About

The Ethics Conversation champions business and professional ethics through delivering engaging and often provocative in person ethics workshops or online webinars that:

• Support conduct risk initiatives
• Embed and operationalise Codes of Ethics
• Enable critical thinking around ethical culture and values
• Encourage speaking up and process that build trust and confidence
• Explore AI – the ethical questions to safeguard your business
• Support ethical decision making via a 7-step process
• Delve into behavioural ethics – the ways that humans typically think and act

The Ethics Conversation also provides ethics commentary on business topics of interest and supports businesses doing more to engage with ethics under a responsible investment and ESG banner. Connecting the Dots was one such example. Much of The Ethics Conversation founder Jane Arnotts perspective relates to the NZX Corporate Governance Code and Principle 1.

Principle 1 – Ethical Standards
“Directors should set high standards of ethical behaviour, model this behaviour and hold management accountable for these standards being followed throughout the organization.”

Recommendation 1.1
The board should document minimum standards of ethical behaviour to which the issuers directors and employees are expected to adhere (a code of ethics).
The code of ethics and where to find it should be communicated to the issuers employees. Training should be provided regularly.

View the NZX Corporate Governance Code

The behaviour you walk past is the behaviour you accept

Jane Arnott MNZM

Founder Jane Arnott MNZM has been presenting, writing and researching ethical governance for over 15 years. Within the New Zealand business marketplace Jane’s credentials are unique. Across health, finance, engineering and with a dedicated public sector workshop on speaking up, delivered through a Victoria University of Wellington subsidiary, Jane has earned respect and been recognised for her commitment to ethical engagement across the business spectrum.

She is an adjunct research fellow for the Brian Picot Chair in Ethical Leadership, School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington. In 2021 became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Jane led the market development of the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE), UK in New Zealand. She was appointed IBE Country Manager and Associate in 2008 a role she held for over 10 years. She has spoken at ethics conferences and workshops in the United States, Spain and UK.

Jane has a post graduate qualification from University of Auckland in Professional Ethics and has recently completed a new micro credential AI Ethics through the London School of Economics.

Her early career was spent across marketing and public affairs positions both inhouse and as a consultant. She has worked for Unilever, Kirk Roberts Engineering, South Auckland Health, Wood Council of New Zealand and Consultus in senior leadership roles and led a nationwide charity that held a strategic partnership with the Department of Conservation.

Craig Dowling ASSOCIATE

In joining as an Associate Craig supports and advocates for the significant role The Ethics Conversation plays in enhancing the place of ethics, speaking up and values-based decision making in organisational culture. Craig is strong in his belief that a focus on ethics, including articulating and embedding core values in processes and training, underpins a flourishing society. He has formerly worked in public affairs and communication roles in the public and private sector and across renewable energy, transport logistics, banking and finance and insurance industries. His other advocacy work has included campaigning for a young family battling local government and over known flood risks in a (wrong)fully consented sub division. Craig’s volunteer work has included support for a young New Zealander’s social and community skills programme for women in Kenya, and building capability through e-mentoring staff at a not-for-profit operating in Timor-Leste.

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Presentations and Workshops

PSK Private Wealth – Australia Conference presentations x 2
‘Is Your Ethical Radar Up to Speed?’

Human Resources Institute of New Zealand Workshop
Embedding Ethical Culture and Codes – webinar

Southern Cross Healthcare
Senior Leadership Teams x 3 workshops

Pinnacle Incorporated Society (Pin Inc) and Midlands Health Network (MHN)
Senior Leadership Team - webinars

Tourism Holdings
Senior Leadership Team – workshop

Financial Advice New Zealand, Professional Ethics CPD workshops x 32
(throughout 2021)
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FMG Professional and Business Ethics workshop

Insurance and Finance Ombudsman Professional and Business Ethics workshop

NZIBS Webinar Series 2021.
Webinar 3 – Ethics and Conflicts of Interest

Converge 19 Ethics and Compliance Conference, Hosted by Convercent*
Denver, Colorado
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Society of Local Government Managers, (SOLGM) Summit*
Napier Governance New Zealand, Auckland

Institute of Financial Advisers*
Wellington

Society of Independent Financial Advisers (SIFA)*
Wellington

‍ASIS International*
Auckland, Wellington

New Zealand Shareholders Association*
New Plymouth, Tauranga

Workforce Analytics and HR Data conference*
Auckland

Corporate Affairs and Communications Leaders’ Summit*
Auckland

RIMS – New Zealand and the Pacific*
Auckland

Engineering NZ
CPD Workshops Ethics Fundamentals and Ethics Masterclass

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* Undertaken in capacity as Associate, Institute of Business Ethics

Philippa Foster Back CBE

‍Philippa began her career in Corporate Treasury and Finance, prior to her appointment as Director of the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) in 2001 from which she stepped down in April 2020. In her IBE role Philippa was responsible for implementing strategy, leading the team and building the profile of IBE across regulators, listed and unlisted companies, professional membership bodies, educational institutions and charities. Her leadership ensured the Institute met its charitable aims, of raising awareness and spreading best practice nationally and internationally through research, publications, advisory and training in the field of business ethics.
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In 2006 she was awarded the OBE for services to the Ministry of Defence and in January 2014 she was awarded the CBE for services to UK Antarctic Heritage. In 2018 she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law from University of Warwick.In June 2020 she was appointed a Director of the Financial Markets Standards Board (FMSB Limited). Other current appointments include being a member of the BEIS/FRC Coalition Group looking at Corporate Governance in Large Unlisted Companies; a member of the Advisory Board of the D Group; a member of the PRCA Global Ethics Council; a member of the Finance Leasing Association (FLA) Stakeholder Advisory Panel; and Director of Barrier Biotech Ltd. Philippa is also Chairman of the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee.

Craig McFarlane
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‍Craig is an independent and full-time professional company director. He is one of the founders and a director of Report it Now - a global independent external reporting service. He chairs the Pinnacle Incorporated Executive Committee, Midlands Health Network Limited, LearningWorks Limited, Simply Dental Limited and Demolition Traders Limited.

Craig has an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK, has extensive offshore commercial experience, and holds additional directorships in waste, health, education, B2B consultancy, early childhood education, advertising as well as numerous not-for-profits and community groups.
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