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How study with CSA will benefit you
Completing the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance will provide you with:
- a fully accredited and internationally recognised postgraduate qualification
- practical knowledge and skills that can be readily applied in your workplace to give you a competitive personal and career edge
- an explicit demonstration of your expertise in, and commitment to, governance best practice
- the ability to foster excellence in governance, corporate conduct and administration as a proactive member of the senior executive team
- an in-depth understanding of how to meet compliance requirements, including the Corporations Act, ASX Listing Rules and key governance guidelines
- the expertise to become a highly regarded adviser to management and the board, or to be a valued board member
- the opportunity to network with other governance professionals and senior managers
- the gateway to membership of CSA and access to our international affiliates.
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Employer benefits
The Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance is a rigorous and fully higher education accredited program which will provide you with the skills and expertise to implement excellence in corporate conduct and administration, thus significantly increasing your contribution to your organisation.
Your completion of the Graduate Diploma will provide your employer with benefits including:
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immediate useability, with highly developed specialist skills in such corporate law, corporate compliance, company secretarial practice, corporate governance, corporate administration and risk management
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enhanced ability to better service the needs of corporate and internal clients
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industry-standard qualification to list in annual reports, as required by CLERP 9, and fundraising documents
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reassurance is provided for your organisation and corporate clients that staff have attained an industry-standard post graduate qualification in governance and risk management
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flexible study options designed to help students and employers minimise impact on work commitments
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tutorial study options offering structured networking opportunities with clients and potential clients
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access to CSA seminars, courses and continuing professional development activities to ensure that your organisation and staff stay at the forefront of the latest developments in governance and risk management
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an understanding of best practice in governance and risk management and the tools and techniques to apply to your organisation
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graduates will be eligible for membership of CSA, Australia's independent leader in governance and risk management which will help ensure you and your organisation stay up-to-date and informed.
All managerial staff can benefit from components of the Graduate Diploma even if the full course is not appropriate. Single subject enrolments are welcomed and, in this case, no previous qualifications are necessary. For example, Applied Corporate Law covers the most important features of the Corporations Act 2001 which affect corporate administration and is an ideal stand-alone subject.
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Student stories
Nick Jeha ACIS
Study with CSA benefits ASIC lawyer
After qualifying with both a Finance and Law degree, Nick Jeha, a recent graduate and new Member of CSA, decided to look for a postgraduate course which would add to his skills base. The choice he made was to study the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. In this interview, he speaks to Peter Dongas about the reason for his choice and the experience he had in completing the qualification.
Download in MP3 format 4:30
Kerry McGoldrick FCIS
Governance course gives Woolworths risk manager a ‘fresh approach’ to strategic role
Damage to brand and image remains the most important risk concern for the 535 major Australian and New Zealand corporate and public sector organisations surveyed for Aon’s latest Australasian Risk Management Benchmarking Survey. The survey noted a continued shift towards enterprise-wide and executive approaches to risk management over the last year. Boards are becoming increasingly active in promoting the importance of risk management, and risk management is being integrated into all parts of organisations.
Operating in complex, dynamic environments, and with heightened stakeholder expectations following the global financial crisis, listed companies face continuing challenges in effectively managing their risk profiles to ensure the achievement of objectives.
For major Australian retailer Woolworths Limited, its long-term goal is to be recognised as the leader in sustainable retailing in the Australian retailing sector. As such, corporate responsibility is a high priority, with good corporate governance and effective risk management being key elements of its corporate responsibility model.
Three years ago, Woolworths created a new position of Enterprise Risk Manager to manage the group's company-wide risk management program. The Enterprise Risk Management Program is, by design, strategic in nature, providing the overarching framework for the oversight and management of the organisation’s material business risks.
‘While the operational management of risk has always been part of the way Woolworths does business, the company recognised an opportunity to enhance its risk management framework,’ said Kerry McGoldrick, who was appointed Woolworths’ first Enterprise Risk Manager in 2007. ‘Disciplined risk evaluation at Woolworths’ board and senior management levels is a cornerstone of its decision-making. My role regularly reports to the board and senior management on the group’s risk profile and its material business risks.’
Mr McGoldrick said that ‘to be a source of value, risk management should ideally be integrated into an organisation’s broader governance framework and embedded within its strategic planning processes’. In his view, it is important to remember that ‘risk management is a means to an end — the achievement of strategic objectives — not an end in itself. Corporations are, after all, in the business of taking measured risks,’ he said.
About a year before he was appointed to the role, Mr McGoldrick undertook Chartered Secretaries Australia’s Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. With a background in law and operational risk management, he saw the course as a pathway for moving into a more strategic risk management role.
‘With the increasing convergence between governance and risk, and rising expectations around risk management for listed entities, I was keen to improve my knowledge of corporate governance principles and practice,’ he said. ‘And I had heard that the Graduate Diploma provided an excellent grounding in this area, with flexible study options — an important aspect for people juggling work and personal commitments.’
Not only did the course succeed in helping him achieve his goal but he routinely applies the knowledge and tools from the Graduate Diploma in his daily work. ‘It's anything but a dry academic exercise. I've continued to refer back to things I've learnt through the course. The Diploma is aptly focused on “Applied Corporate Governance” and provides learning that is tailored, relevant and practical. And that is what I liked most about it.’
Initially a subscriber to CSA’s Affiliates Program when he enrolled on the Graduate Diploma course, Mr McGoldrick applied for and achieved Associate membership in 2007 following graduation and became a Fellow Member in 2010. Besides the immediate benefits of the course, he has found access to continuing education through seminars, workshops and Masterclasses plays a very useful role in keeping him up to date with the latest developments in governance and risk management.
