Take on Board

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I have an insightful conversation with Sara Harrup, a governance professional, entrepreneur, and board chair with a portfolio of board roles, including deputy chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. We explore her journey and expertise in neuro-inclusive governance, where she focuses on designing environments that accommodate different neurocognitive styles. Sara, an autistic woman with ADHD, brings professional and personal depth to challenging traditional board dynamics. Sara shares her experiences and discusses her recent decision to evolve her neuro-inclusion frameworks, reflecting on the insights that prompted this transformation. Links and Resources Sara on LinkedIn Unique Mind co. Diversity Council of Australia Episode 288: Sara Harrup explains what boards need to know about CEOs and executives who are neurodivergent Episode 294: Sara Harrup answers the thorny questions about neurodiversity in this community Q and A Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Gabrielle Trenbath about her journey to the boardroom, and we'll probably touch on disability inclusion in the boardroom. Gabrielle is on the boards of the National Disability Services Board and Hartley Life Care. She has previously served on the boards of Avivo, the Disability Service Commission, the Pat Giles Centre for Non Violence, and Music for Canberra. Gabrielle is a non-executive director with seven years' governance experience across community and human services. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a chartered secretary, she works in the Australian Public Service in diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing lived experience of disability and a strong focus on strategy and impact. Links and Resources Gabrielle Trenbath on LinkedIn Disability Leadership Institute The Observership Program Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, we're hosting a Take on Board community Q&A with Sarah Gray on managing perimenopause and menopause in the boardroom. This is the event that followed Helga and Sarah's mid-July conversation about managing perimenopause and menopause in the boardroom. Today, the women of the Take on Board community gathered to ask whether boards should have a menopause policy, how to handle resistance from people who think women should just “get on with the job,” and practical ways chairs and directors can create supportive conditions. Sarah recommends starting with education and awareness before policy, putting menopause on the governance agenda, and creating practical supports like comfortable meeting environments, earlier board papers, buddying up, confidential routes to seek help, and permission for short comfort breaks. She also discusses confidence and self-perception, encourages seeking feedback, and offers nutrition tips for meetings—hydration and brain-supporting snacks such as nuts and seeds (including walnuts) instead of lollies. Links and Resources Episode 365: (Peri)menopause and the boardroom: what you need to know with Sarah Gray Sarah's Book: It's Not You It's Perimenopause Sarah's website: The Nutrition Pharmacist Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Micaela Drieberg about board reports and her lessons learned from both sides of the table. Micaela, CEO of Gender Equity Victoria is a strategic, collaborative leader with over 20 years of experience across for-purpose sectors, including all three levels of government, universities, not-for-profit organisations and peak bodies. Micaela has previously served as a Mayor and Ministerial Adviser. In addition to her work with GEN VIC she is also a Teaching Associate with Monash University and participates in several government advisory bodies Links and Resources Micaela Drieberg on LinkedIn Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Pam Macdonald about the importance of the relationship between the chair and the CEO. Pam is the deputy chair of Intereach and president of Active Education Australia. She was formerly on the boards of Remembrance Park Central Victoria, Golden Dragon Museum, National Chinese Museum Australia, Community Foundation Central Victoria, Women's Housing Limited, Career Development Association, and the Australian Human Resources Institute. Pam has over 20 years' experience as a director and as a human resources professional, two skill sets she combines with her strategic mindset to ensure that the people and processes aspects of effective governance are brought to the fore. An experienced facilitator, Pam views the board as a team, albeit one with significant responsibility and the opportunity to harness the collective capability around the table to best serve the organization and community. Her consulting business also involves mentoring and coaching directors and board chairs from time to time, especially those referred to her when they are facing challenges. Links and Resources Pam MacDonald on LinkedIn Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm recording of a conversation with Cathy Robinson and Reena Rihan from The Observership program. They have asked me to do a session with their current participants around pathways to the boardroom. So for their current participants, as they're coming to the end of their year as an Observership participant, what can they be thinking about to get on a board? And we thought we would record an introductory Q&A session for people to watch before we come together for a live Q&A session. So here is that conversation. Links and Resources The Observership Program Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Take on Board podcast, I introduce the Institute of Community Directors Australia’s new Board Payment Wizard and why it’s a useful way for boards to think through whether paying directors is right for their organisation. I share how the tool can be used individually or as a group, and the kinds of prompts it includes—legality, affordability, turnover, recruitment and retention, inclusion of consumers, director workload and expenses, accountability, and stakeholder support—without trying to deliver a single “tick-the-box” answer. There's also an example of a board