Board Level The Australian Institute of Company Directors

 
This episode, Catherine interviews Nicki Kenyon, Director of Powered Enterprise, Nine, who has worked in leadership positions across the travel, finance and tech industries in Australia and internationally. Catherine also interviews Alex Sloane, the Director of Customer Marketing at Facebook. 

 

Valuable Discussion Points  

[00:49] Did Nicki sit down and plan her career? 

Nicki’s career has evolved out of her own personal development, and her career, as a result, represents a combination of different cities, companies and people she has worked in and with. Her always-on approach to learning has seen Nicki move from industry to industry in an attempt to better understand that particular area. She makes informed decisions that have taken her outside of her comfort zone which has been rewarding and challenging. 

 

[03:49] How would Nicki describe her leadership style?  

Nicki resonates with the idea of being a democratic leader and would describe her leadership style as inclusive and respectful. Whilst she draws on her own experience, expertise and perspective, she believes a critical leadership skill is embracing and the contribution of all people and really listening to the ideas they may have.  

 

[08:41] What sparked Nicki’s decision to join her first board? 

As an executive at an online travel company, Nicki found herself in the boardroom with a diverse group of directors who weren't necessarily involved in the day to day running of the business like she was herself.  However, they were just as passionate and committed to the success of the business and therefore they were able to add perspective to the job she was doing. Being part of this experience inspired Nicki towards a board approach with her career allowing her to leverage her skills in different ways.  

 

[12:31] What is the one thing Nicki wished she had known when she set out on her board careers? 

For Nicki, the accountability and the responsibility of a board directorship is not something to be taken lightly and she thinks any prospective board member should consider that carefully and not be distracted or flattered by an opportunity that presents itself. Another is the importance of fully understanding board dynamics, learning where you fit in amongst it and appreciating the value each member has.  

 

[14:57] What sort of manager and leader is Alex? How would she describe herself?  

Alex believes her role as a manager and as a leader is to create an environment for others to succeed. Her goal is to ensure that everyone has the best experience of their career when they're working alongside her, and to provide opportunities for people to thrive,  learn,  grow and succeed. 

 

[17:09] What Alex thought of taking the AICD course versus an MBA?  

Whilst Alex was considering undertaking her MBA, she was encouraged to take the AICD course instead as the modules within this course aligned more closely with her career experience. One of her favourite modules was the finance module which was a surprise to Alex, who is much more of a strategic, creative person by nature, however this module exposed her to new ideas and concepts that she found incredibly enriching.  

 

[18:08] What is the importance of sense and clarity of purpose for Alex? 

Alex strongly believes that aligning personal values to the values of the company you’re working for or with is incredibly important and leading with a clear sense of why you are there is critical. 

 

[21:29] What is the one thing Alex wished she had known when she set out on her board careers? 

Like Nicki, Alex agrees that responsibility and legal accountability are extremely important to understand. Being part of any board, you are surrounded by a group of very diverse thinkers and it can be di

This episode, Catherine interviews Pip Marlow, the CEO of Salesforce ANZ & ASEAN, and previously the CEO of Customer Marketplace for Suncorp Group and Managing Director of Microsoft. Pip is also a non-executive director of Rugby Australia, sits on the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Board at UTS and is a member of the Chief Executive Women.
Valuable Discussion Points
[10:05] What is Pip’s criteria for selecting board roles?
If Pip was asked to sit on a board in the banking and insurance industry before she joined Suncorp, she would have been hesitant as this is not somewhere she had previously pictured herself. If she had held that perspective, she would have missed out on one of the best development opportunities of her career. So for Pip, taking time to understand why you think you're not interested in something and testing your biases and your assumptions can actually open up an incredible opportunity for yourself and your career.
 
[14:13] What are Pip’s thoughts on board diversity?
Pip is a big believer in board diversity; however, she wouldn’t let a lack of diversity on a board stop her from taking a certain role This is because it empowers you to get that first seat at the table, seek to understand why it hasn't occurred to date and look at what systems, symbols, and policy settings need to change to ensure that more diversity can flourish in the future.
 
[18:05] Is Pip a user of social media?  Does she think social media is useful to a board director?
Pip believes social media is a powerful platform that has responsibilities for each user. There is a conversation going on there which people have a choice to participate in to use for good not everybody does that, but the conversation will occur either way.
 
