Boardroom Confidential

Skipp Williamson has spent decades working with organisations on one of the most persistent challenges in business: execution. As founder of Partners in Performance, she has seen first-hand how even the most compelling strategies can unravel when delivery falls short. In this conversation, Skipp explores why execution risk is often underestimated at board level, and how major projects can drift off course despite appearing on track. She explains the difference between the "pageantry" of project management and the realities of delivery, and why traditional reporting often obscures more than it reveals. The discussion examines how boards can strengthen oversight without crossing into management, including what to look for in critical projects and how to identify early warning signs. Skipp also shares practical insights on capability, accountability and the importance of leading indicators, alongside lessons from large-scale transformations, AI programs and decarbonisation efforts. Key Takeaways: The illusion of control — how reporting and dashboards can mask emerging risks in major projects. Project failure dynamics — why initiatives drift off course long before problems are visible. Board oversight in practice — probing assumptions, testing readiness and knowing where to focus. Leading versus lagging indicators — shifting from retrospective reporting to forward-looking insight. Transformation at scale — aligning strategy, execution and accountability across complex organisations. AI and execution discipline — applying lessons from past transformations to new technology investments. Decarbonisation as delivery challenge — turning ambition into achievable action.

Lawrence Goldstone has built a career at the intersection of purpose, people and transformation. He spent decades advising major organisations on strategy, innovation and large-scale change before stepping into the role of chair at OzHarvest, Australia's largest food rescue organisation. In this conversation, Lawrence reflects on leading through CEO succession in a founder-led organisation, balancing financial sustainability with social impact, and why scale is both OzHarvest's greatest opportunity and challenge. He shares practical insights on innovation in the boardroom, including how boards can create space for experimentation and constructive challenge without losing discipline. The discussion also explores workplace design, culture beyond metrics, and why transformation succeeds only when organisations invest time in clarity and leadership alignment before moving to execution. It's a thoughtful look at governance in action, and what it takes to be an "antidote to inertia" in complex systems. Key Takeaways: · Founder succession done well — managing CEO transition "with, not to" a founder, preserving culture while enabling scale. · Balancing purpose and financial sustainability — scaling impact in a not-for-profit while diversifying revenue streams. · Innovation as discipline — creating structured space for experimentation, not just declaring innovation a priority. · Board curiosity and constructive challenge — asking better questions and creating time for real strategic conversations. · Culture beyond the dashboard — experiencing the organisation firsthand, not relying solely on reported metrics. · Transformation fundamentals — clarity of the "why," leadership alignment, and investing time upfront. · Workplace evolution — intentional design of collaboration rather than one-size-fits-all models. · Engagement as competitive advantage — modern communication and investing in human skills early.

Paul Zahra has spent his career leading through disruption - as CEO of David Jones, head of the Australian Retailers Association during Covid, board director and founder of the Pinnacle Foundation. In this conversation, Paul reflects on what crisis reveals about leadership, governance and values. He discusses why visibility matters in the boardroom, particularly for LGBTQIA+ leaders, and how boards can move beyond tokenism to genuine inclusion. Paul also unpacks the chair's role in setting culture, managing diverse voices and balancing social impact with fiduciary responsibility. Drawing on his experiences across ASX companies, private equity and not-for-profits, Paul shares practical lessons on transformation, stakeholder management and why disruption - from digital to AI - should be treated as an opportunity, not a threat. It's a candid discussion about values under pressure, inclusive leadership and what modern boards need to get right. Key Takeaways: Visibility and leadership — why representation at board and CEO level matters for aspiration, pipelines and culture. Beyond gender diversity — inclusion across sexuality, disability and lived experience as a source of better governance. The chair's role in inclusion — setting tone, managing board dynamics, and creating psychological safety. Values in practice — when leaders should speak publicly, how to weigh risk, and aligning social impact with strategy. Crisis leadership — lessons from retail transformation, Covid and sector-wide disruption. Governance across contexts — ASX companies, private equity, not-for-profits and where boards succeed or fail.

