15 - Alex Sloane and Nicki Kenyon on forging a path to the boardroom

 

This episode, Catherine interviews Nicki Kenyon, Director of Powered Enterprise, Nine, who has worked in leadership positions across the travel, finance and tech industries in Australia and internationally. Catherine also interviews Alex Sloane, the Director of Customer Marketing at Facebook. 

 

Valuable Discussion Points  

[00:49] Did Nicki sit down and plan her career? 

Nicki’s career has evolved out of her own personal development, and her career, as a result, represents a combination of different cities, companies and people she has worked in and with. Her always-on approach to learning has seen Nicki move from industry to industry in an attempt to better understand that particular area. She makes informed decisions that have taken her outside of her comfort zone which has been rewarding and challenging. 

 

[03:49] How would Nicki describe her leadership style?  

Nicki resonates with the idea of being a democratic leader and would describe her leadership style as inclusive and respectful. Whilst she draws on her own experience, expertise and perspective, she believes a critical leadership skill is embracing and the contribution of all people and really listening to the ideas they may have.  

 

[08:41] What sparked Nicki’s decision to join her first board? 

As an executive at an online travel company, Nicki found herself in the boardroom with a diverse group of directors who weren't necessarily involved in the day to day running of the business like she was herself.  However, they were just as passionate and committed to the success of the business and therefore they were able to add perspective to the job she was doing. Being part of this experience inspired Nicki towards a board approach with her career allowing her to leverage her skills in different ways.  

 

[12:31] What is the one thing Nicki wished she had known when she set out on her board careers? 

For Nicki, the accountability and the responsibility of a board directorship is not something to be taken lightly and she thinks any prospective board member should consider that carefully and not be distracted or flattered by an opportunity that presents itself. Another is the importance of fully understanding board dynamics, learning where you fit in amongst it and appreciating the value each member has.  

 

[14:57] What sort of manager and leader is Alex? How would she describe herself?  

Alex believes her role as a manager and as a leader is to create an environment for others to succeed. Her goal is to ensure that everyone has the best experience of their career when they're working alongside her, and to provide opportunities for people to thrive,  learn,  grow and succeed. 

 

[17:09] What Alex thought of taking the AICD course versus an MBA?  

Whilst Alex was considering undertaking her MBA, she was encouraged to take the AICD course instead as the modules within this course aligned more closely with her career experience. One of her favourite modules was the finance module which was a surprise to Alex, who is much more of a strategic, creative person by nature, however this module exposed her to new ideas and concepts that she found incredibly enriching.  

 

[18:08] What is the importance of sense and clarity of purpose for Alex? 

Alex strongly believes that aligning personal values to the values of the company you’re working for or with is incredibly important and leading with a clear sense of why you are there is critical. 

 

[21:29] What is the one thing Alex wished she had known when she set out on her board careers? 

Like Nicki, Alex agrees that responsibility and legal accountability are extremely important to understand. Being part of any board, you are surrounded by a group of very diverse thinkers and it can be difficult to navigate sometimes. Diplomacy can only bring you so far but knowing the board’s varying tenures, different backgrounds and accomplishments can alleviate this. Additionally, Alex found the  AICD course extremely helpful in preparing her for this. 

 

[26:42] What kind of boost to confidence did the course give Alex and Nicki? 

For Alex, taking the knowledge and experience of the AICD course back to her current role gave her an increased understanding that ultimately benefited her customers. She had a better understanding of what the boardroom conversation was like, particularly around marketing, investment and all the different factors that go into it. 

For Nicki, it confirmed to her that she made the right decision. The course was very serious and practical, the relationships she was able to build with her cohorts were very valuable. Passing the exams gave Nicki a huge confidence boost and made her feel that she came out of the course more rounded and committed to embarking on her board career.  

 

 

Key Learnings  

• Opening yourself to new learnings can guide you towards new companies, organisations and industries.  
• Mentors are important, they can energise you, allow you bounce ideas off them and sense check yourself through another person’s perspective.  
• Moving from an executive to a board position has less to do about age or stage of career but more about skills. People work through their careers at different paces, people have different jobs and these create a different number of experiences.  
• A network is important, people from all over the country and from such diverse fields, can be incredibly enriching.  

 

Quotable Quotes  

“My career opportunities have often come about because of that always on learning trait I have, curiosity, if you like.” – Nicki Kenyon 

“I think the single most powerful outcome or outtake from that experience would be a genuine embracing of diversity of thinking.” – Nicki Kenyon 

“If a company or a CEO doesn't have a clear sense of purpose, it's harder for me and everybody else in that organisation to support the organisation's goal.” – Nicki Kenyon 

“I don't believe there's an age or stage that necessarily is the trigger for it being the right time for a board, because, again, there are as many different boards as there are people in their experiences.” – Nicki Kenyon 

“I think being in a company where my values feel aligned to the company's values has always been important and leading with a clear sense of why you're here is critical.” – Alex Sloane  

“I love that phrase, her success is not your failure and I think that's so important. There's plenty of glory and success and opportunity around for everybody so keeping that in mind as you help people but you also ask for help as well.” – Alex Sloane  

 

Important Resources and Links  

If you would like to gain knowledge in governance, and develop as a director in your industry or field, visit https://aicd.companydirectors.com.au/

If you would like to learn more about how CommBank is ensuring women are advancing their growth in business, visit https://www.commbank.com.au/women-in-focus.html. 

 

Host of the Board Level podcast, Catherine Fox is one of Australia’s leading commentators on women and the workforce. If you’re interested in learning more about Catherine and the issues she’s currently discussing, visit https://www.abc.net.au/news/catherine-fox/5244818. 

 

If you’re interested in connecting with Nicki and Alex or viewing their professional portfolios and achievements, visit their LinkedIn: 

Nicki - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-kenyon 

Alex - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-sloane-gaicd-4720954  

The Board Level podcast is produced by Nicole Hatherly, recorded at RadioHub Studios with post production by Cooper Silk, and Iain Wilson.