RiskNZ Team and Board

I am currently the Enterprise Risk Business Partner at TSB, responsible for supporting effective management of the Enterprise Risk Management Framework, together with its core components. I am always looking for opportunities of continuous improvement and uplift through meaningful reporting and business engagement.

I have been at TSB for five years in various Risk and Compliance roles. Prior to that I worked in various commercial and Property law firms in the Taranaki Region.

I am passionate about developing and implementing sustainable risk management foundations and structured practices.

I enjoy spending time outdoors being active, and can often be found adventuring one of the many beautiful hiking tracks in Taranaki. I have three busy children, who also enjoy playing sports, and I am both proud supporter and mum taxi.

My transition in to risk management has been a relatively recent occurrence. Triggered by a couple of significant events at Hastings District Council that highlighted the need for more effective identification and management of risk.

In my current role as the Risk & Corporate Services manager for the Council, I’m responsible for leading the Councils enterprise risk management programme, including advising the Council on key areas of risk.

Prior to becoming involved in Local Government, most of my career has been involved in aviation. Starting with operational flight experience overseas, and then in a quality and safety management systems role at Air New Zealand. After Air New Zealand I lead the development programme for an aviation quality and safety management application called AQD. The Product Manager role involved consulting with airlines across the global to develop and improve the system offering.

Now based in sunny Hawkes Bay with my wife and daughter, we enjoy the opportunity to get out on the local walking and cycling trails. And when this isn’t possible in winter, we love to get a way to National Park for some snow time on skis.

My Background

My interest in risk stems from my desire to utilise my Engineering (Mechatronics), Commence (finance), and government policy background. With 8 years specialising in risk, working in a consulting role with corporate, local government and central government agencies, I have established a sound understanding of our Risk profession and the various skills required to be a skilled operator in the field.

Work and experience

My current role is a Principal Risk Consultant for a leading insurance broker. This allows me to share my skills and knowledge regarding natural hazard risk, climate change, cyber risk management and strategic risk management to allow clients to navigate through the decision making processes and meet expectation in our modern risk aware world.
In addition to contributing to the risk profession and helping Risk NZ where I can, I also contribute my skill set to the community. I am a board member of a local school, able to advise on financial, risk based and other various decisions. Although I don’t have a child at the school this is a great opportunity to provide a risk lens in the Education sector, as I am passionate about learning.

My commitment to members

I commit to the purpose, objectives and principles set out in the constitution.
I commit to promoting and celebrating innovative risk management practices by RiskNZ members.
I commit to representing insurance and corporate risk managers perspective in Risk NZ.

I have recently joined Auckland Council as GM Risk and Assurance, after having successfully
transformed the internal audit function at Fletcher Building to a team that collaborates and partners with the business focusing on key risks. In this role I was tasked with rebuilding and leading the internal audit function across the Fletcher Building Group both in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific, during challenging times, while improving employee and business engagement.

Prior to this I was a Director in Risk Assurance at PwC, where I have 12 years’ managing client
relationships and delivering assurance solutions across risk, cyber security, IT, financial, operational, fraud and compliance areas. After many successful years as Director in Auckland, leading and overseeing internal audit programmes, risk engagements, business development and senior level account management with a range of clients, I moved to the Waikato PwC office. Reported to the Waikato Managing Partner with responsibility for establishing and leading the Waikato Risk Assurance team.

I am experienced in developing and delivering governance programmes and projects within fast paced and continually changing environments, including the creation of Fletcher Building’s first group-wide control self-assessment programme.

In my current role at Auckland Council I am responsible for leading risk, internal audit, integrity and insurance teams. I manage the council’s relationship with the Audit and Risk Committee providing oversight at an individual entity level and a Group level.

I am also a Trustee for the Perry Outdoor Education Trust, supporting POET to equip low decile
secondary schools to facilitate the delivery of outdoor education experiences for students.

I joined RiskNZ earlier this year as an individual member to support my current role in a statutory supervisor business. I have a sound understanding of risk-based decision making in both my own organisation and for the organisations that I supervise.

I am a member of the Institute of Directors, Institute of Finance Professionals and Institute of Legal Executives.

In addition to 20 years legal experience, in 2021 I completed a Diploma in Business Studies from Massey and have a strong understanding of finance. Earlier this year I completed the weeklong Institute of Directors Company Directors’ Course and in 2021 I completed the New Zealand Certificate in regulatory compliance (core knowledge).

I am based in Christchurch however regularly travel throughout New Zealand chairing Annual General Meetings for our supervised entities. I have a strong background in regulatory and statutory obligations and a passion for learning, risk management, compliance and governance.
In my current role I report to the Board each month on compliance, risk management, emerging risks, due diligence on new clients, regulatory changes and more. I have also recently re-written our company risk management framework and governance framework.

