What emerging directors can learn from CDC alumni

In this new regular feature recounting the learning takeaways of Company Directors Course graduates, three alumni reflect on how a deeper awareness of directorial responsibility has empowered them.

Emeritus Professor Barbara Norman GAICD (above), Graduated: 1988

My first directorship was with our family business, Norman Bros Pty Ltd, commencing in 1991. The CDC was amazing — a full-time residential course over several days at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. We learned a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed the week together. The final exam was tough. The most important lesson I learned was to keep up to date with corporate law and responsibilities.

The CDC significantly helped my career, which has primarily involved advising governments at all levels on urban and coastal planning and climate change adaptation. The course provided me with a sound understanding of boards and their considerations.

Governance has evolved significantly since I took the course, reflecting a wider range of concerns due to our increasingly complex and diverse society. Environmental and social considerations are now just as crucial as economic ones for long-term sustainability.

Coming from a family business with a 100-year history in Melbourne, I had an intuitive understanding of this balance. At the time I took the CDC, key governance issues included the shift from family businesses to large companies delivering services.

My advice for someone beginning their director career is to listen, learn, participate and contribute your strengths and expertise. Always remain open to new opportunities.

Akiko Jackson GAICD, Graduated: 2014

My first directorship was as a non-executive director at 86 400, one of four neobanks created around 2018 to increase banking options for retail customers in Australia. I was asked to chair the board risk committee. The real attraction of this role was the chance to start a bank from scratch, as we didn’t have a banking licence at the time. I immersed myself in reviewing key risk management components, from frameworks and risk appetite statements to more than 100 policies. Not many bankers get a chance to start a bank from nothing, develop a strategy and implement it to the point where its products are the talk of the town.

The CDC course was comprehensive, covering key topics and helping me to understand the differences between CEO/executives and directors, while also summarising areas I was already comfortable with. The biggest takeaway was recognising the importance of myself as a brand. I realised while CEOs and executives can walk away from their companies if things go wrong, directors can’t. My cohort came from different industries and sectors. We were fresh, wide-eyed and honest — there were no “know-it-alls” in our group.

The most important lesson I learned was about the role of the chair, boardroom dynamics and how to add value. I saw the key role chairs play, particularly during disagreements within the board or between board and management. I sensed then that the life of a director would vary greatly depending on board dynamics. Since then, I’ve been blessed with different boardroom dynamics and have seen how the skills, personalities and styles of chairs can either help or distract the board’s effectiveness and productivity.

The course gave me the qualification and entry point to become a board member. It helped me shift from management mode to board member mode. As executives, we’re used to making decisions, but as directors, we’re there to ask questions and validate management decisions. Our role as directors is not to direct, but to suggest. GAICD is seen as the key qualification for being considered a serious board candidate in any sector.

Since I took the course, governance has changed significantly, with increased regulatory requirements and penalties for individual directors escalating the need for stricter and detailed governance. At the time of taking the CDC, key accountabilities and decision-making rights were major governance issues.

My advice for someone just starting their director career is to be clear about what you want to gain from the course, build connections with your cohort and carefully consider why you want to be a director.

Dr Jessa Rogers GAICD, Graduated: 2023

As a Wiradjuri Aboriginal woman, a person with disability and someone who is neurodiverse, I’ve had the privilege over the past 15 years of contributing to a number of boards and advisory groups, particularly in the not-for-profit, Indigenous community and education sectors. While I bring lived experience and nationally recognised expertise to these roles, I was keen to deepen my understanding of governance more broadly.

The CDC offered an opportunity to strengthen my knowledge and ensure I could represent the views and needs of the communities I belong to in the most informed and effective way.

The most valuable aspect of the course for me was the financial component. It gave me greater confidence when engaging in financial oversight and decision-making.

While I’ve always been comfortable contributing to strategic and community-focused conversations, this new layer of understanding has added real depth to my board contributions. The case studies were effective and informative for me as a director who has focused on NFP, volunteer/unpaid and ministerial board appointments.

Since completing the course, my perspective has definitely broadened, particularly in understanding the differences and commonalities across corporate and NFP boards. It’s helped me approach board work with even greater clarity and purpose. I’m equipped to ask the right questions, engage in robust discussions with shared and common language, and ensure the communities I often represent alone in the boardroom are considered in sharp, thoughtful, well-informed ways. It’s been a great reminder of the importance of continuous learning in governance.

I will always promote lifelong learning as an educator — and directorships are no exception.

This article first appeared under the headline 'Half a century of governance impact' in the June 2025 issue of Company Director magazine.