We are delighted to announce that partner Anchali Anandanayagam has won the Institute of Directors (IoD) Auckland Branch’s Emerging Director Award. 

The following is an excerpt from the media release from the Institute of Directors:

In selecting Ms Anandanayagam for the 2021 award, the judges said: “Her professional experience, in both commercial and for-purpose organisations, and her knowledge across media and technology, are skills that will add value to any board. Anchali’s approach to preparing for a governance career, and the governance experience she has already accumulated, has set her on a path that will make a valuable contribution to, in Anchali’s words, ‘help purpose-driven organisations in New Zealand to thrive’.”

Ms Anandanayagam brings a unique cultural and professional perspective to her governance roles and is a keen advocate of “not just for profit” business models. She has actively contributed her time and skills as a member of the Asylum Seekers Support Trust board, a charitable organisation supporting asylum seekers and refugees. As vice chair, she has had first-hand experience of how critical it is to have a board that is dedicated to, and passionate about, the organisation’s purpose.

“I began my governance journey in 2015 when I joined the Asylum Seekers Support Trust as a volunteer board member,” Ms Anandanayagam says. “I wanted to repay the generosity that my family was shown when we arrived in New Zealand and thought that contributing my time and skills to the trust would be a good start.

“It was in this role that I learnt how critical it is to have a board that was dedicated and passionate about the organisation’s purpose. I also learnt how important it is to have a clear separation between those who steer the organisation and those who manage it.”

In accepting this award Anchali says, "I am thrilled to receive the award, and grateful to both the Institute of Directors and my partners at Hudson Gavin Martin for their support and encouragement of my governance journey."

Managing partner, Simon Martin commented, "Having had the pleasure of working with Anchali for 10 years and having seen Anchali in action this award doesn’t come as a surprise. It is certainly well deserved and we consider ourselves fortunate that we have Anchali as part of our team."