Future Leaders’ Programme

The Future Leaders’ Programme is a professional development opportunity centred on business leadership and sustainable development.

The Future Leaders Programme (FLP) aligns with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Future Leaders’ Programme.

The programme aims to develop future leaders in business, who understand sustainability challenges within their companies and society.

The 2017 FLP focused on mobilising action on five Sustainable Development Goals, and how they could be integrated into company strategies and actions. Read more here.

In the past, teams have focused on a diverse range of issues, including youth employment, branding, consumer behaviour, the New Zealand Vision 2050 plan and the intersection between ecosystems and business.

A Future Leaders’ Programme Alumni network has been established to enable up-and-coming leaders to be more actively involved in the SBC work programme and contribute the Alumni perspective to the SBC Advisory Board.

The 2016-17 FLP representative is Kat McDonald

The Alumni has surveyed SBC and Major Companies Group (MCG) members on how they’re engaging in youth-oriented CSR programmes. The findings were presented at the MCG CEO Forum. Read the survey findings and recommendations.

Future Leaders' Programme 2014

The Future Leaders’ Programme in 2014 focused on brands and consumers. The group explored the questions:

  • How can New Zealand consumers be encouraged to use and choose products and services in a more sustainable way?
  • What role does business have influencing positive behaviour change in everyday living?
  • What is a sustainable lifestyle?
  • How do New Zealanders stack up?

Findings from the FLP 2014 group work will inform our work in the Consumer Decision-Making priority area.

Future Leaders’ Programme Team 2014

Neville Smith – 3R Group
Hannah Wright – AECOM
Emma Burke – Anderson LLoyd
Adam Benli – Auckland Council
Benn Dorrington – Caltex (Chevron)
Adrianna Avendano – Conscious Consumers
Ning Zhu – Countdown
Tony Wheeler – DB Breweries
Madeleine McCarroll – Department of Conservation
Crystal Lenky – Downer
Cameron Bower – ecostore
Kirk Archibald – EECA
Lisa Sinclair – EECA
Camilla Cochrane – EECA
Michael Hide – Fonterra
Roanna Salunga – GHD
Hanna Kilpin – Ideas Shop
Logan Potter – Toyota New Zealand
Amy Hughes – Wellington Zoo Trust
Benjamin Lorimer – Westpac New Zealand

Future Leaders' Programme 2013

The Future Leaders’ Programme in 2013 focused on the social role of business, building on the Vision 2050 Human Development 2020 actions and developing participants’ understanding of how businesses can engage with social issues.

The team explored how a social enterprise can work and identified how this business model can provide opportunities for traditional businesses to contribute to community economic development. The team also looked at shared value and impact assessment models which help businesses to better understand their impacts and dependencies on the communities in which they operate.

The 2013 Future Leaders’ participants developed a number of recommendations to present to the SBC and senior executives from their companies in the area of youth transition to employment. These findings and recommendations have been published in the All In report.

Future Leaders’ Programme Team 2013

Maree Baker-Galloway – Anderson Lloyd Lawyers
Sarah McElrea – Beca
Lee Bint – BRANZ
Nicholle Heggie – Chevron NZ
Claire Verner – Chevron NZ
Xavier Black – Deloitte
Allanah Berry – Downer
Manuel Seidel – ecoPortal
Logan Wait – ecoPortal
Zoe Timbrell – EMA Auckland
Petula Bell – Fonterra
Lara Phillips – Fonterra
Claire Baldwin – Foundation of Youth Development
Adrienne Thurston – Hugh Green Foundation
Catherine Wilson – Ideas Shop
Stephanie Ward – KPMG
Kathryn McDonald – Opus
Nick Carter – Sovereign
Sam Kelly – Sovereign
Theunie Rushmer-Wiid – The Warehouse
Tyler Keenleyside – Toyota NZ Ltd
Gayathri Sankar – URS New Zealand
Sum Green – Vodafone NZ
Nicolas Smith – Westpac NZ Ltd
Shasta Wilson – Westpac NZ Ltd

Future Leaders' Programme 2012

The 2012 Future Leaders’ Programme focused on opportunities and challenges associated with business, biodiversity and ecosystems. Corporate ecosystems valuation and reporting was identified as a priority action by the Vision 2050 report and is also a critical work stream for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The team developed a proposal on how to further understanding of business and biodiversity, which was accepted by the SBC Advisory Board and led to active partnership between the Department of Conservation and the SBC. The proposal’s recommendations are now being implemented through our Ecosystem Health work.

Future Leaders’ Programme Team 2012

Belinda van Eyndhoven – Beca
Lauren James – BNZ
Anthony Antonio – Countdown
Huia Iti – ecostore
Tyler Byers – Energy and Technical Services Ltd
Lara Phillips – Fonterra
Emma Parsons – Fonterra
Cerasela Stancu – Landcare Research
Tom Croskery – NZ Post
Richard Forward – OCS
Kathryn McDonald – Opus
Damian Cloeter – SGS
Roschelle Marshall – Sovereign
Rob Fenney – The Warehouse
Brendon Munford – Toyota NZ Ltd
Suzanne Lowe – URS New Zealand
Mark Megaughin – URS New Zealand
Wayne Zeng – Westpac
Bobbi Hannaway – Westpac
Nicola Hivon – Z Energy

Future Leaders' Programme 2011

In 2011, the pilot Future Leaders’ team worked together to publish the New Zealand Vision 2050 report. This project involved over 30 participants from SBC member companies collaborating to define broad sustainability goals to be reached by 2050 in a New Zealand context. Critical pathways such as energy, marine and tourism were developed, with a Vision 2050 mural drawn up to help visually represent this.

The Vision 2050: New Zealand Edition report findings have helped guide our projects and areas of core focus. The launch of Action 2020 later in 2015 will reinforce how NZ businesses can work together on solutions to reach a sustainable New Zealand by 2050

Future Leaders’ Programme Team 2011

Duncan Scotland – 3R Group Ltd
Mandy Varney – Air NZ
Alice Andrew – Andrew Stewart
Laura Fayerman – ATEED
Jessica Bennett – Aurecon
Quentin Jackson – Aurecon
Lisa Burrough – BRANZ
Adam Hudson – Countdown
Jorg Weber – Deloitte
Ben MacDonald – Deloitte
Paul Melville – Fonterra
Dee Crooks – HSBC
Sarah Holden – IAG
Jeremy Jones – Industrial Research Ltd
Richard Forward – OCS
David Lamb – Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Alice Penfold – Sanford Limited
Robert Lei – Scion Research
Alastair Brookes – Sinclair Knight Merz
Damian Lawrence – Sovereign
Kate Stewart – Sovereign
Sven Tulicic – Toyota NZ Ltd
Andrew Boyd – Transpacific Industries (NZ) Ltd
Catherine George – Urgent Couriers Ltd
Suzanne Lowe – URS New Zealand
Jessica Zame – URS New Zealand
Lara Rapson – Wellington City Council