Pierre Woolridge
I’ve been on various boards and committees for over thirty-two years. My first board position of any note was, as for many of us, on the school board. Prior to being on the school board, I was a director and the trustee in charge of investments of the BP and Europa Staff Credit Union.
Governance education
In addition to hands-on learning, I attended a governance workshop or two run by the New Zealand School Trustees Association. Some years later I attended a UK based, six-month e-course for company board directors.
Governance experience
I’ve had the privilege of being elected onto several boards and invited to join or form a couple of brand-new finance (and risk and audit) committees, plus a strategy task force and so on. Indeed, my peers decided that I should be the Chair of one of the finance committees I was asked to join.
I’ve also been a committee member, secretary, editor, treasurer, and president of several motorbike clubs, which have also been incorporated societies.
Leisure
I always have a smile on my face when enjoying a freshly poured cup of loose-leaf tea from a China teapot, or a glass of wine and food with good friends and family. In the rest of my spare time, I like to rebuild and ride classic scooters and motorcycles. Mind you, I also own a modern bike!
What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
I’ve read academic and business books, texts, reports, brochures, leaflets and the such like. I concluded that academic writing tended to be heavy going. Business writing tends to be easier to read as it makes use of titles, headings, and is easier to scan. Mind you, it does tend to be fairly formal writing style.
In writing the governance book, I adopted a conversation tone, whilst making use of titles, heading and so on. As one of the books endorsement noted:
“It’s a very easy read that packs a great deal of information and advice.”
Do you try more to be original, or to deliver to readers what they want?
Before too much writing occurred, I searched the Internet. There did not appear to be any printed books on governance in New Zealand for new board or committee members, available to the public.
I started writing the book with the theme: How I can help new directors quickly gain an understanding about “not-for-profit” governance (oversight) and what it means for them.
Like a sneak preview? Download Chapter 2. On becoming a director: https://www.effectivegovernance.nz/governance-book/#excerpt
Are there any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? Can you tell us one? Or give us any hints?
Sorry, but are no secrets in the book. Rather, there are hints and tips, based on my year of experience, to help you quickly get up to speed on governance.
For example, when it comes to financial information, peoples eyes tend to glaze over. But there’s not need for that as you are quite familiar with:
• cash flow statements (your bank statement – $ and $ out)
• income & expenditure statements (your credit card statement, which admittedly, only shows $ owed to others)
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Fortunately, all the comments I have received are favourable. I even had a formal book review sent to me (published by the NZ Institute of Directors) by a lawyer who works in the not-for-profit sector.
Other national organisations such as Community Governance Aotearoa, have also been supportive.
As one individual said to me,
“I have enjoyed your book and it is pitched at exactly the right level for the Boards that I am involved with. I would like to order 10 more copies as this is so much better than our existing materials.”
Feel free to check out the:
• book review at https://www.effectivegovernance.nz/book-review/
• kind words at https://www.effectivegovernance.nz/kind-words/