Pharmacist has prescription for governance success

Palmerston North pharmacist Fiona Bradley has won an Emerging Director Award from the Institute of Directors (IoD) Wellington Branch.

Ms Bradley, a community clinical pharmacist admits she used to think “governance roles were only for lawyers, accountants and teachers”.

But the University of Otago graduate, who works with the chief executive and board members of MidCentral Community Pharmacy Group (MCPG) as a pharmacy project facilitator, now sees things differently. MCPG is an incorporated society consisting of 31 member pharmacies, operating as an umbrella organisation for its members, sourcing and administering contracts for projects that the pharmacies deliver in collaboration with MidCentral District Health Board.

As a young pharmacist she was co-opted to the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand National Executive, where she led a consultation process to gather information about the challenges faced by young pharmacists.

“Now I can see the value my pharmacist background can bring to governance roles. Almost everything I do is based around problem solving. I need to be able to interpret, analyse and think critically about information.

“I see these as all transferable skills to the governance space and I am excited about the opportunities this award presents. I am always trying to reflect, learn and improve my skills. This is an amazing opportunity and next step for my development as a director.”

Ms Bradley believes that her problem-solving skills could help her provide a different perspective and way of looking at challenges and potential solutions to board discussions.

Ms Bradley has been active in girl guides, serving as a New Zealand national board member for six years. She was appointed vice-chair of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) Governance Committee in 2018 and stepped into the role of chair in December 2020. She was recently elected by the 152 member organisations of WAGGGS as a Trustee to the WAGGGS World Board, for a five-year term through to 2026.

She is also currently doing post-graduate study in public health, and has developed and led programmes for young people using education as a tool for action to combat gender-based violence.

The IoD presents its Emerging Director Awards annually. Each recipient receives a financial contribution towards IoD governance development courses, a year’s complimentary membership of the Institute and mentoring from an experienced director.

IoD Wellington branch committee member Rachel Farrant said they received a strong line-up of applications for the 2021 award.

“All four shortlisted candidates have already gained some early governance experience in very different sectors and each of them was a standout applicant. In Fiona’s case though, it was the governance experience she has outside her professional skillset, including internationally, that gave her an edge and led to the interview panel appointing her as the Wellington Branch Emerging Director Award recipient for 2021. We are excited to be working with Fiona for the upcoming year.”