Get board ready: Flagship company directors course comes to Wollongong
Plus Dr Karl headlines TEDxWollongong and more ...
The Australian Institute of Company Directors will deliver its Company Directors Course™ in Wollongong for the first time in April.
The five-day program - from April 27 to May 1 at Wollongong Golf Club - covers governance frameworks, legal obligations, financial oversight and strategic decision-making. Completion is required for AICD Graduate membership and is the institute’s primary qualification for board directors and senior executives.
The local delivery, secured by RDA Illawarra Shoalhaven, eliminates the need for anyone to travel to Sydney for the qualification. The Wollongong session represents a shift in accessibility for the Illawarra business community, which has historically needed to head north to obtain the credential.
“We encourage directors and aspiring directors across the Illawarra Shoalhaven to take advantage of this opportunity to build governance capability, locally,” RDA Illawarra Shoalhaven CEO Selena Stevens said.
The curriculum is intensive, covering the pillars of modern directorship:
Governance & Legal Duties: Navigating board responsibilities and personal obligations.
Finance & Risk: Mastering financial statements and risk oversight.
Strategy: Driving long-term organisational impact.
The program includes six weeks of guided pre-reading followed by five days of face-to-face learning. While the investment is significant at $9750 (plus GST), it includes a 12-month AICD membership and the path to the coveted GAICD post-nominal.
To sweeten the deal for local leaders, RDA Illawarra Shoalhaven is offering a $250 reimbursement to the first 10 registrants upon completion. With a capped cohort to ensure high-quality peer engagement, early registration is essential for those looking to sharpen their “sound judgement” at the board table.
For more details, check here, terms and conditions are here, and this is the course overview.
TEDxWollongong line-up drops
The homegrown talent pipeline driving the Illawarra and beyond was reinforced when the TEDxWollongong line-up dropped this week.
The line-up features a powerhouse of homegrown researchers and distinguished University of Wollongong alumni, headlined by science superstar Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.
More than a decade ago the uni dipped its toe in the TEDTalks universe, and hosted multiple independently organised TEDxUWollongong events, starting in 2012. Back in 2013, then Professor Pascal Perez spoke to the theme of The Future of: Smart Cities & The Internet of Things, declaring Gerringong “the most livable place in Australia”. In 2016 speakers discussed the concept of time while in 2018 it was all about “exposition”.
This time around the region’s intellectual heavyweights will speak to the theme “lookout” - possibly a nod to our iconic escarpment and the fresh horizons of local industry.
Included in the 12-speaker are three current UOW researchers and educators - Dr Emmanuel Brusadeli, PhD student Nuwangi Cooray, and Carlie Schofield. And six alumni, including Joint Vision co-founder Dr Meghan Dares, Dr Greg Ryder from Sicona Battery Technologies, physiotherapist and businesswoman Kylie Moffitt, entrepreneur and founder Jo Burston and Jack Brown, the co-founder and director of national suicide prevention charity Talk2mebro Jack Brown.
Rounding out the list is the Shellharbour-based managing director of Two Face Investigations, former police officer Kylee Dennis; sound therapist Isobel Bee; and STEM advocates Project Bucephalus.
Topics span psychology, robotics, artificial intelligence, online safety and locally developed innovations with global impact. Tickets are available here.
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BlueScope returns surplus cash
It’s been a lively start to BlueScope’s 2026. After saying “thanks, but no thanks” to a $13 billion offer from a Kerry Stokes-led Australian-US consortium, it’s returning $438 million in surplus cash to shareholders.
The Board has declared an unfranked special dividend of $1 per share in a move which shouts robust liquidity.
The windfall stems from a trio of strategic moves: the $167 million sale of its stake in the Tata BlueScope joint venture, a $200 million working capital release from property projects, and a notable $76 million agreement for 33 hectares of land at West Dapto.
CEO Mark Vassella highlighted that as major capital investments wrap up, the company expects a capital expenditure reduction of at least $500 million by FY2027.
This means BlueScope has returned $3.8 billion to shareholders since 2017.
Hot ticket
You’ll either be into this or … not. But if books are your thing then Wollongong City Libraries summer book sale is a dream. It started yesterday and continues until Friday, January 23. Fiction, non-fiction, adult, youth and children’s books are available for 50c or fill your own bag for $5. All seven libraries are involved - check the individual details here.
In our ears
The New York Times podcast Hard Fork trumpets that it ”explores stories from the bleeding edge of tech”. Sometimes it does, sometimes it’s just two guys jabbering away. If you’re like me and roll your eyes at New Year’s resolutions, enjoy a marathon session as the hosts share their tech resolutions and answer a few listener questions (the AI one is a good giggle). It’s good enough company if your walking buddy is still on holidays.