I can add value to a board with my extensive experience across many industries, chairperson skills, willingness to share views and work on a way forward, ability to make tough decisions and ability to always see the big picture.

I have had a career as a subject matter expert, driving evidence-based change and shaping policy with a wide range of organisations. I have specialised in strategic risk management and the global SDG remits contributing to risk literacy, practice and government policy development in both NZ and the UK.

My experience from the UK includes working with practitioner bodies such as the BCI and government agencies on projects focused on mitigating the impact of extreme events and threats, managing uncertainty, risk and resilience.
With 80% of the UK CNI private sector owned, public-private partnerships were perceived a means to mitigate some of the impact of extreme events.I was commissioned by the UK Cabinet Office – Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) to help inform regulatory frameworks. Based at Warwick University I managed a research and advisory centre, chaired advisory groups, reported to central government funders and policymakers, and liaised with government agencies (including CT police and blue light services) and industry partners to identify opportunities for developing a joined-up approach. I helped to develop the Organisational Resilience BS standard, revised the CCA Act (2004), inform the development of the National Risk Register, the Regional Resilience Forums and the broadening of the National Security Strategy. As the remit around resilience, I was involved in developing scenarios, public-private partnerships and multi-agency responses as an all of government approach and hence, linked to security sector related remits. Outputs of these projects were published in The Chatham House and The Smith Institute publications (‘Britain and Security’) and presented at policy development forums to inform for example; the national security strategy review (eg; at No10 Downing Street and Westminster).

I was faculty on the Institute of Governance and Public Management programmes and taught public sector leadership, management and public policy to senior civil servants. I also taught on the University of Birmingham Applied Health Research Institute programme ‘Aspiring future NHS leaders’ and at the University of Warwick NHS Institute and the National Policing College in Coventry. I was appointed as an adjunct to the UK Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College (EPC) in York and was a member of the Industry and Parliamentary Trust (IPT) and conducted thought leadership events for MPs in Westminster.

Since returning to NZ my activities have focused on developing organisational resilience capabilities; sustainability and wellbeing linking to the global narratives of the UN Sustainability Goals and Sendai framework; UN Disaster Risk and Recovery (DRR) and the TEC Centre of Excellence: QuakeCoRE; focused on reviewing national earthquake regulations and local government planning processes. I have also informed the development of The Treasury Living Standards Framework and contributed to the Royal Inquiry/WorkSafe review of tourism safety standards in the wake of Whakaari/White Island and review of government communications in crisis and the use of social media.

I have also supported the NZ Universities Risk Managers Network and during Covid-19 advised the University of Auckland Risk Office and Business Recovery Programme and conducted risk management thought leadership sessions for the senior management team. I am a founding member of the NZ Security Sector Network (NZSSN); a member of the Crowded Places Special Advisory Group (CPSAG); member of the Defsec editorial board for the Line of Defence publication and been appointed as member of the judging panel for the 2022: RISKNZ Annual Awards, Outstanding Security Professionals Awards NZ (OSPAs) and Women in Security awards.

I have also consulted to NZTE/MBIE/KEA focused on the market entry challenges and risks mitigation strategies adopted by NZ exporters. During Covid-19, this was focused on how they survived the added market entry challenges, supply chain issues and documented examples of how they thrived by pivoting their offering to fit the changing context.

I have helped to develop the NZ risk literary as part of national capability development pathways examples include DPMC/CDEM funded RRANZ (Developing Response & Recovery Capabilities Aotoeroa) programme; MFAT to develop APEC regional emergency management capabilities . I am also working on projects aimed at learning from previous crisis in NZ, the emerging NZ approach to leadership in crisis, and indigenous approaches to crisis management.

Alongside of this role I have over 20 years of consultancy work in my career, I have advised organisations adapting to policy changes in governance and regulatory frameworks, most recently due to Covid-19. I have been able to successfully combine academic capability with real-world insights to help inform risk management literacy.

After receiving my Masters of Strategic Studies with Distinction in 2020, I founded Jackson Calder Limited in 2021; a strategy, futures modelling, and geopolitical risk advisory firm based in Wellington that aims to empower NZ businesses to forecast, take geopolitical risks seriously, and give them the tools to design better strategies. I specialise in horizon scanning, generating foresight, trend identification and extrapolation, blind spot analysis, and designing alternative future scenarios for strategic planning.

I sit on the Committee of the NZ Institute of International Affairs Wellington Branch and I enjoy working with my colleagues there to plan diplomatic functions, public speeches and events, and ensure the branch is delivering for our members.

