President's Update - October

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

I recently caught up with Dave Ansett, a Past President, where he checked in and asked how I was going. Steadfast in my determination not to respond with a throwaway “good”, I paused, reflected for a moment, and responded with, “I feel genuinely and incredibly lucky.”

As our Board close off our first quarter and start our second quarter together, we turn our minds towards our 3 key priorities: (1) Respect our past; (2) Be custodians to the present; and (3) Plan for the future. As part of planning for the future, we consider the question of succession planning and open up the call for nominations for Board positions. In my experience, being on the Board is a masterclass in influence and leadership, and one of those things that money can’t buy. If you wish to put your hand up for the Path of Leadership and be considered as a President in the future, please let myself and Kirsten (administrator@eomelbourne.org) know privately.

By the time this update reaches your inbox, our learning and events calendar for the entire 2019/2020 will be close to completion under the leadership of our Learning Chair, Nick Clift, and our management team, the ever-present Kirsten Yokoyama (Chapter Manager), and tireless Olivia Poynton (Events Manager). They will be posted on the website shortly for registration, and then our attention will turn towards delivering on the promise that we announced at our Handover Gala - the delivery of Legendary Events - and Nick will be crafting 2-3 experiences that will surprise, delight and challenge us, leave us talking about these events for years to come, and perhaps leave us with a thought that will encourage us to look at life through a different lens. Not to be outdone, Nick has also now started planning events for the 2020/2021 year to ensure we have a full runway of impactful events for the next 2 years.

Whilst we are on the topic of the Handover Gala, have you seen the recap video https://vimeo.com/366619500? A big thank-you to one of our own Steve Jackson for committing time, resources and energy to capture the magic of the evening.

At the Handover Gala, we promised that this year, we would extend the gift of EO to adult children (16-30 years old) of EO Members by introducing NextGen Forums. Under the leadership of our Family Chair Simone Kelly, last year’s Global Chair, Brian Brault visited Melbourne and Sydney to train our next generation on Forum protocol. I sat in Melbourne’s training day and left in awe at the smarts and savviness displayed by our next generation. Over the next few months, we will be launching our first Virtual NextGen Forum, comprising of NextGen Members from Australia and New Zealand. If you are interested in learning more about NextGen, please contact our get-things-done Family Chair Simone Kelly for more information.

As an enthusiastic participant in EO’s Mentorship Program, one of the best decisions I have made in EO, I am excited to see the confirmation of the upcoming mentorship program intake (the details of which are contained in a separate email announcement). It was only 6 months ago that I was paired with Paul Benveniste from Evans & Partners, and to say that this pairing by our Mentorship Chair Ben Trinh was both inspired and life-changing is an understatement. This pairing has sparked exponential learning and growth, and most important to me, a deep connection and lifelong friend. If you are interested in learning more about our Mentorship Program, please contact our sage-like Mentorship Chair Ben Trinh for more information.

Finally, in celebration of connection and our promise to create moments and spaces where we can build relationships for life, we are proud to announce the upcoming launch of Forum One2One, a semi-regular matching of 2 EO Members so that they can catch up over a coffee or a meal. Our strength and value come from the connection that we have with each other, and so we are investing time and energy to bringing this concept to life for EOers. If you are interested in learning more about Forum One2One, please contact our affable Integration Chair Aaron Wallis.

As I sign off for this month, I ask you to think back to our theme this year “Our Best Year Yet!” and to think about that one thing that if you achieve it, it will make you want to jump up on the table, pop open a bottle of champagne, and start dancing. Let’s make a promise to take that next step so that we will journey closer to making this year “Our Best Year Yet!”

With Warmth,

Kym Huynh

President 2019/2020

“How to Build Successful Families” Workshop with Warren Rustand

EO Melbourne members and their families had a fun engagement at the How to Build Successful Families Workshop with Warren Rustand. Out of the 80 participants, 33 were family guests or children of EO members. This workshop coincides with the chapter’s focus this year on family and in bringing those most important on the same journey.

The workshop revolved around the principles and values of how to create high performance, successful families. It included specific activities and techniques that could be used within a family to make it happier and more productive. 

President’s Update - September

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.