Corporate Governance Network Package
Corporate governance advice for:
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Directors, Officers and Managers of small and medium sized companies.
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Committee Members, Officers and Managers of charities and not for profit organisations.
Over the last couple of years, we have presented a series of workshops:
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Role of a Director in Small and Medium Business
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Role of a Director/Committee Member of Not-For-Profit Organisations
The workshops were presented at:
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Townsville
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Clermont
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Emerald
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Moranbah
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Mackay
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Mount Isa
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Gladstone
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Rockhampton
These workshops were presented by our associated company, Towers Business Development Pty Ltd, coordinated by the AI Group, C-RES and Queensland Department of State Development on behalf of the Australian Government's Entrepreneurs' Program (AusIndustry).
The original brief was to present a "Readers Digest" version of the Company Directors Diploma Course as presented by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Many of the attendees enquired -
"Did we have a plan for a follow-up to these workshops?"
We are pleased to advise that we have developed a strategy which we believe will enable us to deliver an outstanding series of "Corporate Governance Webinar Workshops" to people interested in corporate governance as it relates to small/medium enterprises and charities and not-for-profit organisations.
LIST OF PRESENTERS

Peter Towers
Peter Towers
Professional organisations that I have been involved with:
- Fellow - Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants
- Fellow - Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Member - Institute of Management Consultants
Career includes twenty-three years as a principal of an accountancy practice, ten years in commerce (six years of which as Chief Financial Officer/Company Secretary of a listed public company) and twelve years as a Business Consultant (ten years of which performing a contract role as Business Adviser for the Australian government's COMET [Commercialising Emerging Technology] Programme from 2001 until May 2010, when the COMET Programme ceased).
Since December 1999:
- Managing Director - Enterprise Support Systems Pty Ltd - the developers of "ESS BIZTOOLS" which is a web-based "business of business" advice package for accountants/business advisers.
- Managing Director - Towers Business Development Pty Ltd - Management Consultants.
Mentoring Skills:
Peter performed a contract role as Business Adviser for the Australian government's COMET (Commercialising Emerging Technology) Programme.
This role required Peter to act in a mentoring advisory capacity for businesses which had developed new technologies and were seeking advice on getting their businesses "investment ready" so they could try to attract investment capital.
This entailed significant mentoring time being spent with each client in familiarising them with the types of services that external consultants can provide and continually steering them towards achievement of the items listed in their Action Plans, whilst at the same time, making them very aware of issues such as:
- Director's duties;
- Corporate governance;
- relationship with shareholders;
- accountability;
- leadership;
- interpretation of financial accounts;
- instigation of business systems;
- human resources management;
- understanding the role of business angels; and
a myriad of other business relationship activities relevant to fast growing emerging companies.
Civic Involvement:
- Alderman - Townsville City Council - 1982 to 1985
- Director and Treasurer - Townsville/Thuringowa Development Board (now Townsville Enterprise Limited) - 1988 to 1991
- Honorary Treasurer - Anglican Diocese of North Queensland (2002 to 2007)
- Chairperson - The Mission to Seafarers, Townsville (2001 to 2013)
Sporting Involvement:
- Foundation Secretary (1966 to 1970) and Life Member of the Townsville Junior Soccer Association (now called N.Q. Football Inc)
- President - Queensland Junior Soccer Federation - 1973
- Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Townsville Kern United (which played in the Queensland State Soccer League from 1978 to 1982)

Jordan Lowry
Jordan Lowry
http://blackstonebusinessgroup.com/about/
Jordan has spent over 15 years in B2B, international and corporate sales. Jordan's background includes working with brands such as Volvo, Century 21, Rio Tinto and BHP.
Jordan holds qualifications in Business, Leadership and Human Resources.
He is passionate about working with employers and organizations to identify their ways in which they can grow and expand their business.
The Blackstone Business Group is committed to offering tailored solutions to their clients. They offer clients a one-stop shop for all workplace growth and compliance needs.
The Blackstone Business Group offers everything from:
- Employee Management
- HR and WHS Solutions
- Bullying and Harassment Training
- Employee Mental Health Awareness
- Culture Change Workshops
- In-House Consulting
- Sales Coaching
- Leadership Training
- Business and Strategic Planning
- Meeting Facilitation
The goal is to help their clients maximise staff performance and increase profits.

