BUSINESS AS (un)USUAL: MENTORING BEGINS FOR 2020 ARCHER LEADERS

Overcoming challenges posed by COVID-19, KTF is delighted to announce our cohort of incredible mentors for the 2020 Archer Leaders Development Program. In its 10th year of finding and fostering PNG’s leaders of the future, the Archer Program takes a group of final year tertiary students on a year-long, experiential leadership development journey. 

Key to the program is the connection with a mentor: business, NGO and government leaders who have extensive knowledge and experience in PNG and understand its leadership challenges. Mentors are selected and matched with the Archer Leaders according to their professional background, experience and interests to maximise their potential. Mentors provide guidance, support and coaching throughout the course of their experiential leadership year.

We are thrilled to welcome this year’s mentors to the program:

  • Ipul Powaseu (PhD at Deakin University on social implications of disability on development; Founder & Chair of PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons) is mentoring Peterson Mathius (UPNG, Law)

  • Bernie Egan (KTF director, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) is mentoring Keren Mahabi (UPNG, Banking & Finance)

  • Michael Usher (Journalist, Presenter, Channel 7, The Latest) is mentoring Elizabeth Guka (UPNG, Journalism)

  • Meghan Toka (MD Fairfax Consultants) is mentoring Valisha Pala (UPNG, Environmental Science)

  • Tim Hewitt (VP, Commercial Legal, Marelli) is mentoring James Lunge (UPNG, Law)

  • Major Scott Hahn (Australian Defence Force) & Dr Matt Kelly (General Practitioner) are mentoring Perry Koninda (UPNG, Medicine)

  • Zoe Williams (Executive Coach) is mentoring Conscilliah Menda (Divine Word University, Medicine)

  • Anna Madgwick (Manager, Social Investment and National Engagement (PNG) with Newcrest Mining) is mentoring John Robert Villegas (UNITECH, Civil Engineering)

Dr Andrew Moutu will again be Chief Mentor, overseeing and supporting this extraordinary group of new mentors, providing inspiration, direction and encouragement for the mentoring pairs. Dr Moutu is the Director of the PNG National Museum and Art Gallery and serves on KTF’s board of directors. 

During the year, the Archers will be exploring the concept of “leadership” within the framework of Harvard University’s Adaptive Leadership Model. In addition to the mentoring program, the program also supports work experience placements, seed funding and support for community development projects, tuition fee and educational resources support, and a leadership exchange program to Australia.

Dr Genevieve Nelson, CEO of KTF says: “We are absolutely delighted with the high calibre of mentors we have secured for this year’s program and greatly appreciate their support of our Archers in these uncertain global times, with COVID-19 changing every aspect of society. The beauty of mentoring is that it can commence immediately, with mentors using technology to work with the students throughout the year as they embark on their adaptive leadership journey and provide critical support and growth to the young leader’s journeys. We have made other necessary adjustments to the Archer program, including postponing the Australian exchange program to the end of the year; and we are commencing a series of additional leadership workshops that will be delivered via Zoom. The current environment is indeed providing a real-time case study of Adaptive Leadership in action.”

We give our heartfelt thanks to Perpetual Trustees, via the Fred P. Archer Trust, Newcrest Mining and the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture for their ongoing generosity in funding the Archer Leaders Development Program. For more on the program, click here.

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