Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Louise Brockman about well, all things advisory boards. This is part of an advisory board mini-series in today's episode one, where we will discuss the history, purpose, structure, and impact of advisory boards.

Louise is on the advisory board of the Advisory Board centre, so if that's not the peak of all advisory boards, I'm not sure what is. And she's been on, well, heaps of advisory boards. She's the founder and CEO of the Advisory Board centre, and having had first-hand life-changing experience with her advisory board in a previous business, Louise researched and tested the advisory board sector for five years before establishing the world's first professional body for the advisory board sector.

She knows all there is to know.

Links and Resources

Louise Broekman on LinkedIn

Advisory Board Centre

ABF101 Advisory Board Best Practice Framework

2025 Megatrends Summit

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Today on the Take on Board Podcast, I’m speaking with Katie Constantinou about onboarding new directors.

Katie is on the board of Harbison, an aged care organisation in regional New South Wales. She also sits on several committees: the New South Wales Justices Association Southern Highlands branch and the BDCU Grads Committee. She’s formerly been on the boards of Wingecarribee Adult Day Centres, a not-for-profit service that provides social opportunities within a group setting for older people and people living with dementia.

Katie is a mother of two high school children and a proud nerd about governance and legal issues. She has a deep knowledge of administrative, legal and governance frameworks, policies and practices. She’s an experienced non-executive director, adviser, public servant, legal professional, and leader of diverse Government and Community Services. Katie’s passion lies in developing collaborative stakeholder relationships and partnerships.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and modern Greek from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws from ANU. Katie is a New South Wales Justice of the Peace, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

Links and Resources

Katie Constantinou on LinkedIn

The Key to Director Onboarding (The Corporate Director Podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/inside-todays-boardrooms-the-key-to-director-onboarding/id1462449171?i=1000664068655AICD

Elevating the client voice to boards (AICD article) https://www.aicd.com.au/good-governance/public-trust/organisation/elevating-the-client-voice-to-boards.html

Recruitment and onboarding process example (Word doc) https://helgasvendsen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Take-on-Board-podcast-Recruitment-and-onboarding-process-example.docx

Board vacancy advertisement example (Word doc) https://helgasvendsen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Take-on-Board-podcast-Board-vacancy-advertisement.docx

Invitation to join as an Observer example (Word doc) https://helgasvendsen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Take-on-Board-podcast-Invitation-to-join-as-an-Observer.docx

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This year’s final podcast episode is always a special one for me—it’s my chance to pause, reflect, and invite you into the RSVP process that’s become a yearly ritual. I love grabbing a pen, scribbling on the worksheet (available below) and taking a proper look back at the year that’s just gone.

Here is a high-level breakdown of the RSVP!

Reflect / Review

Superpowers / Strengths

Values

Purpose

I walk you through all the steps in the podcast and the YouTube video.

Thank you to my amazing team, the Take on Board community, and everyone who has been part of this year. I hope you’ll use the RSVP worksheet and take some well-deserved time to reflect as the year wraps up!

Links and Resources

RSVP Worksheet

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Welcome to the final Take on Board event for 2025. Dominique Hes is here to explore the innovative concept of integrating nature into boardroom governance. Dominique introduces the groundbreaking concept of treating nature as a guardian in the boardroom, inspired by a UK initiative. She explains how this approach promotes environmental responsibility within organizational governance.

Dominique responded to questions from the Take on Board community. Here are a few to give you a sense of the dynamic conversation during the event.

1. What inspired the idea of incorporating nature into the boardroom, and how do you envision it being implemented in Australia?
2. Can you explain the legal framework being developed to govern nature and how it differs from existing corporate governance structures?
3. What specific actions can organizations take to address their environmental risks, and how can the TNFD framework assist in that process?

Links and Resources

Dominique Hes on LinkedIn

All of Dominique's Take on Board episodes

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Today on the Take On Board podcast, I'm speaking with Linh Do about the Take On Board accelerator program. This is a program I run, and many of you will know that earlier this year, I did a miniseries on the podcast about professional development options and forgot to do my own.

Linh is the chair of the Climate Action Network Australia and AktivAsia, and a board member of the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation. She's also a member of the research committee at the Center for Policy Development. She was formerly on the board of the Center for Sustainability Leadership because I was on the board there as well, although I don't think we were on it at the same time. And she's been on a range of government advisory groups.

Linh has a background in climate advocacy in leadership, and she's currently the director of the Wattle Fellowship at the University of Melbourne.

Links and Resources

Linh Do on LinkedIn

Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program

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Today on the Take On Board podcast, I'm speaking with Diana Nestorovska about considering and managing geopolitical risk in the boardroom.

Diana is Deputy chair of South Gippsland Water Corporation, and she has previously been on the boards of Melba Support Services Limited, Sexual Health Victoria and the University of Wollongong University Council. She's also been a member of the Latrobe University Human Research Ethics Committee and a public representative on the Australian Press Council.

As of yesterday, Diana is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and she brings 20 years of experience across law, diplomacy, enterprise risk, and for-purpose leadership. She's a former Australian diplomat and has represented Australian interests in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Links and Resources

Diana on LinkedIn

For a macro, global outlook: World Economic Forum Global Risk Report 2025 -

Lowy Institute for an Australian and Asia-Pacific Outlook

For information on Australia's bilateral relationship with specific countries, DFAT Country Briefs are a great source of information

AICD for numerous articles on geopolitical risk aimed at directors and executives - www.aicd.com.au

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This week on the Take on Board podcast, Ari Magalhaes joined a great group of Take on Board community members to answer any and all questions about organisational turnarounds, building on her previous insights from our recent podcast episode.

Ari emphasised the critical importance of understanding financial statements for board directors and outlined specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that signal potential risks within organizations.

Links and Resources

Ari Magalhaes on LinkedIn

OmniStrategic Impact Framework

Episode 225: Ari Magalhaes uses her years of experience of analysing risk and employing strategy in the boardroom

Episode 327: Ari Magalhaes knows business turnarounds and says you can too

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Fiona David about understanding modern slavery risk.

Fiona is on the boards of ACCESS-NRI, Australia's climate simulator, and the Coolaroo Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, and an alternate director on the Forrest Research Foundation for Nicola Forrest. Lawyer, human rights expert, and founder of Fair Futures, Fiona, is leading the charge in helping organisations tackle issues such as modern slavery in their supply chains.

Having led the creation of the landmark Global Slavery Index, she is an expert in helping companies embed ethical and sustainable practices, proving that commercial success doesn’t need to come at the expense of human rights or the environment.

Links and Resources

Fiona David on LinkedIn

Fiona on the Fair Futures website

Recent articles that give practical insights and tips for Board Directors on understanding modern slavery risk:

Why Human Rights Need to Sit at the Board Level

How to embed modern slavery human rights due diligence into strategy

The Walk Free Global Slavery Index provides valuable country-by-country information that Board Directors will typically see referenced in their organisations' MSA statements.

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