Diana Puketapu-Lyndon didn’t set out to be a trailblazer in sports governance, yet she has become a defining figure in New Zealand’s athletic landscape. As the first woman to chair New Zealand Cricket and the former Chair of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Diana’s leadership spans from grassroots programs to international arenas, shaping policy, culture, and performance in equal measure. “I just do what I do and I get to where I get to,” she says, reflecting her grounded approach to high-stakes leadership.
Her path to sporting prominence was non-linear and not planned. A chartered accountant and a chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors, Diana began her career in finance, eventually serving as Chief Financial Officer on multiple America’s Cup campaigns across New Zealand, Europe, and the United States. These roles honed her ability to manage complex, multinational operations, from building teams across continents to orchestrating large-scale budgets and logistics. “I was actually Chief Financial Officer of Oracle (racing) at a very young age… which was a multinational organization,” she recounts, noting the formative impact these experiences had on her governance philosophy.
Diana’s governance footprint extends well beyond cricket. She has held board roles with the World Masters Games, Netball Northern, Auckland Football, and her iwi commercial board, Ngati Porou Holding Company Limited, among others. Across these roles, she has consistently championed diversity and inclusion, particularly for women and Māori communities. “We’re a talented country in New Zealand… we have the spotlight on Māori and Polynesian… ethnicities represented in governance,” she observes.
Her approach to leadership is defined by empowerment and independence. Diana emphasizes that effective boards should provide freedom, not obstruction, to athletes and staff, allowing them to make decisions informed by expertise and ethics. She cites examples from both the Olympic movement and cricket where this principle enabled teams to take principled stands on social issues, from racial equality to athlete autonomy. “One of the things that governance does… is not get in the way,” she notes.
In a small nation punching above its weight on the global sports stage, Diana’s influence is both strategic and symbolic. Her stewardship combines analytical thinking, operational experience, and a commitment to fairness.