Nerm the Norse: Leadership Reflections From An Unconventional Career
| Tuesday, July 23, 2024 |
| 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM |
| Grand Benowa Ballroom |
Overview
Sarah (Norm) Stuart-Black: QSO Secretary General at New Zealand Red Cross
Speaker
Norm Stuart-Black
Secretary General Secretary General
New Zealand Red Cross
Nerm the Norse: leadership reflections from an unconventional career
Abstract
Sarah, or Norm as she’s more commonly known, is a values-based leader, passionately people focussed. Having started out as a registered nurse, hers is an unconventional career. Norm has worked in emergency management for over 20 years, both at home in New Zealand and internationally. She led emergency management in New Zealand for six years in the statutory role of Director Civil Defence Emergency Management and the response and recovery from over 60 emergencies, including 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and tsunami, the 2017 Port Hills fires, the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and Whakaari / White Island eruption and the 2020 response to COVID-19 in New Zealand. Now as the Secretary General of New Zealand Red Cross she is leading the biggest transformative change in New Zealand Red Cross’ history. She acknowledges leadership is tough - knowing yourself, leading with courage and empathy and placing people at the heart of what you do is incredibly rewarding and also deeply challenging. Norm will share her experiences, insights and lessons from an unconventional career.
Biography
Sarah Stuart-Black joined New Zealand Red Cross as the Secretary General in December 2020 and was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to emergency management in 2021. Previous to her current role, she held the statutory role of Director Civil Defence Emergency Management for six years in the National Emergency Management Agency and in its predecessor, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management. Sarah has had a diverse range of experience within New Zealand and England, as well as Ethiopia, Niue and the Solomon Islands. She was a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment & Coordination Team for nine years and began her career as a registered nurse. Sarah has published a number of papers in international journals and has co-edited three books.
