With over 23 years of experience in senior management and consulting, it's no wonder Certified Chair™ Sandra Poon has developed a "secret superpower" of having the coveted ability to understand an organisation's landscape quickly and identify ways to make it better. As a strategy advisor, transformation specialist and experienced facilitator, Sandra is passionate about sharing her experience having worked with large corporations right through to start-ups in strategy design, implementation and operations.

In this Advisor Insights interview, Sandra shares sage advice on the fact that understanding when to provide insight (and when to stop) is a "constant learning and self-evaluation process". Developing personal strengths and opportunities allows advisors to "give the right advice that's valued at the time they need it" and not overwhelm at the wrong time. Sandra believes there is an art to recognising what a business needs, which can only be developed through experience on boards.

As Director for her company Governance by Design, the last six years have seen Sonya Beyers develop bespoke governance solutions from the ground up – consulting, engaging stakeholders, facilitating and co-creating a governance framework of which businesses take full ownership. With the mantra that it is far better to influence than direct, and listen to understand, rather than respond, Sonya has helped organisations to push against the trend, learn collaboratively and implement a measurable governance process.

One look at Sonya Beyers LinkedIn and you would be forgiven for thinking how does she do it all. Director, Advisor, Consultant, Facilitator, Non-Executive Director...the list goes on. Sonya does it all, and very well might we add, and still has time to have a chat with Louise Broekman for our Advisor Insights series.

Roger Phare has served as a Director, Executive, Non-Executive and Advisory Board member for multiple organisations, with marketing and sales his primary driver. As a Founder and Director of Pathfinders Associates, Roger assists IT and professional service organisations in seeing the way to controlled, profitable, sustainable and successful growth. Roger's market-driven approach has seen him work in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, helping organisations to understand their strengths in order to establish and execute a plan for success. With covering all aspects from organisational leadership, sales and marketing management, strategic planning, business process improvement and solution sales within fast-paced leading-edge technology environments, it's no wonder Roger is a highly sought after professional.

In this Advisor Insights with Louise Broekman, Roger shares his belief that the most successful Advisors are patient and flexible, they listen - not tell! He believes in the importance of utilising a resource network as he has found within the diverse Advisory Board Centre community. Listen to Roger's experience in the Advisory Board sector and how it has shaped his career.

With experience as a Chair and Advisor on more boards than most, Gary Bennett is a one-of-a-kind of business professional and if he offers you insight into his experience, you'd be wise not to turn it down! An international insurance veteran with more than 39 years in the industry, Gary has established, led, built, grown, re-built and strengthened financial services, insurance, pension and health companies in many countries including Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, Taiwan, China, USA, Indonesia and South Africa.

Having transitioned from full-time Executive positions to concentrate on his portfolio of governance, Advisory and investment roles, Gary draws on his incredibly vast experience to provide support, strategic advice, leadership development, investment and counsel to boards around the world. His ability to adapt rapidly to new cultures, countries and companies has seen his reputation, respect and strong results become a hallmark of his career.

After nearly 40 years as a business owner, professional advisor and lawyer, David has supported SME businesses in a range of industries. He knows first hand the joys and frustrations of business, having had a family business with his brothers which included growth, expansion, investment and exit.

In addition to his professional legal service clients, David's portfolio of work also includes Advisory and Governance Boards. In this Advisor Insights conversation, David shares his story including his tips on how Advisory Boards can support business owners.

The Advisory Board Centre is the professional body for the Advisory sector. Collectively, we raise the standard of the global advisory sector- driving value for professionals and the organisations they serve. We provide a complimentary Advisor Concierge service to organisations seeking high-quality Advisors and Certified Chairs for independent Advisory Boards. Learn more: www.advisoryboardcentre.com.au

Certified Chair™ Peter Murphy is regarded as one of the foremost Executive recruiters in Australia with over 25 years in professional talent identification. He has completed numerous Board, C-Suite and Executive assignments for ASX listed and privately-owned corporations, government departments and owned corporations, and small to medium-sized enterprises throughout his career. As joint-owners of boutique business C3 Talent, Peter and his business partner Kelly Howard (also a Certified Chair™), have built their focus to be on ‘creating value through talent’. With talent being one of the three pillars of business, alongside strategy and finance, Peter has a genuine passion for ensuring the necessary rigour is applied to make an informed, quality decision to get the right person for the right career.

Not long ago, Peter and Kelly felt there was an opportunity to develop C3 Talent beyond its scope at the time – they were good at their work, they planned well, however they realised they needed help turning said plans into reality. Having completed the Certified Chair™ course themselves, they knew they needed similar expertise for their business and set out to find the right Chair.

In this Advisor Insights with Louise Broekman, Peter shares how choosing fellow Certified Chair™ Sean Steele to become their Chair has proven to be an excellent decision, as the business has flourished with focus. Peter likens having an Advisory Board to having an ‘external conscience’ as the scheduled and regular meetings have enabled a greater commitment to change by understanding his business is on a journey. He believes the greatest mindset when engaging an Advisory Board is to be open to being challenged, otherwise, an Advisory Board cannot have the impact that’s required or desired.

Director of Raedan AI, Sharyn Csanki is a data management executive coach who joined the Advisory Board Centre as a Certified Chair™ after having an enlightening and successful experience with utilising an Advisor for her own company and eventually creating an Advisory Board using our Advisor Concierge service. After coming across a revolutionary type of artificial intelligence a few years ago, Sharyn and her business partner engaged an Advisor in order to set her business on the right path and grow. It was not light work, however, ultimately it was the right decision and the business bloomed. Sharyn found so much value in the Advisory Board structure that she pursued the Certified Chair Executive Program™ so that she can provide the same support and drive to other businesses. 

Sharyn's professional life has centered on learning to listen, understanding instinct and how the right question at the right time changes lives. As a Director of two businesses and an executive coach, Sharyn works with the dynamics between people and systems, leaving nothing for granted. She knows the essence of her trade so well and she is thrilled she gets to share it. In this Advisor Insight with Louise Broekman, Sharyn shares the experience and outcome of having an Advisory Board help shape the future of her business and why it has shaped her professional career.

Rob Sherlock is an Advisory Board Certified Chair with global advertising experience. After nearly 40 years in a fast-moving and often fickle industry, how do you stay current and continue to add value? For Rob, it's all about avid self-innovation and a fascination about 'what’s next'.

In this Advisor Insights conversation with Louise Broekman, Advisory Board Centre Founder and CEO, Rob shares his 30+ year journey in global advertising, and how becoming an Advisory Board Chair "ruined his retirement" by allowing to continue to deliver on his passion, purpose and potential with a healthy dose of fun along the way. Rob's insights deliver serious business impact while valuing the connections with the people within the organisations he serves.

Jane Beaumont is a seasoned CEO, with deep experience in the professional services sector. Her previous roles have seen her lead a CA$300M publicly listed group comprising of 23 companies across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. As an Advisor to professional services businesses, Jane has developed a strong understanding of the practical support Executives and Boards need to support navigating and achieving their strategic priorities.

After 25 years in the financial services sector, Wes Hall was intrigued why people didn't seem to care enough about their superannuation and securing the financial future. So he decided to do something about it and Tomorrow Super was born.

Even with deep experience across four continents, Wes found as a Founder and CEO he wanted to be supported and challenged as he sought to redefine how Australian's manage their super. In this Advisor Insights Series hosted by Advisory Board Centre Founder and CEO Louise Broekman, Wes shares his experience with implementing an Advisory Board for Tomorrow Super.