WHAT YOUR PEOPLE EXPERIENCE
12-Month Board Observer Placement
Participants are matched with established not-for-profit organisations where they:
- Attend board meetings as non-voting Observers
- Observe strategic discussions and governance processes
- Gain exposure to risk management and compliance frameworks
- Experience different organisational contexts and challenges
Professional Training Program
Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
- Directors’ duties and responsibilities
- Financial oversight
- Risk management
- Strategic planning and governance frameworks
The Ethics Centre
- Ethical decision-making and ethics in governance
- Contemporary leadership challenges
- Stakeholder management
Alumni Network Access
- 1,400+ program graduates across Australia
PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT
$13,000 per participant
What’s Included:
- 12-month board observership placement
- AICD governance training
- Ethics Centre leadership development
- Ongoing alumni network access
PARTNERSHIP PROCESS
Getting Started:
1 – Discovery Call (30 minutes) | Click here to book a time
- Understand your leadership development goals
- Discuss how the Program aligns with your L&D strategy
- Explore partnership arrangements
2 – Partnership Agreement (1-2 weeks)
- Secure your reserved spots for 2026
- Finalise participant selection criteria
- Coordinate payment and logistics
3 – Participant Selection (Your Process)
- You can nominate participants from your organisation
- Or you can share the information and encourage any of your employees who match the Program’s criteria to apply
- The Program provide selection guidelines and support
- Placement matching begins
4 – Program Launch (February 2026)
- Board placements confirmed
- Training program commences
- Regular progress reporting begins
SUCCESS STORY
The program is a great integrated learning experience – mixing theory, lecture and hands on experience. The last component is the spark that brings the lessons to life. The experience of observing a board ‘in action’ and seeing the dynamics and discussions play out is invaluable. At Abbotsford Convent, the Chair and board have been gracious with their time, even in the challenging times our society finds itself. Rather than impacting the Observership experience, if anything the crisis has enhanced it. Professionally, it has been amazing to see board and management pivot and pressure test plans.
And personally, it is fulfilling to see that my experience and efforts can – in some small ways – assist the convent navigate through the crisis.”
Paul Devlin, BCG and observed the Abbotsford Convent board.
NEXT STEPS
Ready to Enhance Your Leadership Development Program?
Contact Information
Rachel Exton
Corporate Partnerships Manager
rachel.exton@observership.com.au | 0447 592 515
Cathy Robinson
CEO, The Observership Program
A unique development opportunity for your high calibre emerging leaders to build their leadership capabilities and a greater understanding of societal issues.
WHAT WE DO
The Observership Program places emerging professionals (ages 25-40) on not-for-profit boards as observers for 12 months, combined with world-class board-level leadership training from the AICD and The Ethics Centre.
Since 2014, we’ve supported over 1,400 professionals, who have taken their newly-developed whole-of-organisation perspective and strategic skills back into their organisations… with approximately 25% of them securing board positions after completing the Program.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Australia’s fastest-growing companies face a critical challenge: developing the next generation of leaders who can demonstrate strategic thinking, navigate a complex world with high quality leadership and decision-making and bring diverse experience and perspectives to their organisation and their work.
Traditional leadership development programs offer theory.
The Observership Program delivers real-world board experience together with a training program to which the Australian Institute of Company Directors, The Ethics Centre and some of Australia’s leading company directors contribute.
“The Observership Program is in my opinion an outstanding way for the future directors of all levels of Australian business to gain experience in what to do and indeed what not to do around the board table.”
David Gonski AC (Patron, The Observership Program)
Why Corporate Partners choose The Observership Program
The Program offers a unique, proven, professional development and learning opportunity with tangible outcomes in leadership development, approaches to decision-making, strategic thinking and planning and collaboration.
Since 2014, organisations have partnered with the Program to provide their emerging leaders something no other program can: genuine board experience combined with world-class, board-level leadership training.
The result? A pipeline of leaders who return to your organisation with enhanced strategic thinking, a whole-of-organisation perspective, exposure to board-level leadership, expanded professional networks and board-ready.
KEY BENEFITS FOR YOUR ORGANISATION
🎯 Strategic Perspective Development
- Exposure to leadership capabilities essential for success, such as high-quality strategic discussions and decision making with an opportunity to be mentored by Board Directors throughout the Observership year.
- Participants gain a comprehensive view of how organisations work at the highest level
- Develop strategic thinking capabilities through reviewing packs prepared for board meetings, observing board discussions and decision-making processes
- Enhanced strategic planning and business operations understanding that directly benefits your organisation
📊 Enhanced Board Reporting Capabilities
- Understand what boards need to know and ways of communicating complex information effectively
- Transform ability to create higher quality, more strategic board reports and presentations
- Improved reporting skills for employees who present to senior leadership
🔍 Whole-of-Organisation View
- Improved strategic initiative leadership and implementation
- Deep understanding of how different business functions integrate and contribute to overall success
- Systems thinking approach that enhances effectiveness in cross-functional roles
💼 Guaranteed Placement
- Reserve annual placements for your emerging leaders (ages 25-40)
- No competitive application process for your sponsored participants
- Priority matching with boards that align with your employees’ skills
🏆 Enhanced Employer Brand
- Demonstrate commitment to developing future leaders
- Stand out as an employer that invests in real career advancement
- Media and marketing opportunities showcasing your leadership development
- Support for a tried, tested and highly structured Program, recognised for its role in nurturing and supporting the next generation of board directors and building board capacity.
- Involvement brings with it brand recognition for the business as corporate partner support is clear in all Program materials and in all the Program’s public- facing material.