Notes From The Executive

NZ is About to Change: Here's What 2040 Really Looks Like | Ft. Melissa Clark-Reynolds ONZM

Notes From The Executive

Show Notes

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Melissa Clark-Reynolds ONZM is a New Zealand futurist and professional company director, and the founder of FutureCentre.nz. She was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for services to the technology industry, and at 15 was the youngest woman of her time to attend a New Zealand university.

After more than 25 years as a technology entrepreneur and chief executive, she now sits in boardrooms as an independent director. Her board roles include Wētā Workshop, Atkins Ranch, Alpine Energy, Squirrel and the energy-transition body Ara Ake, and she was the first independent director of Beef + Lamb New Zealand and former deputy chair of Radio New Zealand. She teaches strategy and disruption for the Institute of Directors.

What I Asked Melissa What are NZ boardrooms really talking about behind closed doors right now? Am I investing in the customer I have, or the one I will have in 10 years? Are CEOs wrong about how much AI will actually lift productivity? What will New Zealand look like in 2040? How do I train myself to think 10 years ahead?

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Timestamps 0:00 - what is a street smart futurist 1:24 - sponsor: AcademyEx for NZ business owners 2:04 - what does planning for the next 10 years actually mean 3:19 - what are NZ boardrooms really talking about right now 4:58 - where should I invest spare cash for the next 10 years 10:45 - how does a futurist decide where a business spends money 11:53 - am I building my business for today instead of the future 13:00 - what is agent to agent AI and why does it matter 17:50 - are CEOs wrong about how much AI will boost productivity 19:34 - sponsor: AcademyEx AI software programme and free podcasts 22:00 - why is AI just giving me the average answer 26:08 - should boards let AI do their thinking 28:20 - who will my customers be in 10 years 30:47 - why do boards keep getting blindsided by shocks 36:49 - why do we keep building for the past not the future 41:10 - how do I train my team to think 10 years ahead 49:44 - how do I make decisions when the future is uncertain 54:10 - what happens when you are 30 years too early 56:00 - how do you lose a $190 million business overnight 1:07:18 - what will New Zealand look like in 2040 1:19:46 - is New Zealand's low debt actually hurting the economy 1:23:00 - what does high tech farming look like in New Zealand 1:26:34 - the one thing every business owner should do now

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