Keen to develop your boardroom skills?
The North King Country Development Trust is hosting a one-day Risk Essentials workshop specifically for board members from local and community-based organisations working in the governance space.
When: Thursday 2 October, 2025
Where: Les Munro Centre, Te Kuiti
Time: 8.30am-4.30pm
Course Facilitator: Sarah Haydon BSc, FCA, CFInstD
Cost: $250.00 per participant - (20% of the fee)
The cost has been subsidised by North King Country Trust (normally $1250pp)
This workshop builds on our successful series from previous years, which included:
2024 - Financial Essentials
2023 - Strategy Essentials
2022 - Governance Essentials
Course description
In this one-day course, you will learn:
Evaluate Risk Management advice
Cut through the noise and test the quality of the guidance you receive.
Assess Your Appetite for Risk
Define how much risk your board is really willing to take.
Monitor and Report
on Risk
Stay ahead with clear, timely, and meaningful reporting.
Balance Risk with Achieving Objectives
Learn to pursue goals without tipping the scales.
Provide Effective Board Oversight
Strengthen governance by keeping risk firmly on the agenda.
Register now to boost your boardroom capabilities.
Timetable for the Day
MORNING SESSION
8.30am-10.30am
Welcome and introductions
Risk Governance and risk concepts
Risk as a value driver for boards
Board's role and responsibilities for risk governance
Board structure
10.30am-10.45am - Morning Tea
10.45am-12.30pm
Strategy and Risk
Risk and strategy connectedness
Interconnectivity of Risk
Current and Emerging Risks
Impact of COVID and key risks such as climate change
Commitment to Risk Governance
Risk Policy and Framework
Risk management process
12.30-1.15pm - Lunch
AFTERNOON SESSION
1.15pm-3.15pm
Risk Appetite
Decision making
Operationalising Risk Appetite
Risk Challenge and Oversight
Top down vs bottom-up risk identification
3.15pm-3.30pm - Afternoon tea
3.15pm-4.45pm
Monitoring and Reporting
Monitoring risks and risk treatments
Risk culture and the role of the Board
Risk mapping and reporting
Recap on areas of interest
4.45pm-5.00pm
Summary and close
Lunch will be catered
Lunch and tea & coffee will be catered. Let us know about any dietary needs when completing the registration form below.
Course Facilitator
Sarah Haydon
BSc, FCA, CFInstD
Sarah is, and has been a non-executive director of New Zealand companies since 2007. Currently the Chair of The Co-operative Bank Limited, her previous roles include Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of Ports of Auckland Limited; Chair of Cavalier Corporation Limited; Chair of New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association Inc; Deputy Chair and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of GNS Science; a Director of Asure Quality Limited; and Chair of the Audit Committee of Unitec.
Before her governance career, her most recent executive roles were with OfficeMax Australasia. Other companies where Sarah has worked include BP (British Petroleum) plc both in the UK and on international project work and with TVNZ following her emigration to NZ in 1998. She has an extensive background in planning, finance, general management, organisational development, and corporate acquisition/divestment.
Sarah has led very large teams of people and is passionate about learning and helping others to do so. She has facilitated executive courses through most of her career, and governance courses since 2012. Sarah has also facilitated numerous board effectiveness reviews. She believes directors require continuous learning and development to meet the broad range of constantly changing governance requirements.
Outside of work, Sarah's happy place is her large native garden, both developing it and trying to eliminate invasive plant pests, with a long-term aim to tip the balance of effort towards the former.
The Finance Essentials workshop is brought to you by
