In the latest of a series of interviews with University of Auckland Business School alumni, Jan Dawson, independent director and chair of Westpac NZ, deputy chair of Air New Zealand and on the boards of Meridian Energy, Beca and AIG NZ, talks about the similarities between sailing and running a company.
You've been president of Yachting New Zealand and chaired its board. Have you always sailed?
My mother's family was an old Devonport sailing family and my grandfather made my older brother a wooden P Class. We taught ourselves to sail in it and, as I was a voracious reader, I pretended I was part of the Swallows and Amazons sailing around Big Manly as a child.
I graduated to keelboats of various sizes - probably more competitive than the original Swallows and Amazons.
What are the similarities between skippering a yacht and running a business or chairing a board?
Both are about a motivated team working towards a shared goal. There is no point being a prima donna "screamer" as the result is the team doesn't do well and doesn't stick together. It also isn't good to be unplanned or unfocused on what the goal is - as the team then doesn't know where they are going.
Are you competitive?
Probably, but then I am a second child! I don't think I am competitive to the detriment of the team - but I do want the team to win and will play my part to achieve this.
How do you deal with mistakes - either your own or other people's?
I hate making mistakes personally and probably relive and "what if" the scenarios to avoid repeating the mistake but am tolerant of others' mistakes and put them down to a learning experience (for the first time).
You are the first woman to chair a major bank in New Zealand and you've achieved other "firsts" in your career. To what do you attribute your success?
A broad perspective on what my goals are - and great help from mentors/challengers at key points; great support on the domestic front to ensure home fires kept burning and I was comfortable my children were in a loving and supported environment.
How did you juggle such a full-on career with your family?
My husband and I were in Vancouver when we started our family. I was working for KPMG. The firm there was, like, "when are you back at work?" and the system meant there were live-in nannies/tax breaks to ease me back to work even with a small baby's logistics and concerns. Note this was in the 1980s, so things have changed in both places...
What advice would you give someone wanting to become an independent director?
Get experience through not for profit/sporting bodies and really understand the value you can add to an organisation. If you can't articulate the value, then they won't get it.
What did you study at the University of Auckland?
Commerce - but before it was the Business School, so there was Economics (the esoteric ones), Commercial Law and Accounting (the sensible ones).
What was the most valuable lesson you learned and how is it applicable today?
The power of application and focus. I went to university from the sixth form - completely unprepared as a first in the family at university. The first year was a disaster so I studied and worked part-time until the last year when I actually studied properly and graduated as a Senior Scholar in Accounting.
Describe your ideal holiday.
Relaxing with good friends in a foreign place.