Take on Board

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Tracy Bongiorno about the Wild for STEM program. We also might touch on her journey to the first boardroom.Tracy is the CTO at Mentorloop. She has extensive experience scaling SAS businesses and fostering high-performing teams. She is passionate about people-centric cultures, collaboration, governance and building software that empowers people. Tracy also organizes Tech-Leading Ladies, a community that supports women in tech leadership. She thrives on solving complex challenges and driving meaningful change, so she's eager to increase gender diversity in Australian boards.WILD for STEM is committed to empowering women with the knowledge, skills and support they need to excel in STEM leadership positions.Links and ResourceTracy Bongiorno on LinkedInWild For STEM Upcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me

Today on the Take on Board podcast, Sara Harrup is back to answer all your questions.We had Sara on the podcast at the end of January. She opened up about her experiences with being an ADHD-er and having autistic traits. So, because she’s a rockstar and wants to educate people to be more sensitive and open to neurodiversity, she agreed to return to answer questions you may be too nervous, afraid or embarrassed to ask.Sara’s an open book, and we had a lively chat. And I know I learned so much from the thoughtful and vulnerable questions.Sara is Deputy Chair of the Australian Charities and not-for-profit commission, Chair of Jabiru Community Services and a board member of healthcare insurance. She's formerly been on a range of boards, including doctors for nutrition, family, daycare Association, Queensland, exercise and Sports Science, Australia, Professional Conduct Committee and Third Space.Sara is a coach, speaker, facilitator, board chair and non-executive director with a unique perspective shaped by her experiences. She coaches people whose brains are wired differently. They are often in roles where their brains ask a lot of them and facilitate learning for leaders and boards who want to harness the power of specialist, unconventional thinkers for success.A message from Sara: "I have put a downloadable resource on my website – Performance Enhancers for Neurodivergent Directors and Executives. People can find it and download it from the resources tab on my website here".Links and ResourcesSara Harrup on LinkedInSara Harrup's WebsiteUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me

Today, on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Bernadette Northeast about board evaluations. Bernadette has a long list of boards, and I may not have captured them all. She is on the boards of the Victorian Fisheries Authority, Victorian State Emergency Services, and Loved and Shared, Incorporated, and she's the managing director of North East Stockdale and Leggo Real Estate in Warrnambool.She was the former chair of Southwest Healthcare and the Women and Southwest Family Violence Partnership and formerly served on the boards of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Great South Coast committee, and Prime Safe. I have no doubt she has missed others.Her day job is entirely different. She manages land health and biodiversity at Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.Links and ResourcesBernadette Northeast on LinkedInSimple Committee Effectiveness QuestionnaireUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Carmel Mulhern about board agendas. This is part of the board composition and effectiveness, a five-part mini-series. So first up, you heard me talking about appointing board members. Then you heard Katie Constantinou providing some excellent food for thought about inducting board members. Last week, it was Leesa Chesser and me exploring all things board skills matrices. Carmel is on the PwC governance board, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, the Methodist Ladies College Board, the Telstra Foundation Board, and the Center for AI and Digital Ethics advisory board. She was formerly on the boards of Telstra Super Sydney Institute and Justice Connect. Carmel is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to boards and CEOs within the financial services, superannuation, telecommunications, media, technology and manufacturing industries through periods of digital disruption and strategic transformation.Most recently, Carmel served as group general counsel and head of governance of Commonwealth Bank, driving the fair and efficient resolution of legal matters, rebuilding stakeholder trust and effective corporate governance. Prior to the Commonwealth Bank, she spent almost 20 years at Telstra in various roles, including General Counsel and head of Corporate Affairs.Links and ResourcesCarmel Mulhern on LinkedInCatherine Livingstone AICD KeynoteAICD Recap - Including Catherine Livingstone's keynoteUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me

