Candidate search for ABF President

1. Succession Planning Work to Date

Over the past two decades there has been little turnover in the holders of key ABF positions so the issue of succession planning has not been actively addressed.

At the 2017 AGM Council discussed the concept of organisational renewal. At the request of the AGM, Christopher Leach prepared a paper on how to undertake Succession Planning in the ABF. The ABF Management Committee (MC) endorsed the proposals and wrote to Councillors seeking nominations for a Succession Planning Committee. As a consequence, the MC established a Succession Planning Committee comprising Bruce Neill (Chair), Julia Hoffman, David Morgan and Therese Tully, to work for a period of one year.

The role of the committee is to assist Council to: ensure the appropriate succession of the ABF President; assist Council to put succession plans in place for other key ABF positions; and to provide Council with recommendations on how ongoing succession planning should be undertaken.

2. Candidate Search for new President

The current President, Bruce Neill, intends to retire at the 2018 AGM next May.

If you wish to express your interest in the position or suggest someone else for the position please contact any member of the Succession Planning Committee.

You can also contact the ABF President at President@ABF.com.au with the word “Succession” in the title of your email.

Those who express an interest will be able to discuss the detailed requirements and scope of the position with the ABF President, or any member of the ABF Management Committee or Succession Planning Committee. We will keep names of all potential candidates confidential until they are ready to release the information or their interest has been converted to a nomination.

In the case of more than one nomination for President an election will be held at the AGM.

3. Information for Candidates

The relevant parts of the Constitution on the duties of the President are below.

It would be normal that candidates are already Councillors and so are eligible to stand for President.

However, someone with strong credentials not currently on Council may be identified through this process. If potential candidates are not already Councillors they will need to become ABF Councillors by the time of the next AGM. The Succession Planning Committee will be available to assist you with any discussions about that process with your State.

The relevant parts of the Constitution on the requirements the duties of the position are as follows:

OFFICERS

10. (3) Every officer other than the General Counsel, the Public Officer and the President Emeritus (if any) must be a Councillor at the time of his election or appointment and shall forthwith cease to hold office in the Federation upon ceasing to be a Councillor unless he is immediately re-appointed or re-elected as such.

DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

11. The President shall: –

(a) be the chief executive officer and principal representative of the Federation both in Australia and internationally;

(b) provide initiative and guidance in the formulation of Federation policy;

(c) facilitate liaison between the States and also between members and affiliates of the South Pacific Zone of the World Bridge Federation;

(d) present a report to each Annual General Meeting concerning the affairs of the Federation to be known as the President’s Report;

(e) have the right to attend the meeting of any Committee of the Federation should he wish to do so; and

(f) maintain effective liaison with the Presidents of the State Associations

October, 2017