I am working with a large construction firm in Auckland to forecast and manage risks relating to
emerging technology, climate change, and Covid-19, in addition to advising on strategic communication and planning. I am also currently collaborating with another risk consulting firm with a heavy focus on national security, using technology and data to present risks on multiple client-facing geospatial mapping platforms. I have also applied this expertise for the Ministry of Defence, Centre for Strategic Studies, Diplosphere, Asia New Zealand Foundation, and the NZIIA.

I consider myself a multidisciplinary analyst and I strive to constantly have an informed, holistic
understanding of the strategic environment. I believe this is critical for contemporary risk management as the risks New Zealand faces are becoming more complex and interconnected, and I aim to advocate for new approaches and ideas within RiskNZ.

At 25 years old I’m attuned to the struggles of young people who may be disillusioned or uninspired with their career as a result of Covid-19 and other converging factors. Through RiskNZ I want to advocate for them, encourage them, and help them discover pathways in risk management as we cannot navigate emerging, complex risks like foreign interference, sensitive technology, and the rapidly shifting political economy without fresh, nuanced skillsets and ideas.

Finally, I share the feeling of many professionals that Wellington has become somewhat of a sterile business environment that is dominated by the public sector and the Big Four. While it is crucial to work with partners from all agencies and firms to manage risks, I believe RiskNZ can be a platform that welcomes new players and encourages small, ambitious, and agile companies to carve out their own space and have an impact that breaths some life back into the capital.

I have worked in the tertiary sector for over 20 years, most recently in the role of Risk and Insurance Manager at the University of Canterbury (UC) in Christchurch. My current line management responsibilities include risk and insurance.

In addition to managing enterprise-wide risk at UC, I have also been working extensively in the travel risk space to better understand and prepare increasingly mobile and at-risk travelling staff and students for the uncertainties faced by global unrest and a myriad of other issues, including pandemic.

Following the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 in the Canterbury region, I had operational responsibility for the substantial insurance claims that were ultimately settled in late 2014 for a sum that at that time was the largest insurance claim in the southern hemisphere.

As part of the Emergency Management Planning Group, I was part of a team that implemented an emergency management strategy for the University in 2007. In addition to being a founding member of the planning group, I had a frontline role in emergency response for several years and now act as an advisor to the UC Incident Management Team. In 2021, I was also the strategic lead for business continuity planning to ensure that business recovery is not hampered by poor preparedness.

Risk NZ has played a key role in mentoring me over the last 10 years in my role as Risk and Insurance Manager. I have enjoyed watching the growth of the organization and have been excited by the proactive engagement with risk professionals in the South Island in recent years. I have also had the pleasure of being a judge in the Risk NZ annual awards 2018-2021 and was thrilled to be awarded Risk Professional of the Year in 2016.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with her family, walking/jogging, Asana yoga, and being an active
spectator of a myriad of sports.

My LinkedIn Profile has everything you need to know about me, my experience and the communities I belong to. linkedin.com/in/jennievickers

I will say that I am super proud to have made it to the IFSEC Global Influencers List of Thought Leaders in both 2021 and 2022. Even more proud that I took out the 2021 First Among Equals Trophy. Was a winner of a Women in Security Awards Aotearoa Award last year and this year invited to be a Judge.

People in the RiskNZ community may know me as MC at this year’s conference. Alongside my other work, I am a professional MC and Conference Speaker. My topic is: ”The Enemy Within-Who is the Real Insider Threat?” Cyber risk is poorly understood by many in business who get frightened by threat language they do not understand. I do not have a tech background but speak the language of business to help boards, executives and employees pull their heads out of the sand to see the real practical steps they can take to support their own physical and cyber security. Learn from this community all the time so hope I can contribute back in.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities and highlighted the interconnected nature of our world. We can expect the future to be characterised by more extreme events.

To succeed in this uncertain environment, we need to elevate risk management as a strategic force within our organisations. That means risk practitioners need to sharpen their skills, be bold, and step forward as leaders. RiskNZ plays a critical role encouraging and enabling this.

I am pleased to be a longstanding member of the RiskNZ community. Over the years I have contributed though various lunchtime and conference presentations. In 2016 I was awarded RiskNZ Emerging Risk Practitioner of the Year.

My background includes commercial aviation risk, data analytics, complex systems. Now my focus is on raising the bar for Enterprise Risk Management and strategic risk transfer. Outside of lockdowns, I travel extensively around the country. I work with corporate organisations, Councils, and central government agencies facilitating workshops, improving risk maturity, and helping shape better decisions.

As a newly elected RiskNZ Board member I will bring a huge breadth and depth of experience. But more importantly,
I’m passionate about connecting at an individual level, and driving partnerships at an organisational level. I’m excited at the prospect of stepping up my contributions to RiskNZ and elevating our community.