Shadow a Leader

The Shadow a Leader programme invites New Zealand’s organisation leaders to provide an opportunity for an AUT business and law student and an Auckland secondary school student to ‘shadow’ them.

It's an innovative, industry-focused and educational initiative to support the development of future leaders of New Zealand.

Benefits of the Shadow a Leader programme

For organisation leaders: an opportunity to share stories and insights into their organisations
For students: an invaluable experience to spend a day in the professional world, exposing them to the skills and attributes to navigate a successful career in their chosen field

How it works

Teams of three

Each team consists of:

An organisation leader
An AUT Faculty of Business, Economics and Law student
A secondary school student

Organisation leaders are invited at the end of February to register their interest and select the day in the Shadow a Leader week that best suits their schedule. New organisations wanting to register are welcome to email the partnerships manager on belengagement@aut.ac.nz

AUT students studying business and law are invited to apply for a placement, taking into consideration their GPA, their final year of study in either undergraduate or postgraduate programmes, participation or being in leadership roles in student clubs, and recommendations by academics.

For the secondary school students, each student is nominated by their teachers or career advisor for showcasing leadership capability in conjunction with academic ability. These may include those students managing successful Young Enterprise Scheme initiatives.

What happens on the day

Shadow a Leader is offered for one week only with organisations locking in only one day in this week that suits their flexible working environment and availability. The agenda for the day is arranged by the organisation leader and may include strategy meetings, sales meetings, site visits, factory tours, HR consultation, product manufacturing, board meetings and senior staff meetings.

The student teams are given full independence to navigate their way to the location, present themselves to the leader and connect with their ‘buddy’. All participating students will be advised of which day they're attending their ‘Shadow a Leader’ day, details of the location (building floor and address), meet up time, contact information and any special requirements.

Feedback from participants

AUT students

Jospeh Sholji
^{Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Computer & Information Sciences}
^{Shadowed Nikko Asset Management}

“What stood out most was the opportunity to engage with a wide range of teams across the business. I was able to observe and connect with professionals in marketing, business operations, finance, data and legal, each offering unique insights into how their functions contribute to the firm’s overall success. It was inspiring to see the collaboration across departments and to learn how different skillsets come together in a corporate setting.”

Cindy Gam-He Kuang
^{Bachelor of Business}
^{Shadowed Fisher & Paykel Healthcare}

“Meeting marketing professionals and being immersed in the process of knowing each product that the team I was in works with and the process behind every launch. Also seeing how my degree relates to their work is eye-opening.”

Olivia Lincoln
^{Bachelor of Business}
^{Shadowed realestate.co.nz}

“Meeting the CEO - Sarah Wood - and learning about her job experience that led her to her role as CEO and hearing her advice to us as students. Also getting to go out with Nicole from the sales team to meet with clients from Bayleys, this was one highlight of the day because we got to see how realestate.co.nz actually makes their money and works with clients - it was really interesting to meet with different people.”

Sukirtha Krishnalingam
^{Bachelor of Business}
^{Shadowed KPMG New Zealand}

“I really enjoyed shadowing leaders from different areas, including tax for large businesses, SME tax, audit, and people and inclusion. One highlight was with the SME tax team, where I saw how they work through real client documents like profit and loss statements and discuss what extra information need. It gave me a clear picture of how they solve problems and communicate with clients. I also found it interesting to learn how the people and inclusion team helps create a positive culture across KPMG.”

Javiera Jaraquemada Atenas
^{Master of Supply Chain Management}
^{Shadowed Neptune Pacific Direct Line (NPDL)}

“Sharing the experience with a high school student made the visit even more meaningful. They’re at a stage of making important career decisions, and their curiosity brings a fresh perspective - different from that of a professional already on a specialised path. I spent a lot of time with my visiting companion, and it was truly special to share my journey and experiences with him.”

Rachel Stephanie
^{Master of Marketing}
^{Shadowed Fisher & Paykel Appliances}

“I especially appreciated the opportunity to sit in on meetings across different departments and observe the kinds of challenges they regularly face and work to solve. Being invited to attend an executive-level meeting was truly mind-blowing and such a rare, valuable experience. It’s not something you come across easily, and I’m genuinely grateful for that. Seeing the scope of the discussions, the long-term direction, and the strategic focus they maintain was both inspiring and eye-opening.”

Malaika Tasnia
^{Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws}
^{Shadowed Tompkins Wake Firm}

“I had the privilege of meeting and conversing with all the solicitors across various departments. These conversations were invaluable, offering diverse perspectives on legal practice and career paths. The pinnacle of this experience, however, was undoubtedly meeting the Honourable Raynor Asher KC at Richmond Chambers. It was an extraordinary opportunity to engage with such an influential and reputable figure in the legal community.”

