creative side.

Kelly Bewley Project Manager Auckland War Memorial Museum – Tamaki Paenga Hira

REFLECTION: You don’t get to feel this way a lot! I mean you don’t get to feel so broken to pieces and inverted, then reformed for action. That’s how I have felt about every Leadership NZ retreat. Mildly anxious as they approached, incredibly inspired and stimulated as they concluded. Leadership NZ has inspired me to challenge my status quo - to be courageous, radical and authentic. To traverse my journey to mindful leadership, using the creativity and passion that only I can muster. My eyes have been opened to national and global issues that impact upon communities, societies, humanity, and the systems which sustain them. I can’t stop thinking; what part can I play? What am I deeply drawn to? What’s at stake if I don’t take action! All I have experienced and learnt through Leadership NZ will be a source of inspiration going forward, a rich milestone in my life. I’m deeply grateful to all who have shared their life’s experiences, perspectives, values, mission, humour and heart throughout the year. They are incredibly passionate, present, and generous people - what amazing leaders! SKILLS OFFERED: Project Management LOCATION: Tamaki Makaurau - Auckland

YEARBOOK 2016

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

BACKGROUND: My career started in advertising, yet with a passion for youth development, this soon changed as I re-trained as a secondary school teacher and then taught at Avondale College in Auckland. This led to being an education sector liaison and advisor for Fonterra as they launched and rolled out the new national initiative, Fonterra Milk for Schools, from 2013. At the same time I became the senior volunteer of National Commissioner for SCOUTS New Zealand, including a member of their board. In my current role I am the Leadership Programme Director at the Sir Peter Blake Trust, leading a team that delivers New Zealand’s annual Leadership Week, and develops leadership programmes and initiatives for all New Zealanders to keep Sir Peter’s legacy alive, particularly for young Kiwis. In September 2016 I became a mum for the first time, my biggest leadership endeavour to date!

Kelly Bleakley Leadership Programme Director Sir Peter Blake Trust

REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ experience is unlike any other leadership course I’ve ever done - and there have been many! The highlight for me was the connection to such a diverse range of amazing New Zealanders who were on the Programme with me, as gaining their insights and wisdom has been a very rich experience. In addition, the guest speakers, topics explored, material discussed, and venues visited have broadened my knowledge of New Zealand as a country, its people, its heritage, and its future. Finally, the facilitation has provided me with numerous tools and frameworks that I can use for years to come that will enhance my personal leadership for myself, my family and my colleagues. SKILLS OFFERED: Education, youth leadership, communications, organisational development, community engagement, public speaking, relationship management, people development CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I have made a commitment throughout my life to contribute to the community through volunteering, primarily as a leader and national team member with SCOUTS New Zealand, and also in community theatre as a performer and choreographer for both youth and adult productions. LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: I have worked for the New Zealand Defence Force as a civilian for the past five years, having previously spent my time studying and working as a nanny. I am currently the Executive Officer within Army General Staff. My roles within Army have given me a broad experience across the organisation including contract and financial management, research, coordination, Parliamentary business and relationship management. The Defence Force has been a fantastic organisation to work for and I am incredibly appreciative of the Army enabling me to complete the Leadership NZ Programme this year.

Keren Ross Executive Officer, Army General Staff New Zealand Defence Force

REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ Programme has given me space and the needed prompts to think and reflect deeply on myself and the world. It has also connected me with a diverse group of amazing people and our conversations have broadened and deepened my understanding and curiosity about the world and myself. The diversity of both the participants and speakers is such a strength of this Programme. I have met so many people I wouldn’t have met anywhere else. I feel I have learnt about myself over the year, and also explored my relationship with others. This year has also made me pause and think about what is most important to me in my life, and to reflect on where I want to direct my focus and what I want to do with my life. SKILLS OFFERED: Relationship management, facilitation, communications, coaching LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: I came to New Zealand in early 2004. After working for various small to medium size commercial companies in New Zealand, in early 2012 I got an opportunity to work for Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngapuhi, a Not for Profit organisation. My interest has always been into digital technology, systems improvement, converting financial reporting into “actionable reporting” and creating the self-service environment.

Ketan Panchal CFO Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngapuhi

REFLECTION: My journey with Leadership New Zealand has been full of excitement. This has given me an opportunity to meet some excellent and diverse people. It is a very well-organised Programme with good learning contents focusing on the core areas of contemporary leadership. Every Leadership NZ session has been thought-provoking and has forced me to dig deeper into my consciousness. The learnings have helped me to stand firm during some of the most challenging times in my working career. They have influenced my leadership style significantly. It has been a privilege to listen to the speakers who have shared their experiences and their journey of leadership with us. I have also gained a deeper understanding of the challenges New Zealand faces. Listening to the “My Life” of my group was a heart-warming experience. I firmly believe that the learnings from Leadership NZ are going to help me throughout my life. I heartily appreciate the efforts of Louise for facilitating sessions with full of energy and providing a solid grounds for robust discussions with our groups. It has been a genuinely fun, transformational and challenging journey for me – and an experience of a lifetime that I am going to cherish for a very long time. SKILLS OFFERED: Change management, financial, organisational development, project management and strategic planning CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I continue to develop interest in the employees of my organisation and its subsidiaries in self-financial management. LOCATION: Kaikohe, Far North

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

Maraea Rakuraku Writer Native Agency Limited

BACKGROUND: He uri ahau no Te Urewera, Ngati Kahungunu hoki. Ko Maraea Rakuraku toku ingoa. E hoki ki o maunga. Kia purea koe e nga hau a Tawhiri-matea. Return to your mountains. That you may be cleansed. Knowing who I am and where I come from is critical to where I am pointed, what I wish to do with my time, where I expend my energy and the contribution I continue to make to the building of a nation. New Zealand today, is such a different country to what I grew up in. Many resources were poured into my education by my whanau, to grasp the tools of the Pakeha and use them for the benefit of my people, as espoused by Apirana Ngata. Yet, it took living within my kainga tuuturu, Te Waimana Kaaku for me to make sense of it all. That theory demanded action, that ‘Te Mana Motuhake’ isn’t some response to tino rangatiratanga and that, becoming politicised and conscious is a daily act of decolonisation. REFLECTION: Leadership NZ has both challenged and strengthened my position on what and who we are as a nation and, my role within that as a conscious, politicised wahine Maori, and as rangatira. It has reinforced that knowing yourself deeply, truthfully and authentically, is so vital to how you engage with others and whether you have the ability, compassion, empathy, humility and insight to truly accept difference and, work respectfully with those outside of yourself and what you hold to be true. It’s also shown me there is much work to be done before Aotearoa becomes a nation that cares for all its citizens and the whenua upon which we live. SKILLS OFFERED: Creative writing, media, broadcasting, research and evaluation, theatre, performance poetry, playwriting, Kaupapa Maori, restorative justice, justice advocate, communication, mentoring CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Reviewer for online review site theatreview, involvement in theatre and writing, lifetime hapu and iwi obligations and responsibilities. LOCATION: Wellington/Bay of Plenty/Te Urewera

BACKGROUND: My career path has seen me work in a huge range of industries in roles covering sales, marcomms, operations and logistics. It’s fair to say I love the variety and new challenges! I am currently running Customer Service Delivery at New Zealand Post for the greater Wellington area. I’m also in the privileged position of leading the Area Management Model project where we are trialing a practical method of ‘standing up’ a site within Service Delivery in order to test and understand what is required to build the new way of operating. This is the part of my job I love the most – working with people to try new ways of working and develop leadership capability along the way. When I’m not working you’ll find me at either Yoga, CrossFit or in my kitchen cooking up a storm for my three ravenous teenage sons.

Marion Schrama Regional Operations Manager New Zealand Post

REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ Programme has given me a much deeper understanding of the big issues impacting New

Zealand and the speakers have been amazing, inspirational and have renewed my faith in the future of New Zealand. They’ve broadened my perspective, challenged my own beliefs around diversity and forced me to think about the role I play in contributing towards a better New Zealand – within my own community and on a national level. I now see New Zealand through a very different lens. I’ve loved having the opportunity to meet leaders from different sectors and hearing their stories. They’re an amazing bunch of people and I treasure the friendships I have formed. I feel very lucky to be part of the 2016 Leadership NZ Alumni. SKILLS OFFERED: Change management, communications, sales, people development, process improvement, coaching CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I am currently a reader/writer for NCEA as well as a contributor for BellyFull. LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: One way or another, most of my life has been in education. I’ve been a teacher (in NZ and in England), a consultant, and I’ve worked for the Ministry of Education. When I was a kid I wanted to explore exotic faraway places, and I’ve done quite a bit of that – mostly solo. These days I work for Education New Zealand, the government agency for international education. International education brings many benefits to NZ – economic, social and cultural. NZ has a great education ‘product’ to offer. It’s something I believe in. I’m also a Mum to George and Elizabeth. My husband Toby is a student and does most of the childcare. His support is a key factor in everything I do.

