Alyceum

Igniting Leaders, Inspiring Revolutions

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Building a business of tomorrow

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Alyceum is proud to be announced as one of Westpac’s 200 Businesses of Tomorrow from over 2000 applications across Australia.  As part of the announcement, the 200 businesses were invited to a Business Summit in Sydney with speakers such as Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix and David Lindberg, Westpac Chief Executive, Business Bank among others.

I traveled over with my 6-month old son and my mum who cared for him so I was able to attend the Summit. Big props to Westpac too for making them feel so welcome. Talk about the new way of business!

During the Summit, we explored future business trends, what it takes to be innovative and how Australia can further foster entrepreneurship. Here are some of my key take-aways:

Marc Randolph, Co-founder, Netflix

  • The innovation process is about your ability to have lots of ideas, validate them as quickly and cheaply as possible until you find one that sticks.
  • Innovation needs persistence and optimism.
  • Take your ideas and collide with customers.

Panel Session with Mia Freedman, Mamamia, Dare Jennins, Deus Ex Machina, Rachael Powell, Xero and Andre Eikmeier, Vinomofo

  • Attract your tribe through content that shows who you are.
  • Technology can help you scale the human experience.

David Linberg, Westpac Chief Executive, Business Banking

  • Key business trends include running service based businesses, selling to (rather than buying from) China, automation and robotics, purpose in business, gig economy and changing demographics.

Bernard Salt, Demographer

  • Australia has the largest proportion of city population comprising of international born residents (Perth, 41%, Sydney 42%)
  • Australia is not creating big businesses.  All our major businesses where founded in the late 1800’s and early 1900s (think BHP, Telstra, Wesfarmers, Woolworths and the Banks) compared to 5/10 of America’s biggest businesses (Think Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon) which were founded in the last 30 years.

It was a fantastic Summit to meet inspiring entrepreneurs from around Australia and think about society will look like in 2020, 2030 and 2050.  Thank you Westpac for the honour of being named in the inaugural list and for the Summit experience.

Want to follow Alyceum’s journey?  Sign up to our Newsletter

Register here and receive a free chapter of my book, Difference Makers: A Leader’s Guide to Diversity on Boards.

Launching #1000youngdirectors

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What is the #1000youngdirectors campaign?

The #1000youngdirectors campaign aims to ignite 1000 young directors onto community boards to increase diversity, support succession planning and improve our local communities through better discussions, decisions and outcomes on boards.

We believe when a variety of perspectives are included around the boardroom – everyone wins.  More robust discussions happen, the community is represented better and generations work together for the betterment of society.

The question is not why would you involve a young professional under 40 on your NFP board.  The real question is why wouldn’t you?

Why do we need more diversity on boards?

Research undoubtedly shows that diversity improves financial performance, innovation, reputation and decision making.  This occurs when a wide range of perspectives are taken into consideration¹.  This means including diverse perspectives is not only the right thing to do morally, it’s also good business sense!

What is the current diversity on boards?

  • 57% of Board members on ASX200 Boards are over the age of 60²
  • only 23.4% of ASX200 Boards have female representation³
  • 3.2% of Board members onASX200 Boards are from an Asian cultural background4

Is it any better on NFP Boards? 

The respondents of the AICD’s 2016 NFP Governance and Performance study included:

  • 61% male and 39% female
  • 7% under 40, 18% between 40 – 49, 40% between 50 – 59 and 35% over 60

So yes, there is work to be done!

Igniting 1000 more young directors (under the age of 40) on community boards is a MASSIVE goal.  So here’s how we want to support change!

What can you expect?

  • Young Board Director Profiles – #1000youngdirectors

You can’t be what you can’t see!

Each Wednesday (starting tomorrow!), Alyceum will profile impressive young board directors from around Australia.  We have an incredible list of young board directors to share with you already.  You will find them on our Facebook page and Linkedin page.  If you would like to be included in this series or know someone who should be profiled, complete the form at the end of this post.

Please use the hashtag #1000youngdirectors to share wins, add resources and promote the young board director profiles!

  • Tools and Resources

Learning the ropes!

We will be blogging tools and resources and hosting online webinars here to help you get onto community boards.  Discover what it means to be a board director, what the role involves, how to find a board position and more!  You may want to sign up to our mailing list!

  • Register for the Board Ignition Online Course

Fast track your board journey here!

Alyceum has created an exciting online resource for young professionals (or anyone!) who are keen to get their first community board appointment.  We have a very special pre-order offer during our launch month – June 2017.  So if you’re keen, this is the course for you!

  • Buy the Difference Makers Book PackDifference Makers Book

Discuss the benefits of diversity on your board

Alicia Curtis along with Dr Nicky Howe have written a practical board guide for championing diversity called Difference Makers: A Leader’s Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards.  As part of this campaign, we are promoting a Board Book Pack of 10 books for your board directors for $240.  This is a 20% discount on the retail price of $29.95 each plus we will ship to you for free!   Order your Board Book Pack here.

Share about this campaign

Involve your workplace or community board by downloading and sharing the following posters:

About the Campaign

About the Business Case for Diversity

About the Board Ignition Online Course

About the Difference Makers Book

 

Be Profiled

If you’re under 40 years old and on a community board, add your details here to be profiled in this campaign.   Please like our social media pages too (our Facebook page and Linkedin page).

#1000youngdirectors campaign

Join and support the #1000youngdirectors campaign to promote and recognise age diversity on boards.

 

¹Howe, N.J and Curtis, A (2016) Difference Makers: A Leaders Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards, pp 25-29

2 http://www.corrs.com.au/news/asx-200-Boards-are-getting-younger/

3 http://www.companydirectors.com.au/director-resource-centre/governance-and-director-issues/Board-diversity/30-per-cent-by-2018

4 http://www.afr.com/leadership/management/hiring/smaller-asx-listed-companies-are-letting-the-side-down-on-diversity-20160405-gnyhyl

Young Board Director Interview – Webinar

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Young Board Director Interview

Webinar

Alicia Curtis will interview Rhys Williams on his wide range of experiences as a board director including Councillor at the City of Mandurah, Chair of John Tonkin College and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

In this interview, we will explore:

  • the ability to make a difference on boards
  • the bias that can occur against young board directors and how to overcome it
  • how to get onto your first board

Happy New Year!

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During January, all Board Book Pack (10 copies) orders for Difference Makers: A Leader’s Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards receives 20% off and free shipping when you order a Board Book Pack – click here.

What’s the book about?

Difference Makers: A Leader’s Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards reframes the debate about who can participate in board directorship. Dr Nicky Howe and I share our experience developing the award winning board governance program for young aspiring directors and the research on how diversity can enhance problem solving, spark innovation and ultimately build better boards and organisations.

The book includes:

  • Tools and templates to make your board’s diversity journey easier and more effective
  • Personal strategies to develop your own personal commitment to diversity
  • Board strategies including how to develop a board diversity policy and enhance recruitment, nomination and meeting processes
  • Real life case studies

…and much more!

Reward your board directors!

Reward your board directors with a small gift that supports their development and improves business outcomes.

Interested? Order a board book pack for your board members in January and receive 10 copies of the book plus free postage for just $24 per book. That’s a 20% discount plus FREE postage – a saving of $80! Orders must be made before the end of January.

Difference Makers is a great addition to your board professional development program or a useful holiday reading gift!

Order your book pack here.

Just want to order a single copy of the book, click here.