Corporate Mentoring for NFP CEOs
27 March 2014 at 10:00 am
A new Australian organisation has been set up to provide Not for Profit CEOs with one-on-one mentoring opportunities with successful corporate leaders, including board members from some of the top 100 ASX companies.
The new organisation, with a name pointing to its Scottish origins – Kilfinan Australia – says the free service aims to build trusting relationships between the corporate and Not for Profit sectors.
Kilfinan Australia was inspired by the Kilfinan Group in the UK, established in 2003 by Scottish philanthropist and corporate leader Nicholas Ferguson CBE.
The UK Group pairs charity chief executives with mentors from the private sector, the majority of whom are chief executives or chairs. The Group now has more than 120 senior business people working as mentors with Not for Profit CEOs.
Nick Ferguson has been a CEO, and Chairman, of a number of business enterprises, including BSkyB Plc which he now chairs. He is a significant philanthropist and until recently was Chair of the Institute of Philanthropy in the UK.
Initially Kilfinan Australia is being launched in Melbourne and, once established, will expand to other cities. Its leadership is as highly qualified as the UK setup.
The chair of the Australian organisation is Malcolm Broomhead who has has extensive experience running global industrial and mining companies. He was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Orica Limited and of North Limited.
He is now Chair of Asciano Limited, a Non-Executive Director of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc, and a former Non-Executive Director of Coates Group Holdings Pty Ltd.
He is active in the philanthropic arena, especially with Opportunity International where he is a member of the Advisory Board and, more recently, in supporting medical research.
Broomfield is joined by two group co-ordinators with enormous experience in the Not for Profit sector.
Marion Webster OAM has a long involvement in the Not for Profit and philanthropic sectors, both in Australia and internationally.
As well as being a CEO of Not for Profits, she has extensive consulting experience at board and senior executive level in the sector. She was a founding director of Philanthropy Australia, a founding trustee and Chair of Australian Communities Foundation, CEO of the Community Foundation Network in the UK, a founding trustee of Auckland Communities Foundation and a founder and Chair of Fitted for Work. Marion is currently Chair of GASP! in Tasmania.
Joining the team is Rosemary Grieve, who has more than 25 years working as a consultant with the boards of major corporations and statutory bodies and with senior executives in complex global organisations.
Since early 1995 Grieve’s focus has been on board, executive team and governance reviews, leadership assessment, and the development and coaching of senior executives. She is also active in the Not for Profit sector consulting with boards and mentoring CEOs.
“The aim of the mentoring program is to support and further strengthen the leadership capability of CEOs by drawing on the strengths and experience of senior corporate leaders in a confidential, trusting forum for the discussion of challenging issues,” Marion Webster said.
“Mentors, who volunteer their time, have extensive business experience and each brings a range of skills and interests to the mentoring relationship. Once matched, mentors and mentees structure their relationships to fit their needs and styles of interaction.”
Usually the mentors and mentees meet four to six times a year.
“We have already secured 15 high level mentors including our chair Malcolm Broomhead and interviews have already begun with Not for Profit CEOs interested in the mentee opportunity.
“One of the additional benefits of the parties will be to build more effective relationships with Government given the highly changing environment that Not for Profits are currently working in.
“In the UK one of the benefits has also been that the corporate leaders have been able to bring their extensive networks together that have ultimately helped the Not for Profits that the CEOs lead.
“The key to this program is that the mentor program is for the NFP CEOs as individuals,” Webster said.