Today on the Take on Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Leesa Chesser about board skills matrices. This is part of the board composition and effectiveness, a five-part mini-series. Leesa is on the boards of Neami National, the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the Adelaide Festival Board, and the West Beach Parks Board. She also chairs the nominations and remuneration committee at Neami. She was formerly on the boards of Community Options, Australia, Hen House Cooperative, and Southern Domestic Violence Service, as well as the YWCA, Adelaide, Sturt Street Community School and QUT Student Guild.Leesa is an experienced non-executive Director and mentor after a successful career as Minister for disabilities, mental health and substance abuse, leading the $723 million NDIS strategic decision-making, service delivery, reform and transformation in South Australia. Leesa is interested in board directorships in the housing infrastructure, superannuation and innovative tech solutions.Links and ResourcesLeesa Chesser on LinkedInYouTube - Webinar - Board Skills Matrix How to Get it Right! APRA - Superannuation: How a skills matrix can help transform board capability AICD Board skills matrixCreative Australia - Guide to Using the Board Skills and Diversity Matrix Template Good Governance Guide - Creating and disclosing a board skills matrix BoardPro - Matrix of board skills template The Victorian Government, Department of Health, Director's toolkit Upcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Katie Constantinou about onboarding new directors.Katie is on the board of Harbison, an aged care organisation. She also sits on several committees: the New South Wales Justices Association Southern Highlands branch and the BDCU Grads Committee. She's formerly been on the boards of Wingecarribee Adult Day Centres, a not-for-profit service that provides social opportunities within a group setting for older people and people living with dementia.Katie is a proud nerd about governance and legal issues. She has a deep knowledge of administrative, legal and governance frameworks, policies and practices. She's an experienced non-executive director, adviser, public servant, legal professional, and leader of diverse Government and Community Services. Katie's passion lies in developing collaborative stakeholder relationships and partnerships.She holds a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and modern Greek from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws from ANU. Katie is a New South Wales justice of the peace, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.Links and ResourcesKatie Constantinou on LinkedInThe Key to Director Onboarding (The Corporate Director Podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/inside-todays-boardrooms-the-key-to-director-onboarding/id1462449171?i=1000664068655AICDElevating the client voice to boards (AICD article) https://www.aicd.com.au/good-governance/public-trust/organisation/elevating-the-client-voice-to-boards.htmlRecruitment and onboarding process example (Word doc) https://helgasvendsen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Take-on-Board-podcast-Recruitment-and-onboarding-process-example.docxBoard vacancy advertisement example (Word doc) https://helgasvendsen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Take-on-Board-podcast-Board-vacancy-advertisement.docxInvitation to join as an Observer example (Word doc) https://helgasvendsen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Take-on-Board-podcast-Invitation-to-join-as-an-Observer.docxUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meContact me

Hello Take on Board community,We interrupt your regular listening flow to share the exciting news that Helga was on the Australia Day 2025 honours list – appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.Take on Board Community member and referee for the OAM application. Hannah Browne reads the 'why' section of Helga's application, and I think we can all agree that Helga is so deserving of this honour!Congratulations, Helga!If you want to wish Helga a big congratulations, please Click here or head over to the Take on Board Facebook group and leave a message!

Today, this is the first episode in our first Take on Board miniseries of 2025! It's all about board composition and effectiveness. We've got a great lineup in the coming weeks, and today, you'll hear from me as I walk you through the steps to recruit a board member. This is one of the things I get asked all the time, where do I start? What do I need to do? What are the steps? So, I've made a checklist for you. And I thought I would take you through it. Come along, it'll be fun.Of course, the show notes contain the downloads for the checklist and some other resources I will refer to as we go through the process today.Links and ResourcesHow to recruit a board member: Your three-phase checklistVictorian Government Board GuidelinesAICD Board Recruitment ToolVictoria Health Board Capability FrameworkUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Sara Harrup about CEOs and executives who are neurodivergent and what boards need to know to manage these relationships effectively.Sara is Deputy Chair of the Australian Charities and not-for-profit commission, Chair of Jabiru Community Services and a board member of healthcare insurance. She's formerly been on a range of boards, including doctors for nutrition, family, daycare Association, Queensland, exercise and Sports Science, Australia, Professional Conduct Committee and Third Space.Sara is a coach, speaker, facilitator, board chair and non-executive director with a unique perspective shaped by her experiences with being an ADHD er and having autistic traits. She coaches people whose brains are wired differently. They are often in roles where their brains ask a lot of them and facilitate learning for leaders and boards who want to harness the power of specialist, unconventional thinkers for success.Links and ResourcesSara Harrup on LinkedInSara Harrup's WebsiteUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me