WOB eNews: April 2007

Welcome to the April 2007 edition of eNews. WOB continues to be supported in 2007 by UBS.

1. Update your details

Please take a moment to check if the details WOB has recorded for you are correct. Login to the website via this link: www.womenonboards.org.au/login.html, go to the Site Tools box on the Right Hand side of the page and click Edit My Details. Correct your information and click submit.

Please note that it is important to keep your details up to date as this information is used to populate other forms, such as My Resume and Event Registrations.

2. Thank you to our mentors

WOB would like to acknowledge the established directors who support WOB. This support ranges from attending events, providing behind the scenes advice, speaking in public and being available to meet with referred WOBers. See some of their biogs at www.womenonboards.org.au/events/sydney/061102_biogs.htm

More mentor biogs can be accessed from Events on the website.

3. Topic for April – where are the paid not for profit boards?

It is a WOB priority to increase the number of paid opportunities posted on the website. To date the split is about 85% unpaid and 15% paid. Searches have been undertaken for additional paid positions bringing is up to close to 20% paid opportunities. Searches are done on completed My Resumes.

Unpaid/expenses vacancies usually result in a WOBers being successful - this is consistent with directors of unpaid boards having limited access to suitable candidates and the higher turnover of directors on not for profits. Prospects for individual WOBers are good and a number of WOBers are looking for an initial unpaid position. So be patient and wait for something that suits – it’s not a good look to make a poor choice and resign.

For paid vacancies the chance of individual success is reduced. Competition is keener and the vacancy is often canvassed in places additional to WOB. But WOB has an increasing band of supporters who are trying to inject women candidates into fields.

For those of you who have attended a WOB Strategy session you will be aware that some not for profit boards pay their directors. The 2006 PRO:NED survey identified the average remuneration for a director of a not for profit as $31,000 but the sample was small. WOB sees $10,000 as a more realistic figure.

A clear challenge for WOB is to identify not for profit boards that pay. WOB has advertised some and knows of others but we need to develop an efficient strategy for tracking them down. Any suggestions are welcome.

4. Focus on a WOB member

This months featured WOBer is Michelle di Fabio. She has been involved with WOB since University and has recently joined both PWC and two boards/committees, including the Collingwood Football Club. Her story is at www.womenonboards.org.au/profiles/difabio.htm

5. New to the website

The Hon. Justice Kim Santow, Chancellor of the University of Sydney, made women on boards the topic of his recent address to the Sancta Sophia Collage Academic Dinner. Read his speech at: www.womenonboards.org.au/news/n07_santow.htm

6. WOB events in Adelaide and Sydney

Places are still available for the WOB Strategy Workshops and WOB Director's Cocktail networking event in Adelaide on May 7 and 8. All welcome - you do not have to be a director to attend the networking event and we have an impressive list of mentors for the evening. WOB thanks the SA Office for Women and Finlaysons for hosting these events.

The joint WOB/UBS "Evening at the Art Gallery of NSW" is shaping up as an event not to be missed. Information on mentor directors to follow shortly.

To register login to the website and click the red register link the events table.

7. New postings since March eNews

  • Financial Services Foundation, NSW, expenses
  • National Foundation for Australian Women, National, part expenses
  • Gymnastics NSW, unpaid
  • Hockey SA, expenses

To find a position click: www.womenonboards.org.au/my/resume/position_search.html and enter your username and password. You will need to click submit to start the search once you are logged in. To access board positions you need to have a paid subscription to WOB.

8. Affiliated Events

Mergers & Acquisitions Conference 2007 - 10% discount to WOBers.

The third annual M&A forum is to be held 7-8 June 2007 at The Arts Centre, Melbourne. Leading practitioners will present on the latest developments of consortium deals including taxation and legal considerations, the impact of private equity in the boardroom, lessons learnt from selling to private equity, the role of M&A in successful overseas expansion and case studies of ABC Learning Centres, Toll Holdings, Nutricia Ltd.

For further information call +61 3 8534 5011 or visit www.capconnect.com.au

Environmental Management Systems Forum - May 2007

The 1st National EMS Forum is being held in Toowoomba from 14-17 May 2007. WOBers working in the areas of Corporate Social Responsibility and others may be interested in this forum. Cost is $440 for non-members. Website is at: www.ems.asn.au/events/2007_forum