Advisory board mini-series: Heather Disher dishes on business sector advisory boards

Today on the Take on Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Julie Toma about her journey to the boardroom and maybe some reflections that come along the way there.Julie is on the board of Western New South Wales Primary Health Network, RACGP's Australian General Practice Research Foundation, Friendly Pharmacies, Northern Sydney Local Health District Quality Health Care Board Committee, and the Barbara May Foundation.She's previously been on the Australian Dental Health Foundation, Jannawi Connections, LiveBetter, and Asthma Australia ACT.Julie, as you can no doubt tell from her boards, is passionate about improving society's health and well-being. She provides deep expertise in business strategy, marketing, customer and employee experience, philanthropy, transformational growth and stakeholder engagement.Links and ResourcesRussell Reynolds Associates - Global Board Culture and Director Behaviors StudyDirector Performance: The High Impact Behaviors of the Most Effective Directors 2022 Global Board Culture and Director Behaviors StudyNSW Institute of Applied Technology (for free courses to strengthen understanding of cyber and AI)The Psychological Safety Index (PSI) from Data Drives InsightUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Mary Goodwin about the advisory board centres and the certified chair course. Mary chairs the audit risk and improvement committee at Gladstone Regional Council and serves on various audit and risk committees at Redlands City Council, Western Downs Regional Council, and Whitsunday Regional Council. She is also on the advisory boards of a pharmacy and a fabrication company. Mary co-chairs the peer advisory group for the Queensland Northern Territory chapter of the Advisory Board Centre. With over 25 years of strategic leadership in public, private, and not-for-profit sectors both in Australia and internationally, she has served as chief procurement officer for the Queensland Government and Deputy Director General of a state department. Her international experience includes a significant gold mining project in Canada and India during COVID. She founded her consultancy, One People Proprietary Limited, to help businesses maximize their potential, particularly by applying big business concepts to SMEs in practical ways. Previous episodes in this seriesLouise Broekman outlines the history and importance of advisory boardsSandra Gamble knows what’s what about the energy and sustainability sector for advisory boardsCynthia Payne outlines the evolution of advisory boards in aged careHeather Disher dishes on business sector advisory boardsLouise Broekman’s rundown of the Advisory Board Centre’s State of the Market Report 2025-2027Louise Broekman answers questions on the advisory board marketUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, on the Take on Board podcast, Louise Broekman is answering questions about the state of the advisory board market. This is part two of the Take on Board breakfast event. 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.Previous episodes in this seriesLouise Broekman outlines the history and importance of advisory boardsSandra Gamble knows what’s what about the energy and sustainability sector for advisory boardsCynthia Payne outlines the evolution of advisory boards in aged careHeather Disher dishes on business sector advisory boardsUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, Louise Broekman is back to discuss the state of the advisory board market for 2025, highlighting key trends and best practices. This was part of a Take on Board breakfast event. Louise answered some questions from attendees. Next week, the questions we couldn't answer will be our part two.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.Previous episodes in this seriesLouise Broekman outlines the history and importance of advisory boardsSandra Gamble knows what’s what about the energy and sustainability sector for advisory boardsCynthia Payne outlines the evolution of advisory boards in aged careHeather Disher dishes on business sector advisory boardsUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityFollow along on TwitterWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programFind out more about meContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Heather Disher about business sector advisory boards. Heather is the chair of Pony Club Australia. You heard some of that story not long ago when we talked about sports boards. And she's a board member at Geelong Animal Welfare Society. She's also on a number of advisory boards, but we can't tell you their names, because they're confidential, but trust me, she knows all about it.Heather is a dual business owner, Alchemy Outsourcing and Disher Advisory Synergy, a director chair, non-Executive Director, advisor, certified chair from the advisory board centre and a mentor with Rare Birds and Pony Club Australia's Leadership Programme.Last year, she co-authored a book called She Built It. Heather has the unique combination of governance, advisory, business operations and strategy. When she's not working—I don't know when that is—she's out on the nature trail running with her dog, Coda.Previous episodes in this seriesSandra Gamble knows what’s what about the energy and sustainability sector for advisory boardsLouise Broekman outlines the history and importance of advisory boardsAdvisory board mini-series: Cynthia Payne outlines the evolution of advisory boards in aged careLinks and ResourcesHeather Disher on LinkedInHeather Disher on gender equality on sports boardsDisher Advisory SynergyShe Built ItUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Cynthia Payne about health and aged care sector advisory boards.Cynthia is on the advisory board for Pain Check and is also