From the President
Dear EO Melbourne,
I can’t believe we’re halfway through September! As I write these words and reflect on the journey so far, I note that at the conclusion of September, our first quarter of our Board’s term will be complete. And what an impactful first quarter it has been!
True to my speech at the Handover Gala this year, we have a focus on family (with a capital F) to make sure that we bring (and include) those most important to us on the same journey. Under this framework, our Family Chair Simone Kelly launched NextGen Forums for adult children (16-30 years old) of EO members with the goal of launching our first NextGen Forum; an initiative that I am incredibly excited about. Under her leadership, Simone has also launched the EO Melbourne and Japan Homestay Program, where EO families in Japan will host our families (or even ourselves) in Japan. Are you thinking of visiting Japan for the Olympics next year? This is the perfect way to do it in style. If you are interested in NextGen or the Homestay Program, please contact Simone Kelly for more information.
To everyone that attended our How to Build Successful Families Workshop with Warren Rustand, thank you for bringing your partners and your children to our first family-inclusive learning event. It was wonderful to see the engagement and active participation from everyone involved, especially the next generation who are now charged with keeping their parents accountable to creating a compelling family vision, a clear mission and values that provide the rules by which the family plays by!
Continuity planning is important, and we are mindful that we want incoming Board Members to be effective before their term begins. Therefore, we’re making great strides with unifying our back-office software and management tools that we use to keep our Chapter engine running like clockwork. What excites me about this work is that it is strongly tied into the idea of the Personalised Member Journey (to be later announced) and the Member Success Initiative (to be later announced). Under the leadership of our Integration Chair Aaron Wallis, we’re strengthening the foundations on which our Chapter is built upon so that our Board can focus on doing what they do best, lead, deliver value, and focus on elevating the collective Member experience.
Finally, I am proud to share that our events have been rating on average 9+ (with our Mercedes Benz Drive Day rating 9.9/10!). This speaks to the incredible and tireless work of Events Manager Olivia Poynton and Chapter Manager Kirsten Yokoyama, who collectively make what they do look easy! Our ethos for this year is to ensure that our events create moments and spaces that spark a conversation that will leave an indelible mark on your life, and moments that will help you build relationships for life.
As we close off our first quarter and head into our second quarter, I am humbled and proud of the collective effort and leadership of our Board. In truth, we have a Legendary year planned for everyone and are biting at the bits to share with you what’s in store. But I will leave that to our illustrious Learning Chair Nick Clift to fill you in (see if you can corner and persuade him to give you a titbit at an upcoming event). What I can share, however, is that these events are crafted so that they are Legendary, and will have you talking about them for years to come.
With Warmth,
Kym Huynh
President 2019/2020
Check here the announcements and good news in EO Melbourne’s September newsletter.