[24:47] On the number of female CEOs in the ASX200 dropping down, what are Pip’s thoughts?
Pip believes the rate of change has been glacial and as a result is truly deeply dissatisfied with progress. When she saw the latest stats with the ASX numbers decreasing, she saw that as a real sign of concern. Pip says that this is not a women’s issue, this is a gender equity issue and if we don't do something proactive to change that participation, then we'll accept where we are which is not good for our future generations.
 
[28:58] What is the one thing that Pip wish she’d known when she started out on her board career?
The first thing Pip wishes she had known was not to let your fear hold you back. The second thing is to know the difference between management and board. What are your decision rights? Your role is to govern, to oversee and to set risk appetite and ultimately help to get that balance right.
 
Key Learnings
You have to be organised and conscious on how you use your time and your trade-offs. Have a habit every month of tracking how you are spending your time; did you spend enough time for your family? For your customers? For your strategic thinking? When a board is reaching out to you, there is nothing wrong with doing due diligence. A little bit of discovery and exploration in those early conversations will go a long way and contribute to your decision-making process. If you opt not to join a board after a role is offered, the best gift that you can give is to promote other men and women. Shine a light on some of the talent that they may not see.  
Quotable Quotes
“Shareholders are not only one, your employees are stakeholders, your community is a stakeholder, your customers are stakeholders, and sometimes certain stakeholders have one object they care most about, maybe that's profit. You have to think beyond just one particular stakeholder and just the shareholders to the broader community that you serve and operate in.” – Pip Marlow
“I try and say it's not about something being right for you. It's what's best for you right now because if only something one thing is right, everything else is wrong. When we put that pressure right and wrong in a decision li

This episode, Catherine interviews Dr Marlene Kanga, a Non-executive Director of Sydney Water Corporation, Standards Australia, Air Services Australia, and Business Events Sydney. She is also President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations.  
Marlene is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, the Institution of Chemical Engineers [UK], Fellow of the Academy of Technology Science and Engineering [Australia], the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Foreign Fellow of the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology.  

She has been listed among the Top 100 Engineers in Australia and the Top 100 Women of Influence in Australia.  

 

 

Valuable Discussion Points  

[07:00] Women are often told that they can’t be what they can’t see but for Marlene, this does not seem to be the case, what drove her and why did she not feel those barriers?  

Marlene had a clear sense of purpose and believes she is one of the very fortunate people that knew about engineering and the impact it can have. She wanted to make a difference. When female engineers are asked why they do engineering, most often that's what they say, to make a difference. 

 

 

[09:46] What can Marlene say about people with STEM backgrounds who are not well represented  on many boards but whose skills are really needed?  

Marlene believes the reason behind this lies in the whole process of board selection. It is a systemic issue that really needs to be addressed. When someone comes along and brings a different point of view, it can be a long process to build that trust and reliance because on a board, you're working collectively and if something goes wrong, you're all responsible.  

 

[13:30] What are Marlene’s thoughts on the lack of women who are studying science and engineering? 

Marlene’s theory is that the countries where engineering first became a formal profession at the start of the Industrial Revolution as a formal profession, in places such as the UK, Europe, the USA, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, there was a male dominated culture. So it started out as a culture that excluded women and that culture continued. It is very insidious but it is there and so there are less than 20% of women attending engineering schools in these countries with very low levels of participation and similar cultural issues. 

 

[24:21] Who and what motivated Marlene? 

Marlene’s motivation is really to be of service. She does not look at these roles for personal gain.  For her, the leadership is about outcomes and if someone is driven by purpose, they can have a good outcome and leave a great legacy but also importantly, inspire other leaders, and mentor and support them.  

 

[25:31] Why is it important not only to have more engineers in this country but also to have them represented on all of the boards? Why at this particular time is that so important? 

Marlene believes that Australia is now at a very critical inflexion. In a post COVID-19 world, there is an inflexion and acceleration into new technologies. Countries around the world have the fundamentals and are gearing up for that, not just in the United States, but also in India, China and many countries in Europe who are going to forge ahead. Australia has got to be innovation ready and Marlene does not think Australia is currently at that point. Australia is in danger of being left behind with dire consequences for economic growth and prosperity if these issues are not addressed. 

 

[28:28] What is the one thing Marlene wished she had known when she started out? 

