Take on Board - podcast cover

Take on Board

Helga Svendsenhelgasvendsen.com.au

Welcome to the Take on Board podcast, where we talk all things boards and governance. Being on a board can be interesting, valuable and exciting. Yet it can also be lonely, challenging and hard. Each week I talk to women who have been there, done that. Together we'll discover what we need to take on board to be your best in the boardroom.


https://helgasvendsen.com.au/take-on-board-podcast/

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Episodes

Genevieve Gregor takes us through a company turnaround and what she learned

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Genevieve Gregor about Noumi's turnaround—well, as much as she can tell us. Genevieve is on the boards of Noumi Limited. She chairs Noumi Limited, External Hold Co. Limited, Money Tech Group Limited, and Maneuver Limited. She's previously been on the boards of Western Sydney University and a range of other portfolio company boards. Genevieve has worked in private capital in both lending and investing capacities. Having worked for Goldman Sac...

Apr 15, 202528 minEp. 300

Julia Manning wants boards  to adopt an anti-discrimination approach and has ideas of how

Today on the Take Board podcast, I'm speaking with Julia Manning about discrimination and decision-making and how to adopt an anti-discrimination approach.  Until recently, Julia was the Vice Chair of Women with Disabilities Victoria and serves on an advisory board at Deakin University. Julia is a researcher and a human rights advocate at the Victorian Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission, focusing on justice and inclusion. Julia blends her expertise in discrimination, human righ...

Apr 08, 202531 minEp. 299

Tricia Montalvo Timm explains when to start thinking about succession planning

Today on the Take On Board podcast, I'm speaking with Tricia Montalvo Timm, about CEO succession planning.  Tricia is on the board of Salsify and serves as the chair of their compensation committee and a member of the audit committee. Most recently, she was on the CEO search committee. Something that I'm sure we will hear more about today as we talk about CEO succession planning.  She's previously been on the boards of the Silicon Valley Executive Board, How Women Lead, the Advisory Co...

Apr 01, 202526 minEp. 298

My AICD Governance Summit 2025 Day 2 recap with special correspondents

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I recap the Australian Institute of Company Directors conference and share my reflections from the second day. You also hear reflections from some fabulous Take on Board correspondents: Aye Clark, Jenny Dean, Mel Donald, Julie Toma, Helen Hu, Stephanie Bashir, Fiona Bennett, Susan Brumby and Katie Constantinou. I’ll cover some of these topics more in-depth on the podcast in the future, so if you have a takeaway that resonates with you, please let me know. Tha...

Mar 25, 202538 minEp. 297

My AICD Governance Summit 2025 Day 1 recap with special correspondents

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I recap the Australian Institute of Company Directors conference and share my reflections from the first day. You also hear reflections from some awesome Take on Board correspondents: Kate Waterford, Helen Hu, Jane Andrews, Clare Schonfeld, and Sarah Anderson. I’ll cover some of these topics more in-depth on the podcast in the future, so if you have a takeaway that resonates with you, please let me know. Thanks to our dogged correspondents! We're bringing you...

Mar 18, 202535 minEp. 296

Tracy Bongiorno is Wild for STEM and wants more women to get wild

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Tracy Bongiorno about the Wild for STEM program. We also might touch on her journey to the first boardroom. Tracy is the CTO at Mentorloop. She has extensive experience scaling SAS businesses and fostering high-performing teams. She is passionate about people-centric cultures, collaboration, governance and building software that empowers people. Tracy also organizes Tech-Leading Ladies, a community that supports women in tech leadership. She ...

Mar 11, 202524 minEp. 295

Sara Harrup answers the thorny questions about neurodiversity in this community Q and A

Today on the Take on Board podcast, Sara Harrup is back to answer all your questions. We had Sara on the podcast at the end of January. She opened up about her experiences with being an ADHD-er and having autistic traits. So, because she’s a rockstar and wants to educate people to be more sensitive and open to neurodiversity, she agreed to return to answer questions you may be too nervous, afraid or embarrassed to ask. Sara’s an open book, and we had a lively chat. And I know I learned so much f...

Mar 04, 202551 minEp. 294

Board composition and effectiveness miniseries: Bernadette Northeast evaluates the importance of board evaluations

Today, on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Bernadette Northeast about board evaluations.  Bernadette has a long list of boards, and I may not have captured them all. She is on the boards of the Victorian Fisheries Authority, Victorian State Emergency Services, and Loved and Shared, Incorporated, and she's the managing director of North East Stockdale and Leggo Real Estate in Warrnambool. She was the former chair of Southwest Healthcare and the Women and Southwest Family Violence...

Feb 25, 202530 minEp. 293

Board composition and effectiveness miniseries: Carmel Mulhern knows how to maximise a board agenda

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Carmel Mulhern about board agendas. This is part of the board composition and effectiveness, a five-part mini-series. So first up, you heard me talking about appointing board members. Then you heard Katie Constantinou providing some excellent food for thought about inducting board members. Last week, it was Leesa Chesser and me exploring all things board skills matrices.  Carmel is on the PwC governance board, the Australian Cancer Resea...