Mary Camp Business Development Manager Education New Zealand

REFLECTION: What an amazing year! I thought the Leadership NZ Programme would be great, but I didn’t realise how profoundly it would impact my life. Leadership NZ has supported us to delve deep, examine who we really are and how we can use our leadership to benefit New Zealand. Along the way, we have had opportunities to learn from inspirational leaders. And we’ve had a lot of fun! I have been impressed with the calibre of the guest speakers – not to mention the other participants on the Programme, who have inspired and amazed me with their capability and openness. Mindfulness has been an inspiring and, for me, deeply useful focus for our work. I feel very grateful – to my manager (and Leadership NZ Alumnus) Clive Jones who suggested I should apply and has supported my participation, to the 2016 cohort of inspiring humans, to my husband for doing the hard yards on the home front while I’ve been away with Leadership NZ, and to Louise for the life-changing wisdom she has shared. SKILLS OFFERED: Stakeholder engagement, facilitation, training, writing, relationship management, project management LOCATION: Wellington

YEARBOOK 2016

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

Mat Stone Director Animal and Animal Products MPI

BACKGROUND: I’m a Pakeha kiwi, raised in North Canterbury and living in Wellington with my wife and three children. For 20 years we have lived in Newtown, a culturally diverse inner-city suburb, engaging in school, sports, voluntary sector and social communities. In that time I have worked in public service for MPI, but I’m now moving to Paris to work for the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). My professional purpose is safe and sustainable food production systems. I’m committed to engagement and collaboration between rule-makers, producers and consumers to co-design and implement best practice considering both the science and the ethics, honouring the social contract and responsibility that goes with food, farming, caring for animals and our environment. REFLECTION: This journey with Leadership NZ means a lot to me. I feel I have been given a profound insight into how to be human, an authentic and compassionate citizen, and a leader. I know myself better, and my purpose. I feel empowered and optimistic. I know I make a difference through my actions, for the people in my life and, through them, the world today and in the future. As a late-comer to Te Ao Maori, I have found a connection with my own beliefs which gives me the confidence to be a New Zealander in the world. Our stories show that partnerships based on open hearts and minds and approaching life with a constant appreciation for the past and the future will change the world. I will hold and nurture this feeling of connection to all other beings in this world, before, during and after our own time here. And I will carry in my heart my friends from Leadership NZ 2016 and everything we shared. E noho ra, et a la prochaine. SKILLS OFFERED: Enjoys people and problems. Establishes purposeful connections and trust. Manages situations for the best all round outcome. Good in a crisis. Loves systems. Moderately strong work ethic but excellent loyalty. CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Currently making new connections in Paris, France, after 20 years in Newtown, Wellington. LOCATION: Paris

BACKGROUND: Born in Wellington, I was fortunate to spend part of my childhood living in Swaziland and the United States. This exposed me to some very different experiences and made me realise that there was a big wide world out there quite different to New Zealand. It also sparked an interest in global connections and New Zealand’s international advantages (and challenges), which has continued through my career – first working at the New Zealand Translation Centre and, for the last 12 years, at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Recently I have also discovered a passion for process/service improvement and using data and analysis to drive better decisions. When not at work, or spending time with my wonderful husband and very mischievous toddler, I spend time singing as a member of the New Zealand Chamber Choir and The Tudor Consort.

Megan Hurnard

Director Performance New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

REFLECTION: This year has been a bit of a roller-coaster – emotionally and intellectually. Anytime you talk to someone that

has been through Leadership NZ they say it was not what they expected, but it was life changing. I’m no exception. For me, the last seven months on Leadership NZ has enabled me to understand so much more about myself and what drives me. It has also helped me to gain some clarity about the purpose I want for my life, and while I still feel I have a long way to go, I now feel like I know the direction of travel. But perhaps even more valuable, the speakers and my fellow participants have helped me break down some preconceptions and gain greater insight into others’ experiences and points of view. As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. To them, I say a very big thank you. SKILLS OFFERED: Event management, strategic planning, performance measurement, process improvement CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I am the committee chair for The Tudor Consort, a Wellington choir. LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: I am a proud ‘westie’ Aucklander, born and bred. I discovered planning as a profession in my last year of high school and went on to study it at the University of Auckland. After 18 months as a graduate in a private consultancy, I entered local government and have remained there ever since. I have had a variety of technical and management roles, including helping to set up and service the Local Boards at Auckland amalgamation in 2010. My personal values align well to the public sector and it has provided me with amazing leadership and growth opportunities. My current role at Auckland Council sees me working alongside the Chief of Strategy on the complex challenges of a growing Auckland.

Megan Tyler

Executive Officer to Chief of Strategy Auckland Council

REFLECTION: I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of the 2016 Leadership NZ cohort. It is rare to have the opportunity to move out of the day-to-day pressures and focus entirely on personal development and new ideas. I have been challenged to think differently, to consider what mindfulness means in the leadership context, to debate world views and to learn from the experiences of others. While this has been challenging in some areas, it has also strengthened my confidence and self-belief in other areas. Thank you to the 2016 cohort and Leadership NZ team for being such inspiring, down-to-earth and fun people who have made this journey so safe and rewarding. SKILLS OFFERED: Strategic planning, policy development, mentoring, governance CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Chair of Finance and Property Board, Massey Community Church LOCATION: Auckland

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

BACKGROUND: I graduated from the University of Auckland majoring in Accounting, Commercial Law and Taxation. Quickly absorbed into the big four environment, I learnt the skill of International Business Advisory and the art of building meaningful and rich relationships. I had the good fortune to partner with a North American Transfer Pricing and Valuations firm Ceteris - Duff & Phelps and worked alongside a small team developing the Australasian Ceteris - Duff & Phelps practice. Having participated in growing the Ceteris practice, I then sought to diversify my skill set, starting my own business that caters to the health conscious and time poor. In parallel, I now work for Connect Supporting Recovery where my role interfaces between corporates and society. I lead and activate social enterprise initiatives that add value to corporations and society, the profits of which then go back into social good.

Mini Prasad Strategy and Business Development Executive Connect Supporting Recovery

REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ Programme has been less of a journey about the practical and more about the soul. The gentle facilitation of reflection, self-discovery and growth. With the backdrop of New Zealand, our history, people, cultures and ideologies, initially lulled into the impression that I would be walking chest forward ready ‘in my leadership’ to advocate for all I could do to make New Zealand better than it already is. A wonderful ruse, as while we’ve walked this path, we have been discovering the true New Zealand within ourselves. What makes us and breaks us? What drives our motivations? We confront our shadows and ask ourselves deeper questions about our own projections and authenticity. It doesn’t end here, the certificate doesn’t complete the course. Now in the midsts of a deep dive analysis of me, my leadership, the value I bring, I use the learning from sessions like nuggets of gold but the treasure lies in the bonds, the cohort which is now family. This experience certainly has precipitated one of the most fruitful chapters of my life. SKILLS OFFERED: Strategic planning, financial, business development, international business advisory, community engagement CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I work in creating Social Enterprises that add value to corporations and give back to society. I also am a qualified fitness instructor and I teach nutritional health and wellbeing practices. LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1966, and have degrees from the University of Warwick (UK), the University of Durban-Westville (South Africa) and the University of Western Cape (South Africa). My lifelong career has been in education, including roles as a university lecturer, school principal, international marketing manager, academic director, operations manager, business manager, education consultant, and director of studies. I run full and half marathons and am generally a bit of a fitness freak. I speak Afrikaans, German and basic conversational Chinese Mandarin. I immigrated to New Zealand and now live in Auckland.

Nazli Effendi Director and Director of Studies New Zealand Academic Learning Institute Business Owner, Director and Director of Studies Ubuntu International Education - Consultancy

REFLECTION: As a result of the Leadership NZ Programme I have gained a greater awareness of the importance of self-knowledge and self-awareness in leadership. I now know that it is when I am in flow in my life, that I can be a capable and effective leader. SKILLS OFFERED: Training and development, programme development, curriculum design, strategic planning, language acquisition training and development CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Member of PACIFICA; Board Member, Ruapotaka Marae LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: I was born in Leeds, England. My parents emigrated to New Zealand before I was a year old. My father worked at the steel mill, my mother later working as a radiographer for Kingseat Hospital. I attended St Mary’s Primary in Papakura before moving onto Rosehill College. Without clear direction I left high school at the end of my seventh form year and laboured for a year before chancing upon an advertisement for Auckland Airport’s Emergency Response Team, where I have now worked for 19 years. Currently holding the rank of Deputy Crew Chief and enjoying the myriad of challenges each day brings.

