Programme 5-6 May 2021

Registration

Registration and exhibitor lounge opens

Conference opening

Mihi Whakatau, Ngāti Whātua Orakei

Welcome

Alan Isaac CFInstD, President of the Institute of Directors

Revival: Rethink and redesign

Sir Peter Gluckman - 2020 was a rollercoaster of global uncertainty, economic challenges, innovations and opportunities. It also put a spotlight on the rise of societal and environmental challenges. Sir Peter Gluckman joins us to share his views on how we can build back in a more sustainable and resilient way for the better of all New Zealanders, he will also share his insights on the global recovery from involvement on the ISC COVID-19 Scenarios project.

Fast Facts

We don’t know what we don’t know. These short-sharp sessions are designed to share the stats you need to know and get facts back in the boardroom.

A New New Zealand Emerges, Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley

Our population patterns have been disrupted. More ageing boomers, fewer children, an ever bigger Auckland and stagnating/declining regions are the new normal. We will need new social and economic models, new ways of living and working. This fast fact session will discuss the demographic disruption that New Zealand is facing.

Morning tea

Navigating the EESG Cross-Currents: Sustainable Stakeholder Corporate Governance

Leo E. Strine Jr. and Karessa L. Cain - Leo and Karessa will join us via livestream from the US to discuss a practical approach to sustainable stakeholder corporate governance, exploring employee, environmental, social and governance considerations for directors.

Fast Facts: What gets remembered and why it matters, Dr Corinne Seals

Despite what people often think, memory is very rarely as reliable as we would hope. There are also variables that affect what and who we are more likely to remember accurately. This talk draws upon Dr. Corinne Seals’ work in forensic linguistics to look at our biases in memory and what it means for the boardroom.

Fast Facts: Tech in Asia - Why do we care?, Mitchell Pham

Mitchell will discuss the latest Asian tech trends that are shaping the new economy and impacting society, and why New Zealand businesses should pay attention.

Lunch

Breakout sessions

There are six sessions in total, with three held each day.

Breakout session 1: Diversity of thought: Could it be your board’s superpower?

Boards are rightly challenged to make the most complex decisions that their organisations will ever face. Decision-making groups that include different ways of thinking and an enabling culture are best placed to tackle this complexity. They can avoid unchallenged assumptions (“groupthink”) and demonstrate increased creativity - coming up with alternative approaches to opportunities and challenges. In this highly interactive session, you will learn how diversity of thought impacts group decision-making performance and what you can do to improve both the presence and realisation of diversity of thought on your board. Our facilitator, Lloyd Mander, will also introduce the findings of his current research into diversity of thought in New Zealand’s boards and executive teams. This session will be especially valuable for anyone whose board is facing complexity, is interested in board dynamics, or in board diversity. Panel : Lloyd Mander

Breakout session 2: Guidance for distressed companies

COVID-19 is continuing to have an adverse impact on the NZ economy, and though the vaccine has arrived on our shores there will be no immediate return to ‘normal’. The national lockdowns have had a significant impact on certain businesses’ trading and cashflow. In some instances, earnings have not yet returned and some businesses will be unlikely to recover. Directors will need to be mindful of the impact on the solvency of their business and carefully consider whether continuing to trade is in the best interests of the company and its creditors. Join this breakout session to discuss practical guidance for directors that are considering issues of solvency, and how acting earlier with some of the lighter actions may defer or lessen the requirements for more extreme measures further down the track. Panel : Matt Prichard, Leon Bowker, Pip Dunphy, Fiona Oliver

Breakout session 3: The governance war against cybercrime

The more you know about the threats your organisation faces, the less likely you are to fall victim to a cyber-attack. According to Aura Information Security’s latest market research, 36% of NZ businesses fell victim to cyber-attacks in 2020, with a further 20% saying they suffered a ransomware attack that caused serious disruption to their business. In this interactive session, we provide some insight into New Zealand’s current cyber threat landscape, we outline Directors’ responsibilities in creating a low risk environment, and we dive into the psychology of creating a culture of cyber resilience from the top down. Dr Frans Lategan is a respected security consultant who is called upon to provide expert advice and cyber incident response support to a wide range of New Zealand organisations. As someone who is fighting cyber-attacks on the frontline, he will join the session to provide unique insight the threats NZ organisations are facing, and what Directors should know about the Dark Web and the organised crime groups who are orchestrating widespread cyber-attacks. Richard Wells, Partner at MinterEllisonRuddWatts, will provide a briefing on Director Duties in relation to cyber security, including an overview of the new legal requirements that have come into effect as a result of the recent changes to the Privacy Act. Hilary Walton, CISO at Kordia Group, Dr Helen Anderson, Independent Director, and Richard will join Peter Bailey, Aura, for a panel discussion to explore these themes further and discuss the importance of employees in an organisation’s overall security posture, and provide some practical for Directors navigating cyber governance. Panel : Peter Bailey, Hilary Walton, Dr Frans Lategan, Richard Wells, Dr Helen Anderson

Afternoon tea

Emerging Technologies for Company Directors: From the Carrot to the Stick.

Catherine Ball - Drone technology has shifted from fringe technology to business as usual over the past eight years. It is now a widely adopted technology, even in large, risk averse companies. How did the technology evolve to this point? And, how has health and safety law changed the risk appetite and innovation obligation in boardrooms across the region? Catherine Ball joins us to discuss where boards, leadership, and investors should look to find support and information to assist with making the best decisions around emerging and evolving technologies.

Fast Facts: The Future of Tourism, Professor Simon Milne

Has COVID-19 changed New Zealand tourism forever? Will a ‘reimagining’ of the tourism industry really enable the coming wave of international travellers to be managed in a more sustainable fashion? Or will the country simply head back down the well-trodden path to over-tourism? Professor Simon Milne addresses these pressing questions, exploring emerging tourism trends and examining their implications for the nation.

Deepfakes and synthetic media technologies: an emerging risk

Tom Barraclough and Curtis Barnes - Through new technologies and big data, it is easier, faster, and cheaper than ever to make it look like something happened when it never did. Faces, voices, bodies, landscapes, crowds and more can all be synthesised using artificial intelligence, with more technologies coming down the pipeline. Tom and Curtis from the Brainbox Institute will provide an overview of deepfakes and emerging synthetic media, including the opportunities, risks and some of the ESG (environmental, social and governance) implications for directors.

Fast Facts: Supply chain shake-up, David Pilkington CFInstD

COVID-19 demonstrated that strong and robust supply chains are crucial, the risk and exposure realised was much worse than what businesses had in their risk register. How do directors better prepare for future trends and disruptions?

Close of day one conference sessions

Invitation only: Chartered Member and Chartered Fellow drinks and canapés

To acknowledge and thank IoD Chartered Members and Fellows for their commitment to best practice governance, the Institute of Directors, in partnership with ASB invite those who are Chartered to join us for this invitation only session.

Gala Dinner

Take the opportunity to meet new people, catch-up with acquaintances, share knowledge and discuss the day’s events

Guest speaker – Joe Davis MInstD - Silver linings

The Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand caused fear, hardship, and loss. Through this time of unprecedented national hardship, however, there emerged incredible stories of hope and optimism. Businesses innovated and found new ways to create value, communities came together in new ways online, and families reconnected through time spent together. These stories are captured in recently published book Silver Linings. We are delighted to have Joe Davis, Co-Author of Silver Linings, joining us as our dinner speaker to share his reflections on the stories captured in Silver Linings.