Advertise on podcast: Minutes by boardcycle: Directors | Executives | Governance

"All transformation should come from strategy." - Julie Coates Julie 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"There's an inherent danger that we lapse into just being operational." - Greg Ridder Greg 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"There's a real risk to fall into the trap of believing... 'Oh, that's just how it's done there.'"— Audette Exel AO Governing 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"By starting with governance - defining it as the strategic side of governance, not the control side - you lift everything up." - Catherine Livingstone AC Catherine 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"Risk is a currency in these businesses, and we just need to work with it." - Phil Morle Phil 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"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 Wright Anthony 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"I think dealing with risk is really hard - especially without good experience or mentors around you." - Mike Gonski NFP 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"The best way to sell a company is to run it properly." - Peter James Peter 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"You need to live through the board meetings and the committee meetings and the annual cycle." - Julie Coates Julie 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"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 Ridder Greg 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"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 AO Audette 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"The perfect decision is rarely the right decision" - Catherine Livingstone AC Catherine 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"Value created to time used is the most important metric." - Phil Morle Phil 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"The objectives are not necessarily monetary related - but how do we add more value to what those members do in their jobs?" - Anthony Wright Anthony 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website

"In smaller organisations, I prefer a board director on my board who will err towards being more hands-on than hands-off." - Mike Gonski Mike 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 LinkedIn Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website