Netball Australia Board Directors

NETBALL AUSTRALIA’S BACKGROUND

Netball holds a unique position in the Australian sporting landscape. It is a sport with significant and long held participation rates that are the envy of many other Australian sports. It is widely held to be the women’s sport in Australia with eight out of ten Australian families having some involvement with netball - either through playing, volunteering, coaching, or assisting in the administration of the sport.

Netball Australia (NA) is the national body for Netball in Australia and the organisation was founded in 1927 when the All Australia Women’s Basketball Association was formed. In 1970, the name of the game was changed to “Netball” resulting in a change in name of the Organisation to the All Australia Netball Association (AANA). The AANA was incorporated as a public company limited by guarantee on 18 September 1986 and is governed by the Corporations Act 2001. “Netball Australia” was registered as a Business Name in 1993. NA operates as a company under a constitution that are resolved by the NA State and Territory Organisations, Member Organisations (MO’S).

The Board of Directors consists of three Elected Directors elected by the MO’S and up to six appointed Directors who may be appointed by the Elected Directors. The Board independently elects the Chair of the Board. The Board is accountable to the MOs for the operation and management of NA, including long term business and financial planning.

As Australia’s leading female sport, Netball Australia strives to deliver fair, safe, inclusive, respectful, and supportive environments for all Australians.  We believe that netball offers the enjoyment of participation, a sense of belonging and life-long involvement - no matter whether that’s as a player, coach, official, administrator, volunteer, or fan. 

BOARD CULTURAL CHARTER

The Board is committed to developing and sustaining an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing Board Culture. Directors acknowledge that the way they conduct themselves in delivery our strategic outcomes set the tone for all levels of the organisation and hold each other accountable for adhering to the key Netball Australia trademark behaviours of:

• Custodianship
• Humanity
• Diversity
• Goodwill
• Respect
• Collective Responsibility; and
• Personal Responsibility

All Board members are required to sign the Board Code of Conduct annually.

DIRECTOR COMMITMENTS

Netball Australia Director Meetings

• Between 6 to 8 planned Board Meetings annually, held either face to face or via video conference facilities.

Two Member Forums annually

• Netball Australia holds two Member forums annually which may run over two days, generally weekends, and all Directors are expected to attend.

Event Attendance

• Optional attendance at key Netball Australia events including but not limited to; SSN Season Launch, SSN matches, Diamonds matches in Australia and End of Season Dinner.

BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board's key responsibilities include:

• The vision, behaviours, strategies, and measurement systems are established, implementation tracked and reported on.
• The policies and terms of reference which govern the way we work are maintained and implemented, including the establishment and implementation of Board Committees.
• Organisational Risks and compliance obligations are identified, mitigated, and monitored.
• That performance is monitored and responded to through the Netball Australia Chief Executive.
• Maintaining strong and effective relationships with key stakeholders.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

All Directors must demonstrate:

Team Player/Collaboration

• The ability to work as part of a team, and commit to acting with respect for management, peer Directors and relevant organisational and Board processes.
• Demonstrated passion and time to make a genuine and active contribution to the Board.

Constructive Questioning / Probing

• Preparedness to ask questions and challenge management and peer Directors in a constructive and appropriate way about key issues.
• Ability to demonstrate sound judgement in assessing information and discerning appropriate responses.

Integrity / Ethics

• A commitment to put Netball Australia's interests before any personal interests, act in a transparent manner and declare interests/activities or conduct that might be a potential conflict.
• Always maintain Board confidentiality and understand and fulfil the duties and responsibilities of a Director.

Effective Listening and Communication

• Ability to listen to, and constructively and appropriately debate, other people's viewpoints, develop and deliver clear and concise arguments and points of view.

Influence and Negotiations

• Ability to negotiate outcomes and influence others to agree with those outcomes, including an ability to gain stakeholder support for the Board's decisions.

Leadership

• Range of leadership competencies including the ability to make and take responsibility for decisions and actions, set, and reinforce appropriate Board and organisational culture and appropriately represent Netball Australia.
• Acts in a manner consistent with a Director's role as custodian of the organisation and the game.

Additionally, Director’s must bring the following Governance and Industry knowledge & expertise to the Board:

Governance

• Executive Management and Commercial Acumen - experience at an executive level including the ability to appoint and evaluate the performance of the CEO and Senior Management, a broad range of commercial/business expertise including communications, business systems, practices, and improvements.
• Strategic thinking - ability to think strategically and identify and critically assess strategic opportunities and threats and develop effective strategies in the context of the strategic objectives and priorities of Netball Australia.

Industry

• Knowledge of Sport Industry - experience with the broad range of issues impacting the Australian and global sports industry in particular the netball industry and relevant matters pertaining to community participation, umpiring, and coaching.
• Profile, Reputation and Capacity to Influence - high level reputation and networks in government, business and relevant sporting industry organisations and groups with experience in the netball industry essential.
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement - understanding of and experience in federated stakeholder environments that enables effective engagement and communication with key stakeholders/audiences.

There are three (3) Board Director positions – two (2) Appointed Directors and one (1) Elected Director. It is expected each Board Director application will demonstrate strong expertise in one or more of the following key areas:

APPOINTED DIRECTOR:

Legal & Risk Management

• 10+ years of experience in high level legal, regulatory or governance management.
• Must have legal qualifications and currently are or have recently operated in a senior legal counsel or risk management and compliance position.
• Demonstrated experience providing oversight and guidance to the CEO and Senior Management on the risk profile and governance.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying risks and the ability to work with Senior Management to manage risk to the organisation in a wide range of areas including legal, and regulatory compliance, and overseeing risk and compliance management frameworks and systems, including plans to mitigate the impact of material risks on the organisation.
• Demonstrated legal skills such as commercial awareness, conflict resolution, analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, negotiation.

APPOINTED DIRECTOR:

Commercial Acumen and Corporate Management

• 10+ years of experience in high level corporate or private sector management.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and ability to identify and critically assess strategic opportunities and threats and develop effective strategies in the context of the strategic objectives and priorities of Netball Australia.
• Experience in broadcast and media especially an understanding of emerging trends involving new media and media rights valuations and negotiations. Demonstrated track record of success in broadcast and media.
• High level reputation and networks in government, business and relevant sporting industry organisations and groups.
• Significant senior level experience and demonstrated track record of success in brand, marketing, and communications.

ELECTED DIRECTOR:

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Understanding of and demonstrated experience in federated stakeholder environments that enables effective engagement and communication with key stakeholders/audiences.
• Deep knowledge of and demonstrated experience with the broad range of issues impacting the Australian and global sports industry in particular the netball industry and relevant matters pertaining to community participation, umpiring, and coaching.
• High level reputation and networks in government, business and relevant sporting industry organisations and groups with experience or demonstrated high level understanding of the netball industry required.

NETBALL AUSTRALIA BOARD POLICIES

Directors must comply with the Netball Australia Board Code of Conduct, Governance Principles Policy, Delegation of Authority Policy, Director Entitlements Policy, Directors Travel Policy and agree to undertake their Director Duties according to the Board Cultural Charter. All Directors are bound by Netball Australia's Member Protection Policy, Integrity in Netball Framework, and associated rules. No Director can bet on Netball.

Netball Australia is committed to the safety and well-being of children, has a zero tolerance towards violence within the workplace and recognises the rights of all Directors to be free from violence and gender-related discrimination.

To be successful in this role you must hold or be willing to obtain and hold a Working with Children Check and a National Police Clearance.