Marlene is glad she did not know a lot when she first started, as she believes she may not have explored so many diverse areas. However, one thing she wishes she had known is to reach out and ask people for support. Marlene believes people are extraordinarily ge

This episode, Catherine interviews Su McCluskey and Hannah Wandel.  

Su is currently Commissioner of the National COVID-19 Advisory Board, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Director of the Australasian Pork Research Institute, the NSW Marketing Board and the Australian Unity Limited.  

Hannah is the Acting Executive Director, Drought Policy and Programs of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency, CEO Advisory Panel Member of the Commonwealth Bank and Chair and CEO of Country to Canberra. 
 
[00:49] How important was it for Su to have lived in a regional area in shaping her priorities and values?  

For Su, living in a regional area has given her a different perspective. As she does a lot of work in the cities, she is very conscious of helping people understand that when it comes to regional areas, they are very diverse, and one size does not fit all in regard to solutions. The decisions made by board members affect those right across the country so it’s important to include the perspectives of people not just from cities but also from more regional areas.  

 

[09:23] What is Su’s experience with the COVID Commission Advisory Board?  

For Su, being a part of this particular board has been a unique and wonderful opportunity to be able to provide business insights and perspectives directly to the Prime Minister. She has worked in government and she knows that in government you've got a lot of people who can work on really good policy proposals but it's important to look at the practical side in terms of how things will work in practice. In times of crisis like we have now, you don't have the time to be able to put something in place and say, let's see how this goes. You have to have a greater level of confidence that what you’re putting in place is actually going to work, make a difference and address the challenges you're trying to fix. 

 

[11:23] What is the one thing Su wished she had known when she started out?  

For Su, it was hard to learn how to say no. She thinks this is a really important thing for people to think about when they're looking to take on board roles. Individuals need to ask themselves, are you going to be the right fit? Are you going to be able to constructively contribute? Will this just look good on your portfolio? Additionally, individuals need to probe the company about how the role aligns with their own values.  

 

[13:59] What can Hannah tell us about the Country to Canberra programme? 

Hannah truly believes that living in regional, rural and remote Australia is an asset and something that really should be celebrated. However she also noticed there were some additional challenges that kids growing up in the country were facing when it came to distance, time, funding barriers and inequality between the opportunities kids in the country could access compared to their city counterparts. When you compound this with gender issues, she decided she wanted to do something to empower young women from rural areas. Through the Country to Canberra programme, these young women are supported to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve. 

  

[17:46] What Hannah had to address when she was a young woman on the board? 

Hannah was really nervous sitting on my first board and she really didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, she had incredible training and undertook some courses but as time went on, she had some great mentors and people who really reinforced her skills and capabilities. It wasn't always easy though and there were times where her youth was seen as something that wasn't to be valued or she was seen as the token young person. She even got introduced once to a group of people as the young person, which she didn't appreciate because she felt she had a lot more to value. Her experience of being a young woman on a board has ta

This episode, Catherine interviews Dr Kirstin Ferguson. She is an award-winning leadership expert and shares how opportunities in board careers can drive change. She is the Deputy Chair of ABC, and a Director at SCA Property Group, EML and Hyne Timber. 
 

Valuable Discussion Points  

[03:37] What were the skills needed on Kirstin’s first board role? 

For Kirstin, one thing that became clear to her is that on a board you are not the doer, but rather you are there to ask the strategic questions and look at things with the bigger picture in mind. Kirstin’s first board role allowed her to utilise her technical knowledge from having built her own business, however it took her a couple of years to hone the skill of applying that strategically. Whilst it was tempting for her to always look at  the detail, the role was about asking the right questions and finding the right ways to help guide executives. 

 

[05:53] What Kirstin thinks about the advice of sticking to just one particular area? 

Looking back Kirstin can see that her own career has not been a linear one however she enjoys doing different things make her a much more well-rounded director. For Kirstin every single experience she has allows her to bring mistakes and lessons and apply those learnings to what she is doing now.  

 

[07:29] How important are mentors for Kirstin? 

Having mentors, advisors and sponsors is incredibly important for Kirstin. She recommends that board members, regardless of experience  seek mentors out and value the time they give you. Mentors are really important because there is a lot of experience out there to draw from and it can enhance your own skills and understanding when sitting on a board. 

 

[08:17] How does Kirstin select mentors? 

