Nelson Marlborough Branch
The Nelson Marlborough Branch of the Institute of Directors works across Te Tau Ihu to connect, equip, and inspire people to deliver good quality governance.
With more than 360 IoD members, we hold about 10 events a year in Nelson and five in Blenheim. These are mostly lunch functions where guest speakers discuss governance and executive leadership topics. It’s a great opportunity to step outside the office, meet other directors, extend your professional knowledge, and keep abreast of the ever-changing governance landscape. We also host panel discussions, breakfasts, and smaller networking functions.
Our branch is governed by a committee of 11 members – eight from Nelson, three from Blenheim – who volunteer their time to set our strategic direction, keeping our branch in good health and providing a vital connection to the practicalities of governance in the region.
Branch Manager
Melanie Powick
+64 274 449 711
+64 3 922 7301
melanie.powick@iod.org.nz
Please feel free to contact me with any questions about your membership, becoming a member, or our events.
The Nelson Marlborough Branch of the Institute of Directors Emerging Director Award is open to Nelson Marlborough Branch members in the very early stages of their governance journey. Applications for 2024 are now closed. Find out more about the award below.
- Are you newly engaged on a directorship path and aspire to enhance your governance pathway?
- Can you demonstrate a commitment to development and a high level of integrity?
- Are you committed to development of your governance pathway?
The focus of this award is to identify executives, managers and directors with potential and to foster the discipline of good governance through the acquisition of technical knowledge in addition to creating opportunities for networking via branch events and functions.
Past recipients
- Jenna Neame (2022)
Tasman District Council’s acting Chief Operating Officer, Jenna Neame, has been announced as the winner of the Nelson Marlborough Emerging Director Award. Read more
- Zoe Dryden (2020)
- Manoli Aerakis (2018)
- Mike Brown (2016)
- Dave Ashcroft (2014)
- Marina Hirst-Tristram (2013)
Sarah-Jane Weir CFInstD
Sarah-Jane Weir is a Chartered Fellow of the IoD, chair of the Nelson-Marlborough Branch committee, is a representative on the National Council and a member of the Standards Committee. She is the independent chair of the Nelson Bays Primary Health Organisaiton and the chair of the Nelson Regional Development agency and is a trustee of both the Cawthorn Trust and the Care Foundation. Sarah-Jane is a member of the Financial Advisers Disciplinary Committee and the Copyright Tribunal and holds a Masters of Intellectual Property Law degree.
Gordon Shaw CMInstD
Gordon Shaw is a New Zealand based professional director and business advisor with over 20 years’ management and governance experience in the commercial, transport, vehicle retail, vehicle regulatory, health and Government sectors both in New Zealand and overseas.
With a robust foundation in New Zealand and international experience spanning over two decades, Gordon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.
Gordon is an avid at-home chef and mixes his cooking experiences to the world of governance in a down to earth manner.
Gordon has experience with a range of different boards and roles and is a Chair and chairs Audit & Risk and Remuneration Committees for Boards he serves on.
Throughout his career, Gordon has consistently demonstrated excellence in executive, general management, and governance roles across a variety of sectors.
Gordon is a Chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors and is on the committee of the Nelson Marlborough Branch of IoD.
Beyond his formal roles, Gordon brings his governance expertise to a wider audience through facilitation, aiding companies, enterprises, and start-ups in navigating the intricacies of governance with ease and expertise. His approach not only emphasises the importance of effective governance but also ensures that the process is engaging and accessible.
Gordon also Chairs the Mapua and Districts Business Association.
He has been working in Executive, General Management and Governance roles in the transport, consulting, technology, and Government sectors for many years.
Gordon also provides advisory and consulting services to companies, enterprises and start-ups.
Pip Jamieson MInstD
Pip’s is currently Principal Planner – Strategic Policy at Tasman District Council. Her past roles have included Manager Strategy at Nelson City Council, Regional Lead, Nelson-Tasman with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [MBIE] and Senior Regional Adviser for Te Tauihu (Top of the South) with MBIE’s Provincial Development Unit. Pip has held other senior roles within INZ, the Nelson Economic Development Agency, Nelson Tasman Business Trust, and is a Business Mentor (BMNZ).
Pip sits on a number of boards including Swimming New Zealand, Food Factory Trust, Home Share for Her, Fresh FM, and Nelson YMCA. Previous roles have included the Career Development Association of New Zealand, Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce Vice President, Nelson Polytechnic Council, Nelson School of Music, National Council of Womens (NCW), and President of the Nelson NCW Branch. Pip has also been the President of Graduate Women New Zealand.
Pip currently serves as a Justice of the Peace (JP) is a Judicial JP and President of the Nelson Tasman Justices of the Peace Association.
Tracy Johnston MInstD
Tracy is an experienced independent director, organisational leader and qualified marketer. She has a professional career in the visitor industry working in destination management and marketing roles both offshore and across New Zealand for the past 30 years. Tracy now works remotely as a senior consultant with international tourism consultancy TRC Tourism allowing her to be based in Marlborough where she lives on her Pinot Noir vineyard with husband Kevin.
Tracy has built extensive knowledge and networks and governance experience within the tourism and wine sectors and more recently in the vocational education sector. Tracy currently serves as a Commissioner of Destination Marlborough, Deputy Chair of Marlborough Winegrowers Association, Deputy Chair of the FENZ Marlborough Local Advisory Committee and as a member of the NZ Winegrowers governance group Project Raumatatiki; Fresh Water Farm Planning for Viticulture. Tracy is a member of the Institute of Directors and serves on the IoD Nelson Marlborough Committee.
