New Zealand’s homes, businesses and lives are increasingly being powered by electricity. It’s a trend expected to continue, with projections that electricity demand could reach 68% by 2050.

So it is easy to see why Transpower New Zealand, the national electricity grid owner and operator, has signed up for 10 years of a bespoke business leadership programme with the University of Auckland Business School’s Executive and Professional Development team.

“With that kind of growth ahead of us, investing in our people is critical to enable us to keep providing reliable and secure electricity to New Zealand homes and businesses – and investing in leadership is pivotal,” says Brighid Kelly, Executive General Manager People at Transpower.

“Demand for electricity will grow significantly in the future with population growth and as many industries move from using fossil fuels like coal and gas for process heat to using electricity. The use of AI will require more and more data centres which use large amounts of electricity. Additionally, our vehicle fleet will increasingly be powered by electricity.

“In New Zealand we are in an enviable and unique position, around 90% of our electricity comes from renewable resources. The global average is around 30% and countries are working to ensure their electricity supply is increasingly from renewable resources. This means there is a huge demand globally for skills in our sector as economies move to decarbonise their economies and their electricity systems, as part of addressing climate change.”

Brighid Kelly, Executive General Manager People at Transpower .

In that context, she says, Transpower is well aware that change “is a given” and that their people must have the skills and confidence to navigate it effectively to successfully maintain and grow its services. 


“We wanted a trusted partner to work with us by forming a bespoke high-quality programme to grow our business change leadership capability – which is why we chose the Business School.”

It’s working. After the initial five-year period from 2020 to 2024, in which three cohorts of senior business leaders completed a six-month leadership programme, Transpower has signed on for another five years as the investment to date has already produced visible results: “We now have a cohort of individuals who know a lot more in regard to leading business change. There is greater coherence and improved collaboration, and improved know-how.

“There are a lot more of our people now who ‘know what’ and ‘know why’ – and that is effectively leading change throughout the organisation. I can’t overstate how important that is for any organisation but particularly one like ours where change is an imperative.”

Kelly says the business leaders programme is anchored in four key pillars of strategic importance to Transpower:

• Standing in the future – anticipating what lies ahead and engaging others in shaping and executing functional/organisational strategy

• Thinking about customers – embedding a customer-centric mindset to better align with stakeholder needs

• Championing change – empowering leaders to drive, support and sustain change at all levels, from everyday improvements to large-scale organisational transformation

• Driving performance through leadership – building leadership capability to deliver meaningful outcomes.

The programme comprises three core components: a comprehensive 360-degree assessment to evaluate each participant’s skills, strengths and development areas; facilitation by Business School professors and experienced industry practitioners; and regular engagement with Transpower’s executive team who mentor and guide participants as they tackle a “real business challenge project” during the programme.

“The executive team plays a key role,” says Kelly, “and they delight in spending time with the participants who are senior managers, people leaders and technical leaders. It is essential our leaders, both technical leaders and people leaders, are fully exposed to where the organisation is going given the critical role they play.”

Dr Kirsty Williamson, The Business School’s Director of Executive and Professional Development.

The Business School’s Director of Executive and Professional Development Dr Kirsty Williamson says the partnership with Transpower demonstrates the University’s ability to deliver collaborative, bespoke programmes that create significant impact for partner organisations.

“Our goal is to support organisations to thrive in an increasingly disruptive world. We partner with firms to co-create transformative, adaptive programmes that strengthen team and organisational capability, drives change and embeds a growth mindset,” she says.

“We draw on our creativity and extensive experience working across diverse sectors to design learning experiences that address the unique opportunities, challenges and cultural context of each workplace.  The result is a unique, customer-focused programme that delivers immediate, practical impact and is designed to be implemented anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand, whether online, on campus or at the organisation’s own premises.”

Williamson says a large part of the success of the Transpower bespoke programme is due to the active engagement by the Transpower senior leadership team: “They contribute their knowledge, insights and experience via both structured and unstructured touchpoints throughout the 6-month programme.”

“By working closely with key stakeholders across the business, we ensure the programme is tailored to meet the specific leadership development needs of the organisation,” she says. “The learning is anchored in real business challenges and opportunities, ensuring both relevance and impact for all participants.”

“The University of Auckland Business School has deep expertise in the energy sector, anchored by its Energy Centre, which focuses on impactful research, strategic collaboration, and meaningful engagement with industry. Our work with Transpower is a strong example of our commitment to the energy sector and to advancing lifelong learning for working professionals,” adds Professor Emilson Silva, Director of the Energy Centre.

The Transpower success story is just one example of how the University of Auckland Business School partners with organisations to build leadership capability in a rapidly evolving environment. 

Find out more about customised programmes for organisations at exec.auckland.ac.nz.