Business leader Dame Therese Walsh muses on the science of luck, global relationships and equilibrium in her wish list for this year
Comment: A couple of months ago I stood in the vastness of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Desert in Antarctica.
It is a place visited by few humans where it hasn’t rained for millions of years and there are pockets of water trapped underground that date back longer than I can imagine.
While I wasn’t alone, it felt that way, such was the sheer magnitude of the place. Of course, I was very privileged to be there and if you are wondering why, it is because I am on the board of Antarctica NZ.
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Others before me had said being there is like looking into the soul of the universe, and it is to some extent a spiritual experience and I would have to agree.
After all the strangeness of Covid and lockdowns, and then a raft of frenzied international travel once the borders opened it was a peaceful and soul-searching place to be and had a profound effect on me as I head into 2023.
These are my five wishes.
1. Equilibrium
I hope we can as a country and more broadly around the globe find some peace or sense of equilibrium.
While that might seem a trite thing to say, I think any of us who are involved in front line businesses experience some of the pent-up frustration and impatience out there, and I think we can all “feel it” as we move through our daily lives.
It feels like there has been a fundamental shift in society which is mirrored offshore and exacerbates a sense of distrust, isolation, and extremism.
That is a difficult thing to deal with, not easily solved and given my word count won’t allow anything more I just hope this holiday season is a very restorative one for us all that allows us to channel some of the stillness of the Dry Valleys.
2. Climate impact
One of my wishes for 2023 must be that the work we do as a country to mitigate the impacts of climate change gathers momentum.
I learnt of the significant impact climate change will have on the size of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica, a huge floating expanse of ice twice the size of New Zealand. It’s a place on which the world depends, where you would hope there would be limited impact, but not so.
It is troubling, and I have already resolved that the work I contribute to Chapter Zero NZ the Director’s Climate Change initiative must step up in 2023.
Our last Chapter Zero event in 2022 featured Sir Jonathan Porritt, a high-profile sustainability warrior and broadcaster in the UK.
He gave a keynote address on the subject and bizarrely mentioned sperm count and how it had decreased 60 percent in 50 years likely due to chemicalisation.
Wow! I didn’t know and here was I thinking we just needed to save the bees, trees, and seas ... While sperm count is not personally a big issue for me, being a mother of two adult children, I am always surprised at what an all-inclusive issue environmental change is turning out to be.
3. Social support
Thirdly, I hope every New Zealand household holds up well through the economic changes we are facing.
We all know we are in a tightening cycle and some type of recession is imminent. But we don’t know how fast and how severe those impacts will be in 2023.
I hope every household can plan for and cope with the worst, and the actual outcomes are not that bad. At ASB Bank we know there are people who will face difficult circumstances during this recessionary period so being mindful of our customers' circumstances will be key to assisting them to cope.
I also know from my connection with the homeless sector that financial distress can be a catalyst for other types of distress, so now more than ever I hope that the organisations at the front line of social services receive all the support they need.
4. Strong global relationships
I hope for uncharacteristically good weather in July and August when the world (but especially the US) descends on Aotearoa for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. We have enjoyed a lot of help from the weather gods over the years during global sporting events we host here.
I remember when I was heading up the Cricket World Cup in 2015 and appealing strongly to them ahead of the NZ v England match In Wellington and that day felt like we were in the Caribbean! So, I will be chatting to them again for another favour because I want them all to enjoy this fabulous country and go home saying great things about us.
On that note I hope our ability to travel continues and that we keep stretching our legs as a country out there. Like many of you I started travelling offshore again in 2022, and like many of you it was a strange experience like forgetting how to ride a bike.
I know I am biased because I work for an airline but standing in Times Square New York after travelling on Air NZ’s inaugural direct flight there was amazing.
This small country thrives on strong international trade relationships brought to bear by strong personal relationships. So, 2023 is critical in that regard.
5. The science of luck
I have given a lot of thought to how I can personally create positive impacts on everything I am involved with, but just to be on the safe side how I can also conjure up lots of good luck.
There is a science to luck according to some researchers and a speaker I listened to recently.
One university study showed that lucky people smile and make eye contact more often, so if you see me and I am smiling or winking at you it will be because I am creating my own luck!
I wish good luck and good things for all Kiwis in 2023.
