Minutes by boardcycle: Directors | Executives | Governance
The Minutes podcast by Boardcycle offers concise insights and bite-sized lessons from the boardroom. Host Richard Conway interviews prominent Australian boardroom leaders about decision-making, career paths, and practical advice for directors, executives, and governance professionals. Each episode is under 20 minutes, providing valuable learning from Australia's top boards.
Episodes
Effective Transformation Governance with Julie Coates, Director, Scentre Group & Wesfarmers & Former CEO, CSR
"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
Practical Board Planning in an Uncertain World with Greg Ridder, Chair, Life Without Barriers & Kogan.com
"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 oper
Governing Across Borders and Cultures with Audette Exel AO, Chair & Founder, Adara Group & Former Director, Westpac & Suncorp
"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 op
GSE Over ESG with Catherine Livingstone AC, Chair, Pacific National & Director, Saluda Medical & The Australian Ballet
"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.Cath
Risk as Currency in Deep Tech with Phil Morle, Partner, Main Sequence Ventures; Chair, v2food, Samsara Eco, Eden Brew & Nourish Ingredients
"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 Strategic Company Secretary Mindset with Anthony Wright, Former GC & CoSec, Transpacific Industries & Director, CPA Australia
"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 t
Balancing Representation & Risk on NFP Boards with Mike Gonski, Chair, ReachOut Australia & Carriageworks
"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
Preparing for and Managing Company Exits with Peter James, former Chair, Nearmap & Ansarada; former Director, iiNet
"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 pl
The Director's Onboarding Playbook with Julie Coates, Director, Wesfarmers & Scentre Group and Former Managing Director & CEO, CSR
"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
Not-For-Profit vs Listed Governance with Greg Ridder, Chair, Life Without Barriers & Kogan.com
"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 com
Creating Sustainable Social Impact Through Business with Audette Exel AO, Chair & Founder, Adara Group & Former Director, Westpac & Suncorp
"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
Judgement Over Perfection with Catherine Livingstone AC, Chair, Pacific National; Director, Saluda Medical & The Australian Ballet
"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 ce
Board Oversight in Unprofitable Ventures with Phil Morle, Chair, Samsara Eco & v2 Foods, Partner, Main Sequence Ventures
"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 lit
Governing 170,000 Members Successfully with Anthony Wright, Director @ CPA Australia & Chair, Hanlon Industries
"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
Building NFP Governance That Scales with Mike Gonski, Chair, ReachOut Australia & Carriageworks
"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 cont
A Director's Guide to Major Technology Investments with Peter James, Chair, MYOB; Macquarie Technology Group & DroneShield
"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-implement
Matters Arising that Actually Matter with Julie Coates, Director, Wesfarmers & Former CEO & Managing Director, CSR
"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
Executive Remuneration Decision Making with Greg Ridder, Chair, Kogan.com & Life Without Barriers
"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,
Making Social Impact Reporting Matter with Audette Exel AO, Chair & Founder, Adara Group; Former Director, Westpac & Suncorp
"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 hu
The Crisis-Ready Company Secretary with Catherine Livingstone AC, Chancellor, UTS; Chair, Pacific National & Former Chair, CBA & Telstra
"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 exper
Bridging Science and Business in Deep Tech with Phil Morle, Chair @ V2 Foods, Samsara Eco & Eden Brew; Partner, Main Sequence Ventures
"Different science choices could have huge downstream impacts on timing, capital, customers, or how big the business might be." - Phil MorleMain Sequence Ventures Partner Phil Morle shares insights from chairing breakthrough deep tech companies like Samsara Eco and V2 Foods about the governance challenges facing science-based businesses.Phil explains how boards can bridge the gap between
Why Governance Needs an Operations Revolution with Anthony Wright, Chair, Hanlon Industries; Director, CPA Australia & Founder, Lexvoco