Neil Swailes Deputy Crew Chief Auckland Airport Ltd

REFLECTION: Moving into Leadership NZ 2016 I thought I was going to be in a good position. I had faced some adversity in leadership in my position and had a very strong sense of who I was and what I stood for. Day one shattered that illusion for me. Leadership NZ is taking me on a journey of self-discovery at levels I had not considered in significant depth before. All the time you are buoyed by the fantastic and inspiring collection of people around you who are all taking their own journey, and sharing it completely selflessly and with great passion. The diversity of people and backgrounds in the group, combined with the mutual aspiration to being better leaders and people, opens new doors of challenges, and yet acceptance. It truly is a wonderful experience and I am loving this journey. SKILLS OFFERED: Change management, training, coaching, risk management, emergency management LOCATION: Auckland

YEARBOOK 2016

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

Owen Thomas Community Services Manager Whangarei District Council

BACKGROUND: I have been fortunate to work with communities in ‘provincial’ New Zealand for the last 15 years. This started with a community development project in the central North Island. A couple of highlights for me during this time were: working on and chairing the Wellington Regional Youth Worker Trust and being a trustee at the Taihape Youth Centre. For the last 9.5 years, I have been working with the Whangarei District Council and have managed our Community Services Department for the last 5 years. I have really enjoyed the move north and the team at Whangarei District Council are great. Key highlights for me over the last five years have been: establishing and fostering a youth advisory group, the success of our Community Safety programme and the development of our community funding profile. REFLECTION: In many ways, I realise how naive I was coming into the Programme; how naive I was about how my ‘whole-self ’ is influenced by my ‘work-self ’ and relationship with my ‘personal-self ’. At times, through the Programme, I have cringed at the use of the words ‘yin and yang’ and yet reading through my journal notes it is this concept that I so often find myself coming back to – being and doing, wisdom and action, order and chaos, how design thinking is ordered chaos…The value-added relationship that can exist between two opposing concepts can only be described as synergy. Synergy is defined as the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. For me, the synergy from this year has come from the group formed by ‘teachers’ and ‘students’. The bringing together of the Leadership NZ staff/Programme and the diverse range of people that is Leadership NZ 2016 has created a lasting experience for me. SKILLS OFFERED: Youth leadership development, community engagement, strategic planning, governance, mentoring CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: My role requires me to be engaged in a large number of community activities and groups across my district. As well as this I am also a Recovery Manager for Civil Defence in Whangarei. LOCATION: Whangarei

Pania Schwenke Resource Planning & Operations Manager Jetconnect/Qantas

BACKGROUND: From the deep roots of the Navigator Islands in the Pacific, engrained with the Fa’aSamoa and taught that family and Christianity matters the most, my core values remain strong, despite the different and colorful walks of my life. I have worked twenty-five years in the corporate world, in fast-paced, geographically dispersed and multi-cultural, complex organizations. I spent thirteen years in the manufacturing industry in the USA then returned to the aviation industry where I managed a team of 380 cabin crew. In the last two months I changed roles and am now responsible for effective resource utilization, operational efficiencies and ensuring that planes are safe to fly, trained crew are onboard and flight services are on time. I continue to actively engage our PACIFICA women in acknowledging our identity, bridging the integrational gap and realizing our potential as Pacific women. REFLECTION: I was told that the Leadership NZ Programme was a ‘different’ Programme and that it was ‘life changing’. The Programme has been a personal journey of self-reflection, challenging my ‘learning edge’, constant self-questioning and self-discovery. Humbled to be among extraordinary leaders with diverse backgrounds and careers who shared a circle of trust stripping our backgrounds, values and beliefs to engage and connect with each other. Extremely privileged to listen to amazing iconic NZ leaders who opened my eyes to NZ history, Maori culture, creating awareness of the broader issues impacting NZ and how we can make a difference as leaders. 2016 is a year of significant milestones for me – 10 years living in NZ and working for Qantas, I changed roles, I was blessed to have my ‘malu’ and celebrating fifty years of age. Completing the Leadership NZ Programme has given me a sense of clarity of my purpose, my leadership attributes, areas for growth and expansion and to connect with my inner power… YES, it has been life changing! SKILLS OFFERED: Supply chain, people management, mentoring, process improvement, recruitment, facilitation CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Executive member, Professional Mentoring for Pacific Health Students under the “Working & Achieving Together” Program LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: I had a slow start to my career, being older than many contemporaries to finish my undergraduate degree and MBA following an amazing, very long “overseas experience” of seven years. Since that time I have been in the public health system and enjoyed a number of roles as operational manager, strategic planner, general manager, director planning and performance. For the last 20 years I have been with Counties Manukau Health, an organisation of many dedicated and smart people who readily give of their time and skills to our population and their needs. Currently I am Executive Project Director, Counties Manukau, a role I relish as it has plentiful scope and opportunity which I have further crystalized during my last year with Leadership New Zealand.

Pauline Hanna Executive Project Director Counties Manukau Health

REFLECTION: The word “Rollercoaster” comes to mind as I reflect on our year! We had adventure of thought, turmoil of emotions, exasperation directed at our human failings and impact of those. At times we felt exposed and we felt daunted. But it was exciting, fun, engaging, forgiving and revealing. Mindful Leadership, taught me about myself and how I can free myself to concentrate on what is important and be creative. It helped me observe the whirlwind of balancing career with “life” and all the distractions. The Programme made me pause, but it has also given me frameworks to work with, showed me what resilience looks like and with it, what is actually possible. It has given me a new level of courage. Through our debates among ourselves and in discussion with our speakers it has connected me with what I can contribute to a more civil, diverse society. I have also added some incredibly special friends to my network which I will tap into as I endeavour to change my part of the world through my own unique Leadership. SKILLS OFFERED: Project management, process/continuous improvement and implementation, change management CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I am involved in several community Trusts however building on what I have gained this year, I am investigating how I can turn involvement into a much more significant contribution. LOCATION: Auckland

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

BACKGROUND: I am a humanitarian leader (this Programme has helped me say that and feel it) who has spent the last 15 years’ responding to natural disasters, civil conflict and the effects of climate change. My work has taken me to Timor-Leste, Philippines, Nepal, Chile and the North Pacific and includes roles with the UN, Governments and NGOs. A highlight was being adviser to the Minister of Social Solidarity on the response and recovery to the 2006 crisis in Timor-Leste which had caused the displacement of over 100,000 people. I currently manage the New Zealand Red Cross International Programme and am back in Wellington after 35 years away. I live in Hataitai with my wife and two young children and am looking forward to a new chapter unfolding as we move to Myanmar in 2017.

Phil Brewster International Programme Development Manager NZ Red Cross

REFLECTION: The year is almost done but the journey only just begun. What kind of man will I be for the second half of my life? Leadership New Zealand has given me the courage, insight and confidence to ask better questions about who I am, what has shaped me so far and where I can go. The journey started out as a year dedicated to me. It sometimes felt indulgent, but I now see the transformational power of retreating into ourselves, connecting deeply with our people and confronting the issues that define our place in this country. In my career so far, I have been good at conforming to existing cultures and systems. Leadership NZ has helped me realise that just as we can change our own neural pathways, we can also reinvent the basic assumptions of how we relate to each other. I want to spend the second half of my life more proactively shaping the environments I inhabit. SKILLS OFFERED: International development, disaster risk management, facilitation, humanitarian training CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Civil defence, refugee resettlement LOCATION: Wellington (soon to be Yangon in 2017)

Rebecca Sinclair Director Academic, College of Creative Arts Massey University

BACKGROUND: I come from a line of intelligent, creative and open-hearted women and my four young daughters are my greatest teachers. I am relentlessly optimistic, endlessly curious and think that aroha really is the answer. My job title says I’m the Director Academic at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts in Wellington. But really I’m someone who loves ideas, big picture thinking and asking ‘why?’. In my role I have the overview of our academic programmes, creating the best environment to grow the next generation of creative thinkers, makers and doers who will make positive change for people and for the planet. A commitment to empathy and creative process in the cultural context of Aotearoa underpins everything I do, and nothing (not even university bureaucracy!) puts me off that vision. He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. REFLECTION: Words. Not always the best way to convey experience. Especially the kind of experience that takes you well outside the usual privileging of intellect and action and asks you to reach into yourself and draw on your heart and explore your being. Mindful leadership. Doing and being. With a group of fellow travellers who are like you but unlike you, supporting and challenging, united yet so diverse. Walking their path too. And intimate encounters with wonderful and inspirational Leaderswith-a-capital-L; such a privilege to hear their stories and breathe the same air in the hope that maybe some of their ‘L’ will rub off on you. Grappling with what’s wrong and what’s right with Aotearoa and the world and trying to figure out where you fit in all of that. But most of all searching for your truth, your self, your turangawaewae, and weaving that together with the raw and unconditional human-ness of those around you. Attraction and discomfort. A profound adventure. Words. Aren’t. Enough. SKILLS OFFERED: Facilitation, education, public speaking, creative and design thinking, creative governance CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Miramar North School Board of Trustees LOCATION: Wellington

BACKGROUND: I am a Charted Civil and Environmental Engineer, with a background in project management, land development, resource management, infrastructure, stormwater: specialising in the delivery of complex projects. I have recently joined Regenerate Christchurch as the General Manager - Residential Red Zone, responsible for leading the process to decide the future use of the residential land that has been purchased by the Crown after the 2011 earthquakes. I moved from the role of Development Director - Anchor Projects for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (now Otakaro Ltd) where I was responsible for the Crown funded public realm and residential projects in the rebuild of Christchurch central city, including the National Memorial. Prior to this I worked for Councils, consultants and my own firm before committing my professional life to earthquake recovery since September 2010, first in Kaiapoi and then in Christchurch.

