New Zealand driving force behind formation of Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI)

The Institute of Directors (IoD) today announced the formation of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI), an international partnership between nine leading membership organizations for corporate directors in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The GNDI will complement the work of its member organizations by fostering close cooperation between national corporate director organisations and providing a global forum to share experiences, case studies, leading practices and current or emerging corporate governance issues impacting the boardroom and its stakeholders.

Work to establish the group and develop a charter has been on-going over the last two years and will culminate in the first formal meeting of the group in Wellington this week.

IoD Chief Executive, Ralph Chivers said “The GNDI brings together the leading associations serving corporate directors around the world to provide a global voice and a forum for sharing knowledge, insights and leading practices. The group will work to promote best practice and advocate on relevant governance matters that cut across national boundaries. New Zealand has been a driving force in the establishment of this group, so it is only fitting that we are hosting the first formal meeting here in Wellington.”

“Representatives from eight of the nine founding member organisations will come together in Wellington to discuss issues that are having global impacts on corporate governance and identify areas where they can work together to enhance the ability of corporate directors to ensure long-term sustainable performance for their shareholders,” said Mr Chivers.

Mr Chivers said “The IoD is committed to governance best practice and to raising the standard of governance in New Zealand, being a part of GNDI allows us to draw from international experience and successes to help achieve our aims. This collaboration is even more important during challenging global economic times when it is vital that directors are striving for best practice.” 

The founding member institutes of the GNDI collectively represent more than 100,000 corporate directors worldwide. Each founding GNDI member will appoint one executive from its organization to participate on the Executive Committee tasked with the management and control of the affairs of GNDI.
More information can be found at www.GNDI.org.

Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI) Membership Organisations
The following membership organisations are members of GNDI:
• Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD),
• Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBGC) in Brazil
• European Confederation of Directors Associations (ecoDa)
• Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in Canada,
• Institute of Directors in New Zealand (IoDNZ),
• Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA),
• Institute of Directors (IoD) in the United Kingdom,
• Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors (MACD), and
• National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) in the United States.