TIME is running out to enter the Australian Institute of Management’s (AIM) prestigious Leadership Excellence Awards (ALEAs), with nominations and applications coming to a close on 31^st July, 2016. 

Ahead of this date, AIM CEO David Pich is encouraging people all over Australia to get involved, by putting the spotlight on someone who has made a positive impact on their community, institution or workplace over the past 12 months.

“The AIM Leadership Excellence Awards acknowledge the individual contributions and achievements of business leaders, peers, community leaders and everyday Australians. It is important to recognise the hard work and the positive changes people are making,” Pich said.

“At AIM we believe great managers and leaders make decisions that impact people’s lives. This impact is felt well beyond the workplace, which is why we see the value in acknowledging and supporting these people at every stage of their career,” he continued.

With regional and nationwide events, communities in each state and territory are encouraged to nominate a friend or colleague who they believe fits the bill. Once nominated, entrants will then need to submit their application to be shortlisted to become a category finalist. 

The annual list of nominees is spread across a number of categories:

• Leader / Manager
• Owner / Entrepreneur
• Emerging Leader
• Not for Profit
• Student (new)
• Community Leader (new)

To nominate a great leader or manager, or for more information about the 2016 AIM ALEAs, visit the website.

Key Dates:

• Nominations & Applications close 5pm - Sunday 31 July 2016
• All State finalists will have been announced by Tuesday 20 September 2016

State Winners from each category will qualify for the National Final. ALEAs National Final Award ceremony will be held in Brisbane 19 October

About AIM

The Australian Institute of Management is the peak body for managers and leaders. For 75 years, AIM has been helping professionals develop into becoming great leaders. With more than 12,000 individual and corporate Members, we believe their decisions not only impact people’s lives but are felt well beyond the workplace. With the right tools, resources, networks and focus, these decisions can – and do – have a positive impact on society. This view is captured in AIM’s Vision: Better managers, better leaders, for a better society. For more information, visit www.aim.com.au

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THIS week in Brisbane, the Council of Small Business of Australia’s (COSBOA) Vodafone National Small Business Summit will highlight the vital need for Australians to support the country’s 2 million small businesses.

“With small businesses contributing $3.4 billion to the economy, employing 4.5 million Australians and spearheading industry innovation, initiatives to encourage consumers to show their support for small business cannot be underestimated. However, to ensure that this growth and support continues, the creation of policies that contribute to the stability and growth of small business must continue to safeguard a successful future for Australia,” says Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA. 

Mr Strong continues: “Small businesses bring diversity to our highstreets, without support to encourage consumers to visit them and initiatives to enable their growth makes for difficult times.”

American Express, a National Business Summit sponsor and COSBOA partner acknowledged the role that big business plays in supporting local businesses.

“American Express founded the national Shop Small movement, and over the past four years has drawn attention to the vital contribution that small businesses make to the Australian economy. We have encouraged individuals, businesses and communities to get behind their local small businesses and show their support”, says Katrina Konstas, Vice President American Express Global Merchant Services.

“We are proud to be a sponsor of this year’s COSBOA Vodafone National Small Business Summit and to be involved in an event that prioritises the needs and interests of the small business community.”

Shopping small also extends to shopping locally – a movement that Ian Harrison, Chief Executive of the Australian Made Campaign, knows the benefits of all too well.

Mr Harrison says the famous green and gold kangaroo logo has been helping producers and consumers for more than 30 years, by giving shoppers confidence in what they are purchasing, and by providing Australian small businesses with an effective marketing tool. 

“Australia has a world-renowned reputation for producing high quality products, which is why making the most of country-of-origin branding can provide Australian small businesses with a powerful competitive advantage. The recent change to mandatory food labelling laws, for example, is an initiative that contributes positively to small business owners, shoppers and the economy by increasing transparency, generating healthy and sustainable competition and increasing consumer choice,” says Mr Harrison. 

Speaking at the Summit is Ben Laurie, Strategic Acquisition Manager at Accertify, Inc., a fully owned subsidiary of American Express, who will present on an ecommerce and small business panel alongside Michael Cooley (Google) and Emma Dobson (Digital Business Council and Westpac), while American Express will headline the Summit Breakfast on the final day of the Conference, and Ian Harrison will present an exclusive case study on the work of the AMC in promoting small business.

To register for the Summit, visit: www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.com.au

Hashtag: #NSBS16

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Entries close July 15, 2016

RETAILERS keen to enter the 2016 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards have just two weeks to do so, with nominations now extended until July 15 as a result of popular demand.

Australian retailers and individuals can nominate themselves online across nine Awards categories at http://retail.org.au/2016-retail-awards.

