A member of the selection committee for the Wine Australia Board has defended the choice of only two directors with any wine industry experience.
“While criticism of WA Board appointments seem to (sadly) be the norm for the Australian wine industry, much of the negative chatter I’m seeing seems to be based on a significant misunderstanding of what skills and experience are required to be on this board,” Jane Thomson tells WBM newsletter The Week That Was.
“It’s not enough to just be a great leader in the wine industry.
“For a board appointment of this level, candidates must have significant high-level board experience.
“As someone who is on the current selection committee, let me tell you that finding someone who has both impressive wine industry experience and high-level board experience is extremely difficult indeed.”
Thomson made the comments after TWTW suggested Brendan Carter from Unico Zelo should be on the Wine Australia Board.
The Board has five new members – Dr Angeline Achariya from Victoria, Roslyn Baker from Queensland, Andrew Kay from South Australia, Elizabeth Riley from NSW and Peta Slack-Smith from Victoria.
They join chair Michele Allan.
Andrew Kay and Elizabeth Riley are the only directors with any wine industry experience.
Thomson says that if we want to see more wine industry people on the WA Board, we can’t just ‘want’ it to happen.
“We need to act,” she says.
“We need to encourage and steer the ‘leaders’ in our industry to start taking on various board positions in various industries (not just wine), and to undertake recognised board training courses like the AICD, to develop the board skills and experience needed for an appointment to the WA Board.
“It’s time to stop complaining and making quips about great people we know who should be on the WA Board, and time to start encouraging these great people to increase their board credentials pronto.”
Photo: Wine Australia Facebook page.
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