"I think it's really a change in mindset... once you've got the basics right, it's then taking a step back and asking yourself, what more could we do to help this organisation or this team being the board to do better, to do things more efficiently?" - Anthony WrightJoin Richard Conway as he interviews Anthony Wright, Chair of Hanlon Industries and Director of CPA Australia, about why governance t
Ways I'm Using (and Not Using) AI on My Boards with Mike Gonski, Chair, ReachOut Australia & Carriageworks; Partner, HSF Kramer
"It is a hundred percent not a silver bullet to anything. It's just another useful tool we need to know how to use." - Mike GonskiMike Gonski, Chair of ReachOut Australia and Carriageworks and Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, discusses strategic approaches to AI adoption in governance functions.From the risks of AI minute-taking creating litigation hazards to building "walled gardens" fo
Building Trust Between Boards & Founders with Peter James, Chair @ Macquarie Technology Group, DroneShield & MYOB
"Give the founder the oxygen to do what they do really well." - Peter JamesExperienced technology chair Peter James reveals practical strategies for governing founder-led businesses without stifling innovation. Drawing from his experience at companies like iiNet, Nearmap, Ansarada, Macquarie Technology Group and DroneShielf, he discusses managing the unique dynamics when founders hold significant
Two Sides of the Board Table with Alison Watkins AM, RBA Board Member; Chancellor, UTas & Director, CSL & Wesfarmers
"You know if you can secure their backing, that's incredibly empowering." - Alison WatkinsIn this candid conversation, seasoned director Alison Watkins pulls back the curtain on boardroom dynamics from both the CEO and director perspectives. Having been CEO at Coca-Cola Amatil, Graincorp, and Berri before transitioning to non-executive positions, Alison reveals the completely differe
The Governance Trinity: Chair, CEO & CoSec with Carol Schwartz, Board Member, RBA & Chair, Equity Trustees
"If you don't have a good working relationship with your CEO, then you should probably not be the chair." - Carol SchwartzCarol Schwartz, Chair of Equity Trustees and Reserve Bank of Australia board member, reveals how the three-way relationship between Chair, CEO, and Company Secretary drives organisational success. Discover why a strong Chair-CEO partnership is non-negotiable, how
Startup Thinking for Governance with Hannah Browne, Director @ Greenpeace; MD @ Midnyte City
"I would love to see a bit more entrepreneurial thinking in governance circles and in the boardroom." - Hannah BrowneHannah Browne, Managing Director of technology consultancy Midnyte City and Director at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, discusses how governance practitioners can apply startup methodologies—simplification, systematisation, and scalability—to navigate increasing complexity w
Understanding Risk Appetite with Catherine Brenner, Chair @ Australian Payments Plus; Director @ Scentre Group, Emmi & The George Institute for Global Health
"Risk is a finite resource like any other resource, whether it's human capital, financial capital, et cetera, and it needs to be understood and applied accordingly." - Catherine BrennerCatherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus and Director at Scentre Group, Emmi and The George Institute for Global Health, explains how risk appetite statements provide crucial governance guide rails, how
Framing Board Decisions for Success with Christy Boyce, Director @ JB Hi-fi, BAI Communications & EMM Consulting
"I'm actually more interested in understanding the logic than the number." - Christy BoyceChristy Boyce, experienced director and former partner at Port Jackson Partners and McKinsey, explains how management teams can gain board approval for transformative initiatives by demonstrating comprehensive option analysis, stakeholder consideration, and transparent exploration of what could
Paths to the Board: Finance Professional with Mark Johnson, Chair, HCF; Director, Metcash, Aurecon & Sydney Airport
"Finance is the lingua franca of business, but judgement is what a director needs." - Mark JohnsonMark Johnson, Chair of HCF and Director of Metcash, Aurecon and Sydney Airport Corporation, shares insights on transitioning from audit to the boardroom, discussing how finance professionals can leverage their expertise while developing the broader business judgement essential for effective
Paths to the Board: Entrepreneur with Carol Schwartz AO, Chair @ Equity Trustees; Board Member, RBA
“You can be entrepreneurial in everything you do.” - Carol Schwartz AOCarol Schwartz, Chair of Equity Trustees and Director of the Reserve Bank of Australia, discusses her journey from law, property and entrepreneurship to governance, board leadership, and advocacy for women in leadership. She shares insights on how an entrepreneurial mindset can drive change in business, policy, and philanthropy.
