Latest news with #TomRoberts
Forbes
04-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Peer Coaching Is A Secret Weapon For Successful Global Executives
Tom Roberts, Founder of Cranberry Leadership. Coaching global leaders to adapt, lead, and thrive globally. The moment I know a potential client is in trouble is when I hear them say: "I'm good." Not "I've got support." Not "I've got people I can go to when it gets tough." Just that quiet, confident brush-off: "I'm good." Spoiler from my company's extensive interviews with expat execs: It's almost never true. Especially not for expat executives. Because what we see in our research is that "I'm good" usually means "I'm alone." You Don't Need A Map; You Need Fellow Travelers Especially if you're leading across borders and cultures, the cost of going it alone is high. Not immediately, but eventually. It shows up in slower adaptation. Stalled influence. Decisions that sound right in the boardroom but fall flat in the field. The leaders who plateau rarely realize they're plateauing—not at first. Because they're not failing. But success has gotten ... quiet. Fewer breakthroughs, less feedback, more meetings, less clarity. A creeping sense that progress has slowed, but no one's saying so out loud. Often, what breaks this pattern isn't a new strategy but a new circle. 'None Of Us Is As Smart As All Of Us' I love this quote from Kenneth Blanchard because I've found it to be true. I'll give you a personal example. A fellow expat executive invited me to dinner one evening. I assumed it would be casual—two professionals unwinding, trading stories. And it was ... for a while. Then he looked up and said, "Everything I've tried isn't working. I thought I'd have figured it out by now. I don't even know if I'm leading the right way for this market. Some days I literally feel like I'm losing who I was." That moment cracked something open. He was being vulnerable, real. What followed was more a lifeline than a vent. Then the magic started emerging. We weren't trading frustrations; we were solving each other's problems, even the ones we hadn't realized we were allowed to admit. And that's exactly what peer coaching can unlock when done right. Why Expat Leaders Stay Silent Too Long Most global executives arrive in-market with one goal: to prove they've got it handled. After all, that's what got them the job in the first place: competence, confidence and a track record of success. But unfamiliar markets don't reward solo heroics. They require fast adaptation, deep context and emotional resilience. And the truth is, most leaders don't want to admit—especially to HQ—that they're struggling to make things work. That silence slows everything down. Progress, morale, strategy ... all drag when the leader at the top feels isolated. The irony? Everyone's wrestling with the same unspoken questions. But nobody wants to be the first to say it out loud. The Spark That Changes The Room I've facilitated many peer coaching groups for international executives. The early sessions always feel the same. People walk in with their game face on. They scan the room. They calculate: Do I stay quiet and observe? Try to impress? Or dare to be real? Then it happens: Someone breaks the surface. "I'm just going to come out and say this ... I can't seem to motivate my team here. Nothing's landing." "My work has slowed down so much since arriving here. I used to be decisive. Now I'm second-guessing everything. Worse yet, my peers and boss see it." These aren't admissions of failure. They're acts of leadership. They project what Brené Brown calls "the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change": vulnerability. Once it's spoken, it gives permission for everyone else to set down their armor. And that's when the room shifts—from a table of professionals to a circle of fellow travelers. Why Peer Coaching Works When Other Tools Don't Plenty of organizations offer onboarding, executive training, even cultural playbooks. These are useful, but in my experience, they often live in theory. They don't meet people in the middle of the mess. Peer coaching does. It's not a meeting. It's not a workshop. It's a trusted group of five to seven leaders who are each navigating complex, high-stakes environments—and have no incentive to posture. When it works, it becomes a place for what Ken Blanchard famously said: "None of us is as smart as all of us." Here's what starts to happen: Leaders stop trying to "perform." Questions come more freely. Conversations deepen. Shared respect builds momentum. People leave not just feeling better, but thinking clearer. And perhaps most importantly, the emotional isolation fades. When a leader realizes they're not the only one struggling, everything changes. Confidence returns. Curiosity reawakens. The team feels the shift before the calendar does. Just like the African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Let's Stop Pretending You (Or One Of Your Reports) Don't Need This Most expats don't think they need help. That's fine. Most of them also plateau within 18 months. Not because they weren't skilled, but because they mistook silence for success. That plateau can look like a bump in the road, but more often than not, our advisors report that the plateau is a serious and critical time to reevaluate. But what if you looked for help before you hit that plateau? If you think you don't need peer coaching, ask yourself: When was the last time someone outside HQ challenged your assumptions ... and you thanked them for it? You don't need a rescue squad; you just need people who can see what you can't. Yet. Because global leadership rewards adaptation. And the best way to adapt isn't alone—it's together. Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Rise In Financial Losses Reported To The NCSC