Trevor Marchant
Trevor Marchant
http://www.marchantdallas.com.au
- Performance Coach.
- Master Sales Trainer - featured in the Top 1% of Sales Trainers and Performance Coaches in Australia and New Zealand.
- Head of Training Education and Development at Westpac in the 80's.
- Held State and Regional Manager positions with Westpac, State Bank of NSW and Suncorp.
- Co-Founder and Director of L J Hooker Moneywise International (now L J Hooker Financial Services).
- Has helped 70 accounting firms up and down the East Coast of Australia grow their revenue, hold onto their clients and attract more of the same.
- Has helped 5,000+ business owners and managers achieve their goals, dreams and ambitions with his down-to-earth, practical coaching style.
- Best selling Author - The 5-Minute Sales Culture Strategy and the Road to Success.
- Developer - The Growth Factor - The Best Business Advice You'll Ever Get
- Developer - The Sales Factor - The Secret of Selling Anything.


David Birch
David Birch
- Trained as a lawyer, experienced as a banker and a Lloyd's broker, but happiest as an entrepreneur.
- Considered to be a cashflow thought leader.
- Dave has worked with over 1,200 leading professional services firms across Australia and New Zealand.
- Dave's team manages over 4 million aged receivable items every year.
- Dave is a practical and down to earth specialist in helping businesses (especially accountants) to generate better cashflow from their growth. How? By ensuring they have the knowledge and systems to increase the velocity of cash into their business.

Paul Barnaby
Paul Barnaby
- Chartered Accountant
- 16 years managing partner 2nd tier firm
- 20 years speciality in Predictive Accounting, Financial Analysis and Strategic Planning Budgeting and Forecasting
- CEO, Beyond Accounting Technologies Pty Ltd
- Regional Integration Consultant PlanGuru
- Consulted to, supported and trained, hundreds of CFOs, accountants and business executives
PlanGuru’s budgeting, forecasting and reporting tools will save you time and improve collaboration with your team. No longer will you have to build complex Excel formulas or learn how to use other tedious, expensive solutions.
PlanGuru provides you with a flexible, easy-to-use interface that integrates all 3 financial statements. With a more accurate forward-thinking analysis, you’ll make better business decisions and generate more profit.
- Operational Budget/Forecasting
- Strategic Planning
- External Estimate
- Decision Analysis
Budgeting & Forecasting Features:
- Import up to 5 years of historical data
- Build an unlimited number of projections per company
- Budget/Forecast for up to 10 years
- Pre-built integrated financial statement structure
- Automatically solved Cashflow Statement
- 20+ standard forecasting methods
- Ability to create custom methods
- Forecast using non-financial data• Notes payable and line of credit tools
- Consolidate unlimited number of projections
Financial Analytics & Analysis Tools
- PlanGuru Analytics is a fully cloud based reporting tool, where your clients can view and analyse both financial and non-financial data in dashboards, charts, graphs and scorecards.
- Advanced Reporting Excel Add-in will allow you to build advanced reports in Excel using your PlanGuru analyses as building blocks. Integrate ratios, calculations, charts and other metrics into your reports, all of which can be refreshed with a single click.
PlanGuru Launch
- New to PlanGuru or need help getting an engagement off the ground? Our team can help you build out your analysis (whether it’s a simple project or a multi-department consolidation) in a fraction of the time.
PlanGuru Analyst
A turn-key service, where our team can help be your back office. We provide a non-value added tasks of verifying, setting up and maintaining your client’s data in PlanGuru. Then we provide you with the ongoing reports you need to advise them.
"I help accountants and Chief Financial Officers look like Superstars!!"

Ross Contarino
Ross Contarino
Business Facilitator – Entrepreneurs’ Programme, AusIndustry – Department of Industry, Innovation & Science, Australian Industry Group.
Ross, who is employed by the Australian Industry Group, currently delivers specialised Supply Chain facilitation services under the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme (EP).
He is based in Far North Queensland, but services across much of Regional Queensland. Ross started his working life as a farmer in the sugar farming industry. He then moved into Local Government as an elected member before taking on an economic development role for that Shire Council.
Ross has since worked in all three levels of government and in various economic development roles. He worked for the Australian government as the North Queensland Manager for AusIndustry for seven years before taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer for Advance Cairns and then General Manager, Economic Development and Corporate Services for sister organisation Townsville Enterprise Limited before joining AiGroup.
Ross has an MBA from James Cook University, is a born and bred North Queenslander with a passion for motorcycles and amateur theatre.
Entrepreneurs' Programme
The Entrepreneurs' Programme uses experienced advisers and facilitators, drawn from industry, to ensure businesses get the advice and support needed to improve their competitiveness, productivity and to seek growth opportunities. Practical support for businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs includes: advice from people with relevant private sector experience, co-funded grants to commercialise novel intellectual property in the form of new products, processes and services, funding to take advantage of growth opportunities and connection and collaboration opportunities.
(Click here) for a short video on the Entrepreneurs' Programme.

