Board Directors' Delegation to Singapore and India
The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is leading a delegation of nine New Zealand directors to Singapore and Mumbai, India, from 16 to 21 November, giving participants direct access to boardrooms, business leaders and senior decision-makers in two of Asia's most influential commercial centres.
The delegation will examine how organisations are navigating rapid technological change, shifting geopolitical dynamics and increasing governance expectations, while exploring the implications for New Zealand boards.
Singapore and India offer different but complementary perspectives on governance in Asia, from Singapore’s long-term planning and strong institutions to how Indian boards are steering organisations through rapid change. With the New Zealand–India free trade agreement now in force, understanding how business, government and institutions operate across India is increasingly important for New Zealand organisations.
“The decisions shaping the future of business, technology and investment are increasingly being made across Asia. New Zealand needs directors who understand these markets and know the people shaping them. This delegation is about bringing those international perspectives into New Zealand's boardrooms,” says Foundation Chief Executive Suzannah Jessep.
“New Zealand directors are governing through more complexity than ever, and our prosperity is increasingly connected to developments across Asia,” says Tim McCready, the Foundation’s director of business and entrepreneurship.
“This delegation is about building Asia knowledge and giving directors first-hand exposure to best-practice governance in two of the region’s most dynamic countries, so they bring sharper thinking back to their own boardrooms.”
Shar Amner, one of the participating directors, says he is interested in understanding how Singapore and India approach long-term decision-making.
“Singapore and India both govern for the long term, and if they do that differently from us, I want to understand what that costs and what it buys,” he says.
Amner also sees an opportunity to explore how New Zealand businesses can make better use of the economic opportunities created by trade agreements.
“Trade agreements create access. They do not create capability. The gap between the two is a governance challenge, and through this delegation I hope to identify solutions,” he says.
The programme includes hosted visits, briefings and roundtable discussions with counterparts in both countries, alongside sessions on cultural context. Delegates will explore how boards in the region are responding to shifting geopolitics, advances in artificial intelligence, energy security and changing investment patterns – and what that means for decision-making in New Zealand boardrooms.
