A good roll-up of industry types have put their names forward to be considered for the four vacant directorships caused by the resignations of recent times.
Following last week’s call for nominations applications have flooded in from every part of the country allaying fears that the recent turmoil may have turned people off. According to Bill Healey, acting-CEO, the quality and quantity of the applicants has given the Board confidence that the process will produce a high-quality result.
The four vacant directorships will be filled by the Board at its meeting on March 23 and the directors will remain active until the end of the year. A general election for all Board positions will take place in September/October when members will be able to vote for their candidates of choice.
Although all the directors have national responsibilities, the state-based positions have a special role of advocacy for their constituents. There are also three national directors. Healey is confident the Board will follow convention and appoint members from the different states to replace those who’ve resigned from there. He is also keen to see a shift in the gender balance with more women appointed to the Board. The new directors will be able to stand for election in their own right later in the year.
Ongoing consultation between the incumbent President, Kieran May and Tom Eckersley of the Members Action Group (MAG) mean that the process is likely to go ahead smoothly. Eckersley said he wants to see the number of positions on the board increased. He is proposing at least two representatives from every state. "The task can be too onerous for one person. These are honorary positions and we're all busy running our businesses. It would build in some redundancy into the system and prevent situations where we haven't had a Queensland director since last year," he said.
After a brief hiatus the search for a new CEO is back on track with the board sifting through a large number of applicants following a high-profile advertisement in the Fin Review. Healey reaffirmed that the successful candidate will not only have sound industry knowledge but will be tasked to carry on the reform process to generate more appropriate services for members. He estimates the new CEO will be appointed before the end of April.
The upcoming general election is likely to be one of the most keenly watched and contested in the Association’s history. Healey confirms that with more than $9 million in assets the Association is well set to survive and thrive into the future.
The current Board will oversee the upcoming election process and is expecting a vigorous and engaged democratic process.