Euan McIntosh MInstD
Euan has worked at Forsyth Barr for the last 17 years where he is an Authorised Financial Advisor (AFA). Previously he held roles within the forest industry in both New Zealand and Canada. Euan is interested in governance for the agribusiness and not-for-profit sectors. Euan is married to Wendy Hunter, a paediatrician with the Nelson Marlborough Health Board, and they have two children, Robbie and Nina.
Venus S Guy CMInstD
Venus is a Chartered Member of IoD and has extensive experience in the retail sector (FMCG - Fast Moving Consumer Goods), ECE, Safety & well-being and for purpose sector. Venus brings commercial, management and leadership experience to the table. Venus is currently chairing Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce and is also serving on the council-controlled organisation, Tasman Bays Heritage Trust. Venus is serving on Sport Tasman, New Zealand Kindergartens and also sitting as a committee member of Institute of Directors at Nelson Branch.
Venus has worked in the public sector and ran the General Elections 2023 for Nelson Electorate. After being in the retail business for 12 years, Venus made a move to professional governance. Venus is experienced in management, leadership, and strategic business planning. She brings to the table plenty of commercial knowledge and experience as well as broad & diverse perspective to the individuals, groups and boards with whom she has developed positive working relationships. Venus believes in sustainable growth, continuous learning, improvement, and ongoing development of people. She serves the community as a Justice of the Peace.
Tim Cosgrove CMInstD
Tim is Chief Executive Officer of Marlborough Lines and responsible for the leadership, strategic direction and delivery of all stakeholder, financial and operational objectives. Prior to joining Marlborough Lines he held several roles within the Todd Corporation including General Manager Todd Generation, and General Manager Operations and Development for Nova Energy.
Strategy and Risk are areas of particular interest and Tim is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. Tim is currently a director of Nelson Electricity, Energy Marlborough, Mount Cass Windfarm, Yealands Wine Group and Treasury Services Group and has previously held directorships including King Country Energy (and subsidiaries) and Todd Solar Limited.
Suzanne Jones MAICD, MInstD
Suzanne is an experienced Independent director, Trustee and Board committee member with wide governance experience across New Zealand and Australian health, aged care, employment, financial services and family violence sectors. She brings a career of three decades as an Industry Advisor providing healthcare and business consultancy services to organisations including Downer, the Australasian Faculty of Occupational Health & Environmental Medicine, the Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Skills & Employment and Australia’s Regulatory and Disability Insurance Authorities.
Suzanne is a former physiotherapist, government appointed clinical expert witness and healthcare business franchisor with deepened commercial and governance insight through post-graduate qualifications in health and safety, labour law, organisational psychology, industrial relations and involvement in the wider influences of system regulation and legal frameworks. Suzanne has a passion for strong and transparent governance, strategic thinking and informed risk management. She is credentialled though the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Having been a regular visitor to the Top of the South for 20 years, Suzanne and her partner Henry now call Nelson their home. Suzanne is a member of the Nelson Marlborough Branch of the Institute of Directors and delighted to serve its members through the agency of the Branch Committee.
Matt Sutherland MInstD
Matt is currently the General Manager and Director of Dog Point Vineyard in Marlborough. He has over 18 years sales, marketing, business management and wine making experience in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and France. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and completed the Company Directors Course in 2018. He holds a directorship for a property management company and a logistics company, he also works in an advisory to a New Zealand wine.
Matt lives in Marlborough with his wife Jane and two children Harry and Lucy.
Yolande Tzinavos MInstD
Yolande Tzinavos is a manager at Findex Nelson where she joined as a graduate in 2016 after completing a Bachelor’s in Commerce in Management and Accounting through NMIT (Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology) and has since completed her Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting. Prior to her role at Findex, she worked in accounting roles in a commercial setting.
Yolande’s role in the business advisory space involves assisting her clients through problem solving, troubleshooting, and finding solutions to a wide range of business issues, as well as supporting them in their tax compliance obligations. The clients which she manages include companies, trusts and charities across a wide range of industries.
Yolande holds board positions for The Nelson Historic Theatre Trust and The Crisis Pregnancy Support Trust. Through these positions she supports the Trusts not only in governance but in budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and finding accounting solutions to best serve their needs.
She also acts as the local Findex Community Fund Champion, a role in which she engages with local charities by assisting them in raising donations and through volunteering involvement.
Originally from South Africa, she lived in Pensacola, Florida for 3.5 years before settling in Nelson in 2003. She enjoys all the natural beauty that surrounds the city, the sunny weather, and the strong relationships which she has developed, and which has made Nelson her home.
She has joined the Institute of Directors’ Nelson Marlborough committee as she would like to continue to build on her experience and exposure within the area of governance and looks forward to using her strong interpersonal and networking skills to contribute to the success of the local committee.
Justin Carter MInstD
Justin Carter is the Chief Executive Officer of Te Ātiawa o Te Waka a Māui Trust, a mandated Iwi organisation and post-settlement governance entity located in Te Tauihu, at the top of the South Island. With diverse experience spanning the tertiary, military, iwi, and commercial sectors, he brings a pragmatic and collaborative approach to strategic governance..
Justin holds a number of governance roles including Co-Chair of the Te Tauihu Regional Intersectoral Forum, the Chair of Tiakina Te Taiao Limited, Deputy Chair of Ka Uruora Te Tauihu Trust, Director of Tinline Training and Consulting Limited and a Trustee for Te Kotahi o te Tauihu Charitable Trust. Additionally, he holds representative and advisory roles across a number of industry and not for profit spaces.
He has previously held management roles as the General Manager of Ngati Koata Trust, the Curriculum Director at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology/Te Pūkenga, and had a fulfilling career as an Infantryman in the New Zealand Defence Force. His experiences are characterised by a commitment to continuous improvement, people and community development, and transformative change.
Our sponsors
The Nelson Marlborough branch acknowledges the generous support of
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