Hello, I'm Helen Fairclough (MAICD).
A global board director, advisor, mentor and consultant with proven success across multiple industries and countries. Skilled in strategy, governance, transformation and people & culture. Diverse expertise across multiple domains and industries, working knowledge of French (English first language) and deep international experience in Australia, Asia, US, UK, France, and Monaco provides me with a global perspective. Experience ranges from start-up to Fortune 500 companies spanning NFP, Government, public and private sector, industry associations, chambers of commerce, professional services, advertising, energy (oil, gas & renewables), gaming, hospitality, tourism, venues, insurance, manufacturing, retail and technology. Known for innovative leadership, results orientation, professional and influential with an approachable manner, excellent communication skills and proven stakeholder management ability. An effective, coaching-oriented approach to governance and leadership that builds high-performing cultures and delivers sustainable business outcomes.
Details
- Location
- Years of Relevant Experience20+ years
- Highest Level of EducationMasters
Current / Most Recent Job Title
Non-Executive Director Member of the Board of Directors Executive Council Member Principal
Current / Most Recent Employment
Non-Executive Director, Venue Management Association (Asia Pacific) Member of the Board of Directors, Australian American Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco (since 2012) Executive Council Member (and former Non-Executive Director and Chair, HR & Remuneration Committee) Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (since 2017) Principal of Insightful Advisory
Industry
- Manufacturing
Specific Jurisdictions That I'm Qualified In or Can Cover
Professional Membership / Certification
Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) Certified Official - Fair Work Registered Organisations Act 2009 -Australia Received the Ambassador Bill Lane, Spirit of Australia Award for contribution to Australian American relations. Awarded by the Australian American Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco/Bay Area.
Skills
Board Governance & Strategic Advisory Sound appreciation of corporate governance and risk management, ensuring successful strategic Board oversight and delivery of financial sustainability, achieving Board objectives for not-for-profits, industry associations and chambers of commerce. Experienced in drafting Board Committee Charters, recruiting CEOs and Board Directors, revising Board Bylaws, designing and executing Board Capability assessments in Australia and the US. Effective Chair HR & Remuneration Board Committee, overseeing CEO remuneration, delivering improved Employee Engagement/NPS and a Workforce Gender Equity Award and active member of a Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. Global HR Strategy, People & Culture Experienced in the provision of strategic advice and consultancy in business process reengineering / process improvement, HR Technology and operations, European shared services and process outsourcing. Developed and implemented international HR strategy in: Change, Succession Planning, Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion, Remuneration and Reward, Leadership and Capability Development, Talent Acquisition and Performance Management, Organisational Design and Workforce Planning. Turnaround, Transformation and Change Designer and developer of organisation-specific, turnaround and change management approaches. Driver, leader and manager of large transformational change programs (to support global software [ERP] implementations) and notable change initiatives. Trusted advisor and expert at turning around organisations including developing, deploying and embedding systems, processes, tools, and metrics with a focus on continuous improvement. Implementer of new organisational structures to support business strategy including shared services. Lecturer in ‘Managing Change’ at the VMA, Venue Management School in Kingscliff, NSW. Program Leadership and Project Management Delivery of multi-country and language (global implementation) projects across a range of industries within agreed time and budget. Stakeholder Engagement Built strong collaborative working relationships across the landscape of State Government, Public Private Partners (PPP), suppliers and contractors. Managed diverse internal and external stakeholder groups spanning consumers, large business, SME’s, government, and cross-business representatives to influence and secure desired business outcomes. Senior Executive and Venue Leadership Built highly engaged cohesive cross-functional teams comprising up to 1000 employees, through effective leadership, coaching and development. Developed and executed strategy, leveraging people, processes, and systems to build sustainable business outcomes and capability to optimise revenue. Delivered flexible (situational) approach to direct and indirect leadership of employees and large teams, building engaged and performance-focused teams. Significant depth of experience in delivering economic impact (outcomes and return) and yield management. Executive /C-suite experience in hospitality, tourism and venue management including event planning, operations and delivery, provision of food, beverage and event technology offerings, along with security, risk, critical incident and safety management, ESG/sustainability, CAPEX, Public Private Partnership contracts, building services, facilities and asset management. Lecturer in ‘Leadership for Venue Managers’ at the VMA, Venue Management School in Kingscliff, NSW.
Areas of Professional Interest
I'm building a portfolio career focused on: - Remunerated Board Directorships & Advisory Work - Leveraging my global board, governance, strategic and executive advisory expertise - Consulting & Mentoring Services - Utilising my mentoring, transformation and global HR, people & culture experience