Feb 18, 202532 minEp. 292

Board composition and effectiveness miniseries: understanding board skills matrices with Leesa Chesser

Today on the Take on Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Leesa Chesser about board skills matrices. This is part of the board composition and effectiveness, a five-part mini-series. Leesa is on the boards of Neami National, the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the Adelaide Festival Board, and the West Beach Parks Board. She also chairs the nominations and remuneration committee at Neami. She was formerly on the boards of Community Options, Australia, Hen House Cooperative, and Southern Domesti...

Feb 11, 202533 minEp. 291

Board composition and effectiveness miniseries: Katie Constantinou on onboarding new directors

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. 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 dement...

Feb 04, 202535 minEp. 290

Congratulations Helga on your OAM!

Hello Take on Board community, We interrupt your regular listening flow to share the exciting news that Helga was on the Australia Day 2025 honours list – appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. Take on Board Community member and referee for the OAM application. Hannah Browne reads the 'why' section of Helga's application, and I think we can all agree that Helga is so deserving of this honour! Congratulations, Helga! If you want to wish Helga a big congratulations, please Click here or hea...

Jan 28, 20255 min

Board composition and effectiveness miniseries: steps for recruiting a board member with me

Today, this is the first episode in our first Take on Board miniseries of 2025! It's all about board composition and effectiveness. We've got a great lineup in the coming weeks, and today, you'll hear from me as I walk you through the steps to recruit a board member. This is one of the things I get asked all the time, where do I start? What do I need to do? What are the steps? So, I've made a checklist for you. And I thought I would take you through it. Come along, it'll be fun. Of course, the s...

Jan 28, 202527 minEp. 289

Sara Harrup explains what boards need to know about CEOs and executives who are neurodivergent

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Sara Harrup about CEOs and executives who are neurodivergent and what boards need to know to manage these relationships effectively. Sara is Deputy Chair of the Australian Charities and not-for-profit commission, Chair of Jabiru Community Services and a board member of healthcare insurance. She's formerly been on a range of boards, including doctors for nutrition, family, daycare Association, Queensland, exercise and Sports Science, Australia...

Jan 21, 202531 minEp. 288

Beth Ellen Holimon discusses bringing feminist governance into the board room

Today, on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Beth Ellen Holimon about feminist governance. Beth Ellen is on the boards of the Feminist Leadership Hub, a community advisory board, and the Collateral Repair Project Board. As founder and CEO of the hive collective, Beth Ellen leads a consortium of thought leaders dedicated to advancing connective and inclusive leadership, participative planning and values-based Board Governance. She believes that organizations reach their highest aspirati...

Jan 14, 202527 minEp. 287

Take on Board Summer Series - Strategy session – getting ready for the board role (Dominique Hes, part 3)

Welcome to the first Take on Board Summer Series. I've pulled together some of our most-requested episodes, so you have something to keep you company over the next few weeks while I take a bit of a summer holiday! I have spoken with Dominique on two separate occasions. First, we covered preparing an application for a board role. Then, we tackled the interview process and how to present yourself confidently. Well, Dominique has returned to give us an update—how did the interview go and did she la...

Jan 07, 202518 minEp. 286

Take on Board Summer Series - Strategy session – prepping for a board interview (Dominique Hes, part 2)

Welcome to the first Take on Board Summer Series. I've pulled together some of our most-requested episodes, so you have something to keep you company over the next few weeks while I take a bit of a summer holiday! Today, on the Take on Board podcast, Dr Dominique Hes is back for another on-air coaching session. Remember a few weeks ago when Dominique was preparing an application for a board role? Well, she landed an interview. So, I’m having another chat with her to run through some interview pr...

Dec 31, 202435 minEp. 285

Take on Board Summer Series - Strategy session – developing a governance CV (Dominique Hes, part 1)

Welcome to the first Take on Board Summer Series. I've pulled together some of our most-requested episodes, so you have something to keep you company over the next few weeks while I take a bit of a summer holiday! Today, we're doing something different on the Take on Board podcast. I’m having a chat with the fabulous Dr Dominique Hes. Dominique needs help with an application she is making for a board role. One of my passions is coaching women and gender-diverse people to help them achieve their ...

Dec 24, 202442 minEp. 284

It's time to RSVP: Reflections on 2024 and goals for 2025

Welcome to the final episode of Take on Board for 2024. And what a year it’s been. In this episode, I'm going to take you through my ‘RSVP’ process – an invitation to reflect on the year and set intentions for 2025. Think travel, working with ease and building and creating connections. We do this in the final session of Board Accelerator – my program for women and gender-diverse board members. So, at the end of this episode, you’ll hear some of the reflections from the group. So, what’s the RSVP...

Dec 17, 202431 minEp. 283

Helen Hu takes what she learned at Toastmasters into the boardroom

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Helen Hu about how the skills she learned at Toastmasters have helped her build her board portfolio career. Now, let me tell you about Helen. Helen is an emerging company director pursuing a board portfolio career. Twenty years ago, with $1,000 in her pocket, she arrived at Sydney Airport with a small suitcase and a big dream. She spent the first 10 years in Australia getting her master's degree in accounting, became a chartered accountant, ...