Rob Kerr General Manager Residential Red Zone Regenerate Christchurch

REFLECTION: Since the start of the Canterbury Earthquake sequence, I have seen the importance of leadership from close quarters, and been unexpectedly thrust into providing some of it as well. I learnt that it becomes more difficult and nuanced and this is where an individual’s depth, values and personal awareness determine if they can provide the leadership that is needed. I have seen many both fail and succeed in meeting what has to be a very high threshold in providing quality leadership, and one of the things I have learnt through this Programme is that my ability to meet this threshold depends on my inner life, my values and self-awareness. It has kept forcing me to look more closely at myself as well as the issues and leaders around me. I heard early on in the year that only good people make good leaders, and I have seen the truth of this. There is a fabulous group that make up the 2016 cohort and I have been lucky to have been taught by them over this year what good people look like. SKILLS OFFERED: Project Management, civil and environmental engineering, community engagement CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I am currently fully committed to earthquake recovery LOCATION: Christchurch YEARBOOK 2016

Graduand Biographies From the Class of 2016

BACKGROUND: Born in Fiji, I moved to New Zealand many years ago to attend University and adopted this beautiful country as my new home. My Pacific heritage and humble beginning have had a large influence on how I see and understand the world around me. It is also what defines me. I am passionate about equality. I am energised by people and creativity. My professional career to date has been in the health sector, initially as a clinician and over the last 10 years in leadership roles. I have worked in a variety of settings during this time including private and public and with some amazing leaders. I see myself as an emerging leader, passionate about diversity and empowering others to bring their experiences to the table.

Sanjoy Nand Service Manager, Pharmacy and Medication Safety Counties Manukau District Health Board

REFLECTION: The Leadership NZ Programme has been an extraordinary adventure for me. I am grateful for the Diversity scholarship and the support from Counties Manukau Health for enabling me to participate in this brilliant learning opportunity. The Programme has stretched and challenged my thinking on a variety of issues and helped me find a deeper connection between my leadership journey and me. The experiences and knowledge shared by those facilitating the Programme, the many highly accomplished speakers and the fellow participants have enriched my worldview of the challenges we face as a country, as global citizens and as leaders. Together with the many tools, insights and connections that I have gained over the last nine months, I feel inspired and ready to make the plunge into having those meaningful conversations and taking action so that we can truly transform the world that we live in. My hashtags for the Programme: #connectedness, #Te Ao Maori, #diversity, #mind-expanding, #selfreflection, #findingmypurpose, #newfriendships, #LNZyourock SKILLS OFFERED: Change management, process improvement, organisational culture development, mentoring, relationship management, ideation, co-creation, health sector knowledge, leadership LOCATION: South Auckland

Sarah Graham Producer Q Theatre

BACKGROUND: My working career has traversed the performing arts in varying roles, starting out in Stage Management, going on to train as an actor at Unitec’s Performing and Screen Arts, Theatre Manager for Duffy Books in Homes running their Theatre in Education programme. My first major leadership role came with co-founding Auckland-based ensemble The Outfit Theatre Company in 2007 in the role of Co-Artistic Director, a role which over the next 7 years allowed me the opportunity to turn nothing into something and appreciate the importance of camaraderie. Since 2015 I’ve had the privilege of working for Q Theatre as a Producer, a position that allows me the opportunity to work with national arts organisations, supporting them to present work that pushes the boundaries of New Zealand storytelling. REFLECTION: The Programme has offered me the opportunity to connect to a wider community than my own, gain new perspectives, and deepen my engagement and understanding of the potential impact I can create in my direct community, the city I live in and the country I was born in. Leadership seemed a zen-like concept, unreachable. Leadership NZ slowly breaks down those preconceptions, asking us to look into ourselves, checking where we’re coming from, what are we trying to ignore and we’re projecting. I’ve gone from observing the world to taking a bigger stake in the game. This Programme has allowed me to pause, check in with where I’m at in my career, look into the decisions I’ve made and to discover and explore my purpose and values. My cohort has been an inspiration, questioning and challenging, they are my idols as they bravely jump into hardcore conversations leaving no stone unturned, allowing me to do the same. Leadership NZ has been a life-changing experience, it’s given me a chance to reinvest in myself and my career, believe in the future and find ways to be the best version of me. SKILLS OFFERED: Event planning, relationship management, curation, community engagement LOCATION: Auckland

BACKGROUND: I was born and raised in Manukau where I developed a strong sense of responsibility and awareness of others around me, including the richness of being immersed in diverse communities. As a result, my life focus and passion are for building resilient people and communities. I have spent my career working in the not-for-profit sector most notably with St John, then with SCOUTS New Zealand. I genuinely believe our future will be brighter if we grow and develop our rangatahi (young people) and whanau. Providing leadership for community and youth development in Aotearoa is a key driver for me personally, and I enjoy working at an organizational level to enable this, as well as coaching and working alongside individuals to make their personal mark on our country.

Shaun Greaves Head of Learning and Delivery SCOUTS New Zealand

REFLECTION: It has been an honour and privilege to journey on this waka. Through this year’s talented cohort, coupled with an incredible array of speakers and experiences, we have been exposed to a melting pot of diversity in every sense of the word. From the diversity of being, perspective, industry, beliefs, cultures, life journey… it is this richness that makes the Programme so powerful. The Programme stretches and shapes us in ways we don’t expect. It confronts the critical issues facing Aotearoa and challenges us as to whether our personal espoused values are the same as those we live. It is catalytic in changing the face of leadership in Aotearoa where we as leaders will collaboratively create positive and real change. The shared wisdom of our group is powerful. I wholeheartedly thank Leadership NZ for adding significant value to my leadership journey. In particular, I wish to sincerely thank the 2015 cohort who so generously gifted the Tuku Mihi scholarship, enabling my participation in the Programme. I am eternally grateful. SKILLS OFFERED: Not-for-profit management, organisational development, youth development, people and leadership development, community engagement, event planning, coaching CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: SCOUTS New Zealand, St John, Ara Taiohi, Camp America, Pride Awards Trust, coaching new leaders in other organizations. In 2017 I am taking up a new governance opportunity enabled through Leadership NZ connections. LOCATION: Wellington

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SPEAKER’S PERSPECTIVE Pat Snedden Written by Reg Birchfield

Pat Snedden’s arresting leadership tales Entrepreneur, activist leader and philanthropist Pat Snedden has talked to Leadership NZ participants every year since the Programme was launched in 2005. Why? He explains the reasoning behind this fatal mutual attraction to leadership writer and Leadership NZ Advisory Trustee, Reg Birchfield. Pat Sneddon describes himself as a “61 year old Pakeha” before elaborating on his professional life in publishing and detailing some of the fascinating episodes in his quite unique life as a leader, media entrepreneur, public sector director, champion of innovative education programmes for Maori and Pasifika communities and, as a social philanthropist. He has shared his life’s work and the lessons delivered through his endeavours with more Leadership NZ alumni than any other speaker since the Programme kicked off in 2005. He’s undoubtedly “a keeper” so far as Leadership NZ’s team are concerned and, that’s ok with Pat. But why does he keep accepting the invitations to expose himself so frankly to this frequently demanding and intrusively inquisitive audience? “The genesis of my relationship was, I suppose, the friendship I had with Leadership NZ’s founder Jo Brosnahan. She asked me to speak to the first group, and I did,” he says. “I then found that I enjoyed the discipline of preparing a topic and subjecting myself to an interrogation. Then, as I kept returning each year, I used the process to track development of my own thinking about the activities I was engaged in. I thought about what had changed or shifted and about what I had learned over the year.” Pat was, he admits, involved in “some pretty interesting things” at fairly senior management levels. He was, for example,

