New amendments made to the governance structure of the Australian Institute of Architects were recently passed at the Annual General Meeting in Melbourne. A Board of Directors will now be established to manage the fiduciary and legal obligations of the Institute, allowing the member-elected National Council to focus on policy, strategy and issues relevant to members and the profession.
Newly appointed National President, Ken Maher commented that these changes will only strengthen the ability of the Institute to advocate on behalf of its members and provide the services needed by contemporary practices. Maher also congratulated and thanked his predecessors David Karotkin and Jon Clements as well as the National Executive on their hard work and dedication in bringing about these effective changes.
The latest amendments follow an independent review of the Institute’s governance structure by Henry Bosch AO in 2015, which identified a number of difficulties in effective governance experienced by the 16-member National Council managing the full duties of directorship.
These amendments will come into effect from 22 August with the new governance structure to feature a smaller Board of Directors made up of five National Councillors including the President, President-Elect and Immediate Past President and two elected members of the National Council. Up to three independent directors with specialised skillsets will additionally support the Board.
The National Council will remain a fully member-elected group of 16 representing each of the states and territories along with nationally-elected members.
The changes will be written into the Memorandum & Articles of the Institute and include a mandate for the Board to have a minimum of three female and three male directors.
