June was a big month for our association. Now that election season is over and we’re back into our advocacy work, we’ve already made a submission on the ethical frameworks of AI and completed one of our major national events of the year, the Governance and Risk Management Forum 2019 (GRMF), which has been a resounding success in every state.
Thank you to all of our members who attended. It was lovely to meet you in person at each event, and especially to our members who contributed on the day, whether it was as a keynote speaker, MC or panellist. GRMF doesn’t work without you contributing your valuable expertise, so thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to do so. Finally, a special thank you to our sponsors who helped the event come together and provided meaningful content and discussion for us all.
To those of you who could not attend this year, there is a handy executive summary of the NSW event by our General Manager, Engagement — Rachel Waterhouse, but bear in mind the speakers in the other states were not the same and dug into regional issues with our local experts.
Your best bet is engaging via our social media channels @govinstaus on Twitter and Linkedin, which also lists the extensive media coverage we received out of all the events (13 stories and counting, including The Australian and the Australian Financial Review), and demonstrates our thought leadership. Needless to say, this speaks to the quality of the event and the prestige of the keynote speakers. We are constantly working to grow our brand awareness in the market, support our membership and advocate on your behalf in all public forums.
What I found even more valuable was engaging with you all in person, as part of the various Ask Me Anything’s (AMAs), emceeing panels, or just sharing a biscuit with you at the morning tea break.
Thanks to everyone who came over and had a chat. Your positivity is infectious, and even the tough conversations about the future were invaluable, especially as we work on the new organisational strategy (which I discussed in my last blog).
Our next major event is the National Conference on 2–3 September at the Sofitel in Sydney. This already has a long list of impressive keynote speakers: Madelyn Antoncic from the SASB Foundation USA, Sir Winfried Bischoff from JP Morgan and the Financial Reporting Council UK, Anna Bligh AC from the Australian Banking Association, Diane Smith-Gander AO from Wesfarmers and AGL (and new Order of Australia recipient!), and Alison Watkins from Coca-Cola Amatil.
There are too many to list here, but the strong line-up highlights just how essential attending our National Conference is for Australian governance and risk management professionals.
I look forward to seeing you all there.