Sarah Benikowsky is an aspiring director who has spent the past year on the International Accreditation Council (IANZ) Board through our Future Directors® Diversity Programme.
The Future Directors® Diversity Programme allows organisations to expand diversity within their Board, whilst also supporting and contributing to the governance journey of future directors.
The programme aims to provide aspiring directors the opportunity to experience first-hand what it means to be a public sector Board director and to further develop their skills.
Sarah Benikowsky recently completed her Future Director placement on the IANZ Board and says she loved the opportunity of participating in the discussions and learning from the other board members.
"It’s been wonderful being so included and part of all the action, I always felt like I was part of the group, with a voice just as valid as any other member. Being able to really immerse myself in governance as a Future Director has been a fabulous way to learn and upskill.
"The direct experience of being amongst the discussions, the plans, and the vision has built my confidence and my governance skills so much, it’s only been a year but I feel so different from when I started and I’m grateful for all the knowledge, insights, mentorship and encouragement from every single council member. They are such talented individuals, each successful in their own right and it was a pleasure to see how they worked together.
"It meant a lot for me to see the diversity of talent and backgrounds on the council, I could see how those different perspectives work together to ask varied questions and provide varied input and from that I also saw how my own unique perspectives and insights could add value, too.
"I’m forever grateful for all the support and care I’ve received from IANZ to help me grow and learn and I’m excited to take this experience forward into the next step of my governance journey."
Nicole Anderson, IANZ Chair, says the programme is not only useful for the Future Director but also for the Board as it allows for a fresh view and ideas to be discussed.
"My view is that Sarah has contributed a lot right from her first meeting.
"She has contributed a fresh perspective and brought unique knowledge and experience that complemented that of the other Board members.
"Sarah contributed strongly on topics she felt she was knowledgeable about and asked thoughtful questions around some other topics.
"It has been a privilege to work alongside Sarah for the past year. She is an exceptional candidate for any Board opportunity."
The IANZ Board and Senior Management
About our Future Directors® Diversity Programme
The Future Directors® Diversity Programme allows organisations to expand their diversity within their Board, whilst also supporting and contributing to the governance journey of future directors.
The programme aims to provide aspiring directors the opportunity to experience first-hand what is means to be a public sector board director and to further develop their skills.
We work closely with nomination services within Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Ministry for Women, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Te Puni Kōkiri and Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People to fill the roles.
For more information about the Future Directors® Diversity Programme, contact cerc@publicservice.govt.nz.
