Minutes by boardcycle: Directors | Executives | Governance

ตอน

• Effective Transformation Governance with Julie Coates, Director, Scentre Group & Wesfarmers & Former CEO, CSR 30.05.2026 15นาที

  "All transformation should come from strategy." - Julie CoatesJulie Coates, Director of Wesfarmers and Scentre Group, led the OneCSR transformation programme as CEO and Managing Director of CSR Limited — a programme that contributed directly to CSR's acquisition by Saint-Gobain at a significant premium. In this episode, Julie explains the governance architecture she put in place: the board's oversight role, the management board's accountability for driving change, a steering committee chaired by Julie herself, and the program office that ran all individual projects.Drawing on her current NED experience, she also explains what non-executive directors should be focused on when overseeing a transformation — and why the quality of questions asked in the boardroom matters more than most directors appreciate._______________Note: Julie Coates was interviewed in September 2025. Since this interview, Julie has ceased to be a director of the Green Building Council of Australia and been appointed as a director of Scentre Group.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Practical Board Planning in an Uncertain World with Greg Ridder, Chair, Life Without Barriers & Kogan.com 16.05.2026 11นาที

  "There's an inherent danger that we lapse into just being operational." - Greg RidderGreg Ridder, Chair of Kogan.com, Life Without Barriers and Bridge It, and Director of the PNG Sustainable Development Program, discusses how to build board forward plans that add real value when the planning environment keeps shifting.Greg explains why the drift from strategic thinking into pure operational focus is a genuine governance risk — and what distinguishes a planning process that keeps the board looking beyond the horizon from one that just manages what's immediately in front of it. He shares what he actually asks company secretaries to put together for the coming 12 months, how he structures the board cycle to ensure major decisions don't arrive as fully-formed proposals, and why the most useful thing a company secretary can do when forward planning feels futile is pay attention to the quality of their relationship with the chair.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Governing Across Borders and Cultures with Audette Exel AO, Chair & Founder, Adara Group & Former Director, Westpac & Suncorp 02.05.2026 15นาที

  "There's a real risk to fall into the trap of believing... 'Oh, that's just how it's done there.'"— Audette Exel AOGoverning across borders is not just a compliance exercise — it requires a clear view of where global standards must hold firm, and where local knowledge must lead. Audette Exel AO has been doing this for nearly three decades through Adara Group, which operates across Australia, Nepal, Uganda, and Bermuda, and through board roles at Westpac and Suncorp.In this episode, she talks through the real differences between governing large institutions and small purpose-driven organisations, the practical challenges of oversight in low-infrastructure environments, and why she believes local teams are not just an operational necessity but a governance priority.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• GSE Over ESG with Catherine Livingstone AC, Chair, Pacific National & Director, Saluda Medical & The Australian Ballet 18.04.2026 8นาที

  "By starting with governance - defining it as the strategic side of governance, not the control side - you lift everything up." - Catherine Livingstone ACCatherine Livingstone AC, Chancellor of UTS, Chair of Pacific National and former Chair of the Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and CSIRO, explains why the way organisations frame ESG shapes the quality of every conversation that follows.Catherine's argument isn't just about semantics. When governance sits at the end of the acronym, it signals that G is smaller in scope - and in practice, that means E and S get managed through a compliance lens rather than a strategic one. In this episode, she walks through the governance definition she uses (direction, control and people), why compliance requirements for E and S are inherently narrow and backward-looking, and what boards need to do differently - at the agenda level, the resource level and the performance metrics level - to make environmental and social priorities genuinely stick.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Risk as Currency in Deep Tech with Phil Morle, Partner, Main Sequence Ventures; Chair, v2food, Samsara Eco, Eden Brew & Nourish Ingredients 04.04.2026 11นาที