an economic adviser to the Ngati Whatua o Orakei Maori Trust Board and part of their Treaty negotiation team. He was also appointed Chief Crown Negotiator in the Muriwhenua treaty claims for the Far North region. He’s been a corporate director and was a founding director of Mai FM, NZ’s first Maori commercial radio station. He’s been a public sector director and chaired the Housing NZ Corporation and the Auckland and Counties District Health Boards. He was also a director on Auckland’s Watercare Services and is currently a director of Ports of Auckland. Impeccable leadership bona fides when you think about it. He soon found himself sharing surprisingly intimate details of some of the controversial issues in which he was, for one reason or another, embroiled. “I talked about those things because I trusted the organisation and its steadfast adherence to the application of Chatham House speaking rules.” And, more importantly, he believes that everyone gains some powerful learning experiences when senior leaders willingly share the ordeal and the processes they go through when deciding how to deal with a difficult leadership issue. “It’s useful for them to see that, even for an experienced leader, things are seldom cut and dried when you’re involved in resolving a crisis of some kind,” he says. “Leadership is, I believe, about being able to share experiences. It’s also about making yourself sufficiently vulnerable to really get at stuff that’s difficult to handle. The

idea that the repository of all wisdom sits at the head of the board table or behind the CEO’s desk is ludicrous,” he adds. “Being able to find intimacy with people who are prepared to act with good intent on difficult issues is extremely important.” By looking after 14 or 15 chief executives, he’s seen many experience what he call a “significant piece of loneliness.” The condition prevails in what he describes as the “necessary and palpable tension” that must exist between a board and its chief executive in order to ensure proper organisational oversight. “However,” he adds, “they (CEOs) must be given the confidence to keep going in the space that is grey. They must be able to trust their judgement and make the absolute best of the circumstances they face.” Recounting and sharing his stories has made Pat acutely aware that, for leaders to be successful they must first and foremost be aware of themselves. “Leaders must understand the limits of their intellectual and experiential capability but, they must also know the limits of their moral activity. No one expects leaders to be perfect but, they do expect them to be straight,” he says. BIG QUESTION Pat is “always interested” in the written feedback he gets from his Leadership NZ audiences. “The participants are generally encouraging and invariably generous in their commentary but, there’s always nuance in it. That nuance is where I really

YEARBOOK 2016

look for the helpful stuff. And when I provoked them this year with a conversation that asked them what they were prepared to be arrested for, I was deliberately trying to shake them up. “I wanted them to think about what they, individually, stood for. I wanted them to reflect on what things were vital to them in their lives. And I wanted them to seriously consider the extent to which they would hold to those things in the face of really significant opposition and consequences. Aspiring leaders should understand what they may be up for and, what they want from life.” Pat concedes that being arrested at the second occupation of Auckland’s Bastion Point in 1982 was a major “touchpoint” in his life. For a start, it introduced him to Ngati Whatua o Orakei such that 30 plus years of his subsequent professional life has been involved with this iwi’s economic development. But his arrest delivered a great deal more – completely changing his thinking about was really important to him. “The question to this year’s cohort was, therefore, my call for people to wake up to the challenges that now surround us in New Zealand and which aren’t being addressed, the latest being water quality. What has caused this major failure in our fundamental delivery processes? You can’t have this happen in a 21st century developed economy and not ask: what else are we missing?” he says. There’s no question he wanted the Programme’s participants to turn their minds fully onto what he considers are New Zealand’s, and for that matter the world’s, most critically urgent issues of today and tomorrow – issues those who are taking part in the Leadership NZ Programme will, he says, have to address and find answers for.

“My challenge was designed to shake people’s thinking about their personal and societal values,” he says. “How much of this system degeneration will persist before we adopt an activist’s view of what’s happening here? This was my call to re-engagement in a civil society. We need young and intelligent energy to resolve the problems but, it takes savvy and personal courage to deal to them. “I wanted this year’s class of 2016 to understand that, right now we are failing to house both the poor and the emerging 25-40 year old middle class. The hardly noticed impact of this decline is that generations of New Zealanders, who historically used their homes to fund their small business enterprises, no longer have a capital building capacity to create new opportunities for themselves or others involved in small business New Zealand. “We have a stellar education system that services one end of New Zealand society but not the other. We have a social services system that’s changed little in its professional practice over half a century but, we don’t have a social welfare delivery system to fix poverty in its current form. HAND WRINGING “I wanted to suggest that, for aspiring leaders to achieve anything they must change the process. Endless hand wringing won’t accomplish anything. Leadership is about doing stuff that makes a positive change. And it’s not about them. It’s about the communities in which they serve. They need to believe that people working together can do good, even if they can’t anticipate how well, or otherwise, what they do affects positive change.” To illustrate his point, Pat explained how in 1982 Ngati Whatua owned a quarter

“For aspiring leaders to achieve anything they must change the process. Endless hand wringing won’t accomplish anything. Leadership is about doing stuff that makes a positive change. And it’s not about them. It’s about the communities in which they serve.” 28

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acre urupa. “They now have a $1billion balance sheet,” he said. “And when we started the Manaiakalani Education Trust in Tamaki in 2011 we had just $100. In the five years since we’ve raised $10.6m to support the revolution of achievement brought about by the digital pedagogy. No Tamaki College students passed School Certificate in 1995. Ten years later they had less than 30% pass NCEA 2. Last year, 93% of 18 year old kids who stayed at school passed NCEA 2. We’ve had a decade in which learners from the same families delivered vastly different results.” “The stuff we’re doing with Manaiakalani in both education and housing in Tamaki, is designed to shift families from subsistence to capital building. This isn’t a linear process, it’s way too complex for that. But its best and quickest gains are achieved where there is trust and commitment to shared goals between the schools, parents and kids. That’s why in May this year, 3000 people came to the Point England School fiafia celebration of cultural performance. “This massive turnout happened because there’s a connectedness between community and school where respect and trust goes both ways. There’s no consultation here. It’s flesh and blood partnership, something much more precious and durable. It’s the same reason we get better than 80% payment rates on the micro-finance provided for the kid’s Chrome books ($3.50 per week for 3 years with $40 deposit) from all the schools when the average adult income in Glen Inness, at last census, is $19,000 a year. These parents don’t, in the main, have credit records.” Reflecting on his 11 year appearance record and willingness to expose his life in leadership to Leadership NZ alumni Pat says: “I’ve brought these kinds of stories to Leadership NZ’s fora because, from my observation, the Programme is about a values conversation with leaders who’ve told me in the past that they value the perspective of someone who hasn’t always followed the conventional path to leadership”. Oh. And Pat’s also a leader of understatement.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS Kimberly Rees

Michael Berry Leadership NZ Alumnus (2008) Michael Berry was 28 years old when he did the Leadership NZ Programme. As an ordained Priest and Vicar of the St Philip’s Church in St Heliers (Auckland) at the time, he reflects and says, “I had no idea what a profound effect the Programme would have on the rest of my life.” This is a strong statement from someone whose life and career revolve around the spiritual world. When asked to elaborate, Michael says; “The Leadership NZ Programme exposed me to so many different people, viewpoints and deep conversations that I would have never had the opportunity to come across otherwise (like top business professionals and politicians). I explored new ways of being open, engaging, receptive and understanding of people’s differences in beliefs and the value of compassion at a community level in developing our nation. This has shaped how I live my life!” he emphasises. As a young Vicar of a local parish, Michael remembers that the most immediate effect of the Leadership NZ Programme was that he was better able to work with the Parish Board whose members at the time included many senior professionals. He also says he enjoyed his role of orchestrating community events much more (often these would be highly emotional situations such as weddings or funerals)

by utilising the leadership tools learned from the Leadership NZ Programme. Michael says, “After the Leadership NZ Programme, I had a renewed self-confidence and sense of purpose, which was, servant leadership - working towards empowering others.” True to the servant theme, in 2012 Michael joined the Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserve as the reserve unit’s Chaplain. A year later, he left the local parish Vicar role when appointed as Base Chaplain for HMNZ Naval Base Devonport. Over the four years that Michael has been with the Navy he’s been the Ship Chaplain on two major overseas Navy Operations; a six-month counter-piracy mission in the Somali Basin / Gulf of Aiden, and three months conducting humanitarian aid and disaster relief to Fiji following Cyclone Winston. When commenting on how different a navy ship’s Chaplain role must be compared to a local parish Vicar, Michael says, “Both serve a diverse community, but perhaps the ship’s community is a bit smaller with more people who have not had any engagement with Church,” he adds with a smile. When asked how he, as Chaplain, serves such people outside the church, Michael

“The Leadership NZ Programme exposed me to so many different people, viewpoints and deep conversations that I would have never had the opportunity to come across otherwise. I explored new ways of being open, engaging, receptive and understanding of people’s differences in beliefs and the value of compassion at a community level in developing our nation.”