Andrew Geddes
Andrew Geddes
- Director, Andrew Geddes Pty Ltd
- Non Executive Director – Greencross Limited (Chair 2005 to 2014)
- External Chair – 6 multi-discipline professional service firms
- Business Development Coach
Qualifications…
- B.Com. (Queensland)
- Dip.Fin.Mgnt. (New England)
- M.Ec. (New England)
- FCPA
- FAICD
Current positions…
- Director…Andrew Geddes Pty Ltd
- External chairman…six multi discipline professional service firms and some private companies
- Business development coach … selected (carefully!!!) firms
- Non-executive director…Greencross Limited (Chairman since listing in 2005 through to 2014)
Prior positions…
- Non-executive director…Count Financial Limited (now part of CBA) 2000 - 2011
- External Chairman…dozens of firms over the last three decades.
Andrew Geddes has been involved with business improvement work with professional service firms and smaller private companies for over thirty years. He created one of Australia’s most successful business consulting and training companies in the process (FMRC Pty Ltd in Armidale, NSW).
He was the inaugural chairman of Greencross Limited, a veterinary group that was listed in 2005. It is now in the top 200 ASX companies.
Andrew spent twelve months in the late 90’s working with accounting firms in the UK and North America. His material was enthusiastically received in these markets. He conducted practice development planning retreats, firm reviews, succession management and specialty service development sessions with firms of all sizes. He also spoke at conferences and seminars on a regular basis.
Andrew now specialises in assisting business owners create Senior Management Teams so that they can further develop their businesses and create succession solutions in time.
He has a unique knowledge of what makes the top businesses work based on his involvement with them and their customers . His material is pragmatic and tested . And his use of actual case history coupled with a great sense of humour makes him one of the profession’s most effective teachers and external director.
Andrew Geddes delivers great value to those who wish to take their businesses from compliance dominance to profitable specialist service delivery. He has worked closely with some of the most successful firms for over twenty five years, being retained formally as part of their management team.
Andrew Geddes Consulting Specialisation…
- Building a Senior Management Team in your company.
- Many privately owned businesses suffer from the owner doing too much operational work and not enough business improvement work. This includes involving the team in business improvement projects and regular communication.
- A business leader needs to craft an inspiring development vision, build alignment within their team to this vision, and then to execute a plan to achieve it.
- Andrew has specialized in assisting managing directors build senior management teams for fourty years.
- He was chairman of Greencross Limited when it was a private company through to its initial listing as a microcap stock then on to top 200 ASX company in 2014.
- He has access to specialize tools including “The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team” analysis based on the work of New York best-selling author Patrick Lencioni and Everything DiSC.
Email him directly on ag@andrewgeddes.com.au for details or call 0407 497 725
View 'Leadership for Profitable Advisory Business' Workshops Brochure
Webinar # | Webinar Presentation Date | Individual Purchase |
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Webinar No 1 | FINISHED: Wednesday 15th August 2018 - 12-noon to 2.00pm (AEST). (Click here) for a copy of the Agenda for the first workshop/webinar. |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 2 | FINISHED: Wednesday 19th September 2018 - 12-noon to 2.00pm (AEST) |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 3 | FINISHED: Monday 29th October 2018 - 2.00pm to 4.00pm (AEST) (3.00pm AEDT)
The recording includes the following features:
|
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 4 | FINISHED: Wednesday 12th December 2018 - 11.30am - 1.30pm (AEST)
The recording includes the following features:
|
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 5 | Wednesday 13th February 2019 - 11.30am - 1.30pm (AEST) |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 6 | Wednesday 27th March 2019 - 11.30am - 1.30pm (AEST) |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 7 | Tuesday 30th April 2019 - 11.30am to 1.30pm (AEST) |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 8 | Wednesday 15th May 2019 - 12-noon to 2.00pm (AEST) |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
Webinar No 9 | Wednesday 19th June 2019 - 12-noon to 2.00pm (AEST) |
Content will be available 3-4 days after webinar presentation date. |
If a change is made to the program, all Corporate Governance Network subscribers will be advised beforehand.
Each webinar will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube. Corporate Governance subscribers will be sent details of the YouTube link so they can access the webinar recording at a later date.
Package Content
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4 weeks prior to a webinar presentation, each member will be invited to register for the next webinar.
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In each webinar, an indication will be given of the "theme" for the next webinar and members will be invited to submit any questions that they have on the "theme items/presentations" and any other corporate governance questions that they have.
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Agenda for the webinar.
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Copy of the PowerPoint slides for the webinar.
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Request for any further questions
