FOR COMPANY DIRECTORS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN NEW ZEALAND
Where do experienced directors go for an independent sounding board?
The pace of change facing boards today is unlike anything previous generations of directors encountered. Directors who were appointed for one set of capabilities are now being asked to govern in a fundamentally different environment. The technical requirements of the role have not changed. But the wisdom, the scope and the self-awareness the role demands have grown considerably.
The organisations that genuinely thrive are those that hold the trust of their communities, attract and retain exceptional people, adapt ahead of disruption, and build something that lasts. These organisations are governed by directors who bring more to the table. They ask not just whether the organisation is safe, but whether the decisions being made now will be ones the organisation is proud of in ten years.
“Loretta takes the time to deeply understand her clients, their drivers, their purpose, and the kind of leader they aspire to be. She has guided me through many highs and lows with purpose- and values-led insights.”
KOMAL MISTRY-MEHTA · CHIEF INNOVATION & BRAND OFFICER, FONTERRA
The director who keeps developing
Board members whether experienced or new to governance are not looking for the basics - these are covered by organisations like the Institute of Directors (IOD).
What they are looking for is a space to think at the level the role demands. To ask the questions they can't easily ask in the boardroom. To reflect on their own judgement, to test their assumptions, and to find a place to stand on the most important issues.
Good directors understand that governance at its best is not a 'set and forget' capability. It is a practice that deepens through deliberate reflection and honest challenge.
These are the directors I work with.
The questions board directors are now grappling with
The conversations I have with directors are based on questions that were not central to governance a decade ago:
How do we govern for long-term purpose when markets reward short-term performance? What does meaningful sustainability oversight look like, beyond sign-off on a report? How do we hold the organisation accountable for its culture when we only see a curated version of it? What does AI mean for the decisions we are making and the ones we are delegating? How do we govern in genuine partnership with the communities our organisation serves, including Māori communities and iwi in the New Zealand context?
These are not questions with clean answers. But they are the questions that separate directors who are genuinely governing from those who are managing the appearance of governance. Working through them - honestly, rigorously, with someone completely outside the system - is part of what it means to keep developing as a director.
Board directors use Loretta as their professional sounding board
I work with directors one to one. Not in cohorts, not through a programme with modules and assessments. The work is shaped entirely by where you are and what you are carrying.
Sometimes it begins with a new appointment - a first significant board role, or the step into chair. Sometimes it starts mid-tenure, when a board is not functioning as well as it should and the question is what one director can do to shift that. Sometimes it is a director with years of governance experience who is asking, honestly, whether they are still growing.
Whatever brings you here, the work is the same: to think more clearly, govern more courageously, and to leave more of a long-term legacy.
Who I work with
Directors and board members across New Zealand's private, public, and for-purpose sectors. New directors stepping into their first significant governance role. Experienced directors and chairs who want to think more rigorously about their practice. Leaders who hold both executive and governance responsibilities and want to think clearly about what each requires of them.
IN THEIR WORDS
What leaders say
“Loretta takes the time to deeply understand her clients, their drivers, their purpose, and the kind of leader they aspire to be. She has guided me through many highs and lows with purpose- and values-led insights.”
KOMAL MISTRY-MEHTA · CHIEF INNOVATION & BRAND OFFICER, FONTERRA
“Loretta has an exceptional ability to understand the unique challenges leaders face in complex organisations. She pairs deep insight into leadership dynamics with a receptiveness to the particular situations I navigate.”
RACHAEL HART · CEO & DIRECTOR, CANCER SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
“Loretta has a style that is both supportive and challenging. She helps explore the possibilities in a planned and constructive manner, helping to push you forward and widen your perspective. Very valuable discussions.”
BINDI NORWELL · CEO, PROCARE NZ
About Loretta Brown
Loretta Brown is a strategic leadership advisor and Master Coach accredited by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council the highest professional recognition in the global coaching and mentoring field.
She holds a Master of Social Work (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts, and has worked with directors, executives and senior leaders across every sector in Aotearoa New Zealand for more than 25 years. She served as Corporate Programme Director at the New Zealand Leadership Institute, University of Auckland Business School, and founded the New Zealand Coaching and Mentoring Centre, an organisation that shaped the professional coaching and leadership development landscape in Aotearoa over more than two decades.
Her work is grounded in a long commitment to the future of New Zealand including its bicultural foundations and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. She brings a depth of NZ context to governance conversations that is rare at this level of practice.
Begin the conversation
No forms. No lengthy intake. Get in touch directly, in confidence.