says in a slow and careful tone; “It’s all about respect and me being present and mindful; providing reflection and support to an individual in need, and creating that environment across the collective group (e.g. the ship’s crew) at all different levels.” He also adds; “Everyone benefits from pausing, reflecting and thinking outside of yourself for the greater good.” Michael states; “I’ve been among numerous people who are experiencing the most stressful situation in their life – whether I am conducting a funeral or giving individual trauma counselling – my advice is always to take deep connecting breaths and focus on the here and now. It helps take someone out of their own negative head space of worrying about what has happened in the past or what is going to happen in the future, and gives the mind a break so it is restored and thinking clearly.” Michael has recently taken up the ministry role of Archdeacon Southern Region for the Anglican Diocese of Auckland, a senior level position and as of 1 September 2016 holds the title The Venerable Michael Berry. This will be a big change and once again, work in a different environment for Michael. Although he has moved out of Devonport, Michael still maintains his ties with the Navy as part of the volunteer reserve, continuing with this aspect of his servitude leadership. When asked what he is most looking forward to in his new role, Michael says; “Having a wider opportunity to create, support, and encourage reflection and meaning in the life of individuals and communities.” This is an aspirational goal that perhaps we all (even the most atheist among us), can adopt and strive for. Peace be with you. YEARBOOK 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS Kimberly Rees

Angela Bull Leadership NZ Alumna (2010) “The Leadership NZ Programme is transformational,” Angela Bull says. “It is unlike any other leadership course. It stimulates you to not only think about things differently but also think about things you don’t always have time to think about in your day job. The result is a positive long-term effect on both your personal and professional life. I feel fortunate to have done the Programme and now be part of the Leadership NZ Alumni / whanau.” In 2010, Angela, a property development senior executive at the time, was one of two employees that Foodstuffs Ltd sent on the Leadership NZ Programme that year. Indeed Foodstuffs had been regularly sending staff to the Programme over the years, subsequently creating a subset of Leadership New Zealand alumni / whanau within the large organisation. Angela states, “The Leadership NZ Programme develops your ability to better connect with people in building trust and confidence within different circumstances. This is of value for any organisation and it should not be underrated.” Angela goes on to say, “Like anything, what you put in is what you get out. But the way the Leadership NZ Programme is structured makes it easy to contribute. The system of using a rotation of smaller participant groups in the duties for each session provides you with group collaboration skills and opportunities for engagement you rarely get to experience as a professional adult. It builds a trusting environment to expand yourself and to learn how to help others do the same. It’s also a lot of fun!” Angela remembers, “I did the Leadership NZ Programme at a really busy time in

my career. I now realise, this was the best possible time to do the Programme. Any potential applicant thinking they are too busy to do the Leadership NZ Programme - you are not, it is when you need it the most.” When asked to expand, Angela says, “The Programme emphasises the importance of (and importantly gives you the time for) personal reflection and self-determination.” In looking back on Angela’s career, it is hard not to notice that she has achieved a lot in a relatively short period of time. As a law graduate from the University of Auckland, Angela worked as an RMA specialist / environment law solicitor on increasingly complex commercial property development cases for both Simpson Grierson and Chapman Tripp in addition to a one-year position as criminal law associate counsel at the Crown Law Office. Over that ten year period, Angela had a successful track record of servicing clients’ legal needs on large property developments. This was acknowledged when in 2006 Foodstuffs offered her an executive position in the property development area of the organisation. Soon after joining Foodstuffs, Angela was heading up a team delivering a $150 million-a-year programme to refurbish and expand the region’s supermarkets, giving her extensive influence in the property development sector. She says of the time

“I was challenged to think about things differently which helped improve my self-awareness and to build my own self-sustainability.”

“I was constantly busy, always up for the challenge, taking on more, fitting all the pieces together and making things work. Even though I knew I was good at what I was doing, it was a big step up for me and very challenging at times. The Leadership NZ Programme came along at exactly the right time as it provided the opportunity for me to pause and reflect on my career and my life. I was challenged to think about things differently which helped improve my self-awareness and to build my own self-sustainability.” Angela has continued to take on more over the years since doing the Leadership NZ Programme which includes starting a family. As the proud mother of two children aged 2 and 5 years, Angela says “Children definitely keep you focused on the here and now. Just like in the workplace, children are at their best when you model respect and give them the opportunity to ask questions. We get a lot of “why” questions in our household. My home life often gets translated into my work life and it’s this constant adaption to the challenges that makes it interesting.” Earlier this year Angela moved from Foodstuffs, taking on a new challenge in a new work environment as Chief Executive of Tramco Group. As a leader of an organisation, Angela says her personal goal is to build a long-lasting, respectful and supportive work environment where innovation is encouraged and people’s individual contributions are valued. Angela states “Providing people with the environment and opportunities to be the best that they can be – that’s what delivers the most rewarding workplace.” We wish Angela well with this endeavour.

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS Sian Henderson

Wendy McGuiness Leadership NZ Alumna (2007) Wendy McGuiness, the founder of McGuiness Institute, finished her time at the Leadership NZ Programme with a much deeper understanding of New Zealand and its people. She was looking for ways to contribute towards NZ going forward and from the Programme, she got what she came for. “I felt we could do better than we were doing. That we needed to work harder to be a great country, working hard to understand our differences as well as commonalities.” In 2004 Wendy started the McGuiness Institute, which is a think tank working towards a sustainable future for New Zealand. During this new phase, she was looking to reconnect. “I was consulting and relatively corporate, and I was looking to build a deeper understanding of New Zealand, so I could work out where I fitted and what I could do.” “There was a lot of processes I learnt that I’ve further adopted going forward. In terms of skills; I learnt how to collaborate and develop discussion. The way in which you build narrative and bring it to an end.” Wendy expresses gratitude in learning the generosity of speakers that gave their time. The most important of all this new knowledge, however, was the realisation she was not alone. “There was a big cohort of New Zealanders wanting to bring about change.” In amongst these people were those Wendy originally wouldn’t have considered willing to help. It turns out though, that these people who’re achieving a great deal and are extremely busy, are still able to find time for a good cause. “So in going forward I don’t hesitate to ask people for help or advice.

I don’t ask for me, but for the people I’m working with.” She continues “A little bit of someone’s time at the right time, can actually make a massive difference.” Another really important process she expresses is finding a balance. “There’s enormous strength in using personal experience but it can also get in the way. It’s about knowing when to delve deeper and source fuel - such as anger, which is a great motivator. And knowing when to not be personal and think about what the community needs.” Trying to balance these is an ongoing skill that Leadership NZ provided her. All these processes, Wendy shares, have helped her curate workshops for outcomes and strive through challenges. Currently, she and her team are running a ‘tackling poverty tour.’ They’ve been through Manawatu, Rotorua, Gisborne, and soon the Far North, running one-day workshops with the communities. This is a perfect example of finding that balance. “The stories of poverty are horrendous but we have to move the conversation to ‘hows’. We have to use the skills and

knowledge that are already in these local communities to bring about change.” She emphasises on how we must keep the focus on the goal. That together we have the skills and through relationships, we can find ways to resolve challenges. “I see a whole lot of people wanting to bring about change but not knowing how, or that they’re an important part of the jigsaw puzzle, they just don’t know where to fit. What I’ve learnt is that perhaps my job is to pull those pieces together in a way that’s going forward.” As our time draws to an end I ask Wendy for any words of advice for future leaders. “Lead by example. Personally, I think that means organisations to the community and New Zealand to the world. We are such a fortunate country in so many ways and we can shape the world by being the very best example we can be.” As we come to a close she leaves one last piece of advice ringing in my ears that is relevant to all of us as leaders of our own lives: “Be mindful that it’s okay we’re not perfect. The most important thing really is giving it a go.”

“There’s enormous strength in using personal experience but it can also get in the way. It’s about knowing when to delve deeper and source fuel... And knowing when to not be personal and think about what the community needs.The stories of poverty are horrendous but we have to move the conversation to ‘hows’. We have to use the skills and knowledge that are already in these local communities to bring about change.”

YEARBOOK 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS Sian Henderson

Christian Penny Leadership NZ Alumnus (2009) Since leaving the Leadership NZ Programme, Christian was named CEO of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. He talks gratefully about how the Programme built his identity as a leader and helped prepare him for the role ahead. “You’re addressed as a leader, as a future influence, so consistently over the year it has that effect of consolidating that identity.” Over the year Christian saw people tackling problems in all their own different ways. Within this he had a new insight into his own approaches. “There’s no one way to lead,” he explains. “I had a particular way I was going to go about things and it was good to keep going that way.” Christian has worked in an array of fields developing NZ theatre works such as plays, community theatre projects, devised works and Opera. And he is the co-founder of the wonderful Auckland theatre company Theatre at Large and the New Zealand Playback Summer School. With all these different roles of respon-

sibility NZ Leadership was a smart and supportive step upward. One influential skill he picked up during the Programme is the art of being compassionate. “I gained a greater sense that complex things take time, so it’s important to keep meeting people where they are in those changes.” He continues, “I loved being with the group I was with. I learnt from every one of them and their differences, and our work as a group to meet that difference and keep working with it.” He also learnt from the stories shared at Leadership NZ, not to expect it all to be straight forward after the Programme. “That comes from the frankness with which the people share on the Programme on the realities of leading, rather than the perspective.” A frankness that prepared and helped him through the challenges of taking on the responsibility of CEO at Toi Whakaari. The value of New Zealand also became strongly affirmed within Christian during

this experience. “I remember sitting in the Treaty House in Waitangi and thinking, the opportunity in this country is rich and world leading. We have enough social coherence to build some models of work that are really visionary and inclusive.” Leadership NZ provided Christian and Toi Whakaari with a new network. A much broader one that they were able to leverage, building new leadership programmes at the school. One is run with the combined relationship of government and private sector. The other with community groups in Gisborne. A programme focused on capacity building for leaders in the region, based out of Manutuke Marae, using the marae framework as the base of a leadership training programme. When asked for final words of advice he states, “You’ve got to work relationally.” And in regards to being a mindful leader, “It’s all about what you can change to make the world better, not what the world could change to make itself better for you.”

