The Power Behind the Leader – Insights from the Energy Sector

Ngākau Hihiko – Wāhine in Energy was proud to partner with Genesis Energy for The Power Behind the Leader, an inspiring breakfast event featuring Genesis Chair Barbara Chapman in conversation with Angela Ogier.

 Barbara captivated the audience with candid reflections from her leadership journey, sharing practical wisdom, humour, and memorable one-liners. Key takeaways included the importance of building trust—"trust is paramount"—and her straightforward leadership philosophy: "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

 A standout moment was Barbara's advice on navigating tough leadership challenges: build a trusted circle around you. Whether it's making difficult decisions or celebrating successes, having a group you can rely on matters. As Barbara put it, sometimes you need an "emergency drink" with your trusted leadership team to talk things through.

The event brought together wāhine from across the energy sector for a morning of connection, learning, and inspiration. Barbara's authenticity and practical insights left attendees with a powerful reminder that great leadership starts with trust, courage, and strong relationships.

Wellington networking event brings people together

It was fantastic to see so many people join us in Wellington for our latest Ngākau Hihiko networking event, hosted by AECOM. We brought together women and allies from across the sector for meaningful conversations, connections and shared learning.

 We took a moment to reflect on how far Ngākau Hihiko has come, the impact we’ve had, and the opportunities ahead.

 Jackie Saunders, Sector Lead – Transmission & Distribution at AECOM, then shared insights from her engineering and leadership as she’s moved around the world, tried new things, and reflected on the things she’s learnt and who she learnt from. The themes from Jackie’s talk were saying yes to new experiences, always keep learning, and stay true to who you are.

 Events like these provide the opportunity to connect with people beyond our own organisations. Every conversation helps amplify diverse voices, supports growth of women in the industry, and reminds us that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.