Governance Bites

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks with Martin Snedden about maximising your chance of a good board. Martin recently studied the board selection process of 9 top Australasian sports, and shares his findings. They discuss the optimum size of a board, elected and appointed board members, and a process for attaining the right mix of skills. Martin outlines the appointments panel, and a sports organisation's skills matrix. They discuss atracting talent, limiting board tenure, board rotation, appointing the chair, and co-opted board members. Martin also shares the best advice he has received during his career.
NZ Rugby Pilkington report: https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/governance-review
Martin Snedden CNZM is a well-known and highly experienced Chief Executive Officer and director, mostly in the sports industry. He is currently chair of Cycling New Zealand and two other not-for-profit boards, is a past Chair of NZ Cricket, and past director of the International Cricket Council and World Masters Games 2017. Martin was CEO of Rugby World Cup 2011, and is a former CEO of NZ Cricket. He was a member of the NZ cricket team, the Black Caps, 1980-1990, playing 25 tests and 93 one day internationals. Martin was made a Compainion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012 for services to sport administration. 
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #governancebites, #boardroom , #cgi, #charteredgovernanceinstitute, #director, #notforprofit, #cpd, #professionaldevelopment, #incorporatedsociety

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich asks Steven Moe about safe spaces in the boardroom. Steven opens by explaining the context, and who safe spaces are for. They discuss whey safe spaces may be necessary, how they are implemented, and what sort of behaviour results in needing safe spaces. They discuss the importance of safe spaces, and how they enhance an entity's governance. Steven also shares advice for experienced directors. 
Steven Moe is a Partner of commercial law at Parry Field Lawyers in Christchurch, and an experienced director. Steven qualified as a lawyer in New Zealand, and worked for more than a decade on corporate transactions worth billions of dollars while based in London, Tokyo and Sydney. He has written several legal books, including “Start-ups legal toolkit”, “Social Enterprises in New Zealand: and “Capital raising for founders”. Steven also facilitates governance law on the Company Director Course for the Institute of Directors (IoD). His Seeds Podcast, which he founded in 2017, has almost 400 episodes, interviewing interesting people about their lives. He also hosts the Board Matters podcast for the IoD, now in its third season. 
Steven Moe’s profile on LinkedIn (he is happy to connect with you): https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-moe-0b3b008a/
Seeds podcast with 430+ interviews www.theseeds.nz
Board Matters podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6aHNCIYEOwqoghkGlwKruU 
Parry Field Lawyers governance resources: https://www.parryfield.com/advisory/governance/governance-essentials/
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #ceo, #governancebites, #boardroom, #director, #safespaces

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks with Jon Davies about governance in startups and advisory boards. He asks about the journey that startups take towards governance: their value, common mistakes, what founders should seek, and the ideal size of an advisory board. They also discuss the best way to remunerate directors, keeping them engaged and motivated, and how to deal with an adviser who isn't working out. Jon also shares advice with a founder looking into structured governance. 
Jon Davies is the CEO of InsuredHQ, an award-winning insurtech headquartered in New Zealand, helping modernize insurance companies across global markets. Jon trained in marine biology and zoology, worked as an professional outdoor guide and paramedic in the USA, and move into technology in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. He built a career working with and inside startups, scaleups, and giants like Microsoft, NASA, and Yammer. He later served as Tech Sector Lead for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and sits on advisory boards including the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. He’s also the author of the Top 10 in Tech newsletter and a passionate advocate for using technology to make industries more human, efficient, and future-ready.
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #governancebites, #boardroom , #cgi, #charteredgovernanceinstitute, #director, #startup, #technology

