Category: Big interviews

“This is an exciting time for The Diversity Agenda,” says Sarah Lang, the new Chair of its Steering Committee and a respected leader across the commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors, as well as a longstanding champion for diverse communities.  Building momentum: The Diversity Agenda focuses on the future “We are building on an amazing foundation, and […]

For small businesses, bringing graduates into the workplace can feel like a big commitment. But, as Brevity Chief Financial Officer Irina Cherkasova explains, having the right approach can make all the difference. We asked Irina how businesses can better support the transition between study and professional work.

We speak with Mary Haddock-Staniland, Pou Hāpai Tāngata | Chief Organisation Enablement Officer at Burnett Foundation Aotearoa about what inclusive leadership really looks like and how to do it well. 

architecture+ may have found the sweet spot for flexible work. However, it seems this has always been part of the small Wellington-based practice’s DNA despite only recently formalising it with the development of a flexible work policy.

architecture+ may have found the sweet spot for flexible work. However, it seems this has always been part of the small Wellington-based practice’s DNA despite only recently formalising it with the development of a flexible work policy.

Emerging from this year’s Accord Summit held at the Pipitea Marae in Wellington, Josie FitzGerald was both energised and hopeful about the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the engineering and architecture professions despite the challenging times we’re navigating in the sector.

Director Lochlan Hynd is the first to admit that he has more to learn about operating in this space, but he is committed to guiding the company’s engineers to ensure designs and practices are centred around tikanga (customs) and matauranga (knowledge) Māori. He describes how tangata Tiriti, tangata whenua and tangata moana are all housed by same waka hourua (a traditional Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe) and believes we must ensure its hulls are as strong as possible to navigate the waves before us, now and in the future.

When we last spoke at the beginning of 2023, Arup had achieved its goal of having an even 40% spread of male and female with the remaining 20% open to all genders across the Australasian region. Two years on, is Arup still achieving this spread, and does it extend to the company’s leadership roles?