“The calibre of entries in the eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards has been consistently high over  the years of eftpos’ involvement, and we’re pleased to see a similar level of strength and success reflected in the 2016 nominations to date,” said Bruce Mansfield, Managing Director of eftpos Australia.

“I urge all Australian retailers to consider entering these prestigious Awards. Australian retailers are notorious for being hard workers, but when it comes to recognition and reward, they can be shy to stand up,” he said.

Last year’s winner of Australia’s top retail accolade, the eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year, Lush, has gone on to further grow and improve its business, while for others, taking home an award has opened doors to previously unavailable opportunities.

Nominations close July 15, with winners to be announced at the 2016 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards breakfast in Melbourne on August 10. A special early bird ticket price is available to those who purchase tickets to the Awards event before July 15.

Categories include:

eftpos Retailer of the Year

Shop For Shops Store Fitout of the Year

Temando Multichannel Retailer of the Year

Frontline Recruitment Retail Employer of the Year

Rest Industry Super Retail Employee of the Year

FCB Retail HR Rising Star of the Year

Pronto Software Retail Innovator of the Year

ARA Retail Institute Retail Graduate of the Year

ARA Independent Retailer of the Year

About the eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards

First held in the 1970s, the eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards are the nation’s longest running and most prestigious retail event, recognising and rewarding outstanding retail businesses, innovations, and individuals across all sectors of retail.

Relaunched in 2008, the Awards culminate in the annual 2016 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards breakfast at Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt on August 10.

In 2016 there are nine Awards categories, judged by an experienced and distinguished panel of impartial fellow retailers, the 2016 awards event encompasses nine categories including, eftpos Retailer of the Year, Shop For Shops Store Fitout of the Year, Temando Multichannel Retailer of the Year, Frontline Recruitment Retail Employer of the Year, Rest Industry Super Retail Employee of the Year, FCB Retail Rising Star of the Year, Pronto Software Retail Innovator of the Year, ARA Retail Institute Retail Graduate of the Year, ARA Independent Retailer of the Year.

To enter the Awards or purchase tickets to the eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards Breakfast event, visit http://retail.org.au/2016-retail-awards/

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About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $293 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

THE impact of Brexit on regional growth and the current obsession with monetary policy are amongst the threats to the global banking and financial sector likely to dominate discussion at a major international conference on banking stability be held in Sydney later this month.

The Banking and Financial Stability Conference, hosted by the University of Sydney Business School, will bring together senior representatives of the US Federal Reserve Bank, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Bank for International Settlements and The Bank of Finland.

Leading Banking and Finance experts from London’s Cass Business School; Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley; ANU; New York University; Fordham University; UNSW; Monash; the University of Melbourne and NZ’s Victoria University will also take part. 

“The pull-back in bank lending to the Asia-pacific by global but in particular European banks can be expected as a result of Brexit and this is a major concern for the region’s investment and growth,” said Conference Co-chair, Associate Professor Eliza Wu. “This trend started with the GFC continued into the European debt crisis and now with Brexit.”

Associate Professor Wu went on to say that “enhancing financial stability in the face of unprecedented monetary policy regimes that have been implemented around the world and the new risks that have developed within the global financial system will remain a major challenge for policy makers and a concern for those attending the Sydney Conference”.

“The most immediate concern is the increased level of uncertainty and volatility expected and experienced in the international financial markets due to the Brexit vote,” added Co-chair, Professor Suk-Joong Kim. “Brexit has cast doubt over London as the world’s most important financial centre and the future of the international banks that operate there.”

Conference Details:

Date:               Tuesday 12^th July 2016

Time:               8.00 AM to 5.40 PM (Conference Program below)

Venue:             University of Sydney Business School

                        Abercrombie Building, Cnr Abercrombie and Codrington Streets, Darlington

Contact:           Trevor Watson 02 9351 1918 or 0418 648 099

Further information

http://sydney.edu.au/business/finance/banking_and_financial_stability

Conference Program:

8.15-8.30  Conference Opening and Dean’s Welcome – Professor Gregory Whitwell

8.30-9.25  Dr Eli Remolona, Chief Representative for Asia and the Pacific of the Bank For International Settlements The rise of regional banking in Asia and the Pacific

9.25-10.20  Professor Thorsten Beck, Professor of Banking and Finance, Cass Business School, City University London Lending Concentration, Bank Performance and Systemic Risk.

10.35-11.30 Professor Kose John, Charles William Gerstenberg Professorship in Banking and Finance, New York University & Laura H. Carnell Professor of Finance, Temple University Interstate Banking, Bank Information, and Corporate Acquisitions

11.30-12.30 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Dr Loretta Mester, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Financial stability Considerations for Monetary Policy

1.30-2.30 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Dr Luci Ellis, Head of Financial Stability Department, Reserve Bank of Australia Financial Stability and the Banking System

2.30-3.25  Professor Kevin Davis, Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne & Monash University & Australian Centre for Financial Studies Hunting the BIRP: Is there a Bail In Risk Premium in Australian bank hybrids?

