that will drive financial benefit to the association; to increase our platform and promote a unique educational platform for young members; and, to start developing our media platforms more vigorously to improve our brand and presence. Targets and responsibility will continue to be drivers set by our team and more communication with the States with regard to financial transparency, including regular communication on financial affairs, has been implemented. Also included in the new Strategic Plan are the enhancement of the image, reenergising the Association and promoting the National Association as an organisation that works together across borders; to respect and encourage peoples open opinions on how to make the Association better believing that everyone has something to bring to the table and input essential to achievement; to enhance the experience of our members and maintain what we have during the rebuilding phase during a very tumultuous and competitive market. Working with our key National Partners, Corporate and Individual members will drive this forward. During 2017, the SCLAA has actively implemented ways to increase diversity amongst our ranks.
It is no surprise that the supply chain is adapting and changing globally, particularly in relation to technological advancements, speed and further trade lanes opening up, economies of scale expanding and regulatory requirements increasing. The need for expertise and diverse talent and skills in more areas than ever before has become increasingly evident and we will continue to pursue that talent in our Association. Throughout 2017 the Board has implemented strategies to reduce expenses but more importantly increase its communication with Partners and, as a result, has improved the value and ROI for our respected partners and challenged its ideas of how to grow the Association and adapt to challenging market conditions. In 2018 the Board will also make an exciting announcement regarding our newly formed Advisory Taskforce Committee. This sub-committee will work in conjunction with the Board to drive greater initiatives for our members through their expertise in all fields within the Supply Chain. The sub-committee will support the Strategic Plan and goals of SCLAA and will assist the Board to ensure that continued capability and insight into the ever changing market place will enable us to leverage and engage wider networks and drive even more value for our large membership base. We look forward to announcing the key representatives in the New Year. There have been many quality and informative events during the year. In November we held the Women in Logistics event at Leonda by the Yarra, where we had high calibre speakers and significant interest has been expressed in next year’s event, which
is on track to break our previous attendance records. Diversity is an important business issue and this is something we will continue to drive into 2018.
The Association is working towards ensuring women are encouraged to participate through education training and mentoring programs and continue to grow the numbers of talented young females pursuing male dominated fields in the supply chain industry. Two of our esteemed Board members have left their positions on the Board. David Rogers (Past Chairman and Independent Director of the Board) and Danny Busija (Past Director and Victorian Representative of the Board) have both undoubtedly given a great contribution, a wealth of knowledge and considerable personal time to the SCLAA over many years. As new chapters are written in the Association history in 2018, it is timely that we acknowledge the significant contribution that David and Danny made over their years of service. Two new Independent Directors have been elected to the SCLAA Board, Patrick Ingenegeren and Erica Gilcrist, both of whom will bring valuable experience and knowledge to the Association. Our new Victorian Representative is Dan Esdaile who will also join our Board in 2018. I am also pleased to announce that SCLAA Director Joshua has been appointed as SCLAA Vice President and that Peter Hollins will continue to serve as a Director and the SCLAA Secretary. Throughout the year there have been too many highlights to mention but a few that have undoubtedly been standouts are Women in Logistics 2017 and our coveted and successful ASCL Awards held in Sydney. SCLAA also signed a 5 year Partnership Agreement with the Australian Institute of Business. The partnership with AIB is an important milestone and will greatly enhance the SCLAA awareness in the growing educational sector. AIB currently have onboard senior executives from organizations like the Australian Marketing Institute, Monash Health, NSW Treasury Corporation, LinkedIn Australia and the Asia Pacific. SCLAA joined The University of Sydney in holding its esteemed Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies awards in May in Sydney. I was privileged to be asked by Professor David Hensher and Behnam Fahimnia (Winner of the 2016 Training, Education and Development Award at the 2016 ASCL Awards) to represent SCLAA as guest speaker and present an award on the evening. The event celebrated high achieving students in both University and Industry programs and the SCLAA looks forward to continuing and strengthening our ties with the University of Sydney. This award will be showcased and accredited by the University. SCLAA is proud to now be part of this perpetual award and will be presented again in 2018. We look forward to working on other initiatives with the University throughout the year. We also formed a strong relationship with Liquid Learning to promote The 2nd Annual Women in Operations Leadership Summit 2017 SCLAA Newsletter December 2017
3