It's an undeniable fact that New Zealand lags behind
many other developed nations in terms of women's participation
in the top jobs and governance positions across both the
business sector and professional services.
If this statement surprises you, then spend some time in the
articles in this area to read the facts for
yourself. We take great care to ensure the content we have
here is backed by up to date research to support
informed discussion.
If you already know the rather gloomy situation, then what you'll
find here are many and varied articles on the topic of governance
and leadership. We have book reviews, research summaries and
relevant statistics and interviews with some of New Zealand's most
impressive leaders, both men and women. These include, to
name but a few, Justice Lowell Goddard and John Palmer, Chair of
Air New Zealand.
We hope to, stretch, enlighten, provoke (in a good way) and inspire
you as well as to provide you with practical tips on being an
effective leader and a governor.
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22 July 2010
By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes
Have you recently been promoted and are new to a leadership role? Now what? How do you successfully lead when you are young, female and the people who you are leading are older, more experienced and usually male? This was a question sent to us by one of our members and her concerns are not unusual. Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes has very useful tips based on her own personal experience on how to handle your first taste of leadership successfully.
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20 July 2010
By Sally Mabelle, the "Voice of Leadership" specialist
How do you manage to stay focused on 'the big picture' of your vision and purpose in your organisation? Your primary job as a leader is to be a wayshower and guiding light, helping others to stay focused on the mission and reason they’re doing what they’re doing.
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25 March 2010
By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes
With so few women successfully opening the boardroom door, you can't help wondering if it is only the ones who are akin to men who make it, or even attempt it. That begs the question: do these women at the top of the corporate ladder actually differ in attitudes and values from their male counterparts?
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24 November 2009
By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes
This handbook for aspiring women directors is written by a woman who has triumphed over adversity to become a director duly accredited by the Institute of Directors (IoD) and now engaged on a number of Boards. At Professionelle we are working to demystify the paths to the board room and whether you know a lot about governance already or are embarking on your journey, there is likely to be something in this handbook for you.
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24 November 2009
By Adrienne Young Cooper, BA, MSc, MNZPI, AMInsD,
Adrienne Young Cooper sits on seven Boards, including Solid Energy and Auckland Regional Transport Authority. In this piece she shares the story of how she opened the door to the boardroom. It didn't happen in a hurry and when the break came, for all her planning, it was from an unexpected quarter!
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04 September 2009
By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes
Sarah reports on her learnings from the Women on Boards conference in Sydney in 2009. The key lesson she took from it was that being on a Board is no sinecure. It's worthwhile to pause and reflect on your motivations to become a Director.Those committed to this role will find examples of how other women have forged a path to the Boardroom table.
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01 September 2009
By Galia BarHava-Monteith
Governance and women is a topic on which we try to keep current. Many Professionelle member express an interest in finding out more about what directorships are and how one gains access to becoming a director. Turns out the 'old boys' club nature of New Zealand directorship is as hard for younger men who don't have the traditional background for directorships to infiltrate as it is for women.
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14 July 2009
By Jennifer Mills, Employment Partner with Minter Ellison Rudd Watts,
There is worldwide concern about the reach and possible impact of the swine flu pandemic. But beyond the headlines, how relevant is it to your business? The impact could potentially be far reaching and more complex than you might at first think.
Tags: , legal, health and wellbeing
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12 May 2009
By Galia BarHava-Monteith
In a crisis there is hope, it seems. In times of uncertainty, professional women are more likely to make it to top positions. Galia BarHava-Monteith from Professionelle summarises this intriguing finding from a Leadership Quarterly article based on observations of 20 women who rose to substantial leading positions through the glass ceiling during turmoil in their organisations.
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12 April 2009
By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes
This 2005 book was recommended to us by Philippa Reed, Chief Executive of the EEO Trust. It's about how and why there are so few women in Boardrooms and senior teams in the big companies and what can be done about it. In the process, it also sets out the business case for why Board Chairs, CEOs and their shareholders should care - a topic close to Professionelle's heart, as many of you will know!