

Take on Board
Helga Svendsen
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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 25, 2023 • 29min
Karen Mundine outlines why reconciliation matters to business and boards
Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Karen Mundine about why reconciliation matters to business and to boards.Karen Mundine is from the Bundjalung Nation of northern NSW. She is a board member of Gondwana Choirs, Sydney Festival, the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC), and Australians for Constitutional Recognition. She is a member of Chief Executive Women. As the CEO at Reconciliation Australia, Karen brings to the role more than 25 years’ experience leading community engagement, public advocacy, communications and social marketing campaigns. An architect of the landmark Australian Reconciliation Barometer, Karen works with governments, the business sector and civil society to advocate for change and is currently a member of the Australian Government’s Referendum Engagement Group.Over the course of her career, she has been instrumental in some of Australia’s watershed national events including the Apology to the Stolen Generations, Centenary of Federation commemorations, Corroboree 2000 and the 1997 and 2021 Australian Reconciliation Conventions. Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and was the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Australian UTS Alumni Award. Karen has wide-ranging board experience and a true sense of country and home.More on Karen MundineLinkedInLinks and ResourcesReconciliation AustraliaReconciliation Action Plans (RAP) Indigenous Governance Program Uluru Statement from the Heart Close the Gap Report Upcoming 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.

Jul 18, 2023 • 27min
Samar Mcheileh navigated a management buyout and says it's worth the risk
Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Samar Mcheileh about boardroom culture, finances and navigating a management buyout.Samar is on the finance and investment committee for InTouch, and organisation providing services, programs and responses to family violence in migrant and refugee communities. She is also a former Board member of YWCA Victoria.Samar Mcheileh is the co-CEO at Scale Investors. An early stage angel syndicate that invests in exceptional gender diverse entrepreneurs. Samar began her career in logistics and commodity trading, then went to London and got into finance, before coming home and spending 10 years at JBWere in various executive roles. Principally however, she managed the markets desk working on a range of deals across all asset classes.More on Samar McheilehLinkedInScale InvestorsLinks and ResourcesScary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, by Mo GawdatThe Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett Connect to Capital, a podcast series by Scale Investors Upcoming 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.

Jul 11, 2023 • 32min
Melissa Donnelly brings strategic planning into the boardroom to maximize lived experiences
Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Melissa Donnelly about the importance of strategic planning as a vehicle for bringing the lived experience of staff and clients/customers/members into the board room.Melissa is the Chair, Domestic Violence Prevention Centre (Gold Coast)Melissa has been called a brain surgeon for brands. She extracts the DNA of businesses from the CEO's brain and injects it across the organisation. In her 35 year-plus career, she's triaged, rebooted and launched brands internationally and domestically. Melissa has been a brand builder for household names like MTV, ESPN, Microsoft and Telstra, plus brands that are rock stairs in their own industries. If communications are at the heart of an issue, then chances are Melissa has seen it, mapped it and solved for it. This is the lens she brings to her Board role where Melissa focusses on building a culture of intentional communications that connects Board members, the organisation and stakeholders.More on Melissa DonnellyLinkedInUpcoming 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.

Jul 4, 2023 • 10min
Podcast takeover – a 4th birthday celebration!
SURPRISE! Buffy, here – Helga’s podcast producer. Lisa – Helga’s business manager – and I reached out to the fabulous peeps in the Take on Board community to record messages in celebration of the podcast’s 4th birthday. This episode is full of words of appreciation and gratitude for the podcast’s 4 years of sharing governance wisdom and for the evolving community which keeps on supporting and cheering on each other’s boardroom journeys. A big thanks to everyone who took part in this podcast takeover celebration. You’re all why Helga keeps on doing this with enthusiasm and joy week in and week out. Congratulations Helga! You’re an awesome host. I look forward to the next 4 years of great storytelling...Upcoming 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.

Jun 27, 2023 • 48min
Take on Board Breakfast: Riwka Hagen knows how to navigate a merger and has tips
Today on the Take on Board podcast, Riwka Hagen joins me at the Take on Board Breakfast event. Riwka presents Organisational Mergers: Lessons from the coalface. Riwka knows how to navigate organisational mergers because she's successfully overseen the process.Hear her presentation and answers to audience questions. You can learn a lot from her success and challenges!This podcast is an edited version of the Take on Board Breakfast. Sign-up for information about future events like the breakfast. Start your day networking, meeting like-minded women and hearing about open board roles and opportunities in the Board Marketplace.Links and ResourcesOrganisational Mergers: Lessons from the coalfaceMore on Riwka HagenLinkedInUpcoming 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.

