Shaun Madgwick (Class of 2000)
“I don’t believe leadership is about who can yell the loudest”
At the recent AGM of the Dilworth Old Boys’ Association (DOBA), Shaun Madgwick was elected DOBA’s new President, taking over from retiring President Gerry Smutz (Class of 1990).
With a career spanning advertising, documentary-making and events, Shaun has 20 years’ experience in motion design and now runs his own consultancy. But it is his experience of bringing people together and practical problem solving skills that prompted him to put his hand up for the DOBA role.
We sat down with Shaun to talk about his new role.
How does it feel to be the President of DOBA?
“I’m actually quite chuffed. I wasn’t a natural leader at school; not a prefect or even a house prefect. I preferred to spend as much time in the art room as I could. But there’s a lot of work to be done, and I see an opportunity to build DOBA back into something people want to be a part of. We want to see more of the younger guys coming through, and for DOBA to be a professional network, there to support the guys coming out of school.”
Why was the time right for you now?
“I saw the need and thought I had the experience to help. I’ve always been someone who likes to get things done, and seeing a problem that I knew how to fix meant I couldn’t help but get involved. It started as just wanting to help with the website and comms. Once I got stuck in there seemed to be more and more work for me. If you can see a path forward, you want to bring others along with you.
I don’t believe leadership is about who can yell the loudest.”
Where does this drive to connect people come from?
“My Dad is a ‘club man’ as were my grandfathers; they were strong on community involvement. RSA, Golf Clubs, Workies, the whole family used to get involved. The power of feeding people to bring them together - just getting stuck in and doing something. Everyone has something to contribute.
This has carried over to my career as well. I’m a motion designer, so most of my time is spent behind a computer. 6 years ago, I decided to do something to help bring people together and founded the Motion Designers Guild of Aotearoa. It gives motion designers a forum to share knowledge and build connections. We hold workshops and meetups, getting students and graduates talking to some of the best in their field.”
Is there a parallel with DOBA?
“Certainly. Coming through Dilworth, you get a whole bunch of support while you’re at school, but once you leave, you’re almost on your own. Our Old Boy network is here to help provide support and pathways going forward. If you’re interested in a certain field, we should be able to point you in the direction of an Old Boy who has already been there.
There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in our Old Boy network, and tapping into that is what will really help Dilworth boys thrive once they leave school.
I still remember when I was at school, and an old boy came back to tell us his experience of university. He said something like, ‘You’ll do better and get higher marks if you take the subjects you actually like.’ Not that I was about to dedicate myself to accounting, but it helped me realise I didn’t have to take “safe” subjects just in case. I could choose all the artistic classes I could and really dedicate myself to a creative path.”
It’s early days, but do you have an idea of what you want to achieve?
For now, we’d like to get a couple of good positive events under our belt for the year. It’s critical we change the perception of DOBA. We want active involvement from Old Boys. DOBA should be a forum for Old Boys to give of their time and knowledge to help each other out.
One thing I’d really like to get off the ground is an annual fundraising golf day for the Benevolent Trust. The Trust is there to help Old Boys who may have fallen on hard times, and I know it is a cause that Old Boys will readily support. So stay tuned for that.
Who is in your team at DOBA?
“We’ve got Stu McDonald and Colin Stewart, who have been on the council for a bit and offer us a wealth of experience. Stu also organises semi-regular Old Boy catch-ups at the Grey Lynn RSC. Luke Stopford has rejoined the council after a wee break. He and Stu are part of the Project Reform Steering Group, which gives us a valuable connection to survivors. Brent Westein joined us late last year. We were in the same year at school, and his years of HR experience will be very helpful.
But yeah, we need more guys on the team. I would love to see some community-minded young guys join us and bring some fresh energy and ideas.”
It was great to sit down and talk with the new DOBA President, Shaun Madgwick. Thanks, Shaun, for such a candid interview, and we look forward to seeing you and your team do great things with DOBA.
If you want to join DOBA or have ideas to contribute, email Shaun: president@doba.nz