Spark New Zealand, the country’s second largest mobile operator, appointed Nagaja Sanatkumar (pictured) as its first ‘future director’ under the Future Directors programme.

Sanatkumar is GM of global e-commerce at New Zealand clothing retailer Icebreaker, where she is responsible for the digital marketing and operations of the e-commerce channel. She brings an extensive background in technology and marketing, with a focus on digital and e-commerce customer experience, Spark said in a statement.

Spark’s Future Directors programme aims to give young talented people with an interest in corporate governance the opportunity to observe and participate in boardroom discussions for a 12-month period. The aspiring directors attend all board meetings, but they have no voting rights and are not involved in decision-making.

Mark Verbiest, Spark’s chairman, said: “Nagaja has wide digital consumer experience at a senior level, including at Amazon and Expedia. We are delighted to have her join the board as a Future Director and I believe we will benefit from her experience in retail, digital and customer experience, as much as we hope she will benefit from the experience.”

The appointment is effective from 4 December.