Jun 20, 2023 • 26min
Marcele de Sanctis has thoughts on using metrics to find the right board mix
Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Dr. Marcele de Sanctis about Board Capability and CultureMarcele has 10 years experience working with global, ASX-listed, private and Government organisations, supporting Boards, CEOs, C-level executives and senior leaders in capability development and competency architecture, leadership assessment, leadership development, executive coaching, talent management, L&D, OD, executive search and recruitment. She currently sits on the National Education Advisory Committee for the AICD. Marcele commenced her career in Executive Search appointing Chairs, Directors, C-level Executives and leaders across a range of sectors including industrial, consumer, retail, education and health.She is now the Managing Partner of Centre for Leadership Advantage, leading a team of organisational psychologists/scientist-practitioners, leadership specialists and thought-leaders who deliver leadership assessment, development, transition and wellbeing solutions throughout Australia for global, ASX-listed, large private and public sector clients. CLA takes an evidence-based approach to extraordinary leadership.Links and ResourcesMarcele on LinkedInCentre for Leadership Advantage Future Leadership Capability Framework Upcoming 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.

Jun 13, 2023 • 37min
Gina Balarin says marketers play a huge role on boards
Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Gina Balarin about her journey to the boardroom.Gina is on the boards of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), a UK-based organisation serving an international audience and ProjectDisplaced, an Australia-based organisation helping coach Australians out of work to get their mojo back.Gina Balarin is an inspirational TEDx and keynote speaker, storyteller and B2B marketing leader, who sits on the boards of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and ProjectDisplaced. She's an FAMI FCIM Chartered Marketer, with a Master's of education in management communication and a member of the Professional Speaking Association. The author of The Secret Army: Leadership, Marketing and the Power of People, she loves finding the essence of information and distilling it into meaningful communication that makes positive change happen. She is the Director of Verballistics, a Marketing Communications Consultancy.Links and ResourcesGina on LinkedInUpcoming 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.

Jun 6, 2023 • 31min
Take on Board x Lead to Soar - How Women Can Build & Demonstrate Strategic Acumen with Helga Svendsen
In this special Take on Board x Lead to Soar cross over episode, I was the guest on the Lead to Soar podcast and was interviewed by Michelle Redfern. She invited me to discuss strategy. My conversation with Michelle was part of the Lead to Soar - "How Women Can" web series.Do you know what strategy is?Do you know why strategy is set?Do you know why boards are interested in strategy?Can you describe the relationship between strategy and business outcomes?Being able to answer all these questions means you're likely to have strategic acumen.In this episode, Helga Svendsen FAICD and Michelle Redfern discuss Helga's experience from both sides of the boardroom table - as an executive and CEO as well as a Board Chair and Director, as well as provide practical advice about how women can build and demonstrate their strategic acumen.Links and ResourcesLead to SoarView the Strategic Planning Framework diagram as mentioned in this episode Michelle RedfernEpisode 133: Michelle Redfern takes lessons from the pitch into the boardroomUpcoming 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.

May 30, 2023 • 20min
Helga goes solo: “Be a Voice for Generations” this National Reconciliation Week
This week in Australia it’s National Reconciliation Week.So, today, I'm covering the following:Talk about NRW 2023, the theme and what it means for all of usTalk about NRW more broadly – it’s history and what it’s aboutTalk about the Uluru statement from the Heart – I’ll read it to youShare some ideas for your board to support the Uluru statement from the HeartShare some resources, including showcasing the first nations women that have previously been on ToBI'd love to hear from you about what your board or what you're doing as an individual to support some of these actions. See you next week.Links and ResourcesUluru Statement from the HeartNational Reconciliation WeekEpisode 10: Amber Roberts on rethinking the meaning of ‘country’ and how we can be allies in the boardroom (re-run as episode 100 too)Episode 19: Sheena Watt on breaking down preconceptions in the boardroomEpisode 138: Jillian West gives us the whats, whys and hows of reconciliation action plans – and the role of the boardEpisode 139: Rachelle Towart OAM reveals the secrets of getting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on your boardEpisode 164: Take on Board Breakfast with Jillian West. An introduction to the basics of cultural competencyEpisode 194: Nareen Young explains what Australian boards get wrong about diversity and Indigenous governanceUpcoming 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.

May 23, 2023 • 32min
Ursula Lepporoli on the diverse perspectives of expats on boards
Today on the Take on Board podcast I’m speaking with Ursula Lepporoli about having expats on your board to diversity perspectives.Ursula Lepporoli is a partner at KPMG. She has 17 years of extensive experience as a strategic global mobility tax expert providing a full suite of tax services to companies, expatriates and high net worth individuals. Ursula enjoys sharing her knowledge. She is a frequent guest on podcasts speaking about leadership and tax. She joined Adam Grant earlier this year on WorkLife. She was recently invited to join the ATO’s Tax Practioners Stewardship Group. Ursula enjoys the arts and when not taking photos herself as an amateur photographer she serves on the board of Multicultural Arts Victoria.Links and ResourcesUrsula on LinkedInUpcoming 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.