  "Risk is a currency in these businesses, and we just need to work with it." - Phil MorlePhil Morle, Partner at Main Sequence Ventures and Chair of v2food, Samsara Eco, Eden Brew and Nourish Ingredients, shares how he approaches risk governance across multiple deep tech companies built on scientific breakthroughs.Phil explains why the most valuable venture-backed companies are inherently the riskiest, how boards can use structured risk tolerance exercises to align directors, and why traditional approaches to board decision-making can be dangerously expensive in fast-burning startups. He discusses practical techniques for breaking down large, high-stakes decisions into smaller commitments that allow boards to retire risk progressively rather than facing a single make-or-break moment.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• The Strategic Company Secretary Mindset with Anthony Wright, Former GC & CoSec, Transpacific Industries & Director, CPA Australia 21.03.2026 13นาที

  "The company secretariat role is fascinating because you get to hear and see so much — you don't just read the outcomes of a meeting." - Anthony WrightAnthony Wright knows the Company Secretary role from the inside. He was General Counsel and Company Secretary at Transpacific Industries before making the move to Head of Strategy, then founded and exited his own legal operations and technology business, Lexvoco, in 2019. He now chairs Hanlon Industries and sits on the board of CPA Australia.In this episode, Anthony shares what it takes for a Company Secretary to be seen as a genuine strategic partner rather than an administrator. He talks about building credibility through technical excellence first, then using that platform to build relationships, ask better questions, and start contributing to — not just recording — the conversations that matter.He also shares a practical mechanism one of his organisations uses to give the CoSec team a formal voice in every meeting review, and explains why the biggest barrier to CoSec career growth is usually the CoSec themselves.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Balancing Representation & Risk on NFP Boards with Mike Gonski, Chair, ReachOut Australia & Carriageworks 07.03.2026 15นาที

  "I think dealing with risk is really hard - especially without good experience or mentors around you." - Mike GonskiNFP chair and Herbert Smith Freehills partner Mike Gonski addresses the governance tension at the heart of many not-for-profit boards: how to give voice to the people your organisation exists to serve, while managing the very real risks that come with putting inexperienced directors in governance roles.Mike shares what ReachOut learned from its experiment with mandated youth board membership, what effective observer programs actually look like, and why the "empty chair" concept has genuine merit without the governance complications of a board seat.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Preparing for and Managing Company Exits with Peter James, former Chair, Nearmap & Ansarada; former Director, iiNet 21.02.2026 14นาที

  "The best way to sell a company is to run it properly." - Peter JamesPeter James, former Chair of Nearmap and Ansarada and former Director of iiNet, shares what it actually takes to prepare a company for an exit and how to manage the process when one is underway.Drawing from his experience guiding multiple companies through acquisitions and takeovers, Peter explains why the strategic plan is his primary benchmark for evaluating any offer, how to keep management focused on running the business during a transaction, and what he looks for from a Company Secretary when the pressure is on.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• The Director's Onboarding Playbook with Julie Coates, Director, Wesfarmers & Scentre Group and Former Managing Director & CEO, CSR 07.02.2026 11นาที

  "You need to live through the board meetings and the committee meetings and the annual cycle." - Julie CoatesJulie Coates, Director of Wesfarmers and former CEO and Managing Director of CSR, discusses what successful director onboarding actually looks like in practice. From pre-joining meetings with each existing director to understanding board dynamics, from coordinating with business unit leaders to leveraging the company secretary's support, Julie provides a comprehensive playbook for new directors joining complex organisations. She discusses why onboarding should start before the first board meeting, how to be purposeful about timing, and the importance of patience in contributing effectively during your first year on the board._______________Note: Julie Coates was interviewed in September 2025. Since this interview, Julie has ceased to be a director of the Green Building Council of Australia and been appointed as a director of Scentre Group.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Not-For-Profit vs Listed Governance with Greg Ridder, Chair, Life Without Barriers & Kogan.com 24.01.2026 14นาที

