Monte ticket set for showdown at AGM

FOUR business and communal leaders will run on a ticket calling for board renewal at the Montefiore Home’s annual general meeting this Sunday.

The four – Greg Shand, Craig Shapiro, David Lubowski and Alex Abulafia – hope to bring their diverse business and communal experience to a board they say has failed to undertake adequate succession planning.

In a statement provided to The AJN, the group said they “support the home and all it seeks to achieve”, and board renewal and succession planning “are a critical and essential part of any professional organisation”.

“Part of our desire to become involved in Monte has been driven by our view that there is a need to strengthen aspects of board governance, particularly board renewal and succession planning,” they said.

“Monte prides itself on best practice in every aspect of its operations. However we believe that Monte does not exercise best practice in the critical area of board governance.

“This is clearly the case when nine out of the existing 15 directors have been on the board for in excess of 10 years.

“The ongoing success of the home will only be enhanced by a proper and disciplined approach to strengthening the board through proper renewal and succession planning.”

The group said there is a general view among many communal leaders that the Montefiore board has failed to take adequate steps in relation to governance concerning renewal and succession planning.

That stance appears to have been backed by a cross-section of communal and business leaders who recently endorsed a statement calling for the home to actively implement a policy in that regard.

One such signatory, former AIJAC NSW president Barry Smorgon, told The AJN that Montefiore “is a wonderful organisation”, but “organisations need to refresh, and Monte is no different”.

UIA NSW president Lance Rosenberg, who has served on various communal committees for over 30 years, said in order to keep organisations efficient, strong and vibrant, “you need to encourage new talent, rotate board members as a matter of process and execute succession plans in reasonable time frames”.

JCA honorary life governor Peter Ivany praised Montefiore Home president David Freeman as “an iconic, once-in-a-generation figure for what he has done for Montefiore”.

“The community are all beneficiaries of that outstanding work,” he said.

“As with all great leaders he must plan effectively for the future of Monte to ensure that his legacy will endure.”

Yachad board member and AIJAC director Brian Sherman added: “As a guide, most government and ‘quasi’ government institutions have limited board position time frames. I was recently president of the Australian Museum Trust and was re-appointed for three terms of three years, that being the maximum allowed under the act.”

While not a signatory to the original statement, influential businesswoman and community identity Jillian Segal said: “The current board has done a wonderful job, however new blood is essential for every organisation, including community organisations.”

JCA president Peter Philippsohn, while not in a position to endorse any candidates over others, reaffirmed that board renewal is “an integral part of ensuring the ongoing growth of our community”.

“JCA and almost all [its] constituents have instituted term limits for all board positions. This has seen a new generation come onto the boards of many of our communal organisations,” he said.

“New blood brings with it new ideas for organisations in looking to the future.”

Montefiore Home president David Freeman said in a statement that the board does recognise the importance of succession planning.

“It has actively sought new members with appropriate skills and, more importantly, with a philosophy of care that matches that of the Home,” he said.

“In this regard, following an active recruitment drive last year, the board welcomed three new board members … All of these candidates are committed to supporting the Home’s philosophy of care and each brings specific skills and expertise that add value to the board.”

He added that governance comprised more than just succession planning.

“It encompasses all aspects of financial governance, which for the Home includes the responsibility of managing a large amount of accommodation deposits held on behalf of residents and families, as well as the significant responsibility of clinical governance, care and support for residents and their families,” he said.

“Board members should have a passion for supporting a high standard of care which optimises the older person’s quality of life, whilst recognising the importance of delivering that care within a sustainable financial model.”

Addressing Shand, Shapiro, Lubowski and Abulafia specifically, Freeman said “on the face of it, this group represented outstanding new potential board members” but that the four refused to stand “individually and on their own merits”.

“The board is well within its rights to query the reason why any group should seek a collective appointment as opposed to standing on their individual merits as the board has a responsibility to assess each individual’s skills against that of existing board members,” he said.

“The board has absolutely no opposition to individuals standing for a board position at the Montefiore Home provided they stand on their individual merits.

“Ultimately and fundamentally the election of the board is a matter for the members of the Home to decide.”

Shand, Shapiro, Lubowski and Abulafia have stipulated they will agree to a lesser number of their members being appointed should that enhance their chances of nomination, but should only one member be elected, that member will decline the position.

The four candidates are not connected to communal philanthropist Millie Phillips, who has been running her own campaign against the board and its management of the home.

Montefiore’s AGM will be held this Sunday at the home’s Hal Goldstein Hunters Hill campus, beginning at 10.30am.

GARETH NARUNSKY

Montefiore Home president David Freeman (right) with CEO Robert Orie.

comments