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For Greg Norman, enrolling in the Company Directors Course was about more than adding another credential to his resume. As managing director of Forecast Australia, a data and financial analytics consultancy, he was looking for a learning experience that would sharpen his thinking as a director while helping prepare him for the next stage of his career.
Just as important as the qualification itself was the format he chose. Norman opted for the residential version of the course - drawn by the opportunity for immersion, connection with peers and the chance to step away from the day-to-day demands of running a business.
“The reason I chose the residential version of the course was twofold,” he said. “One, I wanted a very immersive learning experience where I could take myself away from the day to day. And the second was to meet other aspiring directors.”
For Norman, that opportunity to step outside the pressures of daily work was critical. Like many small business leaders, he wears multiple hats. As owner and director of his company, he operates across strategy, operations and client work. The residential format offered rare space to focus fully on governance, risk and the responsibilities of directorship.
The course took place earlier this year in Byron Bay, where participants spent five days together moving through a structured program of morning and afternoon sessions. Beyond the classroom, they shared meals and spent time together in the evenings, creating an environment where the learning continued long after formal sessions ended.
“The fact that we were together for a solid five day period in an amazing location,” Norman said, meant there was “the chance to talk about it over lunch and dinner and drinks”, which “reinforced the learning that much more”.
Those informal conversations became an important part of the experience. Participants were able to explore ideas, compare experiences and discuss how the concepts applied to their own organisations. For Norman, this helped bring the course content to life.
“The immersive nature of the course meant that as a cohort, we were spending not just class time together, but also meal times and after hours,” he said. “The immersive nature really made a big difference to the learning aspect of the course.”
A key part of that experience was the cohort itself. With 24 other aspiring directors in the program, the group brought a wide range of professional backgrounds and perspectives. Over the week, those connections quickly deepened.
“On the Monday morning, we came in as strangers,” Norman said. “But by Friday afternoon, I can comfortably say we were all friends.”
The relationships built during the residential week have continued well beyond the course. Norman says the group has stayed in touch through virtual catch-ups and occasional in-person gatherings where possible.
His decision to pursue the residential format was also influenced by an earlier experience. Norman completed an MBA many years ago, and he remembers the residential components of that program as the most meaningful parts of the learning.
That experience helped shape his decision to approach the Company Directors Course™ in a similar way.
He also sees a clear distinction between the two programs. While an MBA is typically aimed at executives, the Company Directors Course™ focuses on governance from the board’s perspective.
“The company directors course takes the perspective of the director,” he said, covering governance, risk, strategy and financial literacy from a board-level viewpoint.
Those insights have been immediately relevant to his own work. As the owner of a small business, Norman says the course helped him better separate his responsibilities as a director from his executive role within the organisation.
“As the owner and director of a small business, you wear many hats,” he said. The course helped him “delineate those roles” and ensure governance remains front of mind while running the business.
At the same time, the course is also part of a longer-term plan. “The company director’s course for me was twofold,” he said. It brings “benefits today” through his current business and client work, “but it was also about setting myself up for the next phase of my career, where independent director roles will be part of that future”.
For Norman, choosing the residential format ultimately made the experience more impactful. The combination of focused learning, peer discussion and time away from everyday responsibilities created what he describes as a highly memorable experience - and one that continues to shape his approach to governance today.
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