Dr Lesley McTurk

Dr Lesley McTurk was one of the trailblazing women to receive an MBA from the University of Auckland.  She graduated in 1989 when it was a three-year degree.

“It was the second year of the MBA programme and doing an MBA had a real cachet. It was a class of 30 and only six of us were women. Many of this class went on to be very successful chief executives (Lester Levy, Lee Mathias, Les McCarthy, Pat Denham, to name a few).”

The biggest take-away after achieving her MBA – the world really could be her oyster.  “Everything seemed possible and there were great opportunities in the late 1980s. I felt a profound sense of being well equipped to understand the corporate and business world.”

Lesley’s MBA was completely immersive with lectures from 8am – 1pm, two days each week, syndicate groups and trips away for team building. Very full-on and life-defining.

“We all juggled our work with that – I recall often finishing assignments at 3am or 4am. We used to worry that over time there would be a “devaluing of the currency” of the MBA, but that is very hard to judge over the period since 1986, things need to adapt to changing times.”

Her favourite subject was Economics.  “I did my MBA during the 1987 sharemarket crash and Rogernomics – huge changes to our society happening – the scales fell from my eyes being able to really understand what was going on and why. Although all our lecturers were passionate and inspiring, we had the best of them, everything was fascinating. The MBA opened up a whole new world. In my undergraduate degree I had majored in philosophy and education and was able to apply those disciplines to real-world areas.”

Lesley believed the MBA would enable a fast-track up through management and that proved true, even though she spent a further three years at university doing her doctorate.

Studying at university has been a life-long exercise for Lesley as she went on to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies from Canterbury University in 2013.

Before the MBA her only experience was in low-paid casual work as she was a solo mother and didn’t have experience in the business world.  “I had just finished my BA with distinction. The MBA programme took a real punt on me as I was young (32) and had just started my first “proper” job for the Auckland Hospital Board.

“I changed jobs twice during the MBA, ending up working for United Building Society as a regional manager. After the MBA I did my PhD in Glasgow, alongside lots of teaching at Medical Schools and the Open University throughout the UK, then became a lecturer in Applied Ethics at Queen’s University of Belfast for a few years.

“I returned to New Zealand in 1994 to take up the position of chief executive of Mercy Hospital in Auckland and that was the start of 20 years’ in leadership roles: Director of Southern Cross Hospitals, then chief executive of Christchurch City Council and finally chief executive of Housing New Zealand.” She has also been trustee of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, chair of MOTAT, trustee of St John Priory Trust Board and is still on the board of a private hospital.

Lesley’s current role is running a public health service and also does consulting work for Treasury. “I just seem to get busier and busier!”

Lesley feels that being a mother and now grandmother, dwarfs all her other achievements, although her jobs are the canvas on which her life is painted and shapes who she is.

“The MBA kick-started that process – it enabled me to reach my potential and led to roles where I could fully express my capabilities.”

Working in public sector positions was both a privilege and also at times frustrating.

“A public sector chief executive’s role truly is as a servant – to serve the people, the public, to enact policies and provide the best services, to serve the government of the day. The organisations I ran were large, between 1,200 and 2,400 employees – so strong leadership was key, lots of employment relations and change management. In these roles I most enjoyed leading people and developing and implementing strategy.”

The position of women in chief executive roles? “At the time it never really occurred to me that I was often the first woman at my level in that role, I just got on with it. When I was chief executive of Christchurch City Council, there was a constellation of women in top positions (Prime Minister Helen Clark, Governor-General Hon Dame Silvia Cartwright, Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias, Deputy Commissioner of the Police Sandra Manderson).”

Lesley sees women achieving in chief executive roles, at least as well as men, but not in numbers.

“When I got my first chief executive role my daughter was 20, so I could work as long and hard as I needed to! Family considerations are very real for women and rightly so, as we get older family is paramount, not how well we did in a job.”

Lesley splits time between her Waiheke home and city pad and enjoys both. “It feels like I go on holiday every week.”

In October she is going to South Georgia – it’s a Shackleton Centenary Year Expedition with the Antarctic Heritage Trust. This tops off Lesley’s love and fascination for Antarctica. Beyond work, she is chair of a large body corporate, is on a board and is a gateway reviewer.  Then there is love for her Waiheke garden, her dog, swimming, reading, time with friends, attending interesting lectures, writers’ festivals – and closely following politics.