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Who we are

A national membership association, Governance Institute of Australia advocates for a community of governance and risk management professionals, equipping over 8,000 members with the tools to drive better governance within their organisation.​​

We tailor our resources for members in the listed, unlisted and not-for-profit sectors, and ensure our member’s voice is heard loudly. ​​

As the only Australian provider of chartered governance accreditation, we offer a range of short courses, certificates and postgraduate study to help further the knowledge and education of the fast-growing governance and risk management profession. ​​

We run a strong program of thought leadership, research projects and news publications and draw upon our membership of the Chartered Governance Institute to monitor emerging global trends and challenges to ensure our members are prepared.​​

Our members know that governance is at the core of every organisation — and in these tumultuous times, that good governance is more important than ever before.​

Our values and story

Our Vision

Strengthening society through governance excellence.

Our Purpose

Champion whole of organisation governance and risk management through education, advocacy and engagement with members and the broader community.

Our Values

Integrity

The quality of being honest, fair and having strong moral principles. It’s what you do and say behind closed doors. We practice what we preach and live what we say.

 

Courage

The act of doing what is difficult, having the courage of our convictions and daring to be different.  It’s about being brave and taking measured risk. Stepping outside our comfort zone and trying new things.

 

Service excellence

Service excellence is the act of consistently going beyond expectations and delivering an industry-leading experience that really wows your stakeholders/customers. ​Service that keeps customers coming back. Service with a smile on your face that makes their day.

 

Collaboration

The action of working with someone to produce something. A commitment to support each other to get the best outcome. Challenging each other in healthy ways and having each other’s backs. Teamwork makes the dream work.

What is governance?

Governance is the action of putting in place a framework for your organisation that enables it to be legally compliant and excel in achieving its goals.
Governance has the same importance to an organisation as it does to an acrobat having the correct safety harnesses and ropes to allow them to perform better tricks. Or for a car to have the best braking system so it can drive smarter and faster.
Governance is the systems used to manage an organisation’s performance and behaviour. This includes leadership, risk management, compliance and business administration, as part of a healthy corporate culture built on ethical conduct. Read more.
So, what happens when governance goes wrong? The worst-case scenario could be front page negative headlines or corporate crisis and collapse. Or the day-to-day impacts could be poor performance, loss of talent or brand and reputation failure.
This is just a few of the many reasons we are a passionate industry advocate driving fair and effective representation for our members, leveraging their experience and expertise to work with Australia’s business and government leaders, to help them reflect our ambition as a nation. We are building the governance leaders of the future.

Our history

Governance Institute of Australia is one of Australia’s oldest industry associations, founded in 1909.

 

We are a division of The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI), which in turn has an ancestry dating back over 125 years. CGI was founded in the UK when a group of influential company secretaries joined together to form a society that would promote their professional interests. It is now an international body, with over 30,000 members living and working in over 80 countries.

 

In 1909, the Australian division of CGI gained independence from its parental London body, and in 1947 all the Australian branches merged under the single name Chartered Institute of Secretaries.

 

In 2013, that organisation became Governance Institute of Australia. Reflecting the key role good governance plays in the performance of every Australian organisation, we expanded our remit to incorporate governance professionals from every part of an organisation — from company secretaries, to chief risk officers, directors, CEOs and other senior leaders.

 

Our members

Governance Institute of Australia is the leading association for company secretaries, governance professionals, directors and risk managers. Our membership is open to professionals with qualifications and experience in the field of governance or risk management. Being a member is the ideal way to advance your career, expand your network and build on your skills. Find out more.

Our advocacy

As Australia’s leading independent voice on governance, Governance Institute of Australia is an active participant in the reform process. We engage with the government and public sector groups to contribute our expertise on proposed legislative and regulatory reform and contribute to the national discussion around good governance. Read more.

 

One of our key advocacy mandates is to improve governance practices nationwide, and this includes helping to improve the standard of governance reporting by Australia’s journalists. We contribute our own analysis and commentary on industry issues to help lead the discussion on best practice corporate governance. Learn more.

 

Affiliate associations

Our Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to embracing differences, encouraging all perspectives, and uniting individuals and teams. We encourage our community of employees, members, customers, and partners to embrace their identities and cultures so that together, we can create an inclusive and enriching environment that values diversity.

Diversity and Inclusion – What it means to Governance Institute of Australia
Diversity is reflected in an inclusive environment that embraces many cultures, backgrounds, values, and ideas offered by individuals, teams, and stakeholders. We are strengthened by the differences in our community and what makes each person unique, including experience, education, ability, ethnicity, culture, faith, gender identity, age, sexual orientation and language.

Inclusion is about continuing to value and embed diversity in our daily practices and organisational culture, for which we have individual and collective accountability. It’s a commitment to ensure everyone feels safe to express their diversity within our governance community.

Our Inclusion and Diversity Mission
The pillars of our strategic purpose and values are to influence, inspire and support. These principles have driven our mission to promote an inclusive and diverse environment. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundational principles of good governance, and as an organisation that advocates for excellence in governance, are therefore directly connected to our purpose. At Governance Institute we are committed to harnessing the unique contributions of our people and to value every idea. It is our belief that an inclusive culture powers our results and motivates our people to grow and thrive. We believe in promoting equality, and our position allows us to serve diverse customers and guide the communities we serve.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion – why it matters to us
Governance Institute is committed to a diverse and inclusive corporate culture. We embrace diversity because it is the right thing to do for our people and it is beneficial to the society we serve. Diversity is at the core of our ability to serve our customers and members, and it strengthens our reputation as the provider of choice.

Individual differences create a dynamic workplace at Governance Institute, which supports us in delivering the best solutions for our customers. We harness the energy, creativity, innovation, talent, and insights of our diverse workforce. As with all Governance Institute business practices, we want to ensure our diversity and inclusion initiatives are transparent. Awareness and engagement benefits everyone – our customers, current and prospective employees, and the broader community.