Paths to the Board: Retail Executive with Penny Winn, Director @ Ampol & Super Retail Group; Former Group Retail Services Director @ Woolworths
"Your career is all about earning, learning and having fun." - Penny WinnPenny Winn, director of Ampol and Super Retail Group and former Director of Group Retail Services at Woolworths, discusses the transition from retail executive to board director, emphasising the importance of P&L experience, customer focus, and developing influence skills for boardroom success._____________Follow Podcast
Paths to the Board: Legal Advisor with Ilana Atlas AO, Chair @ Scentre Group & Jawun; Director @ Origin Energy
"Lawyers are highly analytic... but there is an element of risk aversion." - Ilana Atlas
Ilana Atlas, Chair of Scentre Group shares insights on transitioning from legal advisory roles as Managing Partner at Mallesons, to in-house roles including as Group Secretary and General Counsel at Westpac, to board leadership. Ilana highlights the valuable skills lawyers and company secretaries bring to boa
Paths to the Board: Revenue Leadership with Hannah Browne, Director @ Greenpeace Australia; Founder, Midnyte City
"Entrepreneurship and governance make relatively strange bedfellows." - Hannah Browne
Hannah Browne, Founder of Midnyte City and Non-Executive Director at Greenpeace Australia, explores her journey from tech sales to founding Midnyte City to becoming a non-executive director at Greenpeace, sharing insights on balancing startup leadership with board responsibilities.
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Essentials for Effective Board Meetings with Catherine Brenner, Chair @ Australian Payments Plus; Director, Scentre Group
"Boards are a social dynamic where you want to not only have a great environment, but also to use every minute wisely." - Catherine Brenner
Catherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus and director of Scentre Group, Emmi and The George Institute for Global Health discusses the essential elements of running effective board meetings including pre-meeting preparation, managing meeting flow, h
Balancing Board and Exec Roles with Christy Boyce, Director @ JB Hi-fi, EMM Consulting & BAI Communications
"I manage my work-life balance quite well over a year. I do not necessarily manage it well day-by-day or even week-by-week."
How do you build a board career as an executive without burning out? Join Christy Boyce, Director of JB Hi-fi, EMM Consulting and BAI Communications and former partner at McKinsey and Port Jackson Partners as she shares her approach to building simultaneous executive and bo
Purpose-Driven Board Leadership with Mark Johnson, Chair @ HCF, Director @ UNSW, Metcash & Sydney Airport
"You can't be a success in a failed world" - Mark Johnson, Chair, HCF
In a world of diverse organisations - listed companies, private companies, NFPs, mutual funds, academic institutions, etc - how do you govern effectively? In this episode Mark Johnson, Chair of HCF and Director of a diverse portfolio of organisations including Aurecon, Goodman, Sydney Airport Corporation and the University of NS
The State of Board Diversity in 2024 with Carol Schwartz AO, Chair, Women's Leadership Institute Australia & Equity Trustees; RBA Board Member
"The sorts of ways women's characteristics and qualities are described within organisations are actually at the forefront of the sorts of characteristics and qualities that we want in the leaders of our businesses." - Carol Schwartz AO
Carol Schwartz AO, member of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Chair of Equity Trustees; the Women's Leadership Institute Australia; the Climate Counc
Building Digital-Ready Boards with Hannah Browne, Director @ Greenpeace, Founder @ Midnyte City
"Our boardrooms are packed with ex-lawyers and finance folks. Why wouldn't we have technology represented in a way that honours the impact it can have on an organisation?" - Hannah Browne
Hannah Browne, technology entrepreneur and founder of Midnyte City and Director of Greenpeace Australia Pacific challenges the approach many Boards take to technology skills in the boardroom, putting forward the
The Board Reporting Playbook with Penny Winn, Director @ Super Retail Group, Ampol, ANU Foundation
"Tell it like it is. Don't say everything is under control. Share the challenges and, and the opportunities. And importantly, utilise the board's expertise if you want to get a problem solved." - Penny Winn
Reporting to the board on business performance is a vexed issue for many executives: How much information is enough? How much is too much? They want another dashboard?!?