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks to Stephen Upton about how not-for-profit organisations can recruit directors. Stephen outlines the key skills and competencies required for a not-for-profit board. They discuss the process of identifying skills on the board, and skill gaps, and the role of diversity in board composition. They discuss the challenges attracting and recruiting both appointed and elected directors to not-for-profit directors. They also discuss overcoming skill gaps in boards that are entirely elected. Stephen outlines useful sources for recruiting directors, and one way to induct new directors effectively. He also shares the best governance advice he's received. 
Stephen mentions research by Tracy Molloy about appointment panels. You can find the research here: https://academics.aut.ac.nz/tracy.molloy/publications
Stephen Upton is Chair of Touch NZ, and led the organization through revising its constitution when the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 came into force. He is also a past President of the Swiss Touch Association. Stephen’s primary career is in funds management. He is Chief Operating Officer at fund manager and KiwiSaver provider Kernel, and was Chief Operating Officer at NZX-owned Smartshares (now Smart) before that. 
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #governancebites, #boardroom , #cgi, #charteredgovernanceinstitute, #director, #notforprofit, #recruitment, #incorporatedsociety, #recruiting

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks with Martin Snedden about the Sport and Active Place Sector Governance Project that he runs for Sport New Zealand. Martin outlines the project, its inception, some of the sports that are involved, and what the programme entails. Martin shares feedback he's received, his biggest learnings, and the programme's key success factors. He also shares the best governance advice that he's heard shared during the programme. 
Martin Snedden CNZM is a well-known and highly experienced Chief Executive Officer and director, mostly in the sports industry. He is currently chair of Cycling New Zealand and two other not-for-profit boards, is a past Chair of NZ Cricket, and past director of the International Cricket Council and World Masters Games 2017. Martin was CEO of Rugby World Cup 2011, and is a former CEO of NZ Cricket. He was a member of the NZ cricket team, the Black Caps, 1980-1990, playing 25 tests and 93 one day internationals. Martin was made a Compainion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012 for services to sport administration. 
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #governancebites, #boardroom , #cgi, #charteredgovernanceinstitute, #director, #notforprofit, #cpd, #professionaldevelopment, #incorporatedsociety

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks to Heather Roy about future directors. Heather defines the topic, outlines the purpose of future director programmes, and shares her experience with future directors. They discuss the target audience for future directors, recruitment, training and mentoring. Mark asks about their legal position (particularly around liability), and transitioning future directors into formal board roles. Heather also shares advice for new directors. 
Heather Roy is a professional director and business consultant through her company Torquepoint Ltd (https://torquepoint.co.nz/). Her current board roles include independent chair of Financial Advice NZ and the Security and Reliability Council (an advisory body to the Electricity Authority), and a director of Port Marlborough. Former chair or director roles include the Utilities Disputes, Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Advertising Standards Authority, Foxplan and Medicines New Zealand. Heather is a former NZ Minister of Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister of Defence and Associate Minister of Education, and she has been an Officer in the NZ Army Reserves, a physiotherapist and a medical researcher. 
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #director, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #ceo, #governancebites, #futuredirectors

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich asks Steven Moe about purpose and governance. He asks what we mean by "purpose", the role of governance in an organisation, and why purpose is at the heart of governance. They discuss how purpose influences governance and board meanings practically, other tools a board can use to understand and implement purpose, and repercussions that may exist if the board deviates from the entity's purpose. Steven also shares advice he would give to a new director. 
Steven Moe is a Partner of commercial law at Parry Field Lawyers in Christchurch, and an experienced director. Steven qualified as a lawyer in New Zealand, and worked for more than a decade on corporate transactions worth billions of dollars while based in London, Tokyo and Sydney. He has written several legal books, including “Start-ups legal toolkit”, “Social Enterprises in New Zealand: and “Capital raising for founders”. Steven also facilitates governance law on the Company Director Course for the Institute of Directors (IoD). His Seeds Podcast, which he founded in 2017, has almost 400 episodes, interviewing interesting people about their lives. He also hosts the Board Matters podcast for the IoD, now in its third season. 
Simon Sinek, ‘Start with why’, TED Talk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ss78LfY3nE 
Parry Field Lawyers, 'Legal opinion on enabling impact investing', https://www.parryfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Legal-Opinion-on-Enabling-Impact-Investing-Parry-Field-002.pdf
Steven Moe’s profile on LinkedIn (he is happy to connect with you): https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-moe-0b3b008a/
Seeds podcast with 430+ interviews www.theseeds.nz
Board Matters podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6aHNCIYEOwqoghkGlwKruU 
Parry Field Lawyers governance resources: https://www.parryfield.com/advisory/governance/governance-essentials/
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #ceo, #governancebites, #boardroom, #director, #purpose

