The PIAA board is meeting this morning in Sydney to choose four new board members and also narrow down the list of candidates for the CEO position.
The meeting follows a tumultuous few months for the national association that has seen the resignations of former presidents David Leach and Ross Black, board members Susan Heaney and Steve Edwards, and controversial former CEO Jason Allen.
"Some very influential and extremely capable people have put their hands up," acting PIAA president Kieran May told Print21 before the meeting that's being held in the boardroom at PIAA headquarters in Chatswood, Sydney.
"A total of 20 people nominated for the board vacancies and we received good interest from across the spectrum of the industry, from large to small print businesses," said May. "We've made the full list of nominees and their CVs available to all board members and we'll go through those and develop our list from there. In some cases, the appointees will be fairly clear cut but we may need to talk further about some of the nominations. For instance, we could get to a situation where we all agree on three of the candidates but we need to go back and have further conservations about some of the others. And, of course, we will nominate with due regard to geographic location.
"We'll be kicking off right after breakfast and hopefully by this afternoon we'll have a list of four preferred appointees for the vacant board positions, plus a couple of reserve candidates in case someone has a change of heart. We should know something by 4pm but there will be no announcement until we've contacted the successful candidates and all of those who expressed an interest in the vacant directorships.
The board meeting will also consider a list of candidates for the position of CEO, following the shock resignation of former chief Jason Allen just before Christmas.
"We have a list of candidates and we'll be having preliminary discussions about each of them," said May. "If we can get a fairly quick consensus, the objective would be to come up with a list of those to be interviewed. Hopefully, we can move sooner rather than later. First, we need to choose the new board members from a list of high quality candidates who each have expertise in different areas of the printing industry.
The four new directors will remain active until a general election for all board positions in October, when members will be able to vote for their candidates of choice.
In an email to members yesterday, May said the new-look board would reflect an increased commitment to communication and consultation.
Over recent Months the Board and I have been conscious of the significant commentary about the operations of the Association. Much of this commentary signals interest in the Association and with interest comes involvement.
As I sit back and reflect on the events of the past three months, I have a sense of a turning point. Not in the sense of having everyone happy with the direction of the PIAA, but in knowing the involvement of the members is getting back to where it should.
This involvement will shortly be reflected in a new look Board and an increased commitment to communication and consultation.
Before we know where from here though, it is worth looking at where we have been and what brought us to where we are today.
The PIAA was born of change. The Association brought together a number of aligned groups to form a nationwide association to better represent the interests of members, and to take advantage of the efficiencies a bigger organisation could offer.
The early structure of the Association suited the times.
As our industry evolved, its needs changed. It became apparent to those who represented members at National Council and later the Board, that the organisation needed changes in its governance and operational arrangements to respond. The level of debate as to how we responded has been intense and there are still different views as to whether we have the right balance.
There are those who want more change and there are those who want less.
Where we all agree is on the need to provide members and the wider industry with services they want and need, and which represent good value for their membership dollar.
Value like our Industrial Relations team who consistently produce great outcomes.
Good value requires us to provide an accountable team of employees who can not only identify with members, but have the skill set to deliver that value. This has meant that some staff in the membership services area have regrettably been let go by the Association. The departure of some good people has been contentious. The worth of recruiting people with a different mindset is yet to be demonstrated fully. What is incontrovertible is the value we now place on the delivery of outcomes for members.
The Board has recognised over the past six years or so that the long term sustainability of the Association requires ongoing change. Like all organisations we need to deliver continuous improvement. Despite what has been achieved, much remains to be done.
The challenge is to ensure we use the resources of the Association to good effect. Declining and changing income streams mean we no longer can afford to spend members’ money without getting a return for those members. Investing in good staff and asking them to be accountable will deliver outcomes. Sensible investment in our office accommodation will eliminate waste while keeping costs under control. Profitable partnerships will generate revenue streams and will reduce members’ costs.
In short, we need to do more with less. We need to work smarter for our members.
Will we always get it right? Will we all agree on every course of action? The answer, I suspect is no, but with open communication around what we are trying to achieve and why, we want to be seen to be on the right path.
In the long term, we will be judged on results.
Kieran May
Acting President