“I gained a greater sense that complex things take time, so it’s important to keep meeting people where they are in those changes. I remember sitting in the Treaty House in Waitangi and thinking, the opportunity in this country is rich and world leading. We have enough social coherence to build some models of work that are really visionary and inclusive.”

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NORTHLAND ALUMNI FEATURE Written by Jo Brosnahan Photo by Sarah Orme, New Zealand Story

Northland Alumni: Building the Region’s Future In the very early days of Leadership NZ, we evolved our mission: to “Enrich New Zealand through active leadership in a connected community.” So we tasked our Founder, Jo Brosnahan to connect with some of our Northland Alumni. I was interested to see just how active some of our Northland Alumni were, how influential, and how much their leadership journey had been influenced by their time on the Leadership NZ Programme. Northland is my turangawaewae – the place where I was born and spent the majority of my life. It is a place of great beauty – as any Northlander will tell you, of magnificent coastline and harbours and places to escape. It is a region of very special cultural significance to New Zealand, with Waitangi being the birthplace of the values and commitments that we made to become a bicultural, and later a multicultural nation. It also has a special character that comes of having a large proportion (around a third) of the region who are Maori. It has the most wonderful people. But Taitokerau also has significant challenges, with the highest unemployment rates in the country, educational outcomes below the rest of the country

and the loss of many of its young people to Auckland and beyond. Maori life expectancy is around nine years lower than the Maori population, and in 2013, 43% of Northlanders were on the lowest band of the deprivation index, compared with 20% of New Zealanders. Housing is poor. With these stresses, there are also high crime rates and high rates of family violence. Economic activity has been restricted in the past by the natural geography, which has caused isolation and limited farming activities. But the future has huge potential, as the Alumni describe. It just needs good leadership; lots of it. It was not surprising to find that the Leadership NZ Alumni whom I spoke with are playing a significant role in addressing the challenges and opportunities of Northland. All had a passion and a vision for their part in this wonderful community. George Riley (2009) and a Leadership NZ Trustee, became the CEO of Te Rununga

A Iwi O Ngapuhi, following his time on the Programme. He is now the GM of Maori Economic Development at Northland Inc, Northland’s economic development agency. He is a trustee of the Te Tii (Waitangi) B3 Ahu Whenua Trust and is involved with his own marae at Rawhiti. He describes himself as “one of the crew” at Rawhiti, working to grow the next generations through connections and the opportunity to engage with their whanau. The focus is to hold customs, stories, and knowledge in a positive and sustainable way. For George, Leadership NZ was the key to understanding leadership and engagement with a broad range of people. His role involves forming partnerships with many different bodies; the sectors themselves are small and need to work collectively. He commented that New Zealand is a broad church and leadership across the diversity of the community enables collectives to achieve so much more than they could achieve alone.

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Left to right from the top: Jo Brosnahan, George Riley, Rangimarie Price, Teresa Tepania-Ashton, Darren Mason & Alistair Drake

In reflecting on the challenges facing Te Taitokerau, George believes that families must continue to maintain their relationship with the land and with their communities. Northland needs to add value – such as with horticulture and the care of people. This will help attract back the family aged people who currently go outside the region for work. Education is key to the future, and alignment and unity are needed to overcome the geographically divided communities. This requires a special kind of leadership. Rangimarie Price (2006) is the coordinator of Te Taitokerau Iwi CE’s Consortium which provides collective and collaborative leadership for Maori initiatives across Te Taitokerau. She was responsible for coordinating the groundbreaking publication “He Tangata He Whenua He Oranga”, providing an Economic Growth Strategy for the Maori economy. It focuses on holistic outcomes based on cultural values; with the intent that economic growth should flow through to whanau and translate into poverty reduction. Investments in education and infrastructure are a part of this strategy. She was also the Executive Officer for the establishment of the Taitokerau Education Trust which is focused on introducing digital learning into schools, in the manner of the Manaiakalani Trust in Auckland. This has the potential to bring about a sea change 34

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in educational outcomes, particularly for low decile communities. At the time of the Leadership NZ Programme, Rangimarie had been contemplating re-entry into the workforce after an illness: “The Programme enabled the conversation around the type of nationhood that we wanted to build, encouraged by diversity, and it was clear that there was an appetite for a more authentic and diverse form of nationhood.” Her focus since that time has been in promoting Maori in that context; with Maori being a key part of creating a country that we can all celebrate and be a part of. Encouraged by knowing that other people felt the same stimulated her to commit to a holistic vision for her own people that was about economic, social and cultural outcomes. “Work life until that time had been about baskets of knowledge. There was then the transition from discovery to finding my purpose.” She now works with local leaders to support their leadership around economic growth and improving education and health outcomes for their people. “Northland needs transformative leadership.” Traditionally all of the various organisations and communities in Te Taitokerau have been disconnected from one another, and while it is improving, there is a way to go. More equitable

relationships need to be brokered with iwi and within iwi. The keys are unity, partnership and collaboration. Teresa Tepania–Ashton (2006) is the CEO of Maori Women’s Development Inc and is being recognised nationally for her leadership for Maori women in this role; taking positive strength-based solutions into the community. At the time that she undertook the Programme, she was the CEO of Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngapuhi. While she lives now in Wellington, she has her roots in the north. For Teresa, Leadership NZ opened her eyes to the opportunities of diversity in all its forms, including ethnicity, age, religion and diversity of thinking. “Maori can be diverse in themselves but not ignorant of outside contexts and the ability to be a part of the wider influence in New Zealand. There is a huge importance in approaching issues and opportunities collectively as a nation.” In reflecting upon the challenges facing the region, Teresa is clear that leadership is the key: “We need broad leadership – we need to collaborate totally, leaving our individual concerns outside the door, and focusing on our people.” There are some wonderful ideas, but too much patch protecting. “With a collaborative approach, we could empower the community to work on the solutions.”

Left to right from the top: Irene Durham, Fiona Davies, Lance Kennedy, Julia Hartshorne, Erena Kara, & Olive Brown

Darren Mason (2014) is the CEO of Northpower Fibre, which enabled Whangarei to be the first fully-fibred city in the country. A past Chair of the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce, and a judge for the business excellence awards, he is an active sponsor and enabler of the Taitokerau Education Trust and is on his local school board.

education and entertainment.” He sees that digital learning supported by the Taitokerau Education Trust can bring about intergenerational change, breaking the cycle of poverty through education for at-risk kids. At his local school, he is involved with introducing to the children the concept of leadership – it is exciting to enable them to find that voice.

Leadership NZ was for him a journey, a wayfinding. Since the Programme, he has continued his own development around empathy and values. “It is important to find your own balance and wellness, to be comfortable in your own skin and to own decisions. It is about generating energy, passion and enthusiasm around a story that others can buy into.” Because in the Fibre Company he has few direct reports, it is essential that he can influence through leadership. “Leadership NZ provided the fundamentals, but you need to practice. It is like a golf swing, you get better but you never get there. And understand that there are energy givers and energy suckers – the latter can deplete the cup of enthusiasm.”

Alistair Drake (2008) is the Business Accountant for the Northern North Island for the Department of Conservation. He is a leader on the regional management team who needs to guide, influence and mentor those around him. At the time of the Leadership NZ Programme, he was in charge of Corporate Services at the Whangarei District Council and said that the Programme broadened his thinking in transitioning to his new role. It also led to a strong community involvement with the Northable Disability Trust. Alistair comments that in the north, there are never sufficient resources, but “leadership is the greatest need – we need more of it.”