3.40-4.35 Professor Nadia Massoud, Ian Potter Chair of Finance & Associate Dean of Research, Melbourne Business School Why and How Do Banks Lay off Credit Risk? The Choice between Retention, Loan Sales and Credit Default Swaps

4.35-5.30 Professor Iftekhar Hasan, Professor of Finance and Corrigan Chair in International Business and Finance, Fordham University & Scientific Adviser, Bank of Finland The real impact of Basel ratings-based capital rules on the finance-growth nexus

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TODAY, Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) expressed its concern about the election status, which is creating uncertainty. In particular, the lack of facts presented in the arguments of the Labor Party.

Over the course of the campaigning period promises have been made, but COSBOA is concerned that Labor has won votes on false arguments and information, particularly around penalty rates and competition policy, says the association’s CEO, Peter Strong.

“We are concerned that the Labor Party is embracing the needs of a few big unions and their big business partners, where most union members are to be found,” said Mr Strong.

Left unchecked, big business and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), a trade union representing workers across the retail, fast food and warehouse industries, will see Australia’s productivity and standard of living fall, warns COSBOA.   

Last month, it was ruled by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) that the SDA organised for its partner companies to pay lower than award rates on weekends to help subsidise its members who work during the week, leaving students and other weekend workers, who are desperate for extra income, out in the cold.  It also meant that the only people who pay high penalty rates on weekends are small business people.

Mr Strong continues: “Why a two tiered workplace relations system? It’s because the unions continue to influence policy to their favour, thereby meaning the ALP continues to support big business, even though that’s to the detriment of everyone else – employees and small businesses.”

COSBOA also adds that it’s not just the SDA guilty of influencing the Government to pander to the needs of big business; it’s also the likes of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which has most of its members in two major transport companies, Toll Holdings and Linfox.

Mr Strong adds: “These two companies are intent on forcing owner drivers off the road, through actions such as the Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration, which sets national minimum payments for certain contractor drivers in the road transport industry, specifically small business people, making competition even more difficult.”

COSBOA is also aware that the CFMEU (the construction union) is well connected with non-Australian construction companies - Multiplex, John Holland Group, CIMIC (Leighton) - who want to limit access to work by sub-contractors and non-union labour.

“Interestingly, if the ALP embraced some good small business policies, changes to competition law, such as enacting the Effects Test, and increasing the threshold for definition of a small business to $10m straightway, then there is a good chance they would have picked up a few more votes and formed government. 

“Instead, they’ve followed Union orders, which does not give all ‘a fair go’ or act in the spirit of competition. Let’s hope the ALP revisits their small business policies, lest they fail the economy and fail workers,” finished Mr Strong.  

This week, 6–8 July, these issues will be raised with small business representatives, government and industry leaders in Brisbane at the COSBOA’s Vodafone National Small Business Summit.

The premier policy event will ensure that the voice of small business is heard and work to safeguard this community of more than 3 million small businesses, making sure the needs of small business people are front and centre.

For more information visit: http://www.cosboa.org.au

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TWO site visits, over 15demonstrations, and a Knowledge Theatre with up to 30 presentations are making up CeMAT Australia 2016, which is taking place July 12-14, a not-to-be-missed educational experience.

The event provides the opportunity to see the big systems in action, find out what is working for the industry and what the future holds, and what you can learn from these systems.

The site visits at CeMAT Australia, include tours of Fastline, a leading 3PL in Australia and one of the most advanced fashion distribution centres, and Australia Post, which revamped its systems with the support of Vanderlande’s (a CeMAT exhibitor) innovative CROSSORTER. A team from Australia Post will be sharing stories of some of the challenges they experienced when updating their parcel processing network, while Fastline employees will provide insights into a company which will soon be home to the biggest shuttle system in the southern hemisphere.

In addition, the event will feature more than fifteen demonstrations, with leading companies showing their big machines in action. The demonstrations will feature machinery from big names such as Dematic, with automated robotic picking, FMCG industry solutions, and a new dirt capturing system among others.

The centrepiece Knowledge Theatre, which spans all three days of the event, will feature talent including Michael Kilgarrif, Managing Director of Australian Logistics Council and Secretary General Olivier Janin of FEM (European Materials Handling Federation).

Topics covered will range from technology trends, to thermal comfort issues in a working environment, and economical material solutions to save money.

