Three ways in
What STEWARD offers you
Owners & founders
A board that helps you decide what’s next
- Battle-hardened, vetted directors
- A governance system from day one
- Monthly fee, one month’s notice
Directors & chairs
Meaningful board work, close to home and impacting your community
- A pipeline of matched roles
- 90% of the monthly fee, paid direct
- The board system built for you
Law & accounting firms
A trusted answer for your clients
- Refer clients who need a board
- We complement your advice
- A partner model shaped with you
Sound familiar?
Your business has outgrown its governance
You’ve done well. Now what?
How do you take it to the next level, and what should you do, and not do, to get there?
Everything runs through the founders
Key decisions, relationships and knowledge sit with the founders.
Succession is unresolved
Who leads next, and how ownership transitions, is often undecided and unwritten.
No independent challenge
Nobody outside the founders tests the strategy or the numbers.
Battle-hardened directors are scarce
They are hard to find in the regions, and owners don’t know how to engage them.
Obligations keep rising
Health and safety, cyber, AI, privacy and employment law all land on the board.
The result: a board that reviews last month instead of shaping the next five years.
Who we work with
Built for the businesses that keep our regions going
Founders who have built something worth protecting, and who want help taking it further.
The STEWARD proposition
A ready-made board: people, process and oversight
People
Battle-hardened independent directors and chairs, matched to your sector and region.
- Independent directors
- Professional chairs
- Sector specialists
- Mentoring for CEOs and owners
Process
A governance system that turns meetings into decisions.
- Board charter and annual calendar
- Pro-forma and customised board papers
- Risk, compliance and H&S oversight
- Succession planning
Oversight
STEWARD stands behind every appointment.
- Vetted, certified directors
- Quality review of every board
- Specialists on call
- Annual board performance review
How it works
From first conversation to a working board
Conversation
We meet the owners and understand the business, its goals and what keeps you up at night.
Foundations review
A two-day review of your current governance, recommendations and your foundation governance documents.
Board matched
We introduce independent directors or a chair matched to your sector, region and stage. You choose.
Monthly governance
A disciplined monthly board rhythm, with STEWARD oversight of quality throughout.
Services
Three ways to work with STEWARD
Start with Foundations, then add the director or chair your business needs.
Steward Foundations
$9,500
One-off, + GST
- Two-day review of current governance arrangements and process
- Findings and recommendations for owners
- Foundation governance documents: Board Charter, Delegations Policy and more
For owners who want to know where they stand.
Steward Governance
$5,750
Per month, + GST
- Experienced independent Steward Director
- Monthly board rhythm and board paper suite
- STEWARD oversight and specialist access
For businesses that want independent challenge at the board table.
Steward Chair
$8,750
Per month, + GST
- Experienced independent Steward Chair
- Weekly 30-minute CEO and owners mentoring
- Everything in Steward Governance
For owners ready to hand the chair to an experienced professional.
Fees are paid monthly, and monthly services can be terminated on one month’s notice. Board portal software and board administration are not included and can be arranged separately.
The governance system
A monthly board rhythm that works
Closed sessions are built into every agenda, so honest conversations are routine. Every board receives STEWARD’s pro-forma board pack, customised to the business.
The meeting
The board pack
Indicative examples · select to enlarge
Pro-forma, tailored Board Pack Documents to get you started: agenda, minutes, actions, CEO report and dashboards for strategy, finance, operations, risk, health and safety, cyber, people and AI, with RAG status and trend on every measure. The documents shown are indicative examples only, with illustrative content.
What changes for owners and founders
Better decisions. Stronger business.
Someone in your corner
Independent challenge and support for owners and CEO.
Time on the future
Board time on strategy and growth, not last month.
Risk under control
Clear oversight of safety, cyber, AI and compliance.
Succession ready
A business that can grow or transition beyond its founders.
Credibility
Stronger standing with banks, investors, customers and staff.
No hiring burden
STEWARD finds, vets and supports your directors.