The National Cyber Security Centre's Cyber Security Insights report for Q1 2025, released 13 June, shows a 14.7% quarterly increase in financial loss reported by New Zealanders. For the period from 1 January to 31 March 2025, a total of 1,369 incidents were reported to the NCSC. Of these, 77 incidents were triaged for specialist support because they were of potential national significance. Financial losses of NZ$7.8 million were reported to the NCSC, compared with $6.8 million in the previous quarter. 'This is the second-highest quarterly total loss figure the NCSC has ever recorded," said the NCSC's Response and Investigations Team Lead, Tom Roberts. 'Many of these losses again came from scams and fraud, particularly through business email compromise – where an attacker targets the email systems of a business to obtain money or information – and unauthorised money transfers. This is consistent with what we saw in the previous quarter.' 'The true scale of losses is likely to be much greater, since we know only a small proportion of losses are reported to us,' said Mr. Roberts. 'We urge people to be cautious online because bad actors are always waiting for an opportunity to steal money or information.' More than half of the losses reported to the NCSC were to businesses. "We have seen that cyber criminals are often targeting organisations that manage large financial transactions, like law firms and real estate agencies," said Mr. Roberts. 'We encourage individuals and businesses to report incidents to us. Our staff have deep expertise in analysing cyber threats, and we can help people respond to and recover from incidents. The reports we receive also help us to gain a better picture of the current threat environment. This information shows us where we can best focus our efforts to protect New Zealanders online.' Key highlights from 1 January to 31 March 2025: 1,369 incident reports were recorded by the NCSC. Of these, 77 were triaged for specialist technical support because they were of potential national significance. The remaining 1,292 were handled through the NCSC's general triage process. These incidents were largely reported to the NCSC by individuals and businesses. Compared to Q4 2024, this is an increase of 0.8% in total incident reports. Direct financial loss was $7.8 million. This is a 14.7% increase compared to the previous quarter's $6.8 million. This is the second-highest financial loss in a quarter ever recorded by the NCSC – the largest was $8.9 million recorded in Q3 2022. There were 10 recorded incidents in which more than NZ$100k was lost. With 486 total reports, Scams and Fraud was again the most reported incident category. The second-highest number by category was Phishing and Credential Harvesting, with 440 total incident reports.
Otago Daily Times
14-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Banksy's home in Queenstown
The Arts Hole owners Tom Roberts and Chani Caulfield with their son, Denali. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A Queenstown couple believe their art gallery at Frankton's Country Lane is the only one in New Zealand with works by English street artist Banksy on the walls. Tom Roberts and Chani Caulfield opened The Arts Hole in March as foundation tenants in the School House Studios — the relocated and restored former high school building and arts centre. Roberts, who, like Banksy, grew up in the English city of Bristol, says he's long had a passion for street/urban art, and is a "huge fan" of Banksy's work. The gallery also has "harder-to-find works" by other urban artists such as Invader and Blek Le Rat, he says. "Urban art is pretty under-represented in Queenstown, so we're excited to be able to bring it here." Roberts spent two years in the resort after emigrating to New Zealand in 2019. He then lived in Wellington for two years, where he met Caulfield, a school teacher and ceramicist from the United States. The couple, who're now permanent residents, decided to open The Arts Hole after having the "it's now or never" conversation, he says. It's been a big step up from their online business of the same name, which they started in 2023 after a "crazy couple of years through the pandemic". "I was working a high-level corporate operations role, and Chani was a fulltime senior teacher. "We were both feeling largely underwhelmed, we had busy, stressful jobs and couldn't help but wonder if this was it. "We wanted to change the direction of our lives, and start our own business, but not just any business, something we loved and were truly passionate about." Although the online business was "ticking along", it wasn't earning enough to justify their full-time commitment, he says. "So we had to make a call to either really invest in an online platform, or try and find a gallery space." They heard about the School House Studios long before it opened, and were impressed by their landlords' support for small, independent businesses. "They're recycling old buildings, and building something new. "It's quite different and quirky, a bit more artisan, and a really good vibe." As well as having Banksys on the walls, The Arts Hole has other original art, prints, ceramics and jewellery. "We have work to suit every budget. "We really wanted to create something different, not just with the work we have, but also a place where everyone's welcome, to bring some fun back into it and make art more accessible. "We love helping new artists with interesting stories and a creative passion." The couple also works with charities Youthline NZ and Protect Our Winters through the sale of some of their products, he says.