It's not always as easy as simply picking someone and saying ‘I'm going to have you as my mentor’.  There needs to be a natural connection that you have with a potential mentor so it’s important to select people that you find easy to talk with and that seem to be willing to offer you advice. 

 

[09:46] What can Kirstin say about her proficient use of social media? 

Kirstin recalls having directors tell her to stay away from social media as she wouldn't be taken seriously because social media is not a place for directors to be. Whilst she is glad to be given that advice, she chose to find a way to use social media that is beneficial for her as director.  Social media is incredibly important to understand what's going on in the world around us. You hear views outside your bubble of people that you might sit in a boardroom with. You can hear about your industry or about the company. You also hear everyday perspectives that are important to forming a judgment and a view on certain topics, particularly social issues. These are all increasingly important for directors. 

 

[16:32] What advice can Kirstin give to those considering moving into a board career? 

Kirstin recommends having as many diverse boards as you can. Her current makeup of boards is two listed boards, two private companies and a government board and that works really well for her. Listed boards are wonderful companies but have a whole different set of pressures. Private companies are also good because there is generally a smaller distance between the board and the executive. Kirstin also likes to ensure she sits across at least one government board in order to give back and find ways to contribute to the community in society.  

 

[28:27] What is the one thing Kirstin wishes she had known when she set out on her career? 

She wished she had known there was no reason to rush, to trust herself and relax throughout her early board career. Once you do that you can enjoy what is to come and make choices that feel right for you personally and for your career.  

 

Key Learnings  

Ev

This episode, Catherine interviews Professor Megan Davis. She is the winner of the AFR Women of Influence Award; she is the UNSW Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous and a Professor of Law, UNSW Law. The UN Human Rights Council to UNEMRIP elected her in 2017. She shares her experience and thoughts on being an Aboriginal woman in the UN, the Australian Rugby League, ATSIC, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. She emphasises the importance of standing up and unapologetically speaking out to get the job done. 

Valuable Discussion Points 
[10:59] What are Megan’s thoughts on having more Aboriginal women in boards? 

Megan strongly encourages boards to think carefully about who they're talking to and who they're reaching out to when looking for new board appointees, to ensure a diverse range of talent around the table. She believes boards that put in the ground work to determine the purpose of the board, and appoint people based on the skills they could bring to those conversations will benefit the most. Those that don’t face the risk of missing out on huge amounts of talent and knowledge in the community. 

[12:56] What are her experiences at the ARL Commission? 

Megan has a passion for rugby league so being invited to be part of the top governing body in the country was a huge privilege and honour for her because she was able to contribute towards shaping the future of the game and all the many people that follow it. She strongly believes having a passion for the work you’re doing on a board is important because it requires a huge amount of time, effort and dedication. 

[19:05] What Megan thinks about the Black Lives Matter impact in Australia? 

Some of the matters that have arisen throughout the Black Lives Matter movement certainly resonate with the indigenous community. Black Lives Matter is something that traverses many topics from reparation, police brutality and the incarceration rate and Megan believes a systematic way to approach Black Lives Matters is for corporations to endorse Uluru. As an Australian Law reform proposal, it sets out structural ways to address these issues which can only be done through the Constitution.  

[22:47] With her key role with the Uluru Statement of the Heart and all other work she has done, how does she deal and cope with media attention? 

Whilst Megan acknowledges that media attention can be exhausting and can make other things complicated, it is important to maintain a media presence in order for this reform to happen. Fortunately for Megan, in terms of her work on the Australian Rugby League Commission, the support for Uluru came from our indigenous voices so the commission built into its system the voice of the NRL which represents all Aboriginal stakeholders. She did not have to be an activist in the boardroom; the NRL had already endorsed Uluru.  

[24:36] What success and progress does Megan believe will be tangible in the next few years? 

Megan believes success would come through a referendum sometime in the next term of government and if not, then a commitment to one in the following term. Once both sides of politics are talking in a positive way about it then it's just a matter of timing. She also believes having Aboriginal people on boards does make a huge difference to decision making and the way critical thinking is applied to particular decisions.  

[28:05] What's the one thing Megan wishes she’d known before she started out on a board and forum career?
Megan wishes she had not apologised so much which she does by virtue of habit, however she thinks It's really important to trust your own instincts and to back yourself. As women we can often be criticised as too confident if we self promote, however that can get in the way of good business so it’s extremely important we train ourselves out of that.  

  

Key Learnings  

Busi