In early October I was in beautiful (albeit somewhat rainy) Auckland to attend the ICSA/CGI Council meetings and present the closing keynote speech at the Governance New Zealand Conference.
The week kicked off with a meeting of the CEOs of the various international jurisdictions. I always find that inter-regional meetings provide fascinating opportunities to see how other divisions conduct their affairs and this meeting was no exception. While the nuances and differences are interesting to note and understand, the overwhelming conclusion of the group is that many of our challenges are common and we have much to share and learn from each other.
The common challenges across divisions was a noticeable theme throughout the week, and was evident in almost all the presentations at the excellent NZ Conference. So many of the same issues resonated across the Tasman, from falling trust in institutions to the changing nature of conversations in the boardroom, the digital implications of AI and cyber risk and of course the issue of culture. In my presentation I addressed the themes of the banking royal commission, our research on the Future of the Governance Professional and spoke about how many of the insights raised from both of these are common to our NZ neighbours.
Possibly the most exciting outcomes from the week was the enthusiasm surrounding the name change of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) to The Chartered Governance Institute! This innovation (led by our own former CEO Tim Sheehy) will strengthen the international brand, encourage global collaboration and information sharing and of course, assist members through improved profile and status. There will naturally be a lot of communication coming out from us and CGI Global (as you will see it referred to), including what it will mean for members (postnominals have been a particularly important conversation) so keep an eye out.
In addition to this, we have been busy in the office here with the usual flurry of activity as we approach the end of the year (as I write this I am alarmed that it is only 57 days till Christmas!). A special shout out of thanks to all of the members who have taken the time to send me their comments and suggestions on our 2020–25 Strategic Plan. They have all been taken into consideration, including some that have been directly incorporated into the strategy, for board discussion and final approval in a few weeks. I hope you will all agree that the final product will provide a clear, focused framework for activity that will lift Governance Institute into the future!