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Update on a wide range of corporate governance issues relating to small and medium sized companies and charities and not for profit organisations.
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Comments by experts on specific activities of interest to Directors, Committee Members, Officers and Managers.
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Articles utilised by the experts in their presentations.
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Access to the webinar recording via a YouTube link.
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"Action Plan Template" based on matters discussed in the webinars.
Key section detailed listing for:
Law/Structures
- Corporations Act
- Crowd Sourced Funding Equity Raising
- Australian Securities and Investment Commission
- Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission
- Level 1 Association
- Level 2 Association
- Level 3 Association
- Audit Requirements
- Persons who cannot act as auditors
- Auditors
- Court Cases Create Legal Precedents
- Environmental Laws
- Local Government by Laws
- State/Territory Government Laws
- Building and Construction Legislation
- Liquor Acts
- Sourcing of Overseas’ Products
- Corporate Structures
- Established Company
- Company with Mentor
- Board of Advice
- Company acting as Corporate Trustee
- Proprietary Limited Companies
- Large Propriety Ltd Companies
- Unlisted Public Companies
- Privacy Act – Notifiable Data Breaches
- Temporary Skills Shortage – visas
Taxation
- Taxation Act as it Affects Companies
- SME Companies
- Turnover Limits
- Tax rates
- Early Stage Innovation Companies – investors point of view
- Taxation of Business
- PAYG Tax Payments
- Superannuation Payments
Board of Directors/Company Secretary
- Selection of New Directors
- Eligibility
- Skills
- Training/Mentoring
- Leadership Skills
- Board Balance
- Appointment of Directors
- Company Constitution
- General Meeting
- Appointment Document
- New Director due diligence
- Responsibilities of Directors
- Liabilities of Directors
- CEO/Managing Director appointment
- Company Secretary/duties and responsibilities
- Minute preparation
- Director’s personal responsibilities
- New Committee Members Due Diligence
- Responsibilities of Committee Members
- Liabilities of Committee Members
- General Manager’s Appointment
- Committee Secretary
- Committee Member’s Personal Responsibilities
- Insolvent Trading
- Quality Time
- Leadership
- Board Meetings
- Board of Advice
- Director Assessment
- Developing your Action Plan
- Agendas for Meetings
- Board Reports
- Minutes of Board of Directors’ Meetings
- Chair’s Role
- Evaluation of Director performance
- Rotation of Directors
- Mentoring of CEOs/Managing Director
- Strategic Goals
- Tenure of Directors/Committee Members
All Things Financial
- Profit and Loss account
- Ratio analysis – Profit and Loss account
- Departmentalised Profit and Loss accounts
- Management Accounts
- Job Costing
- Job Estimates
- Comparison Actual Expenditure with Job Estimates
- Balance Sheet
- Ratio analysis – Balance Sheet
- Verification of items in Balance Sheet
- Definitions – especially “Current Liabilities”
- Source and Application of Funds – also known as Funds Statement
- Debtors’ Management
- Debtors’ Days Outstanding
- Terms of Trade Agreement
- Retention of Title Agreement
- Decision on whether to register a customer on the Personal Property Securities Register
- Stock Management
- Stock Turn
- Work in Progress System
- Budgets
- Cash Flow forecasts
- Comparison between Budget and Actual
- Key Performance Indicators
- Benchmarking
- Benchmarking.com.au
- Probe
- Core value
- Understanding Forecasts – establishing charge out rates and/or selling prices to generate targeted profits
- Retail Price Calculator
- Trades/Subcontractors Charge Out Rate Calculator
- Professional Fee Calculator
- Regular Monitoring of Financial Accounts
Workplace Health and Safety
- Workplace Health and Safety Policy
- Workshop and Site Policy
- Induction Processes
- Incident Reports
Marketing/Sales
- Social Media
- Digital Marketing
- Media
- Marketing Plan
- Elevator Pitch
- Differentiation – Unique Competitive Advantage
- Capability Statement
- Industry Capability Network
- Website
- Newsletter
- Selling Products/Services
- Sales Systems
- Sales Training
Funding
- Government Grants
- Investment Readiness
- Section 708 Corporations Act capital raising
- Early Stage Innovation Company Capital Raising
- Crowd Sourced Funding Equity Raising
- Angel Investors
- Venture Capitalists
- Venture Capital Organisations
Risk Management
- Identification of Potential Risks
- Development of Risk Management Strategies
- Personal Property Securities Register
- Insurance Covers
- Public Liability Insurance
- Protection of Intellectual Property
- Monitoring the Risk Management System
- Market
- Market Place Overview
- Competitors
- Market Intelligence
- Competitor’s Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Analysis
- Competitors’ Action Plan
- Customers
- Customers’ Comments
- Customers’ Statistics
- Community
Shareholders/Members
- Shareholders
- Shareholders Agreement
- Shareholders’ Rights
- Communication with Shareholders
- Shareholders’ Register
- Members of Organisations
- General Meetings
- Annual General Meetings
- Quorums
Planning
- Strategic Goals
- Research and Development
- Planning
- Documentation
- Applications AusIndustry/Australian Taxation Office
- Intellectual Property Protection
- Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Analysis (SWOT)
- External Advisors
People/Team
- Fair Work Australia
- Team Training
- Team Leadership Development
- Volunteers
- Portfolio Allocation
- Human Resources
- Claims lodged with Fair Work Australia
- Superannuation Payments
- Annual Leave
- Personal Leave
- Holiday Pay Loading
- Shift Allowance
- Long Service Leave
- Employee Agreements
- Human Resources System
- Productivity
- Incident Reports
- accidents
- serious injury
- deaths
Assets
- Transition of Property
- Assets Register
Want To Know More?

