neds

Bosnian-born Gorana Saula speaks three languages, has three passports, four drivers’ licenses and loves to travel. And with her passion for gadgets and all things tech it’s no wonder friends of the former CEO and electronics engineer call her James Bond. 

The Non Executive Director has had a wide range of executive leadership roles in defense, telecommunications, and electronics manufacturing.

Attending university in Croatia she holds two master's degrees in electronics and business and is known as a woman who loves innovation - her first job out of uni was leading a project to develop tech for self-guided missiles.

Gorana has experience working in many countries - from Germany and California to New Zealand and Brisbane - and brings a different perspective and international mindset and cultural sensitivity to all her organisations.

In this podcast she talks to Claire Braund about making the dangerous journey from war-torn former Yugoslavia with her husband and two children, leaving behind her mother and disabled brother without knowing if she would ever see them again and how she went from arriving in New Zealand speaking very little English to becoming Director of Engineering in a microwave networking solutions provider, eventually leading it to become the only private New Zealand company listed on the NASDAQ. 

She also reflects on the challenges of attracting top talent, particularly during the dot.com era and mining boom, pointing to the importance of offering employees a good work-life balance to pursue their passions.

A self-described ‘champion for product innovation’ Gorana now chairs three boards and brings her deep expertise to organisations that create and innovate. 

LinkedIn Gorana Saula

Claire Braund (host)

Further Information:

• WOB membership, events & services, please visit our website.

• To receive our weekly newsletter, subscribe to WOB as a Basic Member (free).

Join as a Full Member for just for full access to our Board Vacancies, WOBShare (our online member platform) and more.

Originally released on the GARP Risk Podcast on July 16, 2020.

In this episode of the Climate Risk Podcast series, we are moving beyond financial services to look at how climate change will affect firms in the real economy. We will be joined by Julie Baddeley, one of the UK’s most experienced women directors, who will be sharing insights on this topic from the perspective of the Board.

Julie is also one of the founders of Chapter Zero, a fast-growing network for Chairs, Committee Chairs and Non-Executive Directors. Chapter Zero has been established to provide support, education and tools to this important group on the matters of climate change and the associated risks and opportunities. Links to find out more about Chapter Zero, as well as some of there useful educational tools, can be found below.

Links from today’s discussion

• Chapter Zero’s Website: https://www.chapterzero.org.uk/
• Chapter Zero’s Toolkit for Boards: https://www.chapterzero.org.uk/toolkit/
• Chapter Zero’s Change Management Toolkit: https://www.chapterzero.org.uk/change-management/
• GARP’s 2020 Survey of Climate Risk Management at Financial Firms: https://climate.garp.org/insight/second-annual-global-survey-of-climate-risk-management-at-financial-firms/

If you have any questions, thoughts or feedback regarding this podcast series, we would love to hear from you. Please email us at: climateriskpodcast@garp.com

Julie Baddeley - Chair of Steering Group, Chapter Zero

Julie Baddeley is one of the UK’s most experienced women directors having served in an executive and non-executive capacity on the boards of leading companies in the FTSE 100 and 250 indices, as well as major public sector organisations.

In 2001 she moved to a portfolio career and has served as a director across a range of sectors including consumer, retail, financial services, professional services and global industrial. She was chairman of global recruitment company Harvey Nash plc until its sale in 2018.

At the Said Business School, Julie coached top business teams from around the world on the execution of business strategy, having previously been the partner in charge of Accenture’s change management practice in Europe. She was Executive Director at Woolwich plc responsible for HR, IT and the insurance businesses.

Julie is active in raising the awareness of boards of UK quoted companies on the impact of climate change on their business models and balance sheets, and the impact they are having on the global climate. She is Director of the Hughes Hall Centre for Climate Change Engagement, which aims to bring Cambridge University thinking on climate science, law, regulation, risk and communication into the boardroom.

Once again the dulcet tones of Joey T. and T. Mac fill your ears with the wonderful noise of Jacket Audio #4.