CeMAT will be hosting experts and peers from across the globe who will be available for networking opportunities as they share their own successes and trials, and ideas for how attendees can take their company’s innovation to the next level.

To see what the future holds, learn from the past, and collaborate with peers, register online with CeMAT.

The CeMAT exhibition, which includes access to the Knowledge Theatre is free to attend by registering online. Site visits are an additional cost of $95, include a plus one and booking is essential.

For more information visit www.cemat.com.au

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THE chief executive of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), Michael Roche, has announced his intention to step down later this year, after more than 11 years in the role.

Mr Roche joined the QRC as chief executive in July 2005, after a distinguished career in the government and private sectors. He said now was the right time to move to the next stage of his career. 

‘It has been a great honour to be able serve the great Queensland resources sector over such an extended period at the helm of its peak body. The sector comprises wonderful people and hundreds of great businesses – large, medium and small - which deliver so much employment and wealth for our state,’ Mr Roche said.

‘The QRC is a great organisation with a very talented team that continues to deliver excellent service to the resources sector through some truly challenging times in recent years.’

Mr Roche said he had no intention of disappearing off into the sunset.

‘I enjoy my current non-executive board work and hope to do more of this. I also believe there is an opportunity to share my knowledge, expertise and experience built up over the past nearly 40 years, in a consulting capacity,’ Mr Roche said.

‘I am also keen to do more to assist the state’s charities and not-for-profit sector.

‘There is however no hiding the fact that the QRC chief executive role is a very demanding seven days a week commitment. I certainly look forward to also having more time with family and friends.’

QRC president Stewart Butel paid tribute to Mr Roche’s contribution over the past 11 years. 

‘Michael’s skills and commitment as an advocate for the Queensland resources sector and as a leader of a great Queensland organisation are second to none,’ Mr Butel said.

‘Michael is leaving big shoes to fill.’

Mr Butel said it was very much business as usual at the QRC, with Mr Roche committed to staying on to provide a suitable handover to a new chief executive, most likely in November 2016.

A recruitment process for Mr Roche’s successor is now underway, with international executive search firm Egon Zehnder having been retained by the QRC Board.

www.qrc.org.au

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NEXT week, Independent Senator, Nick Xenophon has been confirmed to speak at the Council of Small Business of Australia’s (COSBOA) Vodafone National Small Business Summit in Brisbane, 6 – 8 July.

A vocal small business advocate, Xenophon is set to speak at the Summit Lunch on Friday 8 July from 12.45pm – 2.30pm, where he will discuss the vital role small businesses play in strengthening Australia’s economy, culture and diversity.

Xenophon says, “As Australia's largest employing sector, small business makes a significant contribution to Australia’s economy. All Australians should be encouraged to develop their own niche and/or nurture and grow their own enterprises. Government must play an integral role in fostering small business growth and in doing so reduce bureaucratic obstacles.”

The premier policy event for small business representatives, government and industry leaders, other Summit attendees and speakers include Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell, Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James and Acting Commissioner for the ATO, Neil Olesen, plus many more ministers, policy makers and business leaders from global brands such as Vodafone, Google and American Express.

The summit will be officially opened at the Summit Start Up, on the evening of Wednesday 6th July, by Greg Tonner, CEO of the North Queensland Cowboys.

Program highlights include:

Thursday 7th July

• Who are the innovators?
  • Andrew Chanmugam, General Manager of Enterprise & Business at Vodafone Australia, will be joined by Robert Gerrish, Founder of Flying Fish for a panel discussion and Q&A to uncover who are the innovators in small business
• Mental health of the small business owners
  • Nick Arvanitis, Head of Research & Resource Development at Beyond Blue and Leanne Faulkner from COSBOA’s Heads Up Campaign will talk about the critical need to address the mental health of small business owners
• Case Study: Australia Made Campaign
  • Ian Harrison, CEO, Australian Made Campaign, will discuss leveraging country-of-origin branding, which can provide Australian small businesses with a powerful competitive advantage, both in Australia and overseas markets
• Fair Work Ombudsman introduction and session: Contractor or employee?
  • Natalie James, the Australian Fair Work Ombudsman will talk exclusively about penalty rates, employment and the government's roles for small business

Friday 8th July  

• Critical Business Infrastructure
  • Dan Lloyd, Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Affairs Director at Vodafone and Martin Southgate, Head of Audience Strategy at ABC Regional get to the bottom of the issues of critical business infrastructure
• Regulator Update
  • Dr Michael Schaper, Deputy Chair at the ACCC provides an industry update at this exclusive plenary session
• Case study: How NOT to deal with small business
  • In a switch on the traditional format, learn from Mathew Munro, Executive Director, Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association and Kate Carnell, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman about how not to deal with small businesses

To register for the Summit, visit: www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.com.au

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