The "network" will be directed by Peter Towers, Accountant, Company Director, Consultant and Managing Director of the ESS BIZTOOLS' group and Towers Business Development Pty Ltd. (Peter's profile - click here).
- There will be 8 x 90 minute workshops presented as webinars in 2018. We will plan the presentation times for the webinars so as to avoid school holidays and public holidays.
- The workshop webinars will be prepared specifically for directors and officers of small/medium enterprises, committee members and team members of charities and not-for-profit organisations.
- The workshop webinars will be presented in the following broad outline:
- News update since the previous workshop on corporate issues relative to SMEs, charities and not-for-profit organisations.
- A presentation on the "theme of this webinar". Themes will be selected from a list, which will include:
- Legislation changes - Companies Act and Incorporated Associations Act.
- Directors/committee members' responsibilities.
- Appointment of directors/committee members.
- Allocation of responsibilities to the team - paid and unpaid persons.
- Liabilities of directors/committee members.
- Risk management strategies for SMEs and charities and not-for-profit organisations.
- Understanding financial accounts.
- Understanding budgets and cashflow forecasts.
- Board of directors/committee meetings - agendas, reports, minutes, action plan.
- Marketing strategies.
- Organisation differentiation.
- Organisation capability statements.
- Development of individual directors/committee member action plans.
- Management of Intellectual Property
- Artificial Intelligence
- Technology
- Cyber Security
- Succession Planning
- Mentoring others
- We will have specific presentations by, or on behalf of, individual experts relating to:
- People issues - Fair Work Australia
- Workplace Health and Safety
- Marketing and Sales
- Leadership
- Grants
and other issues that our members request.
- Members of the network will be invited to submit questions to be discussed during a webinar.
- The webinars will be recorded and will be placed on YouTube for members to access, if they are unable to attend the webinar.
- An action plan will be prepared at the conclusion of each webinar summarising the matters that were discussed and recording our suggestions on implementing the action plan within your own business/organisation. Provision will be made on the action plan template for you to insert your personal action plan relating to a particular item.
- We will maintain an attendance roll for the webinars and, at the end of the year, we will issue an "attendance certificate" to individual members summarising the key matters that have been discussed at the workshops attended during the year.
- A free copy of the ESS BIZTOOLS' Business Plus+ newsletter which will be available for each month (except January).
- We will issue Corporate Governance Network Members with a special access code which will entitle you to a 10% discount on any of the products available on the ESS Small Business Website.
- We are finalising arrangements with a number of organisations which will be affiliates of ESS Small Business and we anticipate that these organisations will be happy to offer Corporate Governance Network Member benefits during the year.
Understanding Corporate Governance
Purchase Package
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Corporate Governance Network for SMEs
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NFP organisations and Charities

This is a yearly subscription to all 9 webinars, If you would like to purchase them individually, please click the button below.