Dec 10, 202432 minEp. 282

Jane Britt knows a lot about accessibility and inclusion in the boardroom

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Jane Britt about accessibility and inclusion in the boardroom. Jane is on the boards of Holy Cross Services and Social Futures and previously served on the board of Queenslanders with Disabilities Network. She is a highly experienced NDIS and disability policy professional director, public speaker and writer who blends her professional expertise with her lived experience of deafblindness. In addition to her background in disability policy, w...

Dec 03, 202430 minEp. 281

Heather Disher dishes on gender equality on sports boards

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, I’m speaking with Heather Disher about gender equality on sports boards. Heather is on the boards of Chair of Pony Club Australia, GAWS (Geelong Animal Welfare Society) & Alchemy Outsourcing. She has previously been on the boards of more than a dozen SME private company boards locally and internationally.    A passionate entrepreneur, Heather leads two businesses: Alchemy Outsourcing, which specialises in virtual assistant services and Dish...

Nov 26, 202430 minEp. 280

Henna Karna explains what boards need to know about AI and other technology

Today on the take on board podcast, I'm speaking with Henna Karna about AI and technology. Henna is a highly respected global leader with more than 25 years of experience leading innovation across digital/data in high-tech, CPG, risk management, and insurance industries (across P&C, specialty, life, health, retirement, consumer, commercial, brokers, vendors, and independent agents). She has led businesses and advised Fortune 100 companies on digital innovation and disruption and has designed...

Nov 19, 202428 minEp. 279

Erin Turner wants boards to expand what diversity means to those at the table

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Erin Turner about the building a diverse team in the boardroom.   Erin is on the boards of Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) and ARC Justice. She has previously been on the board – and Chair – of Financial Rights Legal Centre.    Erin Turner is a consumer advocate that works with governments and regulators to make markets fairer for Australians. She is the CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre, a th...

Nov 12, 202426 minEp. 278

Roles and Responsibilities mini-series: Jo Plummer outlines the ideal relationship between CEO and board

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Jo Plummer about the relationship between the board and CEO.     This is one of the ‘roles and responsibilities’ episodes – a mini-series into the roles and responsibilities of board directors covering board charters, delegations, board reports, policies, and the relationships between the board and CEO.   Jo is the Chair of Barwon Water and the Country Fire Authority and a Non Executive Director Barwon Asset Solutions&...

Nov 05, 202431 minEp. 277

Roles and Responsibilities mini-series: Ellen Webb explains board and committee charters

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Ellen Webb about board and committee charters. This is one of the ‘roles and responsibilities’ episodes – a mini-series into the roles and responsibilities of board directors covering board charters, delegations, board reports, policies, and the relationships between the board and CEO.   Ellen is on the boards of Gender Equity Victoria and Robert Connor Dawes Foundation and she is the Company Secretary for Cancer in Kids at...

Oct 29, 202427 minEp. 276

Roles and Responsibilities mini-series: Yien Hong wants you to spring clean your board policies

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Yien Hong about board policies. This is one of the ‘roles and responsibilities’ episodes – a mini-series into the roles and responsibilities of board directors covering board charters, delegations, board reports, policies, and the relationships between the board and CEO.   Yien in on the boards of Australian Arts Orchestra, AFCA and has previously been on the boards of …YWCA Victoria, YWCA Housing    Yien is the C...

Oct 22, 202426 minEp. 275

Roles and Responsibilities mini-series: Amanda Cornwall talks about board policies

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Amanda Cornwall about policies.     This is one of the ‘roles and responsibilities’ episodes – a mini-series into the roles and responsibilities of board directors covering board charters, delegations, board reports, policies, and the relationships between the board and CEO.     Amanda is on the boards of …Circus Nexus, Merri-bek Affordable Housing ltd, Greenfleet Australia    And has previously been on ...

Oct 15, 202423 minEp. 274

Roles and Responsibilities mini-series: Robyn Weatherley speaks to us on effective delegations

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Robyn Weatherley about effective delegations.    This is one of the ‘roles and responsibilities’ episodes – a mini-series into the roles and responsibilities of board directors covering board charters, delegations, board reports, policies, and the relationships between the board and CEO.   Robyn is a Board and Company Secretary, published author, governance advisor, teacher and mentor. In practice for 18 years across of ran...

Oct 08, 202432 minEp. 273

Roles and Responsibilities mini-series: Julie Garland McLellan on gripping board reports and how to get a page turner

Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Julie Garland McLellan about what makes a great board report, and how to get them! Oh and we're launching another mini-series - I'm hooked! I'm continuing to work through the not for profit governance principles released by the Australian Institute of Company Directors in April 2024. So our next mini series is about roles and responsibilities. Julie is on the boards of Dam safety, New South Wales Lupitz, which is a tech startup, and ...

Oct 01, 202432 minEp. 272