We have recently welcomed several new Board directors. Over the coming issues of Gatherings, we’ll meet them and learn a little more about them. Today, we meet our new Aotearoa New Zealand director, Meredith Thatcher, who shares her motivation for joining the Board, her love for reading and the superpower she wishes she had.
Can you tell us a little bit about you?
Auckland, the city of sails, is my current home. I’m a full-time content consultant for Write Group, which offers content, training and consulting services to clients in New Zealand and Australia, and beyond. Before Write, I was the publications manager in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra. I became an Accredited Editor when I sat the first IPEd accreditation exam there.
My strengths are contextual intelligence, analytical skills and quick, adaptive thinking. I’m a project manager, researcher, technical writer, editor and proofreader. I also coach clients on topics such as critical thinking, and help write grant proposals. Untangling complexity is my focus. My specialties are defence and military, incident response, security, utilities, insurance and academia. I’ve held non-legal roles in large commercial law firms in NZ, I’ve been a sole trader in Australia, and I am a published author.
What most excites you about this new role?
My heart has 2 geographic homes: Aotearoa and Australia. I look forward to representing Editors ANZ, the New Zealand branch, on the IPEd Board for the next 2 years. I live across the ditch from main IPEd, but I’m keen to ditch that ditch by fostering and furthering beneficial connections between the 2 countries.
Why did you decide to join the IPEd Board?
I joined the IPEd Board to give back. Over the years, I’ve volunteered for a few IPEd tasks. My main contribution has been helping with the conference. The IPEd Board is the next logical step in giving back. Joining the Board reflects my previous roles too. My interests across the executive and governance aspects of businesses and other organisations have continued since my days in law firms.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy reading. Do any editors not read for fun? I prefer nonfiction but have resumed reading fiction after many years. I’m trying to not check for errors. I enjoy problem solving of complex puzzles, and playing Scrabble too. Over summer, I’ll be using my tri-fold water rower. I’m also buying a recumbent bike. Both are for use indoors.
What is something people mightn’t know about you?
You might not know that I like to read the end of a book first, to see how the writer arrived at their ending. I’ve been doing this since I borrowed a library book as a child only to find the last page missing. Now, a final bit about me – I’m an INTJ personality [Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging] who would choose the ability to manipulate matter as my superpower.