Alastair McEwin has spent his career pushing for a more inclusive Australia — as a lawyer, board director, Disability Discrimination Commissioner and a commissioner on the Disability Royal Commission. In this conversation, he reflects on what drew him to disability advocacy, what he learned starting out on boards in his twenties, and why great governance is a team sport. Alastair unpacks why representation at the top still lags, how boards can move beyond tokenism, and the practical changes that make boardrooms genuinely accessible. He also shares the Royal Commission's central message: Australia is failing people with disability in mainstream settings — and why lasting reform requires leaders to change systems, culture and expectations, not just policies. Key Takeaways: • Early board experience: purpose, patience, and learning the room • What makes a good chair: relationships, trust, and drawing out every voice • "Nothing about us without us": representation, accessibility, and culture • Practical steps for boards: ask, don't assume; provide supports; build capability • The Royal Commission's core finding: mainstream systems are failing people with disability

Brad Welsh has built a career defined by reinvention — from child protection officer to political adviser, CEO of Energy Resources of Australia, board member at nib, and now founder of Mawal. In this conversation, Brad reflects on the choices, opportunities and turning points that shaped his path, and how curiosity and ambition have guided every reinvention. Brad discusses the lessons learned leading ERA through the complex rehabilitation of a major uranium mine, what long-term projects teach leaders about managing risk, and how to balance the expectations of diverse stakeholders. He also shares his powerful vision for the next generation of First Nations leadership in Australia — building capability in capital and risk, broadening pathways into commercial roles, and helping more Indigenous talent step into the boardroom. Key Themes: • Career reinvention and ambition — seizing "windows" of opportunity, stepping back to go forward, and using each pivot to build range. • Curiosity as a governing principle — staying relentlessly curious about how organisations, balance sheets and communities actually work. • Capital and risk as a global language — why cultures flourish by managing capital and risk in their own way, and what that means for First Nations Australia. • Long-term rehabilitation, short-term milestones — lessons from ERA's Ranger uranium rehabilitation on balancing horizon goals with near-term delivery. • Stakeholders and judgement — putting yourself in others' shoes, making decisions with imperfect information, and knowing when to change course. • The next generation — building a cohort of First Nations leaders for executive and board roles.

Over the holidays, we'll be bringing you some earlier episodes of our Boardroom Confidential podcast. This time it's David Kirk, the co-founder of listed venture capital fund Bailador and chair at a range of organisations including KMD Brands, Forsyth Barr and KiwiHarvest. David was also the CEO of Fairfax Limited and had an extremely successful career on the sporting field, captaining the mighty All Blacks to victory in the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. David shares what he's learned moving from executive leadership into chair and portfolio roles, including how to stay focused across competing priorities. He unpacks the chair–CEO relationship: how to be a genuine supporter while maintaining clear accountability, and why trust and expectations matter. The conversation also explores what high-performing boards look like in practice — from encouraging healthy disagreement to avoiding unhelpful conflict, and the simple disciplines that improve decision-making. David also reflects on growth-stage investing, founder dynamics, and why not-for-profits benefit from a stronger "social venture" approach. Finally, he draws leadership lessons from elite sport — and explains why governance in sporting organisations can go wrong when it becomes too representative. Key Themes The shift from executive leadership to a portfolio of board roles What makes a strong chair–CEO partnership (and where it can go wrong) How chairs build effective board culture, debate and decision-making Practical board discipline: preparation, focus, and "reading the papers" Growth-stage investing and governance in tech businesses What business can learn from elite sport—and what sport gets wrong in governance

