The Minutes podcast by Boardcycle brings snappy insights and and bite-sized learnings from the boardroom to you. Our host, Richard Conway, interviews Australia’s most prominent boardroom leaders on: • how they approach making an organisation’s mission-critical decisions • how they forged their boardroom careers • practical tips and advice on working with, and as part of, a board. With each episode less than 20 minutes, directors, executives and governance professionals alike can learn from the best that Australia’s boards have to offer. www.boardcycle.com
"If you don't have a good working relationship with your CEO, then you should probably not be the chair." - Carol SchwartzCarol Schwartz, Chair of Equity Trustees and Reserve Bank of Australia board member, reveals how the three-way relationship between Chair, CEO, and Company Secretary drives organisational success. Discover why a strong Chair-CEO partnership is non-negotiable, how to navigate board-management tensions, and what separates exceptional Company Secretaries from merely adequate ones._____________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
"I would love to see a bit more entrepreneurial thinking in governance circles and in the boardroom." - Hannah BrowneHannah Browne, Managing Director of technology consultancy Midnyte City and Director at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, discusses how governance practitioners can apply startup methodologies—simplification, systematisation, and scalability—to navigate increasing complexity while maintaining focus on delivering value._____________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
"Risk is a finite resource like any other resource, whether it's human capital, financial capital, et cetera, and it needs to be understood and applied accordingly." - Catherine BrennerCatherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus and Director at Scentre Group, Emmi and The George Institute for Global Health, explains how risk appetite statements provide crucial governance guide rails, how they enable strategic risk-taking, and how to successfully implement them across an organisation._____________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
"I'm actually more interested in understanding the logic than the number." - Christy BoyceChristy Boyce, experienced director and former partner at Port Jackson Partners and McKinsey, explains how management teams can gain board approval for transformative initiatives by demonstrating comprehensive option analysis, stakeholder consideration, and transparent exploration of what could go wrong._____________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
"Finance is the lingua franca of business, but judgement is what a director needs." - Mark JohnsonMark Johnson, Chair of HCF and Director of Metcash, Aurecon and Sydney Airport Corporation, shares insights on transitioning from audit to the boardroom, discussing how finance professionals can leverage their expertise while developing the broader business judgement essential for effective governance._____________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
“You can be entrepreneurial in everything you do.” - Carol Schwartz AOCarol Schwartz, Chair of Equity Trustees and Director of the Reserve Bank of Australia, discusses her journey from law, property and entrepreneurship to governance, board leadership, and advocacy for women in leadership. She shares insights on how an entrepreneurial mindset can drive change in business, policy, and philanthropy._____________Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedInFollow boardcycle on LinkedInVisit the boardcycle website
"Your career is all about earning, learning and having fun." - Penny WinnPenny Winn, director of Ampol and Super Retail Group and former Director of Group Retail Services at Woolworths, discusses the transition from retail executive to board director, emphasising the importance of P&L experience, customer focus, and developing influence skills for boardroom success._____________Follow Podcast HostRichard Conway on LinkedInFollowboardcycle on LinkedInVisit theboardcycle website
"Lawyers are highly analytic... but there is an element of risk aversion." - Ilana Atlas Ilana Atlas, Chair of Scentre Group shares insights on transitioning from legal advisory roles as Managing Partner at Mallesons, to in-house roles including as Group Secretary and General Counsel at Westpac, to board leadership. Ilana highlights the valuable skills lawyers and company secretaries bring to boards whilst acknowledging the mindset shifts required for success. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"Entrepreneurship and governance make relatively strange bedfellows." - Hannah Browne Hannah Browne, Founder of Midnyte City and Non-Executive Director at Greenpeace Australia, explores her journey from tech sales to founding Midnyte City to becoming a non-executive director at Greenpeace, sharing insights on balancing startup leadership with board responsibilities. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"Boards are a social dynamic where you want to not only have a great environment, but also to use every minute wisely." - Catherine Brenner Catherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus and director of Scentre Group, Emmi and The George Institute for Global Health discusses the essential elements of running effective board meetings including pre-meeting preparation, managing meeting flow, handling disruptions, and the value of post-meeting reviews. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"I manage my work-life balance quite well over a year. I do not necessarily manage it well day-by-day or even week-by-week." How do you build a board career as an executive without burning out? Join Christy Boyce, Director of JB Hi-fi, EMM Consulting and BAI Communications and former partner at McKinsey and Port Jackson Partners as she shares her approach to building simultaneous executive and board careers without compromising on your responsibilities, quality or passion. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"You can't be a success in a failed world" - Mark Johnson, Chair, HCF In a world of diverse organisations - listed companies, private companies, NFPs, mutual funds, academic institutions, etc - how do you govern effectively? In this episode Mark Johnson, Chair of HCF and Director of a diverse portfolio of organisations including Aurecon, Goodman, Sydney Airport Corporation and the University of NSW talks about the fundamental similarities in governance across different organisations and the importance of focusing on purpose. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"The sorts of ways women's characteristics and qualities are described within organisations are actually at the forefront of the sorts of characteristics and qualities that we want in the leaders of our businesses." - Carol Schwartz AO Carol Schwartz AO, member of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Chair of Equity Trustees; the Women's Leadership Institute Australia; the Climate Council and Our Community gives her assessment of the state of diversity in the boardroom in 2024, and the challenge for the future. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"Our boardrooms are packed with ex-lawyers and finance folks. Why wouldn't we have technology represented in a way that honours the impact it can have on an organisation?" - Hannah Browne Hannah Browne, technology entrepreneur and founder of Midnyte City and Director of Greenpeace Australia Pacific challenges the approach many Boards take to technology skills in the boardroom, putting forward the view that 'technology awareness' is not enough and that failing to have deep technology skills on the Board is "downright reckless". _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"Tell it like it is. Don't say everything is under control. Share the challenges and, and the opportunities. And importantly, utilise the board's expertise if you want to get a problem solved." - Penny Winn Reporting to the board on business performance is a vexed issue for many executives: How much information is enough? How much is too much? They want another dashboard?!? Penny Winn, director of Ampol, Super Retail Group and The ANU Foundation shares her performance reporting playbook, developed across years of experience reporting to boards as a senior executive, before joining them as an NED. _____________ Note: Since this podcast was recorded, Penny Winn has ceased to be a director of CSR as a result of its recent takeover. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"Minutes are the sole and permanent record of a meeting. Getting them right is absolutely critical." - Catherine Brenner Catherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus and director of Scentre Group, Emmi and The George Institute for Global Health shares a director's perspective on the role of minutes and how to tackle ambiguity, balance detail and manage dissent effectively. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
"Planning is just pivotal." - Ilana Atlas AO Ilana Atlas AO, Chair of Scentre Group and Jawun and director of Origin Energy shares her expertise on maximising board impact through thoughtful time management, and the critical role Company Secretaries play in the board planning process. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
Alison Watkins AM, Director at Wesfarmers, CSL, and the Reserve Bank of Australia, shares her insights on effective board meeting preparation. Learn about her "always on" approach, techniques for managing information overload, and advice for new directors heading into their first meeting. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
At it's core, the job of a Board is to consistently make good decisions - so what frameworks can director's apply in the boardroom to make sure the decisions they make are good? Christy Boyce, Director at JB Hi-fi, BAI Communications and EMM Consulting, a former Senior Partner at Port Jackson Partners and Partner at McKinsey, shares her approach - along with some tips for dealing with uncertainty in decision-making, and when it's appropriate not to make a decision at all. _____________ Visit the boardcycle website Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn
The humble agenda quite literally defines how a board will spend its time and what it will, and will not, discuss. In this episode Mark Johnson, Chair of HCF, Director of Aurecon, Goodman, Metcash and Sydney Airport Corporation and Councillor at the University of NSW shares his thoughts on how to get agendas right, and why they are not humble at all. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
Usually boards make decisions as the result of a comprehensive, well-planned process - but things don't always go to plan and so boards are thrown into a much more dynamic and unpredictable decision making environment. Penny Winn, director of Ampol, Super Retail Group and The ANU Foundation shares her advice on how boards can ensure they're making the best possible decisions when 'the plan' goes out the window. _____________ Note: Since this podcast was recorded, Penny Winn has ceased to be a director of CSR as a result of its recent takeover. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
Although often presented as a ‘first amongst equals' role, being a board chairperson involves very different challenges from board membership. Hear from Ilana Atlas AO, Chair of Scentre Group and Jawun, director at Origin Energy and the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia, about key differences between those roles and the key skills you must bring to bear to succeed as a chairperson. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
Love them or loathe them, an organisation's mission critical decisions often rest on board papers. Alison Watkins AM, Director at Wesfarmers and CSL, Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Chancellor of the University of Tasmania outlines a few simple approaches executives can take to make sure the board papers they prepare hit the mark, every time. _____________ Follow Podcast Host Richard Conway on LinkedIn Follow boardcycle on LinkedIn Visit the boardcycle website
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