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks to Susan Leahy about Robert's Rules of Order.  He asks what they are and how they evolved, the benefits of using Robert's Rules, and common misconceptions about them. Susan outlines the seven key types of motion, and how they work. They discussed when they might be adjusted for specific settings, and challenges Susan has encountered when boards implement them. They talk about available resources, and Susan shares advice she would give to a new director. 
Susan Leahy teaches boards and committees to run effective meetings, specifically using Robert’s Rules of Order. Susan Leahy has been motivating, challenging and inspiring audiences for over 15 years as a high energy keynote speaker and certified speaking professional. Her website, www.RobertsRulesMadeSimple.com, is an easy and simple training tool is used by thousands of boards across the US and Canada to learn to apply Robert's Rules of Order. 
Robert's Rules of Order: https://robertsrules.com/
Robert's Rules Made Simple: https://robertsrulesmadesimple.com/
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #ceo, #governancebites, #boardroom, #director, #motions, #meetings, #robertsrules, #robertsrulesmadesimple

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks to Heather Roy about conflicts of interest. Heather outlines conflicts of interest, and why it is important to address them. They discuss types of conflicts, and a conflicts of interest process. Heather talks about identifying, disclosing and dealing with conflicts of interest, and they discuss issues such as when a director fails to disclose a relevant interest, what to do when many directors are conflicted, and when perceived conflicts can be as harmful as actual conflicts. Heather also shares advice for directors who sit on a board with poorly managed conflicts. 
Heather Roy is a professional director and business consultant through her company Torquepoint Ltd (https://torquepoint.co.nz/). Her current board roles include independent chair of Financial Advice NZ and the Security and Reliability Council (an advisory body to the Electricity Authority), and a director of Port Marlborough. Former chair or director roles include the Utilities Disputes, Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Advertising Standards Authority, Foxplan and Medicines New Zealand. Heather is a former NZ Minister of Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister of Defence and Associate Minister of Education, and she has been an Officer in the NZ Army Reserves, a physiotherapist and a medical researcher. 
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #ceo, #governancebites, #boardroom, #director, #conflictofinterest

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In this episode, Mark Banicevich talks to Stephen Upton about developing directors in not-for-profit organisations (who are usually on tight budgets). Stephen outlines the key skills and competencies required for a not-for-profit board. They discuss how elected, passionate organisation advocates can be trained in governance, and continually developed, including outlining low cost or free sources of governance training. They discuss the importance of devoting time, particularly when directors are often volunteers or paid less than market rates, mentoring, and how a not-for-profit board can overcome gaps in its combined skills.  Stephen also shares advice for not-for-profit chairs seeking to establish director development programmes.
Sport NZ, Nine Steps to Effective Governance, https://sportnz.org.nz/resources/nine-steps-to-effective-governance-building-high-performing-organisations/
Institute of Directors, The Four Pillars of Effective Governance, https://www.iod.org.nz/resources-and-insights/4-pillars-landing-page#
Stephen Upton is Chair of Touch NZ, and led the organization through revising its constitution when the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 came into force. He is also a past President of the Swiss Touch Association. Stephen’s primary career is in funds management. He is Chief Operating Officer at fund manager and KiwiSaver provider Kernel, and was Chief Operating Officer at NZX-owned Smartshares (now Smart) before that. 
#governance, #leadership, #corporategovernance, #boardcraft, #decisionmaking, #makingadifference, #governancebites, #boardroom , #cgi, #charteredgovernanceinstitute, #director, #notforprofit, #cpd, #professionaldevelopment, #incorporatedsociety