No lock-in. Monthly services can be terminated on one month’s notice.
Founder
Simon Clarke
Experienced Independent Director
Chartered Fellow, Institute of Directors
Our founder
Experienced Independent Director. Chartered Fellow.
Simon chairs and sits on the boards of New Zealand energy, infrastructure, venue and professional-services organisations. He brings that independent board experience, and the discipline that comes with it, to every STEWARD client.
Before the boardroom
Commercial lawyer · Former CEO, Arc Innovations · Former CIO / CDO, Trustpower
Qualifications
LLB / BA (Otago) · Wharton Advanced Management Programme
Industries
Energy · Utilities · Infrastructure · Telco · Technology / Software · Professional services · Local government
Expertise
Governance · Strategy · Digital · M&A · Commercial law · Values-led change
Every STEWARD director
Experienced and independent
Practising independent directors, not serving executives.
Certified
Institute of Directors or Governance New Zealand accredited.
Conflicts managed
Clear conflict-of-interest management and confidentiality.
Reviewed every year
Annual board and director performance review, overseen by STEWARD.
For directors and chairs
Meaningful board work, close to home and impacting your community
Regional businesses need your experience, and you want board work that matters. STEWARD brings the two together, and gives you the system to govern well from the first meeting.
What you get
- A pipeline of roles matched to your sector and region
- 90% of the monthly fee, paid to you direct
- The governance system and board pack, ready to use
- Specialists on call and a network of peers
What we ask
- Practising independent director, not a serving executive
- Institute of Directors or Governance NZ accreditation
- Clear conflict management and confidentiality
- An annual performance review, overseen by STEWARD
Two roles
- Steward Director on a Steward Governance board
- Steward Chair leading the board, with weekly CEO and owner mentoring
Now inviting
Founding Steward Directors
We are building the founding network now. Founding Steward Directors help shape how STEWARD works, and are first in line for matched roles.
For law and accounting firms
A trusted answer when your clients need a board
You see the governance gap first: in succession, restructuring and banking conversations. STEWARD gives you somewhere to send those clients. We complement your advice; we don’t compete with it.
Our referral and co-delivery model is still being designed, and we’d like the firms we work with to help shape it.
Talk about partneringOur values
What STEWARD stands for
People first
Great governance starts with great people.
Trusted stewards
We act with integrity and take our role seriously.
Bold thinking
We challenge thinking and guide confident decisions.
Drive performance
We help businesses strengthen and grow sustainably.
Long-term impact
Enduring value for businesses, people and communities.
Questions owners ask
Frequently asked questions
Do we give up control of our business?
No. You keep ownership and control. Your Steward Director or Chair brings independent challenge and experience to the board table, so the decisions you make are better tested.
Can we choose our director or chair?
Yes. We introduce candidates matched to your sector, region and stage of growth. You choose who joins your board.
What if it isn’t working?
Monthly services can be terminated on one month’s notice. There is no lock-in. Every board also has an annual performance review overseen by STEWARD, so issues surface early.
Why start with Steward Foundations?
Two days with your business gives us, and you, a clear view of your current governance and the board you need. You keep the findings and the foundation documents, including a Board Charter and Delegations Policy, whatever you decide next.
How is this different from hiring a director ourselves?
STEWARD finds, vets and supports your director, and brings a complete governance system with them: the board calendar, the monthly board pack and closed sessions on every agenda. We also review quality and give your board access to specialists.
Does this replace our lawyer or accountant?
No. STEWARD complements the advice you already get. We work alongside your legal and accounting advisers.
What isn’t included?
Board portal software and board administration are not included in the fees. We can help you arrange them separately.
Next steps
Getting started is simple
An obligation-free conversation
An hour with the owners to understand the business and where it is heading.
Steward Foundations review
Two days on your current governance, a clear plan for the board you need, and your Board Charter and Delegations Policy.
Meet your Steward Director or Chair
We introduce matched candidates; you choose, and your first board meeting follows.