WOB enews: July 2007

Welcome to the first anniversary edition of WOB eNews.

The Women on Boards online subscriber service was launched on 17 July 2006. On that day, 27 women took up the offer to subscribe. One year later Women on Boards has almost 700 subscribers - one quarter of whom have taken two or three year subscriptions. Thank-you to those who have supported Women on Boards in this past year. Your support has enabled us to increase our services, raise the profile of Women on Boards and take constructive steps towards increasing awareness and opportunities for aspirant female directors.

We have also had a lot of fun along the way and met many of you at some terrific events. We look forward to even better networking and success in 2007/2008.

1. Subscription renewal

Subscriptions fall due on a rolling basis 12, 24 or 36 months after you subscribed. Please login to the website to check your subscription status and renew.

There are also more than 3,500 women registered with the website who receive the monthly editions of enews and can access the My Resume service for free. We hope that more of these women will throw their support behind WOB this year and take a subscription to help us fund the tough job of increasing women's representation on paid and unpaid Boards.

More information on benefits of subscribing is at www.womenonboards.org.au/subscribe/index.htm

2. Initiatives for 2007/2008

Women on Boards has launched a number of exciting initiatives for 2007/2008:

Click the hyperlink to read more about these initiatives.

3. WOB Corporate Subscribers

WOB is proud to annouce that our first six corporate subscriptions have been taken up by:

  • Piper Alderman - large legal firm with offices around Australia
  • EDS - leading global technology services company
  • University of South Australia - a Go8 research university
  • Qantas - the flagship Australian airline
  • KPMG - global professional services firm
  • Clayton Utz - top tier law firm

Women on Boards extends a very warm welcome to our corporate subscribers and looks forward to working with them and hosting a range of challenging and interesting events in 2007/2008. More information about WOB corporate subscribers can be found at: www.womenonboards.org.au/subscribe/corporatesubs.htm

4. The Boardroom

We have restructured the website to make it easier for you to navigate. All of the services and information connected with boards is now under a section called The Boardroom - accessible from the top navigation bar.

On Board in July

  • Rural WOBer Judith Merryweather has joined the Board of Directors of the Peer Support Foundation.
  • Jane Cleeve has joined the board of Glennie Memorial School, Toowoomba after getting inspiration from a WOB strategy session. Her case study is great reading - see www.womenonboards.org.au/boardroom/cs.htm
  • Tracy Osterfield has joined the board of Brisbane Boarders Ltd. This is a not-for-profit charity that aims to reduce the number of homeless by providing affordable housing and, where needed, supportive accommodation.
  • Christine Hawkins has been appointed a deputy-chair of the Sheep Cooperative Research Centre - a paid position.

For more details go to the Boardroom where you will now find On Board. Click www.womenonboards.org.au/boardroom/onboard.htm

If you have joined a board please let us know so we can publicise your success and grow the networking opportunities within Women on Boards.

Focus on a WOB member

July's featured WOBer is Melanie Willis, who sits on public company, government and private boards. Her story is at www.womenonboards.org.au/profiles/index.htm

5. Events

5.1 Melbourne and Brisbane in August.

Strategy sessions and cocktail events are being held in Brisbane and Melbourne in August. WOB invites you to join us and bring some male and female colleagues and friends.
Registration is via the website at: www.womenonboards.org.au/login.html

5.2. Headline Melbourne event in conjunction with UBS

Put 8th October in your diary for the WOB-UBS cocktail event at the Victorian Art Gallery. You are encouraged to attend if you want to meet established directors in a supportive environment and experience a private showing of the UBS Contemporary Art Exhibition. Registration opens shortly.

The WOB event list for 2007 is at www.womenonboards.org.au/events/2007.htm

6. New positon postings

  • YWCA Perth - unpaid community board
  • Menzies Incorporated youth sector Vic - unpaid
  • Garrigal Housing Association Ltd property and business services NSW - unpaid but interesting sector
  • Non Profit Australia offers WOBers opportunity to mentor NFP leaders in Vic and NSW - unpaid

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

To access board positions you need to have a paid subscription to WOB.

Women on Boards will be running a promotional campaign to target Not For Profit boards. We will keep you posted. In the meantime, if your organisation is seeking a director, remember to post it on the Women on Boards website.

7. IT Governance Survey

Sherrena Buckby from the School of Accountancy, QUT is conducting research on how Boards should review IT governance and is seeking to identify the critical issues. If you would like to participate (takes 5 minutes) click on survey.bus.qut.edu.au/index.php?sid=63

8. Join LinkMe

LinkMe.com.au is a new take on the old concept of a search firm.Established by Geoff Morgan (of Morgan & Banks fame), LinkMe allows you to upload your resume and market yourself to thousands of recruiters and employers who are looking for staff. You will receive calls about jobs you might not have known about, from employers who might not have known to contact you. LinkMe gives you the chance to review opportunities as they come along, whether you’re employed, or not.

Women on Boards is promoting LinkMe to its members who are interested in changing jobs - or just seeing what else is out there. Joining is free, there is a $10,000 prize on offer and Women on Boards receives a fee for every referral.

Click here to access Link Me.

WOB continues to be supported by major sponsor, UBS.