Ngā Hoa Kaipakihi | Partnerships
The world has vastly changed since Mainfreight hosted its first management development course at Outward Bound, yet little has changed in the eight-day course.
Since 2002, the global supply chain business and Outward Bound have welcomed 610 of the Mainfreight team to Anakiwa, making up 56 watches from 332 branches spanning 26 countries where the business operates today.
Martin Devereux is Mainfreight Group Manager – Team Development, a foundation student from the company’s first course and kaitiaki of the Mainfreight Outward Bound courses.
Martin Devereux Mainfreight Group ManagerTeam Development
“There’s a prestige associated with going to Outward Bound. If you’ve been, it’s because the business recognises your leadership skills and potential to grow further. It’s a special part of our business. Last year, we were proud to have celebrated the twentieth anniversary of working with Outward Bound.
“We’re known as a company which invests in our people. The Outward Bound course is not the only programme in our people development strategy, but it’s considered the ‘wow’ course because, for most, it involves getting on a plane and travelling to New Zealand for a fun adventure. It’s a custom-designed course, and every aspect of the leadership content is relevant to the Mainfreight world.”
For Kiwis, Outward Bound is a familiar-sounding place, but it's a great unknown to Mainfreight people in New York City or Mumbai.
“We have people who arrive from our China branches who have never swam in an ocean,” he says.
The course challenges the team to examine the role of being a leader and all that leadership brings with it. Daily challenges drive the team to compete for selection by their peers as the 'leader'. They self-critique and receive honest feedback from the team on their performance.
Carla Leslie is one of these leaders who came in September 2023. Pre-course, the Salt Lake City Branch Manager said not knowing what the team were going to be doing from hour to hour caused her a good amount of anxiety.
“I learned that if I focus more on what is next, I will never really learn from the obstacles I face now. As leaders, we need to be resilient and have the ability to overcome adversity. This allows us to handle stress, setbacks, and challenging situations at work.”
Martin says the course hasn’t changed much in twenty-one years.
“The selection criteria was once those who we thought were the next generation of leaders. Six years ago, we realised there possibly wasn't enough rigour applied in this process, which had become almost habitual. We continue to identify new leaders who have achieved, but now we invite people who can achieve more.”
Mainfreight Lyon Branch Manager, Sandra Brun was ready to step up in her job when she arrived in Anakiwa in September this year.
“At Outward Bound, you can’t hide behind yourself. Every day and every activity are unique and challenging, particularly during solo time. How satisfying it is to go beyond your limits!"
“I've made progress in overcoming my fears and barriers, and I've found within myself and through the rest of the watch the philosophy of mutual support and the strength of being a team.”
Martin says the customised aspect of the course design means Mainfreight can be agile in its delivery.
“If improvements can be made, we make them. For example, there used to be three or four hours between our arrival in Picton and when the instructors would meet us. We cut this right back to maximise our time on the course.”
Outward Bound Chief Executive Malindi MacLean agrees the course has benefited from refinement over the years.
“We’ve found the sweet spot where we can work together to have an amazing impact on the Mainfreight team, and in turn, this has had an amazing impact on Outward Bound.
“Mainfreight is a special company, and their team are special. In a dynamic and fast-paced company like Mainfreight, the lessons from Outward Bound show through in terms of resilience, teamwork and setting high standards.”
She says over the two decades, the organisations have walked alongside each other through ups and downs and learned from each other.
“They feel like family. Ultimately, Mainfreight and Outward Bound are people and future-focused organisations.”
Martin agrees, “Like any long relationship spanning 20 years or more, we are at risk of being that married couple that has stopped listening to each other. We have learned to put the time aside to talk and ensure the people in our business and the Outward Bound management and delivery teams are aligned. Today we have a really good relationship.”
Originally the course was facilitated by Ali Tocker, who set the foundations for former Outward Bound instructor Dallis Parker-Waters, who has facilitated the courses since 2007.
“Dallis deeply understands Mainfreight and has watched the business grow and evolve - the changes she’s made to the course are small, but they’re there,” said Martin.
One of the adjustments made in 2012 was adding a post-course day in Auckland.
“We wouldn’t want to have the course outside of New Zealand as part of the experience is leaving Outward Bound and returning to Auckland on Monday to spend their last day in our Auckland office - the home of Mainfreight. They meet our CEO Don Braid, and immerse themselves in forward planning.”
Don says he is proud of the business’ longstanding partnership with the outdoor education charity.
“We are proud of Mainfreight’s twenty-plus year association with Outward Bound and we have no intention of this ever changing. It has helped our people’s continuous growth and success and is a testament to the power of collaboration and shared values."
Next year, Mainfreight will lift the number of courses from three to four.
“Twenty-one years has been special. Our alumni team has supported each other through engagements, marriages and breakups. The relationships between the people that span our regions are critical. In their hour of need, our people have these honest relationships they’ve formed at Outward Bound to get them through,” says Martin.
“There’s an authenticity that doesn't always exist in relationships, but they do with our people who have experienced Outward Bound.”
Pictured: Outward Bound Kaiako | Instructor Claire, left, and two Mainfreight students, May 2023.
