Rachel is the chief Conservation Officer at the World Wildlife Federation, WWF Australia and past president of the International Zoo Educators Association, and former chair of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership. She also currently sits on the Parks Victoria Advisory Committee and the Zoo Wise Advisory Committee.
In our discussion, we talk about being an effective board member: what time commitment is required, what support you ned to have in place, what's the balance between governance and operational, what skills you need to have on your board, and also how incredibly rewarding it can be to be a board member.
One of the other things that stands out in this discussion is Rachel’s views about engaging with members and networks. She talks about:
- her first board role, which she gained through reaching out to Larissa Brown, the then CEO of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
- her time as President of the Zoo Educators Association where she surveyed members so that board could determine their strategic direction. S
- about being clear on expectations and reaching out to board members for challenging conversations if required and how this can can lead to the board member stepping down or stepping up.
- and reaching out to mentors to support you.
Her advice is to be clear on what you want to give and take from your Board experience and choose an organisation with a mission your want to progress. She also advises to know your skillset, consider the broader skill matrix of the Board, keep an eye on risks and opportunities and also culture..
Boards Rachel is on:
- Parks Victoria Advisory Committee: https://parkweb.vic.gov.au
- Zoo Wise Advisory Committee: https://www.zoowise.org/en
- Centre for Sustainability Leadership: http://www.csl.org.au/
- International Zoo Educators Association: http://izea.net/
Rachel’s Twitter: @Rachlowry
Resource’s Rachel Mentioned:
- The Book of the Board by David Fishel
- An interview with Rachel on Australian Leadership: http://australianleadership.blogspot.com/2017/01/rachel-lowry-on-australian-leadership.html?m=1
Want to hear more from Rachel?
Rachel will be speaking at one of my regular board Kickstarter breakfasts. The next one is on Tuesday the 16th of July 2019.
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