1News
13-06-2025
- Business
- 1News
Kiwi businesses reporting large losses to online scammers
People are losing more money to fraud and online scams, with recent months bringing the second highest total loss figure on record. There has been a 14.7% quarterly increase in financial loss reported by New Zealanders, according to the National Cyber Security Centre's Cyber Security Insights report for the year's first quarter. From January 1 to March 31, a total of 1369 incidents were reported. Of those, 77 were triaged for specialist support because they were of "potential national significance". It equalled a financial losses of $7.8 million, up from $6.8 million in the previous quarter. ADVERTISEMENT The largest ever was $8.9 million, recorded in the third quarter of 2022. Mike Jagusch from the National Cyber Security Centre explains who's being targeted and how it's happening. (Source: Breakfast) Response and investigations team lead Tom Roberts said many of those losses came from scam and fraud. "Particularly through business email compromise — where an attacker targets the email systems of a business to obtain money or information — and unauthorised money transfers," Roberts said. "The true scale of losses is likely to be much greater, since we know only a small proportion of losses are reported to us. We urge people to be cautious online because bad actors are always waiting for an opportunity to steal money or information." Director of mission enablement Mike Jagusch said the difference this quarter was that it was mostly businesses reporting losses, rather than individuals. The report showed more than half of the losses reported to the NCSC were to businesses, with criminals often targeting law firms or real estate agencies which handled large transactions. ADVERTISEMENT The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including Air India crash, ferry still out of action, and ignoring TikTok KiwiSaver hacks. (Source: 1News) "A business email compromise is an attack where a bad actor looks to gain access to an organisation's email system, and then they use that email access to trick staff, or clients, or another organisation, into paying them money." That could take the form of a fake invoice, sent from the organisation's own email account, listing the attacker's email address as the destination for payment. Jagusch said organisations should make sure staff were using long, strong, unique passwords and that they have multi-factor authentication turned on, to make it harder to break into their email systems. According to the report, there were 10 recorded incidents in which more than $100,000 was lost. With 486 total reports, "scams and fraud" was again the most reported incident category. The second-highest was "phishing and credential harvesting" with 440.
Techday NZ
12-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
NZ cyber incidents cause NZD $7.8 million loss in early 2025
The National Cyber Security Centre's latest report shows a significant rise in financial losses due to cyber incidents reported in New Zealand during the first quarter of 2025. From 1 January to 31 March 2025, the NCSC recorded a total of 1,369 reported cyber incidents. Of these, 77 required specialist technical support having been assessed as potentially significant for national security, while the remaining 1,292 were managed via general triage. Financial losses attributed to these incidents totalled NZD $7.8 million. This marks a 14.7% increase compared to the previous quarter's figure of NZD $6.8 million, and it represents the second-highest quarterly loss ever recorded by the NCSC. The highest was recorded in the third quarter of 2022, when losses reached NZD $8.9 million. Tom Roberts, Response and Investigations Team Lead at the NCSC, noted the seriousness of the increase in losses. "This is the second-highest quarterly total loss figure the NCSC has ever recorded. Many of these losses again came from scams and fraud, particularly through business email compromise – where an attacker targets the email systems of a business to obtain money or information – and unauthorised money transfers. This is consistent with what we saw in the previous quarter." Roberts further commented on the likelihood that losses are being underreported. "The true scale of losses is likely to be much greater, since we know only a small proportion of losses are reported to us. We urge people to be cautious online because bad actors are always waiting for an opportunity to steal money or information." Of note, over half of all reported losses affected businesses rather than individuals. Law firms and real estate agencies were highlighted as sectors frequently targeted by cyber criminals looking to exploit large financial transactions. "We have seen that cyber criminals are often targeting organisations that manage large financial transactions, like law firms and real estate agencies," said Mr. Roberts. Incident and threat landscape The total number of incidents reported in the first quarter rose by 0.8% compared to the previous quarter. In total, 486 incidents were categorised under scams and fraud, making this the most frequently reported kind of cyber crime. Phishing and credential harvesting was the second most reported category, with 440 incidents. The scale of individual losses also drew attention. Ten separate incidents involved losses exceeding NZD $100,000 each, highlighting the scale at which some attacks are being perpetrated. Roberts encouraged both organisations and individuals to make use of the NCSC's resources by reporting cyber incidents. "We encourage individuals and businesses to report incidents to us. Our staff have deep expertise in analysing cyber threats, and we can help people respond to and recover from incidents. The reports we receive also help us to gain a better picture of the current threat environment. This information shows us where we can best focus our efforts to protect New Zealanders online." Reporting and response The NCSC's triage process sees reports from the public, businesses, and other organisations. The majority of incidents are handled through this initial process, although those that meet certain criteria for complexity or potential impact receive specialist attention from within the agency. Business email compromise, unauthorised money transfers, and mass-market fraud continue to be the main vectors for financial loss, illustrating a consistent pattern in cyber criminal tactics in New Zealand. The NCSC has stated that incident reporting not only supports victims but also contributes to a wider understanding of threats and trends. This, in turn, assists the agency in focusing protective measures where they are most needed. The report indicates ongoing risks for both individuals and businesses from cyber crime, particularly for those organisations managing significant transactions or sensitive information.