adopting optional, request-based payments to support diversity, and I invite you to tell me if you try the wizard and what your board decides. Links and Resources Board Payment Wizard Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board podcast, I am speaking with Darya Boukata about the presence of nature in the boardroom. This discussion builds on some episodes I recorded in late 2025 with the fantastic Dominique Hes , so if you're interested in hearing more, I encourage you to check those out. Darya is a PhD researcher at the University of Sydney Business School, where she investigates how the loss of nature is influencing corporate governance. Her research intersects business strategy, sustainability, and governance, with a focus on how company directors are addressing nature-related risks and opportunities. She is also the co-author of the recent report, *Nature Enters the Boardroom*, developed in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. This report provides one of the first empirical insights into how boards engage with nature. Before her academic career, Darya worked in strategy consulting as an analyst at McKinsey & Company and as a consultant at Social Ventures Australia. She advised organsations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Additionally, she founded her own rescue ranch, where she rehabilitates horses and connects with neurodiverse kids seeking a greater connection to nature. Currently, Darya continues her PhD research, blending rigorous academic analysis with real-world insights from the boardroom. This makes her an invaluable voice on how businesses can transition from awareness to action regarding nature. Links and Resources Darya Boukata on LinkedIn Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Take on Board podcast, I'm a guest on Sue West's podcast Flourish After Fifty. I joined Sue on her show for a wide-ranging conversation. Our conversation demystifies what board work is really like for women in the second half of their careers. If you’ve ever imagined a board role as the “natural next step”, a meaningful way to contribute, shape strategy, and maybe create more flexible work, this episode will help you decide whether it’s genuinely a fit for you. I shared how my governance journey began and eventually led to multiple board roles and a career devoted to supporting women in governance. Thanks for having me Sue! Links and Resources Flourish After Fifty Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I am talking to Sarah Gray. Sarah is one of Australia’s only dual-qualified health professionals in pharmacy and nutrition, a certified menopause practitioner, and the author of "If It's Not You, It's Perimenopause." She sits on the boards of Moyne Health Services and the Advisory Board for Healthy Life, and is passionate about helping women thrive through perimenopause and menopause, especially in the boardroom. n this conversation with Helga, Sarah shares practical advice and insight into supporting yourself and others through this important life stage—both individually and as part of a board or workplace community. Sarah will be a guest at the August 27th Take on Board Online Event. Please sign up here . Links ad Resources Sarah Gray's Website - The Nutrition Pharmacist Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board podcast, I'm speaking with Fiona Bennett about clear and planned communication for board chairs. Fiona is the chair of Australian Mutual Bank, and she's also on the board of Neami. She's a certified practicing accountant with extensive experience in financial management, governance, audit, and risk management across listed companies, New South Wales government, and banking. Fiona lives in Central West New South Wales and is passionate about equity of access to healthcare. Links ad Resources Mastering boardroom communication: five essentials for executives Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I’m recording from the beautiful Larapinta Trail in Central Australia, where I’ve just wrapped up a 14-day end-to-end trek. Disconnected from the outside world, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on governance, drawing parallels between the wilderness and the boardroom. I share lessons on adopting a "starry night" perspective for strategy, the critical need for robust risk assessment and scenario planning—highlighted by our team's experience navigating a medical emergency—and why governance, just like hiking, is truly a team sport. I also touch on the importance of celebrating small wins and take a moment to acknowledge the Arrernte people, on whose stunning land this journey took place Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board podcast, I'm speaking with Davina Stanley about how boards can maximize the effectiveness of their board papers. Davina previously served on the University of Technology Sydney Executive MBA Advisory Board, and she enjoys the "aha!" moment when a client discovers a breakthrough idea hidden amid the noise. She humorously notes that she is likely the only kindergarten teacher ever hired by McKinsey. She is also among the very few individuals Barbara Minto has approved to teach the Pyramid Principle (if you know, you know). Combining her backgrounds in teaching, corporate communication, and consulting with her life experiences enables her clients to make better and faster decisions. Links and Resources Davina Stanley on LinkedIn Clarity First Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board podcast, I'm speaking with Jaala Pulford about setting up a new statutory authority, scale an organization or scope, and having to manage staffing changes quickly. Jaala chairs MTPConnect and the Children's Cancer Foundation. She's a non-executive director with several growth stage companies and the Tech Council of Australia. A member of parliament from 2006 to 2022, Jaala was Victoria's first female agricultural minister. Between 2014 and 2022, she held ministerial portfolios including roads, employment, innovation, and fishing. Jaala lives in Ballarat. She loves scuba diving. She totally loves scuba diving. There's photos of it everywhere. Uh, she loves travel and having the time to read. Links and