Penny Winn, director o
Perfecting the Art of Minute-Taking with Catherine Brenner, Chair @ Australian Payments Plus; Director, Scentre Group
"Minutes are the sole and permanent record of a meeting. Getting them right is absolutely critical." - Catherine Brenner
Catherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus and director of Scentre Group, Emmi and The George Institute for Global Health shares a director's perspective on the role of minutes and how to tackle ambiguity, balance detail and manage dissent effectively.
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How your Board should use it's time with Ilana Atlas AO, Chair @ Scentre Group & Jawun, Director, Origin Energy
"Planning is just pivotal." - Ilana Atlas AO
Ilana Atlas AO, Chair of Scentre Group and Jawun and director of Origin Energy shares her expertise on maximising board impact through thoughtful time management, and the critical role Company Secretaries play in the board planning process.
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How to prepare for Board Meetings with Alison Watkins AM, Director @ Wesfarmers, CSL & RBA
Alison Watkins AM, Director at Wesfarmers, CSL, and the Reserve Bank of Australia, shares her insights on effective board meeting preparation. Learn about her "always on" approach, techniques for managing information overload, and advice for new directors heading into their first meeting.
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A director's guide to decision-making with Christy Boyce, Director @ JB Hi-fi & former Senior Partner, Port Jackson Partners
At it's core, the job of a Board is to consistently make good decisions - so what frameworks can director's apply in the boardroom to make sure the decisions they make are good? Christy Boyce, Director at JB Hi-fi, BAI Communications and EMM Consulting, a former Senior Partner at Port Jackson Partners and Partner at McKinsey, shares her approach - along with some tips for dealing with unce
Beyond the humble agenda with Mark Johnson, Chair @ HCF; Director @ Aurecon, Goodman & Metcash
The humble agenda quite literally defines how a board will spend its time and what it will, and will not, discuss. In this episode Mark Johnson, Chair of HCF, Director of Aurecon, Goodman, Metcash and Sydney Airport Corporation and Councillor at the University of NSW shares his thoughts on how to get agendas right, and why they are not humble at all.
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Decision-making under pressure with Penny Winn, Director @ Ampol, Super Retail Group, ANU Foundation
Usually boards make decisions as the result of a comprehensive, well-planned process - but things don't always go to plan and so boards are thrown into a much more dynamic and unpredictable decision making environment. Penny Winn, director of Ampol, Super Retail Group and The ANU Foundation shares her advice on how boards can ensure they're making the best possible decisions when 'the
Secrets to being a great Chairperson with Ilana Atlas AO, Chair @ Scentre Group & Jawun; Director, Origin Energy
Although often presented as a ‘first amongst equals’ role, being a board chairperson involves very different challenges from board membership. Hear from Ilana Atlas AO, Chair of Scentre Group and Jawun, director at Origin Energy and the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia, about key differences between those roles and the key skills you must brin
Mastering Board Papers with Alison Watkins AM, Chancellor @ Uni of Tasmania and former CEO @ Coca-Cola Amatil
Love them or loathe them, an organisation’s mission critical decisions often rest on board papers. Alison Watkins AM, Director at Wesfarmers and CSL, Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Chancellor of the University of Tasmania outlines a few simple approaches executives can take to make sure the board papers they prepare hit the mark, every time.
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