Wellington, February 28, 2017
Institute of Directors (IoD) has announced the appointment of Kirsten Patterson as its new Chief Executive.
She is currently the Country Head of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
A qualified lawyer and Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, Ms Patterson brings extensive governance and leadership experience, alongside advocacy on diversity issues.
Leadership skills
IoD President Michael Stiassny said that Ms Patterson’s proven leadership skills will ensure that new strategic priorities of the Institute are taken to another level.
“Ms Patterson brings valuable depth of experience and capability to the role. The IoD has made tremendous strides over past few years and it is testament to its reputation that the IoD has attracted interest from such high calibre individuals,” he said.
“When we began our search for a new Chief Executive, we needed someone who could take the IoD to another level on its strategic journey with knowledge to drive excellence in corporate governance for directors. It was important to us that the new CEO had the acumen and the gravitas that you would expect from an organisation that stands for the professionalism of directors,” he added.
Extensive experience
Previously, Ms Patterson was the General Manager, Corporate Services at New Zealand Rugby Union where she was responsible for the stakeholder relationship between NZRU, the Government and Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd to host the Rugby World Cup 2011.
Ms Patterson has also held other roles in Human Resource management with Stagecoach New Zealand and Employers and Manufacturers Association (Central) Inc.
With a vision to be the world class professional body at the heart of New Zealand’s governance network, Ms Patterson said that she is privileged to have the opportunity to steer and lead the IoD to achieve this.
“Good governance makes a difference to our businesses, our economy, and through to our communities. In these globally uncertain and changing times, strong governance and leadership is needed now more than ever. The IoD has a significant role to play in ensuring the New Zealand governance community is ready for the challenges ahead and that their voice is heard in the policy debates impacting New Zealand,” she said.
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Photo Caption: Kristen Patterson
