Professional Director, Auckland, NZ
Please introduce yourself and describe your career. What do you do for a living?
My name is Kirsty Campbell and I’m a professional director based in Auckland.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had pretty high aspirations! Astronaut, prime minister, professional singer – the usual kind of wild dreams…..
What did you study? How much schooling do you think is required to get into your role? What could you have skipped?
I studied Law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I was originally going to be an engineer, but I switched in fresher’s week due to a lastminute panic that I’d hate it.
Was your path hard or smooth getting to where you are in your career? (Can you briefly describe what it was like on your journey so far?)
It has been bumpy at times due to making several switches. For example, I moved from London to Auckland when I was 29 and that was quite difficult. I couldn’t find the same job here that I had there and it took me a while to find the right role for me (and to regain my confidence from a few knock backs on the way).
I also switched from corporate law to corporate finance, then to banking, then to regulation and then to governance, so that’s been hard as you have to learn quickly and it can be scary until you find your feet again. You have to back yourself each time you change direction.
The bumpiest section was approaching parenthood and worrying about what it would do to my career and then those worries materialising. I found it hard juggling being a Mum to two small kids and trying to retain a relatively big job. We live on the other side of the world from family so had no support (other than what we could pay for). I felt a lot of the usual guilt about kids v. work balance.
Walk us through your typical work day—when do you start, end, and do all day? (Where do you work from?)
One of the things I love about governance is that each day is different. Sometimes you are at home reading and preparing for board meetings, some times you are cloistered in a boardroom all day tacking some pretty challenging topics, other days you are trying to fit in all the other bits e.g. meetings with management, advisers, seminars, training, networking events, mentoring. Plus there’s some days where the kids and my personal life come first. For example, I try to always go to my synchronised swimming training every Friday morning.
What are some questions someone should really ask themselves if they want to get into your industry / career path?
Are you ready to be a junior again? The majority of governance people are in their 50s or 60s plus a few well into their 70s. It can make you feel more like an apprentice rather than a peer. Plus you have loads to learn when you start, so it’s probably pretty accurate although it can be frustrating at times!
Are you up for making challenging decisions? Do you have an open-mind and will genuinely take the views of others into account and can you support a ‘cabinet decision’ even if it’s not what you wanted?
Are you happy with the lack of job security? Most governance gigs only last 6 years. Plus you can be fired at will at any time - no employment law protections apply!
Are you happy with a pay drop? Governance does not pay compared to an executive role unless you take on so many roles that you get accused of being ‘over-boarded’.
What do you enjoy most about your career? (What do you enjoy least?)
I love the variety: the exposure to multiple different business models, the constant learning and being out of my comfort zone and I love the flexibility it gives me. I’m my own boss and I work from home, I work from my office as it suits. Sometimes I take times off and other times I’m 24/7 engaged on governance matters. No two days are the same.
I hate reviewing minutes. It is important that minutes are accurate etc but god they are boring to review! I also hate reviewing endless policies, which are often really badly drafted. I also dislike overly-long board packs. Anything over 100 pages is too long.
What tools/resources do you frequently use? (Books, podcasts, mentors, wellness habits, software, etc.)
I subscribe to multiple business new sources. As a member of the Institute of Directors I use their resources a lot from network events, training courses, webiners, articles and publications and their resource centre on their website. I also attend seminars given by law, accountancy and other expert firms on developments. I’m also a member of INFINZ and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (Fi360 accreditation) so I use their resources too from time to time.
I’ve had various mentors over my career – both formal and informal – although I could do with a new one currently.
What is something you do when things get difficult? How do you handle stress/ challenges?
I seek advice and talk things through with people. You need a few safe place to discuss governance challenges in a confidential way. Or I spend time with my kids, read a (non-business) book or go do some exercise to distract me….
What advice would you give to someone who is trying to figure out what they want to do (for work) in general?
Carpe Diem (sieze the day)!
Do your research and ask for advice – go have some coffees with people who have been there and done that.
Attend a few events that might give you exposure to the new avenue you are contemplating. Prepare well but also be open to opportunities as they arise.
Be bold and take some risks! You can always go back if it doesn’t work out….
Do you have any mentors or key pieces of career advice that helped you get to where you are today?
Yes I’ve had several mentors and coaches over my career. Key pieces of advice:
Back yourself
Put the effort in
Hold yourself to account so others don’t have to – work on your areas of weakness and improve
Once you’ve learnt your basic hard, technical skills (in my case law and finance) focus on developing your softer skills e.g. people leadership skills.
People want you for what you know / what you’re good at so lean into opportunities that play to your strengths / experience. This was particularly relevant for governance opportunities
What excites you about the future OR what's up next for you in the near future? (Could be career-related, life-related, or even a future career pivot / path)
I’m really enjoying my current governance roles but I’m looking forward to my next new role, which should be in the next year or so or so as I step off (at least) one of my boards later this year.
I’m also looking forward to more exposure as a board Chair, which is far far harder than being ‘just’ a non-executive director.
I’m excited but also slightly terrified about major changes that companies are / will be facing such a AI disruption and climate change impacts. It’s going to be interesting – the ‘may you live in interesting times’ expression (or curse) is front of mind at the moment.
Where can readers find/connect with you if they have questions? OR How can we support you?
You can find me here: