From the President
Dear EO Melbourne,
I recently caught up with Dave Ansett, a Past President, where he checked in and asked how I was going. Steadfast in my determination not to respond with a throwaway “good”, I paused, reflected for a moment, and responded with, “I feel genuinely and incredibly lucky.”
As our Board close off our first quarter and start our second quarter together, we turn our minds towards our 3 key priorities: (1) Respect our past; (2) Be custodians to the present; and (3) Plan for the future. As part of planning for the future, we consider the question of succession planning and open up the call for nominations for Board positions. In my experience, being on the Board is a masterclass in influence and leadership, and one of those things that money can’t buy. If you wish to put your hand up for the Path of Leadership and be considered as a President in the future, please let myself and Kirsten (administrator@eomelbourne.org) know privately.
By the time this update reaches your inbox, our learning and events calendar for the entire 2019/2020 will be close to completion under the leadership of our Learning Chair, Nick Clift, and our management team, the ever-present Kirsten Yokoyama (Chapter Manager), and tireless Olivia Poynton (Events Manager). They will be posted on the website shortly for registration, and then our attention will turn towards delivering on the promise that we announced at our Handover Gala - the delivery of Legendary Events - and Nick will be crafting 2-3 experiences that will surprise, delight and challenge us, leave us talking about these events for years to come, and perhaps leave us with a thought that will encourage us to look at life through a different lens. Not to be outdone, Nick has also now started planning events for the 2020/2021 year to ensure we have a full runway of impactful events for the next 2 years.
Whilst we are on the topic of the Handover Gala, have you seen the recap video https://vimeo.com/366619500? A big thank-you to one of our own Steve Jackson for committing time, resources and energy to capture the magic of the evening.
At the Handover Gala, we promised that this year, we would extend the gift of EO to adult children (16-30 years old) of EO Members by introducing NextGen Forums. Under the leadership of our Family Chair Simone Kelly, last year’s Global Chair, Brian Brault visited Melbourne and Sydney to train our next generation on Forum protocol. I sat in Melbourne’s training day and left in awe at the smarts and savviness displayed by our next generation. Over the next few months, we will be launching our first Virtual NextGen Forum, comprising of NextGen Members from Australia and New Zealand. If you are interested in learning more about NextGen, please contact our get-things-done Family Chair Simone Kelly for more information.
As an enthusiastic participant in EO’s Mentorship Program, one of the best decisions I have made in EO, I am excited to see the confirmation of the upcoming mentorship program intake (the details of which are contained in a separate email announcement). It was only 6 months ago that I was paired with Paul Benveniste from Evans & Partners, and to say that this pairing by our Mentorship Chair Ben Trinh was both inspired and life-changing is an understatement. This pairing has sparked exponential learning and growth, and most important to me, a deep connection and lifelong friend. If you are interested in learning more about our Mentorship Program, please contact our sage-like Mentorship Chair Ben Trinh for more information.
Finally, in celebration of connection and our promise to create moments and spaces where we can build relationships for life, we are proud to announce the upcoming launch of Forum One2One, a semi-regular matching of 2 EO Members so that they can catch up over a coffee or a meal. Our strength and value come from the connection that we have with each other, and so we are investing time and energy to bringing this concept to life for EOers. If you are interested in learning more about Forum One2One, please contact our affable Integration Chair Aaron Wallis.
As I sign off for this month, I ask you to think back to our theme this year “Our Best Year Yet!” and to think about that one thing that if you achieve it, it will make you want to jump up on the table, pop open a bottle of champagne, and start dancing. Let’s make a promise to take that next step so that we will journey closer to making this year “Our Best Year Yet!”
With Warmth,
Kym Huynh
President 2019/2020