Secondary school students

James Sharrow
^{St Peter’s College}
^{Shadowed Centre of Strategic Philanthropy}

“Firstly, the placement was extremely on point. I feel as if there is nowhere else that could’ve benefited me and also related to my personal life more than CSP. My specific highlight was the raw exposure to what a daily routine looks like for such a professional setting. The various lessons brought to light are so crucial and will help me in the future of my business venture.”

Tiffany Le
^{Botany Downs Secondary College}
^{Shadowed OneReg}

“A big highlight of my day was being able to sit down and speak with every team that contributed to the aspects of the company. From the CEO, marketing team, software team and many more, I gained such valuable insight into what it takes to run a company with success, good company culture, effective communication and the right mindset. I also enjoyed being able to partake in everyday tasks of the executive assistant, whether it was just doing mundane tasks or cooperating to the daily operations.”

Ben Wright
^{Mount Albert Grammar School}
^{Shadowed ANZ}

“I really enjoyed the experience as it offered a wide variety of different jobs at ANZ and allowed me to understand a wide range of career pathways which finance can take you in the future all in one business. By following around over ten people on the day helped understand life at ANZ and in the industry along with seeing how they work by being in their meetings and conferences.”

Saia Alatini
^{St Peter’s College}
^{Shadowed Neptune Pacific Direct Line}

“Gaining valuable experience and knowledge about a business, for example, we were given a tour of the warehouse, where we were given many answers to our questions about how everything works together. We were also able to sit in on a meeting where we saw that each member was able to adapt to others’ needs. By just watching our leader, I could see that she was an amazing leader by giving constructive criticism, valuable feedback and leading by example. Every team member seemed to contribute and more, seeming like a perfect work environment.”

Joana Tekori
^{Kelston Girls' College}
^{Shadowed KPMG New Zealand}

“One of the biggest highlights for me was witnessing how the KPMG team worked together with such professionalism, warmth and respect. From the moment I arrived, I felt genuinely welcomed. Listening to Cameron’s words of encouragement and seeing strong leadership in action inspired me to keep striving to be the best version of myself. It was more than just shadowing leaders; it was an experience I’ll always remember. We got fed three times and honestly, they had the best feeds ever! I really hope to experience more shadowing like this in the future as I move forward from here.”

Vanisha Bhana
^{Rangitoto College}
^{Shadowed Les Mills International}

“The highlight of my Shadow a Leader was going into meetings and getting a real understanding of how people work together and what kind of things are commonly discussed within a meeting. We also met with different individuals to discuss different aspects of the business such as pricing, budgets and equipment. This allowed us to see the how different departments work together. We were also able to see their newest product that hasn't been released yet which was amazing to see.”

Organisation leaders

Kelly Skelton
^{Customer Experience Design & Standards Manager – Auckland Transport}

“The two students, Mana and Claire, were a delight to host. They were curious and interested, they asked lots of relevant questions and listened well. They were confident and interacted with lots of people across the business, making the most of the opportunity. I also really enjoyed being able to offer advice and share some of the things I've learnt across my career with them.”

Anne Chen
^{Global Product Manager – Fisher & Paykel Appliances}

“Engaging with the students and hearing about what they are studying, their interests, where they want to go and how they are thinking about their career. It's also refreshing to be reminded of how we can all benefit from using a beginner's mindset to think about things differently.”

Carl Ferguson
^{Head of Finance Transformation – ASB Bank}

“Great participation from our student participants Ben and Pitou. They are proactive, mature and curious with great questions throughout the day. They also helped us brainstorm a real-time finance transformation problem!”

Jon Murray
^{GM Architecture – Air New Zealand}

“The enthusiasm of the students that joined me, they were excited to learn as much as possible about the airline and the future of digital and the workforce with AI.”

Sabine Roberts
^{Global Commercial Director – Les Mills International}

“I was impressed by the maturity of the high school student. He was fully engaged, asked thoughtful questions and shared smart ideas during the meetings I invited him to. He showed real curiosity and maturity well beyond his years.”

Scott Winnard
^{Senior Legal Counsel - Vector}

“The eagerness of the student to learn and be exposed to a workday in the life of our legal team was great. They were clearly paying attention because they asked insightful questions.”

Julian Benefield
^{General Counsel – Foodstuffs North Island}

“Just spending time with bright young and engaging students who have their exciting careers ahead of them! Good refreshing and energising experience.”

Cameron Holmes
^{National Operations Lead - Datacom}

“I enjoy the sheer enthusiasm the shadowers brought to the day. It is refreshing to see the drive that new people in the industry or aspiring entrepreneurs have.”

Luan Howitt
^{General Manager, Just Life Group}

“Listening to the positive feedback from the students at the end of the day - they all appeared to have enjoyed their experience. This was the most engaged group of students in the 3 years I have been involved in Shadow a Leader.”