Resources Jalaa on LinkedIn Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I would like to talk to you about reclaiming your white space and why total downtime might actually be a fiduciary duty. Let me give you a bit of the context. So I'm about to embark on a two-week holiday and will be off the grid. I'm doing the Larapinta Trail hike in Central Australia. It's about 250 kilometers over 14 days. There's no internet, there's no computer. Because I'm going with a group, there are actually no decisions for me to make. Someone's gonna tell me what time to get up, they're gonna tell me what direction to walk in, uh, there'll probably be somebody at the front where I can just follow. As someone who feels like they are always "on," I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of taking a break like this. I'll report back about what I learned during this unplugging when I am back. Until then, enjoy and try to carve out some white space for yourself. Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Take on Board podcast, Karen Tisdell is back for this Take on Board event. Karen responded to questions from the Take on Board community about how to use your LinkedIn profile to get the maximum benefit whether it's for a job search or getting traction with a post, Karen is the insider you want to hear from. So key highlights: How much of your experience should you include, using LinkedIn for board roles, approaching people to expand your network and engaging with recruiters. Karen has been a guest on the podcast before you can listen here: Episode 160: Karen Tisdell on LinkedIn for board members, tips and tricks for being recruited and networking Episode 353: Karen Tisdell wants to help you maximise your LinkedIn profile Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I wanted to take you inside a scenario that leaves even the most seasoned corporate directors in a cold sweat. The dilemma is this: you’ve just landed your first board seat and are immediately faced with a time-sensitive request for approval of a massive acquisition that the rest of the board has been debating for six months, yet it’s completely new to you. I attended a masterclass on governance hosted by Pioneer Collective, where we broke down this exact challenge. The group initially split between directors who would abstain due to fiduciary duty and those who would request a softer mid-meeting intervention for a quick 5-10-minute background. Many noted that the surprise vote is a major red flag, potentially indicating a failure of board culture, and that the correct move might be to pull the chair aside to take the vote off the table. Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Malini Raj about how boards stay connected with the people that they serve. Malini is on the boards of The Parenthood, Entertainment for Change, and the Settlement Council of Australia. She's previously been on the boards of the Australian Pituitary Foundation and FinSIA. Malini is the executive director of Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance. She brings over 20 years' experience across financial services, corporate, and the not-for-profit sector, and serves on several national boards that I've already mentioned. She's a strong advocate for inclusive leadership, gender equality, and greater representation of multicultural women in governance and decision-making. Links and Resources Malini on LinkedIn Spotlight on Cultural Diversity - Women on Boards How WOB is working to get more diverse women on boards WORKING TO GET MORE DIVERSE WOMEN ON BOARDS (Page 26 - 27) Counting Culture Social Impact and Board Roles Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I share key takeaways from a WorkSafe Victoria event, “Hearts, Minds, and Improving Your Business,” featuring Professor Lea Waters on the neuroscience and business impacts of psychological safety in the workplace. I explain the difference between psychological health and harm, including how each affects thinking, decision-making, behavior, and workplace outcomes like profitability, turnover, innovation, and incidents. I also outline four pillars boards should oversee: work design, work management, workflow systems, and workplace environment, and the hazards and protections that sit under them. I highlight why this matters for boards, including that, in Victoria, psychological health is now legislatively on par with physical safety, and I suggest practical board actions such as reviewing risk registers, resourcing, and boardroom psychological safety. Links and Resources WorkSafe Victoria Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, Sarah Federman joins me to talk about "corporate reckoning," which she defines as the process of finding a way back and healing massive, irreparable harm that organizations have caused in the past. I was keen to dive into how organizations, many of which in Australia have reckoning to do around issues like stolen land or people, can address their inherited legacies. Sarah shared that the temptation is to defensively hand these issues over to legal or PR teams, but this can make things worse. Instead, I learned that the whole board needs to be involved, acknowledging that they have inherited both the good and the bad from their predecessors. A great example is The Guardian, which set up a 10-year restorative plan after discovering its founding money came from slave owners. We also discussed her powerful idea of having a literal or metaphorical "seat for the past" at the board table. This spot, which could be filled by a historian or descendant, allows the board to step back from present-day concerns and consider their long-term legacy and how they will be remembered. Ultimately, the work is ongoing, hard, and should be restorative, not punitive, to strengthen the company's integrity. Links and Resources Sarah on LinkedIn Sarah Federman's Website Upcoming TOB Events All events You might want to: Join the Take on Board Facebook community Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community Follow along on Twitter Work with me Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program Find out more about me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.