Pictured: Neil Marolia - Head of Marketing, Fidelity Life
In July, Outward Bound and Fidelity Life celebrated the first year of a three-year collaboration that enables young New Zealanders, financial advisers and Fidelity Life staff to attend Outward Bound courses.
Fidelity Life is New Zealand’s largest locally-owned life insurance company, protecting over 304,000 customers and working with 1,800 financial advisers nationwide. Fidelity Life's Head of Marketing, Neil Marolia says the sponsorship was established to provide more New Zealanders access to Outward Bound.
“As part of our broader environmental, social and governance ambitions, we were looking to make a difference in the everyday lives of New Zealanders, something that had strong alignment with who we are and what we do, and to find opportunities to involve our people, customers and advisers. For young people, we wanted them to tap into their potential and form strong connections to self, others and nature.
“For our staff and advisers, we wanted to open up opportunities to nurture their talent. Outward Bound was a natural fit.”
Fidelity Life’s generosity has allowed 20 rangatahi aged 18-26 to attend a 21-day Classic course designed to unlock their potential through outdoor challenges.
Two five-day programmes for advisers and staff have also been created; Realise Your Potential is open to nominations for advisers to attend, while Adventurous Leaders is open to Fidelity Life staff. Five advisers and seven Fidelity Life staff attended in the first year of the partnership.
“Investing in the development and futures of advisers and our people allows us to tell rich stories to customers, advisers, and staff. Everyone's story is unique, and how people connect and engage with these diverse experiences are the life-changing impacts of Outward Bound."
One adviser who took a leap of faith and went to Outward Bound is Laken Gollop from Tauranga. Laken says the course was enlightening, fun and challenging.
"I learned things about myself and have taken those learnings into everyday life and at work, especially around teams - understanding that every person's role and personality is important to make teams work."
Neil also experienced the Adventurous Leaders programme, an experience he calls life-changing.
“It was incredible. I came back with a clear mind and feeling I’ve got more to give the world. I feel more present and connected to the people around me. Five days away with no phone or connection to the outside world helped me realise how ‘on’ I am in the real world. Now I have a feeling of being present with what’s important; the people around me and what needs to be done.”
Outward Bound Chief Executive Malindi MacLean says the Fidelity Life sponsorship has been successful as both organisations are deeply committed to a better future for New Zealanders.
Pictured: Fidelity Life staff member, James Fleet
“Outward Bound is an antidote to the pressures of today. It’s a privilege that we’ve been a small part in helping Fidelity Life build their resilience and leadership to serve our communities better.”
In February, Della-May Vining attended a Classic course as a scholarship recipient.
“I expected to have a ‘eureka’ moment. When it didn’t happen, I remember feeling disappointed. Then came the revelation about how distracted and preoccupied I’d become about expectations. In a sporting sense, I’d put pressure on myself to achieve certain things or to perform in certain ways. Learning to let go, live in the moment, and lighten the mental load of expectations I’d been carrying was game-changing.”
Pictured: Della-May (front row, second from right) Cook 698
Neil says the course outcomes have given the company a sense of pride.
“In an internal survey, we asked if our people felt good about working for a company that supports the New Zealand community, and one hundred percent agreed or strongly agreed. Much of this is due to our Outward Bound and Bellyful sponsorships which launched simultaneously.
“Not only have our people experienced Outward Bound and benefitted first-hand personally and professionally, but it's also given the wider organisation pride in supporting and making a difference to the lives of New Zealanders.”
Chef Marcel Rood can’t say enough about how valuable and well received the support of our partners Duncan Venison and Hubbards is by students:
‘Our students are always so impressed to hear that we’re using Duncan Venison in our dinners – it’s a privilege for us to be able to offer such a high-quality New Zealand product in our dining hall. This is a real reward for students & staff after a hard day in the field’.
‘For many of our students, it’s a real treat to have Hubbards cereal at breakfast. The good nutritional profile really sets our students up for success throughout their day, and of course our staff love it too. We’re proud to display the Hubbards brand on our breakfast tables in the morning - it’s such a great support to all of us here in Anakiwa.’
Thank you for your continued support Duncan Venison and Hubbards. We’re excited to continue offering your high quality products to fuel students on their Outward Bound journeys.
Pictured: Hiromi & Sabine from Outward Bound's Catering team.
Over the past 12 months, our students consumed:
Pictured: Malindi MacLean, Outward Bound CE
Outward Bound and Hyundai Pinnacle Programme have enjoyed a valuable partnership for over a decade. Hyundai continues to be at the forefront of electric vehicle technology and has played an important role in supporting Outward Bound to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. With the sponsorship of two EV vehicles – the Kona and IONIC - in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Pōneke Wellington, the Outward Bound team can service key relationships around the city and in the regions with a reduced environmental footprint.
Both the Kona and IONIC are full EVs and emit 0 CO2 Per km. The cars are ‘fueled’ once a week and take approximately 30 minutes to charge. We estimate the cars drive 500km each week.
The EVs charge costs the equivalent of buying petrol at $0.4 per Litre and an estimated cost of $0.16 per km driven.
We’d like to thank our partners at Hyundai Pinnacle Programme for supporting Outward Bound to reduce our annual emissions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Hyundai in the future.