Darren stresses that infrastructure can help Northland to be competitive. “Ultrafast broadband is an enabler and there is a generational change coming; with the internet of things and the growth opportunities that UFB brings to health,

Irene Durham (2005) had her own Financial Planning business at the time of her involvement in the Programme. She had won the NZ Business Woman of the Year at the end of the 1990’s and was involved with not for profits, including the Northable Disability Trust. Pat Snedden was one of the first speakers to change

her perspective on life, with his book “It’s Your Treaty Too” giving her the ability to own her own place in NZ. Tim Miles gave her the confidence to go out there and apply for things – to set high expectations and to let go of the fear. Subsequently, she has stood for and is now a member of a number of boards, including Northland Inc, and the Northpower Electricity Trust. She says that the year of immersion in the diversity of Leadership NZ has enabled her to discover what her part is in making a difference in the region. Fiona Davies (2012) has been the Contracting Manager for Northpower in Northland for the past three years. She is currently stepping back to play a support role, with the former manager returning after a lengthy secondment. This is a new challenge, but she is aware of how she can continue to lead, albeit from a support role. The Programme taught her to lead as a coach and a guide and gave her confidence in her style. It also introduced her to the concept of continuing to grow as a leader throughout your life. In reflecting upon Northland, Fiona comments that there are social issues in every corner. However, there are a lot of people coming back and it is important to get it right. If the region does not, the clock is ticking and there is a real risk of a social breakdown in some areas. Good

YEARBOOK 2016

leadership and collaboration, together with the alignment of all of the passionate visions could help the region to achieve its aims. Leadership NZ could have a role in mentoring leaders to support this. Lance Kennedy (2008) is the Lead Service Manager for Kaitaia and Kaikohe for the Department of Corrections. He manages community probation services and around 400 offenders on various sentences. This involves the reduction in offending and working together to address their needs. The service also provides around $120,000 worth of work each month in voluntary labour to schools, maraes and voluntary organisations, teaching skills at the same time. Lance is also involved with multidisciplinary teams looking at safe release, and investigating family violence. For Lance, the Leadership NZ Programme reinforced the importance of doing the right thing. He owns the accountability for the decisions he makes, and for others, in a situation of high profile risk. His personal journey has also involved losing 44kg – a life changing choice that he made on the Programme. Northland has many challenges, including intergenerational violence. “People make stupid decisions, and generationally, problems have been solved with their fists. With no public transport, low-income whanau who have to drive to the grocery store get caught unlicensed with unregistered, unwarranted vehicles. Some people cannot turn up for probation or community service because they can’t afford the petrol and have to hitchhike – they are then back in jail. Jail is not necessarily the right thing – prisoners are getting three meals a day while their whanau often starve themselves to be able to support and visit them. More money is needed for poverty, child health and for violence programmes.” Lance was quick though to praise the staff members he worked with and the community that cares. “If you walk down the street, they have a smile on their faces.” Julia Hartshorne (2015) is the founder of Achieve to Be, a programme providing exchanges to Auckland and beyond for young people with disabilities. She is also a social worker at the Hospital. She

www.leadershipnz.co.nz

says that Leadership NZ added value to her ability to be a leader, being in the moment and being present and therefore more able to engage her team. She sees the challenge of massive unemployment in the North as a particular problem, one echoed by the other Alumni. Erena Kara (2013) is the Acting CEO of Ngapuhi. At the time of the Programme, she was working for a Maori Health provider. Last year, she went to Ngapuhi as a GM, inspired by the CEO of the time, but suddenly, due to his illness, found herself in the top job, in charge of the largest Iwi in the country. In the past year, she has been involved with leadership challenges she had never dreamed of – with the tribe’s settlement, governance issues, and at the same time, she became pregnant. She says that she has relied upon her learnings during the Programme, particularly around resilience; being true to yourself and not diverging from leadership values. She has been looking to have the right people around her, to ensure that her staff is looked after and not to take things personally. She has kept the ship steady but has not applied for the CEO role – her children did not want her to. In reflecting on the challenges of Northland, Erena also commented on the geographic spread and isolation. “Poverty is a real issue, there is not much employment, and the population is drifting to Australia for better opportunities. We are really pushing educational achievement, which also means attracting good teachers to Northland. One of the main challenges will be to maximise the benefits from the settlement packages, which includes the Ngapuhi settlement. There is a huge opportunity for Taitokerau in the future investment from that.”

Olive Brown (2010) was involved with He iwi Kotahi Trust and the Healthy Homes programme at the time of her Leadership NZ experience. She is currently involved in a health initiative in Moerewa and is undertaking a Master of Commerce degree. “Leadership NZ opened my eyes to think bigger and out of the box, and made me realise that events that happen in the world do affect us, directly or indirectly. There are many challenges for Northland and it begins at grass roots. However, there are far too many people who still make decisions for those they know nothing about. Intentions can be good but outcomes are only a band-aid.” This is an interesting challenge for us all: to fully understand a problem and to know the people before arriving at a solution. These wonderful Alumni are changing the face of a region through their leadership, but they retain their connection as Leadership NZ whanau. George talked about the benefit of being a part of the Alumni “The Programme is sending out people who will make a tremendous contribution to all communities across New Zealand.” Rangimarie confirmed that “The Programme develops transformative leadership which is key to this region. Leadership is not something you do, but something that you should be.” They all emphasised the importance of keeping the networks alive, the stories alive and remaining connected and surrounded by inspiring people. Throughout the country, Alumni can support each other. As Teresa states: “There comes a time when as Alumni, we must be able to find a collective pathway where we can make a difference.” With the final word from Lance: “It is all about the people; he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.”

“These wonderful Alumni are changing the face of a region through their leadership, but they retain their connection as Leadership NZ whanau. They all emphasised the importance of keeping the networks alive, the stories alive and remaining connected and surrounded by inspiring people.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

OUR SINCERE THANKS TO...

Key Partner

Creative Partner

Supporting Partners

Dinner with a Difference Event Partners The Bishop Sir Paul Reeves Memorial Lecture Event Partners

Scholarship Partners Special thanks to the following who assist to ensure that diversity continues to be achieved across the Programme through the generous funding of scholarships: • 2013 Year Kia Manawanui Scholarship • 2015 Year Tuku Mihi Scholarship • Sir Paul and Lady Reeves Scholarship Fund • Counties Manukau Health Diversity Scholarship

Programme & Event Speakers We thank all speakers for their generosity in giving their time and themselves; they are the backbone of Leadership New Zealand. Speakers are listed in the Programme Overview and in the Events Overview.

Programme Event Partner

• • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

Q Theatre •

Event & Programme Hosts/Contributors Special thanks to the following who have assisted us in providing event venues, donated goods, services, catering or valuable time:

• •

Darren Mason (Alumnus) Fiona Davies (Alumna) Manaia Health PHO He Iwi Kotahi Tatou Trust George Riley (Alumnus) Pacific Business Trust Josephine Bartley (Alumna), Jenni Heka (Alumna) Te Oro, Andrea McLeod (Alumna) Presbyterian Support Northern, Manaiakalani Educational Trust, Refugee Resettlement Centre, East Tamaki Health Care, Chinese New Settlers Services Trust Quentin McCarthy and Adam Bevins (Alumni), Downer Carol Bellette (Alumna and Trustee) Janine Sudbury Sarah Trotman, AUT Business School Dave Wild and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise James Wilson (Alumnus), Q Theatre Bernie Grant and Grant Palmer (Alumni), NZ Defence Force Penny Fitt (Alumna), Adam Cooper (Alumnus) and Teina & Nga Paki Moetara, Toi Whakaari Stephen Harris, David Udy, Lisa Paraku (Alumni) Hillary Palmer and Mark Wilkshire (Alumni), Kiwibank Murray Hickman (Alumnus), Strike Percussion

• Adrian Wimmers (Alumnus), KPMG

Special thanks to the following: • All invited authors, contributors and people who gave their time to be interviewed for this publication • The editorial team (listed on inside front cover) • The team at Curative – for editing and publishing of this magazine, curating Dinner with A Difference, and development and support of our new Programme marketing material • Mind Warriors for their support for an alumni, JOLT Ignite workshop and providing the JOLT Challenge book for the 2016 Graduands • Canon – for providing printing supplies • Leadership NZ Alumni who gave their time, talents and energy at various events, alumni activities and Community Engagement & SkillsBank projects (listed on our website in Paying it Forward) • Leadership NZ Trustees, Advisory Trustees and Funding Partners - for their ongoing support and invaluable advice • Simon Telfer, Appoint – for support advertising SkillsBank board vacancies • Mind Warriors, Kiwibank, Auckland Council, Embassy of the United States of America – for supporting Dinner with a Difference • KPMG – for hosting our Programme launch and annual audit support • John Moore – for IT and project support

Key Partner

Accident Compensation Corporation www.acc.co.nz

Creative Partner

Curative www.curative.co.nz

Supporting Partners

Altris Ltd www.altris.co.nz

AUT University www.aut.ac.nz

Kiwibank Limited www.kiwibank.co.nz

KPMG www.kpmg.co.nz