Perseverance, patience and resilience.
Mrs Nicholls is part of the Institute of Director’s Mentoring for Diversity programme which is for experienced directors who have the goal of achieving a non-executive director role on a large private company or public sector board, a NZX-listed board or a trustee for a large not-for-profit organisation.
Previously the chief executive of the Otago Southland Employers’ Association for five years, she did not apply to lead new business advocacy body Business South when the association merged with the Otago Chamber of Commerce last year.
Instead, she has been busy with consulting work and wanted to take the opportunity to move into governance roles.
Mentoring for Diversity aimed to increase participants understanding of how boards of large organisations worked. It would enhance connections between senior directors, adding to the diversity of the director pool and making board-ready talent more visible; and assist participants to gain knowledge and skills to help them achieve director appointments, particularly in large companies or organisations.
Successful applicants were matched with a senior director for a year-long programme of one-to-one mentoring. Cohort workshops and networking events were also held.
Mrs Nicholls was matched with experienced Queenstown-based professional director Sarah Ottrey whose portfolio comprises EBOS Group, Skyline Enterprises, Christchurch airport, Mount Cook Alpine Salmon and Whitestone Cheese.
She felt "just so utterly fortunate" to be mentored by Ms Ottrey, saying her expertise and wisdom, and the time she had given her, had been "amazing".
"It’s just been ... incredible really. Sarah is an amazing sounding board. It’s just about chatting things through."
It had been an opportunity for Mrs Nicholls to reflect and ask what value she added to a board — directors needed to add value and diversity around a board table was very important — and then look at targeted sectors or organisations.
Her experience over her career had been diverse and she could use that to help organisations realise value for their shareholders and the communities they operated in, she said.
A qualified lawyer, she had experience in small, medium and large businesses across manufacturing, education and not-for-profit sectors, including senior management roles in fast-moving consumer goods companies and tertiary education.
She is also chairwoman of the Dunedin Prison Trust.
Mentoring for Diversity was launched in 2011 to link experienced female directors with chairs and senior directors from NZX and large company boards.
It was expanded in 2015 to promote board diversity in its wider sense and welcomed applications on the basis of diversity including gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ affinity, age, culture, disability, background, sector and experience.
"It shows things are advancing and changing in the diversity space which is superb," Mrs Nicholls said.
Ms Ottrey had encouraged her to complete an IoD course which meant she had become a chartered member. That was not an easy process which was "good" — "as it should be", she said.
There was a lot involved in governance, including personal responsibility. Those keen on embarking on a governance career needed to go into it with their "eyes wide open" and do their homework. "It’s not for the faint-hearted," she said.
She encouraged applications for the next Mentoring for Diversity programme, which close on April 26, describing it as an incredible experience. If they were unsuccessful,they should try again the following year.
IoD was strong in Otago and Southland and she was grateful for the support of branch chairwoman Trish Oakley.
There were 14 in Mrs Nicholls’ mentoring cohort including Aimee Kaio from Southland. There was strong camaraderie within the group; they were all very different but that showed that a diverse group of people had better outcomes and that was very encouraging for the future.
Mrs Nicholls believed board roles were a long game, and those keen on governance needed to look at it from that point of view.
With the Government busy with Covid-19, some roles had understandably slowed up. Roles also had to be the right fit.
Many companies and organisations wanted people from the South on boards, seeking a balance and a different perspective — they did not want everyone to be from Auckland or Wellington.
"We’re a different country and we relish that," she said.
