When we reflect on past National Governance and Management Congresses in years to come, this year’s (2019) will certainly stand out as one of the best.
Strategically timed to coincide with one of the industries’ premier events, the Australasian Hospitality and Gaming Expo, the Congress provides the perfect opportunity to address delegates from across the country – and even international visitors.
An integral feature on the national clubs’ calendar, the Congress tackles the big issues with informative presentations from trailblazers and industry leaders. This year’s theme of ‘Governance and Management Education’ was no exception.
The 2019 National Governance and Management Congress was presented in a new, hands-on ‘workshop’-style format – but that wasn’t the only stand-out feature.
Here’s what went down…
Graham Bradley presented a ‘Board Behaviour’ workshop, answering the question, ‘How do high performing boards behave?’
As a professional company director, Graham has held high positions in companies across a number of industries and countries. Currently, he is the Non-Executive Chairman of HSBC Bank Australia, EnergyAustralia Holdings and GrainCorp Limited, a director of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Tennis Australia and is Chairman of Infrastructure NSW. Graham also chairs Virgin Australia International Holdings and Ensemble Theatre Limited. Along with his impressive list of positions and achievements – there are quite literally too many to list! – Graham was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2009 in recognition of his contribution to business, medical research and the arts, and was an Australian Institute of Company Directors Distinguished Fellow for 2012.
Graham spoke about the role of board members to contribute respectfully and productively and work for all members, not just factions or in their own interests.
Evelyn Field OAM presented an ‘Anti-Bullying’ workshop, targeted toward recognising unacceptable behaviour
Psychologist, author and speaker Evelyn M. Field OAM is a practising psychologist in Melbourne and a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, who also provides regular training to schools and organizations, as well as training mental health professionals. Evelyn’s simple six-step social and emotional resilience model empowers children and adults to relate more effectively to others, and Evelyn has developed these social survival skills through her own personal and professional experiences. Evelyn’s unique presentations are regarded as entertaining, ethical and educational, and she uses a variety of techniques, including cases, stories, cartoons, magic, role-plays, to engage participants and help them develop new skills.
In her presentation, Evelyn addressed bullying in the workplace – namely, why many of us still don’t take it seriously, but need to start. Evelyn gave advice on how to notice bullying, address it, and ensure you are not the one perpetrating or contributing to it.
Anthony Hiscox presented his ‘Mental Health and Resilience Workshop’
Senior Consultant within KPMG’s Management Consulting practice, Anthony specialises in Organisational and Societal Resilience and ensures that Organisations – and their most important asset, their people – are placed in the best position possible to readily adapt to the shocks and stressors they may face. Prior to joining KPMG, Anthony created and managed the People Resilience Strategy for Oracle across Australia, New Zealand and was a key advisor to the UK and European People and Culture teams and his work received national acclaim, winning the Australian Business award in 2016, being a finalist at the Australian Human Resource institute (AHRI) 2016 and at the ClubNSW industry awards. Anthony was also the recipient of the NSW Government’s Student Achievement award presented by the Hon. Stuart Ayers MP, and is a regular keynote speaker at many national events as a specialist in the areas of Psychological Safety, People Strategy and Organisational Resilience.
Anthony unpacked the mental health challenges commonly faced by directors and managers, particularly aging males, and how these challenges can impact their roles in a club.
David McGrath presented a ‘Digital Update’
As the Chief Digital Officer of Clubs Australia, David is responsible for digital transformation across 6,500 venues Australia and New Zealand – and with more than 20 years’ experience, he is well equipped for the job. With a resume including names like Telstra, IMG, Yahoo!, ASE IT and Nova Entertainment Group, David is an expert in areas like early stage investment, database management, e-commerce and so much more. When it comes to making your business stand out in a fast-paced, digitised world, there is no one more qualified than David to share a some insider knowledge.
David reflected on the digital opportunities available to the industry twelve months on from his last Congress presentation.
Finally, Dr Robert Kay presented the workshop, ‘Not Business as Usual!’
As both the co-founder and Executive Director of Incept Labs and an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University, it suffices to say that Dr Robert Kay has moved seamlessly between industry and academia his entire career. Robert was also the former Head of Strategic Innovation at Westpac Banking Corporation, a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems and Organisational development at the University of Technology, Sydney, and a research analyst at Bovis Lend Lease. Over the last couple of years Robert has been commissioned to undertake multiple studies of senior leaders. These include a study on CEO perspectives of Organisational Resilience and a world first comparison between public and private sector leaders in relation to innovation, and interviews with 100 Chairs on the relationship between good governance and performance.
Robert discussed the downfalls of the ‘business as usual’ mindset for clubs, asserting that, in order to grow and prosper in the future, we must do things differently to remain relevant to our communities.
