MAS Future Practitioner Director Programme

To support the pipeline of new governance talent onto the MAS Board, we are offering a new Future Practitioner Director Programme.

In 1921, MAS was founded by doctors. Although we now welcome Members from other professions, we have stayed true to our roots by having dedicated positions around our Board table reserved for MAS Members who are doctors, dentists or veterinarians. These roles are important to ensure that MAS products and services effectively represent the needs of our core group of Members. 

It can be challenging for a busy health professional to acquire the necessary skills and experience to transition into governance roles, especially corporate governance roles outside of the health sector and in complex financial services organisations like MAS.  

Through the MAS Future Practitioner Director Programme, we hope to lift corporate governance experience in the medical, dental and veterinary professions.  

The Programme

MAS intends to offer a place for one person per annum to a practitioner Member: a doctor, dentist or veterinarian.  

We may offer to more than one person per annum if there are multiple talented applicants and where an applicant may only want to attend courses and not board meetings.  

The Programme is intended to be as flexible as possible and tailored to the applicant. We aim to broadly support the governance development plans of eligible doctors, dentists or veterinarians, whatever those plans may look like.  

The programme could include any one or a combination, of: 

1. MAS paying for the attendance a governance course or courses in New Zealand, such as those offered by the Institute of Directors and the Chartered Governance Institute. 
2. Attendance at MAS Board and Board Committee meetings as an observer. MAS would fund the travel, accommodation and food expenses to attend and observe those meetings. As a participant in the Programme, you would be expected to read papers and contribute at meetings and engage with the management team and directors between meetings. The role would be non-voting. 
3. Coaching/mentoring and development advice from MAS’s management team and directors on your governance plans.  

Additional considerations 

Other governance opportunities 

We will also consider other governance development opportunities you identify, which you can pitch to us in your cover letter. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  

Flexibility to do the programme over multiple years 

We also appreciate that as a busy practitioner you may want to apply to spread your Director Programme attendance across multiple years. This means that instead of trying to do a year’s worth of Board meetings and any coursework across the one year, you could opt to complete it over a longer period of time. For example, over 2 to 3 years. This will ensure that you can balance practising as a doctor, dentist or veterinarian plus your other commitments, with this MAS programme. 

Application timing 

How to apply 

To apply, you must: 

1. Be resident in New Zealand.  
2. Be a ‘Full Member’ of MAS – that is, a registered doctor, dentist, or veterinarian in good standing, with a current annual practising certificate, and who currently holds a MAS product. 
3. Have experience or actively demonstrated an interest in governance. 
4. Submit a CV and cover letter to scholarships@mas.co.nz by 3 June 2025. 
5. Address the following in your cover letter: 
   1. What are your governance goals? 
   2. What is your governance development plan? 
   3. How can the MAS Programme help you achieve those goals/that plan? 
   4. Are you seeking:  
         a. An observer position on the MAS board option 
         b. A contribution to a course or multiple courses, or 
         c. Both a) and b) above 
6. If you wish, you can also submit a short video supporting your candidacy and addressing the above points included in your cover letter. 
7. Ensure that you have read the terms and conditions carefully. 

Interview 

You may be asked to an interview with MAS in support of your application. 

Who to contact for questions 

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at scholarships@mas.co.nz. We will aim to reply within 3 to 5 working days.