  "I find when I talk about these two organisations which prima facie comparable in revenue terms, that the inclination of people is to put more emphasis on Kogan in terms of complexity and scale. When in fact, I think the reverse is true, and substantially so." - Greg RidderGreg Ridder, Chair of Kogan.com and Life Without Barriers, discusses where governance complexity truly lies when comparing listed and NFP organisations. Drawing from his experience chairing both a $500M listed e-commerce platform and a $1B not-for-profit human services organisation, Greg explains why Life Without Barriers' 12,000 distributed workforce serving 25,000 vulnerable clients presents far greater governance challenges than Kogan's algorithmically-driven retail operation.Greg explores how NFP governance demands unique approaches including two-way governance with Indigenous communities, applying governance at operational frontiers, and managing stakeholders who cannot represent themselves. He discusses director remuneration differences between sectors, why values alignment becomes essential for NFP boards, and which governance skills transfer successfully across both domains.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Creating Sustainable Social Impact Through Business with Audette Exel AO, Chair & Founder, Adara Group & Former Director, Westpac & Suncorp 11.01.2026 15นาที

  "Purpose and profit collide. Now in a beautiful world, they work together. But they require a series of choices and trade-offs, and they require enormous integrity." - Audette Exel AOAudette Exel, Chair and Founder of Adara Group and former Director of Westpac and Suncorp, explains how to build a purpose-driven business model where purpose and profit coexist. Drawing from her experience creating Adara's structure where an investment banking business funds international development work, Audette explains why traditional not-for-profit funding models create asset-liability mismatches and how she designed an alternative that's survived nearly three decades. She discusses the practical challenges of balancing commercial and development priorities, why purpose must trump profit when they conflict, and how to avoid the trap where purpose becomes marketing rather than operational reality.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Judgement Over Perfection with Catherine Livingstone AC, Chair, Pacific National; Director, Saluda Medical & The Australian Ballet 20.12.2025 12นาที

  "The perfect decision is rarely the right decision" - Catherine Livingstone ACCatherine Livingstone AC, former Chair of the Commonwealth Bank and Telstra, discusses why seeking perfect information can be a director's worst enemy.In this episode, Catherine explains how boards navigate ambiguity, when to stop asking for more information, and why judgement - not process - sits at the centre of effective governance.With practical insights from chairing some of Australia's most significant organisations, Catherine explains what separates directors who can make tough calls from those who avoid them.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Board Oversight in Unprofitable Ventures with Phil Morle, Chair, Samsara Eco & v2 Foods, Partner, Main Sequence Ventures 06.12.2025 15นาที

  "Value created to time used is the most important metric." - Phil MorlePhil Morle, Chair of v2 Food, Samsara Eco, Eden Brew and Nourish Ingredients, and Partner at Main Sequence Ventures, discusses how boards can govern companies where being unprofitable is the strategy for years. He explains the concept of "binary companies" where revenue doesn't gradually increase but literally turns on after years of investment, and why traditional governance approaches fail in these environments.Phil shares practical frameworks including burn-down charts that track cash runway and the "slam dunk financing" slide that defines what must be delivered before the money runs out. He discusses why directors need elasticity and imagination rather than rigid metrics, how to create psychological safety when bad news is routine, and why boards must get into the swamp rather than passively reviewing reports.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Governing 170,000 Members Successfully with Anthony Wright, Director @ CPA Australia & Chair, Hanlon Industries 22.11.2025 12นาที

  "The objectives are not necessarily monetary related - but how do we add more value to what those members do in their jobs?" - Anthony WrightAnthony Wright, Independent Director of CPA Australia and Chair of Hanlon Industries, explains the governance challenges that arise for organisations that exist to serve members rather than shareholders.Drawing from his experience with CPA Australia's 170,000 members across 50 countries, Anthony explores how such boards measure success through member satisfaction and educational outcomes rather than financial metrics alone as well as the the sophisticated governance architecture required to ensure that members are appropriate represented on the board, while also ensuring the right skills are available and that there's independence and diversity of thought.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Building NFP Governance That Scales with Mike Gonski, Chair, ReachOut Australia & Carriageworks 08.11.2025 15นาที