Over the holidays, we'll be bringing you some earlier episodes of our Boardroom Confidential podcast. This time, it's Andy Penn, a director with Coles and Trustee for the National Gallery of Victoria. He also spent seven years as the CEO of Telstra and previously served as the chair of the federal government's Cyber Security Strategy Expert Advisory Board. We talk about: lesson for boards on cyber security, advice on effective Chair-CEO relationships, and governance at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Presented by Okta Cyber security has become a core governance issue, not just an IT problem. In this episode, Mathew Graham, Chief Security Officer for Asia–Pac at Okta, explains why identity is now the front line of security — and what that means for directors. He outlines how cyber risk has shifted from firewalls to cloud systems, remote work and interconnected supply chains, where most breaches now begin with compromised credentials. Mathew clarifies the board's role in setting risk appetite, shaping a culture of security, and holding management accountable through clear, risk‑focused reporting. He challenges common misconceptions ("compliant = secure") and highlights the danger of relying on a single tech provider. He also explores AI's dual edge — accelerating attacks and strengthening defence — and why non‑human identities like bots and AI agents must be secured. Finally, Mathew shares practical steps: stronger MFA, regular simulations and one big question every board should ask — who has access to our most critical data? Key Takeaways: · From tech issue to business risk — why cyber has moved from the server room to the boardroom, with identity now the critical perimeter. · Board vs management roles — the board sets the "what" and "why" (risk appetite, culture of security); management owns the "how". · Good cyber reporting — concise, risk-focused dashboards over jargon-heavy reports; red flags when leaders can't answer "who has access to what?". · SMEs and NFPs — how resource-constrained organisations can use ACSC guidance, baseline controls and targeted investment to lift their posture. · AI as accelerator — attackers using AI for better phishing, faster vulnerability discovery and malware, while defenders use AI for anomaly detection. · Non-human identities & supply chain risk — bots and AI agents as new identities to secure, and why many major breaches now start with a third party.

From founding her first company at 21 to building and exiting multiple tech ventures, Taryn Williams has spent her career at the intersection of talent, media and innovation. In this episode, the award-winning entrepreneur and director reflects on the mindset behind scaling fast-growing businesses, the challenge of stepping back as a founder, and how she's navigating the next wave of disruption through AI and digital transformation. Now serving on several boards across technology and creative industries, Taryn shares her perspective on how boards can better engage with brand and reputation — and why curiosity and emotional intelligence are fast becoming some of the most valuable skills in the boardroom. Key Themes: · From founder to director: shifting from execution to oversight · Building strong teams, mentors and advisory boards · Boards' growing responsibility for brand and reputation · Balancing AI opportunity with governance and guardrails · The future skills boards will need — and why EQ matters most Click here for the video version of the podcast on YouTube

Naomi Simson is an experienced director, successful entrepreneur, and acclaimed author. She co-founded Big Red Group and helped it grow to become Australia's largest experience network. In this candid conversation, Naomi reflects on two decades of building and scaling businesses, the lessons learned stepping back from the CEO role, and why small business remains the backbone of Australia's economy. Naomi also shares her views on the evolving role of boards: how curiosity outperforms expertise, why brand and reputation belong in every risk conversation, and what directors can learn by "sitting in the customer's shoes." Key themes: · Why curiosity can be a director's greatest skill · The board's role in brand, culture, and customer connection Purpose-driven leadership and culture Balancing growth with governance The human cost of overreliance on AI Protecting and empowering small business

Steve Hasker is the CEO and President of Thomson Reuters, plus a director with ASX-listed Appen. He was visiting Australia recently and took part in a special event with the AICD. We talked with Steve about the rise of artificial intelligence, lessons from his experiences with private equity, and the future of news and information.

Rebecca McGrath FAICD is the Chair of Investa Property Group, plus a director with Macquarie Group and Bank, Djerriwarrh Investments and Melbourne Business School. We talk about: OZ Minerals' multi-billion-dollar acquisition by BHP, learnings from working overseas, and preparing for meetings at a new board. Plus, key insights on the board's role in an effective decarbonisation plan.

Audette Exel AO is the Chair of Adara Group and a director at Westpac. She's also a former board member at Suncorp and ex-Chair of the Bermuda Stock Exchange. We discuss: Adara's mission & purpose, learning from mistakes, and social entrepreneurship in action. Plus, what can boards do to better promote philanthropy?