Kiwi Start-up Board Directors paid up to $30,000 NZD per year, new research finds, 22% of that received by offshore directors

Leading start-up governance program, Onboard releases snapshot on Start-up Director Remuneration:

• Board chairs whilst paid more in remuneration, work an average of 150 hours more than Board directors per year, resulting in a pay imbalance 

• Onboard to announce 2025 cohort with record number applicants. Seventy percent of alumni go on to secure governance roles, continuing to deliver on program goal of building the next generation of startup directors

Auckland, New Zealand, 14 May 2025 – OnBoard, New Zealand’s leading start-up governance program, has announced its 2025 cohort alongside the findings from its latest data initiative, the Market Snapshot: New Zealand Start-up Director’s Remuneration.

Its newly released remuneration report is a market ‘pulse’ for what start-up directors are being compensated in New Zealand across different board roles and funding stages. The report contains data from over 100 start-up directors who submitted information on their board commitments and compensation arrangements. 

A Market Snapshot on Start-up Director Remuneration

The Market Snapshot: New Zealand Start-up Directors Remuneration report is designed to be a starting point for understanding how important start-up board work is valued and compensated. In a space where no sector specific data is collected, OnBoard’s Cassie McAdams and Sophie McLernon saw the need for a transparent snapshot. 

This report aims to provide clarity around real compensation trends and to empower individuals, especially our OnBoard Observers who often transition into paid board roles, to confidently advocate for fair, market-rate remuneration.

“The results provide a relatively straight forward band for start-up director compensation currently,” said Cassie McAdams, OnBoard Director and Chief of Staff at Ideally. “However, we would hate for this data to be treated as a benchmark for ‘fair’, or used as a target. Anecdotally, Kiwi directors are underpaid for their time compared to offshore counterparts, which is a blocker for globally orientated Kiwi companies chasing an offshore GTM focused director. US companies, for example, reward start-up directors in excess of 5 times that of directors on Kiwi companies, but it’s not about the company diverting precious cashflow, the directors are typically compensated in options. 

Key findings from the report include:

• New Zealand start-up directors earn NZ$25k–$46k annually (with reward being received in a mix of cash, share options or cash and share options). 

• Chairs receive 32% more in total annual compensation than independent directors. However, when assessed on an hourly basis, they earn 33% less due to their substantially greater time commitments.

• 48% of participating Investor directors received compensation, demonstrating a difference in approach by venture funds in New Zealand. 

• Directors spend approximately 90-100 hours per year on each board engagement (v’s Chair, averaging 250 hours per annum).

• Director’s average 9 board meetings per year, and the average number of board roles held is 3. 

• Regarding share options, almost 50% of directors receive their options at a tiny nominal price, and when asked about vesting period practices, the majority have a package with a longer vesting period than one year before they can exercise them. 

Welcoming the 2025 OnBoard Cohort

In addition to these findings, OnBoard is celebrating its 2025 cohort. Now in its sixth year, OnBoard continues to set the benchmark for start-up governance, addressing key challenges in board diversity and fostering the success of the New Zealand start-up ecosystem.

Selected from a record number of applicants, this year’s participants reflect the accelerator’s ongoing commitment to increasing diversity in governance.

• 83% of OnBoard Observers come from underrepresented groups in tech.

• 70% of this year’s cohort are women.

• 67% of alumni have gone on to secure governance roles following the program.

“Each year, we’re seeing a growing number of boards eager to host Observers,” said Sophie McLernon, “It’s a strong signal that boards are increasingly recognising the value and fresh perspective that Observers bring to the table.”

Driving the Future of Governance

Since its launch in 2020, 105 individuals have participated in OnBoard’s program, gaining hands-on governance experience with leading tech start-ups and growth companies, and  70% of alumni have gone on to secure governance roles following the program. 

OnBoard’s hosts this year include Extraordinary, Simfuni, Mindhive, Preno, with previous hosts including Tracksuit, Basis, Zincovery, Aspiring Materials, Landlord Studios, ProjectWorks, and Alimetry.

The 2025 cohort and their host boards:

• Sarah Mitchell (Founder and Director, Anadyne IQ) - Get Home Safe

• Aqua Delaney (Director Product Marketing, Lawvu) - Simfuni

• Helen Moore (Director Strategy and Growth, Halter) - Vessev

• Francesca Logan (Chief Commercial Officer, Toku Eyes) - Luminoma

• Georgia Burns (Strategic Finance Director, Auror) - Luminoma

• Matt Langston (Growth Lead, Inviol) - coreschedule

• Antonia Modkova (Research MSci candidate, UoA) - Opo Bio

• Andy Pavletich (Group Product Manager, DroneDeploy) - Mindhive

• Pagen Plaizier (GM People Experience, Xero) - Jade

• Natalie Ferguson (Co Founder, PowrSuit) - Money Sweet Spot

• Kate Bushby (Commercial Lead, Mint Innovation) - Money Sweet Spot

• Maddie White (Strategic Partnerships Manager, Gillies McIndoe Research Institute) - Kiwinet

• Dulan Perera (Director of Demand Generation, Re-Leased) - Preno

• Alice Watson-Harding (Chief Marketing Officer, Taxt Traders) - Extraordinary

• Lena Hesselgrave (Head of Product Marketing, Ask Nicely) - Next Minute

• Franck Bassy (Head of Product, Xero) - Next Minute

• Ben Mallet (Senior Scientist, Robinson Research Institute) - Advemto

• Catherine Whitby (Associate Dean, Massey University) - Dennison Technologies!

• Charlotte Burgess (IP & Commercial Manager, Grasslanz Ltd) - coming soon!

• Anya Hornsey (Group Manager, Business Development and Marketing, Lincoln Agritech) - coming soon!

• Albert Antolin Fontes (Commercialisation Manager, Wellington UniServices) - coming soon!

With the demand for strong governance at an all-time high, OnBoard continues to partner with major venture funds, scholarship providers and sponsors (DLA Piper, NZTE and NZGCP) to deliver best-in-class training and mentorship.

Full access to the Market Snapshot: New Zealand Start-up Director’s Remuneration is here.