  "In smaller organisations, I prefer a board director on my board who will err towards being more hands-on than hands-off." - Mike GonskiMike Gonski, Chair of ReachOut Australia and Carriageworks and partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, challenges conventional governance wisdom about board size and director involvement. He explains why he prefers larger boards where directors actively contribute their expertise rather than maintaining strict separation between board and management. Mike shares practical approaches for preventing director overreach, knowing when to move conversations offline, and why smaller NFPs genuinely need hands-on board contributions to fill capability gaps.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• A Director's Guide to Major Technology Investments with Peter James, Chair, MYOB; Macquarie Technology Group & DroneShield 25.10.2025 14นาที

  "Technology and the business are almost one and the same." - Peter JamesPeter James, Chair of MYOB, Macquarie Technology Group and DroneShield, and former Chair of Nearmap and Ansarada, explains why boards must stop treating technology as separate from business strategy, how to establish frameworks for evaluating major technology investments, and the critical importance of post-implementation reviews to drive continuous improvement.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Matters Arising that Actually Matter with Julie Coates, Director, Wesfarmers & Former CEO & Managing Director, CSR 11.10.2025 14นาที

  "There shouldn't be two lists. There should just be the list of things that need to be done." - Julie CoatesJulie Coates, Director of Wesfarmers and former CEO and Managing Director of CSR, shares practical guidance for managing board actions/matters arising effectively. Drawing from experience on both sides of the boardroom table, Julie explains why action items without context can be unhelpful and how company secretaries can apply disciplined thinking to distinguish between actions that add value and those that don't.She discusses the importance of post-meeting conversations between the chair, CEO, and company secretary to refine action lists, why management often already has the information boards request, and techniques for dealing with unrealistic or unfocused board requests during meetings.This episode provides company secretaries and governance professionals with concrete strategies for making board actions more effective whilst maintaining credibility with both boards and management teams.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠boardcycle website
• Executive Remuneration Decision Making with Greg Ridder, Chair, Kogan.com & Life Without Barriers 27.09.2025 13นาที

  "It's simply attract and retain... but once you deconstruct that, it's all about how do you get the right talent, the right incentive, the right people in place." - Greg RidderGreg Ridder, Chair of Kogan.com and Life Without Barriers, shares the practical realities of executive remuneration decision making. From navigating proxy advisor resistance to managing shareholder strikes, Greg discusses how boards can maintain fairness principles while handling market pressures. This episode tackles the challenging balance between attracting top talent, satisfying stakeholders, and creating incentive structures that actually drive value creation.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠Richard Conway⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠boardcycle⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠boardcycle website
• Making Social Impact Reporting Matter with Audette Exel AO, Chair & Founder, Adara Group; Former Director, Westpac & Suncorp 13.09.2025 13นาที

  "There is enormous risk when you try to metricise the value of a human life." - Audette Exel AOAudette Exel, Chair and Founder of Adara Group and former Director of Westpac and Suncorp, discusses how boards can transform social impact reporting from a compliance exercise into a strategic governance tool.She explores why the "S" in ESG lags behind environmental reporting, the dangers of reducing human services delivery to mere metrics, and how to balance data-driven measurement with meaningful storytelling. Audette explains why directors must get out of oak-panelled boardrooms to witness their organisation's impact firsthand, and how to create substantive reporting that moves beyond compliance requirements.________________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
• The Crisis-Ready Company Secretary with Catherine Livingstone AC, Chancellor, UTS; Chair, Pacific National & Former Chair, CBA & Telstra 30.08.2025 14นาที

  "You want a Company Secretary that's helping you work out how things can be done, not telling you why they can't be done." - Catherine Livingstone ACCatherine Livingstone AC, Chancellor of UTS, Chair of Pacific National and Director of The Australian Ballet, reveals what separates exceptional Company Secretaries from competent ones during periods of intense governance pressure.Drawing on her experience leading organisations through Australia's most challenging governance transformations, including Commonwealth Bank during the Banking Royal Commission, Catherine explains how Company Secretaries must exercise judgement about which processes matter most whilst enabling rapid decision-making.She discusses the delicate balance between serving the Board and being part of the management team, and reveals why technology literacy has become essential for modern governance roles._____________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website