John SmithPartner
Bringing clarity to complex governance.
Westlake Governance helps boards navigate complex governance environments where risk, oversight and decision-making intersect. We bring practical insights, independent perspective and real-world experience to governance challenges that demand clarity.
We support a range of directors and boards across the Asia Pacific region.
Identifying the real issue, not just the symptoms
We work to understand underlying governance issues without impacting business as usual. We help boards gain clarity on what is really impacting performance, accountability and decision-making, to support intervention appropriate to the issue at stake.
Clarifying roles, responsibilities and decision-making
We help directors and boards define clearer governance responsibilities, strengthen accountability and improve how decisions are made.
Strengthening governance structures and oversight
We support organisations to strengthen governance frameworks, improve oversight and create governance structures that work in practice.
Supporting implementation through practical, usable tools
We provide guidance and tools that assist boards to establish their board processes and systems including board charter development, board policies, remuneration planning and succession plans.
Providing support
We train, mentor and coach people involved in governance roles, providing confidential personal advice to help empower and build understanding and confidence. We mediate and facilitate the resolution of conflict and disagreement that can often stifle progress.
Westlake Governance is built around practice not theory.
Our work is grounded in decades of practical governance experience across regulated industries, public organisations, commercial entities and complex stakeholder environments. We understand that governance challenges are rarely isolated. They involve people, personalities, pressure, competing priorities, risk and (sometimes unintended) consequences.
DEVELOP
Our training, development, coaching and mentoringprogrammes help chairs, boards, CEOs and leadership teams build their skills and confidence to lead and govern more effectively.
FOCUS
As a trusted advisor to your board, we help you focus on what matters most. We bring an exceptional understanding of governance principles and processes, overlaid with years of experience.
REVIEW
We help boards, board members and board chairs review their performance and provide independent critique so they can continually fine-tune how they operate and continue to add even greater value.
Understanding and clarity..
Practical direction..
Understanding
Helping organisations uncover the real governance issues impacting clarity, accountability and decision-making. We make use of our experience across multiple business and industry sectors to do so and our own governance analysis tools.
Clarity
We help boards and leadership teams cut through uncertainty and identify what matters most, clearing the deck to re-confirm the vision and purpose of the Board
Strengthen
Supporting boards and leadership teams to build stronger governance structures and board performance. This focuses on people and empowering others to succeed, building a skills base that supports success and harnessing the best from people.
Confidence
Providing experienced independent perspective through complexity, uncertainty and organisational change. Good governance has confidence at its core. Without it, standards of governance can be at the highest level, and yet, success can evade a Board and an organisation.
OUR WHY
Governance matters because
leadership matters.
01
Better governance creates better decisions
Strong governance supports stronger leadership, clearer decision-making and more confident organisations. We help boards build the clarity, alignment and confidence needed to make better decisions.
02
Practical governance,
not theory
We believe governance should be practical, understandable and grounded in real organisational environments. Our advice is shaped by real-world boardroom experience, not theoretical models.
03
Helping organisations
move forward
We help boards and leadership teams navigate complexity with greater clarity and confidence, strengthening governance so organisations can move forward with purpose.
“ The increased amount of engagement and ongoing relationship is testament to how good Richard is. We will continue to use his services for both routine and specialised work. He is doing a great job so he gets the repeat business and is our go-to person for governance support. Richard takes the time to understand your business. He has really strong co-operative and corporate experience so he has a good, rounded sense of how businesses and boards operate. I can’t over emphasise the trust. He understands how our company works - he knows the people and he has their confidence. “
John DeBernardo
Chair NZPM Co-operative
“Board reviews are an important part of ensuring a board’s effectiveness but the real value Richard brings is he’s a seasoned professional and understands the people issues. He has a rigorous methodology and then he overlays this with his vast practical governance experience and his understanding of the complexities of people dynamics. He’s a trusted adviser who takes the results and helped me work through the ‘so what?’ That’s where the real value is.”
Ian Fitzgerald
Chair Public Trust, director World of Wearable Arts
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Ready to strengthen your
board’s effectiveness?
Call us or request an online conversation to discuss you and your board.We'll work with you and out team to find the right pair of hands to get the solution you need.