a director of the Mind Connections Foundation. She's previously been on the boards of the Heart Foundation, the National Peak Body, Lassa and the Blue Knot Foundation. Cynthia Payne is well known across many sectors. She has contributed to leadership roles for the past 33 years. In 2018, she founded Anchor Excellence, a national consulting firm that today directly impacts over 45% of the entire aged care market through its range of products and services: Sage study tours, Anchor Consulting, Anchor Academy, impactful leaders, and Anchor Policy. The list goes on. Originally a registered nurse, Cynthia is a certified chair with the Wonderful Advisory Board Centre and a certified practitioner for team management systems. She holds an MBA. Is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, an FGIA, so a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia. And I love this, a yoga teacher. I love it when people have the little random asides.Previous episodes in this seriesSandra Gamble knows what’s what about the energy and sustainability sector for advisory boardsLouise Broekman outlines the history and importance of advisory boardsLinks and ResourcesCynthia Payne on LinkedInAnchor ExcellenceAdvisory Board CentreUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Sandra Gamble about advisory boards focusing on energy and sustainability. This is part of an advisory board mini-series.Sandra's board portfolio includes both governance and advisory boards. Let's focus on some of her advisory boards. Her advisory board portfolio includes the Australian and New Zealand advisory board for the Institute for Science on Global Policy and the New South Wales divisional Council for the Australian Institute of Company Directors, as well as an advisory board with a background in engineering regulation and government.Sandra has worked as a board member, senior executive, and consultant in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Currently, Sandra is the independent chair of Marinus Link Proprietary Limited, the company that will build, own, and operate a new HVDC transmission link between Tasmania and Victoria. She's also a board member of Energy Co, which coordinates investment in New South Wales' renewable energy zones.Previous episodes in this seriesLouise Broekman outlines the history and importance of advisory boardsLinks and ResourcesSandra Gamble on LinkedInUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ResourcesLouise Broekman on LinkedInAdvisory Board CentreABF101 Advisory Board Best Practice Framework2025 Megatrends SummitUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, on the Take On Board Podcast, we have a special crossover episode. Rosie Wheen, host of the podcast Not in My Workplace, invited me for an interview. Not in My Workplace is a series that aims to be a resource for you and your workplace to become safer, more respectful, and more inclusive. Conversations will focus on how we can prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.____How can boards act as coaches who work with executives? How do you nail a curious question that shines new insights on workplace safety around the Board table? In this episode, host Rosie Wheen sits down with governance guru, facilitator and coach Helga Svendsen to unpack the vital role of boards in preventing and responding to sexual harassment in the workplace. With over 200 podcast episodes of her fabulous podcast Take on Board and her board experience, Helga shares how diverse, inclusive, and engaged boards can create safer and more respectful workplaces. The conversation delves into boards' responsibilities under Australia’s Respect at Work legislation, the power of diverse decision-making, and how boards can proactively set the tone for a positive workplace culture. If you’re a leader, board member, or aspiring director, this episode is packed with insights on how governance can drive meaningful cultural change. Links and Resources Not in My Workplace⁠Respect@Work website⁠ ⁠Workplace Gender Equality Agency_____Upcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, on the Take On Board Podcast, I'm speaking with Susan Leahy about healthy board dynamics. First off, join me in wishing Susan a very happy 50th birthday! Yes, that's right if you are listening to this podcast today (23 April - it's Susan's big day)!Susan is on the council of the Association of Transformational Leaders and has formerly been on the boards of CN AP, the California State Association of Parliamentarians, and Toastmasters. We recently had another Toastmasters board member on, as well as Associated Students Incorporated. Susan is a dynamic and highly engaging speaker, trainer, and facilitator specialising in board development, leadership and effective meetings.As the founder of Roberts Rules Made Simple, established in 2004, Susan has empowered 1000s of board members, board chairs, and support staff to master Robert's Rules of Order, transforming meetings into productive, efficient, and empowering experiences. I'm sure we'll hear more about that and how Robert's Rules of Order can be a fun, interesting, and engaging tool to use as a sought-after expert in communication, leadership, and group decision-making.Susan has worked with organisations of all sizes, from not-for-profits to Fortune 500 companies and government entities. She's the creator of the acclaimed 'Chair a Meeting with Confidence' programme, designed to help board chairs lead with clarity, authority, and ease.Links and ResourcesSusan Leahy on LinkedInRobert's Rules Made SimpleUpcoming TOB EventsAll eventsYou might want to:Join the Take on Board Facebook communityJoin the Take on Board LinkedIn communityWork with meJoin the Take on Board: Kickstarter group programJoin the Take on Board: Accelerator group programContact me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.