Social purpose sector leaders gathered in Melbourne on Thursday for a debate on whether there should be more executive transitions between the corporate and social purpose sectors. The debate was hosted by Social Ventures Australia (SVA) and the Macquarie Group Foundation as part of the SVA Quarterly debate series. The debate was based on the article, Making executive transitions work, from the latest issue of the online publication.
In the affirmative was SVA’s CEO Rob Koczkar, and CEO of Anglicare Victoria Paul McDonald took the opposing argument.
Mr Koczkar commented:
‘Above all this should be a question about the approach that best delivers outcomes for the people we are seeking to serve. With this in mind, it’s critical to employ people with the skills to operate in what is an increasingly competitive and customer-centric environment, and who are comfortable working with robust measurement and evaluation frameworks to drive business improvement.’
..it’s critical to employ people with the skills to operate in what is an increasingly competitive and customer-centric environment..
‘That’s not to say that people with corporate experience are the only ones who fit this bill, but there are many individuals in the corporate sector who do have skills sets that could benefit the incredibly important work that we do.’
Mr McDonald replied:
‘That may be true, but I’ve seen some significant attitudinal challenges with corporate executives who assume their help is needed, when it is better to ask where they can uniquely add value.’
‘The social service sector is a complex, multi-million dollar sector and it takes time and experience to get a handle on that complexity. We work in an environment characterised by human need and vulnerability, complex funding arrangements and seeking “better outcomes”. There are never easy answers in this environment.’
The social service sector is a complex, multi-million dollar sector and it takes time and experience to get a handle on that complexity.
‘There are people from the corporate world who can make a really valuable contribution to our work, and we invite them to this challenge with a willingness to come along with us on a journey, rather than believing that they already have the answers we’re looking for.’
When the room was opened to questions one audience member asked ‘perhaps we should flip the question around – is more community talent needed in the corporate sector?’
The topic is explored in depth in the SVA Quarterly article, which also includes guidance from social purpose sector CEOs on recruiting and inducting corporate talent. Among a range of insights they highlight that making executive level transitions work takes time and self-awareness from organisations as well as candidates.
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