WOB enews: June 2007

Welcome to the June 2007 edition of eNews. WOB continues to be supported in 2007 by UBS.

Please remember to update your resume at My Resume and if your contact details change then go to Edit My Details – both come up after you login.

1. Corporate members

WOB is pleased to advise that a number of companies have taken up a corporate subscription to WOB. Announcements will be made in July.

2. Topic for May – Finding a Not for Profit Board

WOB’s interests include sporting and other ‘not for profit’ organisations. ‘Not for profit’ is a term that can encompass anything from the local P&C to what are effectively large business enterprises that enjoy not for profit status on some/all of their operations. A ‘not for profit’ is an entity established so that the membership does not benefit financially. By contrast, a for profit company distributes profits to its shareholders. Some examples of not for profits are The Children's Hospital of Sydney, Co-operative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology, Council for Multicultural Australia, Create Foundation and Cure Cancer Australia Foundation.

Generally not for profits do not pay their directors. However the 2006 PRO:NED Survey reported the average remuneration of paid not for profit directors was $31,000 pa (their sample was small and WOB sees $10,000pa as a more realistic figure).

We have been trying to get a handle on nfps that pay their directors. Some examples are Mutuals (Credit Unions, Health Care Funds) and some of the child care and aged care operations of larger organisations.

How to target a suitable not for profit?

If you are going to give your time to a not for profit then choose something that interests you. Remember you will likely to be expected to attend monthly board meetings. The management will benefit from access to your professional skills and this will be an additional time contribution.

WOB recommends that having identified your interest areas that you then consider your objective in joining a not for profit. There is nothing wrong with taking a strategic view. So ask yourself what experience and contacts do you want. Do you want a more hands on experience that comes from a smaller organisation or a less hands on experience that comes from a business not for profit?

Have a look at the profiles of the current directors. If you are a novice director then you may want to look for directors who can mentor you're directorship.

If you are looking for publicly listed company boards in the longer term you may want to join a not for profit with some high profile corporate directors or CEOs who currently sit on listed companies.

WOB has compiled a list of the not for profit boards of directors of ASX200 companies. The list is not comprehensive – information came from annual reports. It was interesting that the companies ASX101-200 listed their director’s community contributions less often than ASX100 companies.

The not for profit list can be accessed at www.womenonboards.org.au/pubs/

2. Focus on a WOB member – private company experiences

This months featured WOBer is Anna Fisher, GM and Board member of SA based McLaren Vintners Pty Ltd. Her story is at www.womenonboards.org.au/profiles/index.htm

3.On Board in May

If you have recently joined a board please let us know. On Board stories are at www.womenonboards.org.au/onboard/index.htm

4. WOB Events

New events listed on the website are in Canberra (June 25), Melbourne and Brisbane (August).

Melbourne events are:

  • Subscribers only lunch at Clayton Utz with guest director Tony Sheppard (Chairman ConnectEast and Transfield Services) on 2 August.
  • WOB Strategy session (Subscribers get a substantial discount) on 2 August.

Brisbane events are:

  • Cocktails at BDO Kendalls with invited Queensland directors on 7 August.
  • Choice of 2 WOB Strategy sessions (7 & 8 August)

Registration is now open. Go to www.womenonboards.org.au/events/2007.htm for all the details.

5.Affilate Events

19th Women, Management and Employment Relations Conference
2-3 August 2007
Four Seasons Hotel
Sydney NSW

Women on Boards supports this high profile conference organised by Macquarie University. Themes of the 19th conference cover a range of issues critical to women in contemporary workplaces such as: Employment Relations, Leadership, Superannuation, Finance and Workplace Flexibility. Evaluations consistently comment on the value of the interactive sessions and the wide networking opportunities.

For more information go to:www.womenonboards.org.au/events/wmer2007.htm

The M&A Conference in Melbourne on 7 & 8 June went well. This conference is supported by WOB – we suggested some female speakers in this notoriously male environment. The 2008 Conference will be in Sydney with WOB again supporting it.

12th APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting

WOB Executive Director, Claire Braund, will be at the 12th APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting this week (25-27 June 2007) at Port Douglas in Queensland. If any WOBers are attending and would like to catch up with Claire for a coffee and/or a chat, please call her on 0409 981781.

6. New postings since May eNews

  • CPA Australia - national and paid
  • Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE - unpaid
  • City of Melbourne Audit Committee - paid
  • Holdsworth St Community Centre, Woollahra NSW - unpaid
  • Orange Community Resource Organisation NSW - expenses
  • South East QLD Catchments Ltd – limited payment
  • Advisory Committees RIRDC – national, expenses

Click www.womenonboards.org.au/my/resume/position_index.html

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