‘The ability to engage through CSA’s professional networks with people in comparable roles in other listed entities is invaluable.’
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Jo Bourke
Petroleum company CFO gets the good oil on governance
Moving states and taking on the role of company secretary in a short space of time had the chief financial officer of a small resources company looking for the right skills training.
Jo Bourke had only been Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Elk Petroleum for about a month in 2007 before she was asked to take over the company secretary role in February of that year, soon after the company had transferred its head office from Perth to Sydney.
Elk, with an annual turnover of about $4 million, is an Australian company that was listed in 2005 to take advantage of petroleum development opportunities in the United States. The company has two 100 per cent-owned producing fields in Wyoming, a 100 per cent-owned non-producing field, also in Wyoming, and a large exploration portfolio in Montana and Wyoming.
Initially Ms Bourke, who was based in Sydney, shared the company secretarial responsibilities with a Perth-based colleague for six months. But once the transfer was completed, she was faced with the sole responsibility.
‘It was a brief handover and it was a challenge,’ she says. ‘The role was new to me and I had a lot to learn.’ Prior to joining Elk, she had worked in banking for 15 years.
‘While the CFO responsibilities were more within my comfort zone, the company secretarial role was a significant additional responsibility with a lot of requirements that have important legal ramifications.’
Working in a business with only eight employees, none of whom had any company secretarial experience, Ms Bourke quickly began looking for ways to fill her knowledge gaps.
Eventually, she discovered Chartered Secretaries Australia’s (CSA) Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance, which provided more practical guidance than just another addition to her curriculum vitae.
‘It’s been fantastic. It’s been the only study I’ve ever done that has been directly relevant to my job. You can literally go from the classroom back to work and implement what you’ve learnt immediately,’ she says, adding that modules on company secretarial practice in meetings, and the governance modules proved especially helpful.
‘I find studies that are immediately useable far more interesting. The practical focus has been extremely beneficial to me and to Elk as well.’
During her study, the ASX Corporate Governance Council released the second edition of its corporate governance principles and recommendations in August 2007. ‘I’ve done a lot of work around that. That’s where the study has proved invaluable.’
The deeper understanding of corporate governance also encouraged her to review her young company’s procedures to decide what elements could be enhanced or done differently.
‘The biggest one for a small company is getting the board composition right,’ she says. ‘We do not have a majority of independent directors. It is quite difficult for us to achieve this without putting on additional non-executive directors.’ Also, because of its size, Elk did not originally have an audit committee, something that was implemented in 2009 as the company has grown.
‘We also implemented a board performance assessment which we had never done before. I’ve been privy to a wealth of new information and great ideas simply by attending CSA’s classes.’
Her biggest satisfaction has been rewriting corporate governance statements in the annual report. ‘I put a lot of effort into rewriting our governance statement and took a long hard look at what we do and don’t do and why we don’t do it. For instance, it can sometimes be quite valid not to implement some of the ASX recommendations.’
Ms Bourke also found that meeting people from other companies who were also studying was a valuable means to share professional experiences. ‘The network and the ability to talk to people with similar issues, and having access not only to the lecturers but also the guest speakers have been very worthwhile.’
Having completed the Graduate Diploma in 2010, Ms Bourke said that the course had broadened her skill set.’ As an accountant, she had gained a lot of regulatory experience in the past decade, but governance was an entirely different area.
‘Getting a formal qualification in corporate governance has not only helped me get on top of my day-to-day responsibilities. I feel it has also enhanced my future career prospects.’
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Peter Sharpe FCIS
Governance expertise pays off for public sector accountant
As company secretary of a government-owned corporation, Peter Sharpe is full of praise for Chartered Secretaries Australia’s (CSA’s) Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance.
‘It’s certainly opened another avenue that I didn’t have. Now I am not just an accountant,’ Dr Sharpe said.
Dr Sharpe, who is a company secretary and financial accountant, was virtually thrust into the company secretary role soon after joining Gladstone Ports Corporation in Queensland.
‘I was initially appointed here as financial accountant with the Gladstone Ports Corporation, supporting the chief financial officer.
‘We had a change of chairman within a month of my starting and he wanted a qualified accountant as company secretary,’ explained Dr Sharpe.
As the existing company secretary was not a qualified accountant, he relinquished the role. As part of the appointment, the chairman requested that Dr Sharpe undertake the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance.
‘If ever there was the accidental company secretary, it was me,’ he said.
Because he was located an hour’s flying time from Brisbane and had two children under the age of three, he completed four units by distance learning — which included online support — over a 12-month period, graduating last July.
As entry into the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance is open to university graduates, Dr Sharpe obtained exemptions for prior studies.
‘From my point of view, it was very useful having been thrown into the deep end,’ Dr Sharpe said.
‘There was some reinforcing of the knowledge acquired from being a Chartered Accountant from the overlap between my accounting training and the graduate diploma.’
However, Dr Sharpe found the training in the principles and practical application of corporate governance especially rewarding.
Even if the course was demanding, he insisted that he was certainly glad that he completed the internationally recognised postgraduate qualification.
‘I’d never dealt with a board before so, it was good to get some insights into their operation. It got me thinking about the way we do things.’
Since completing the graduate diploma, Dr Sharpe has said he is able to make a more positive contribution to the corporation’s corporate governance function.
Last July, the government-owned organisation converted to a company, placing additional responsibility on the organisation under the Corporations Act.
However, Dr Sharpe said that the course included instruction on meeting compliance requirements, including ASIC obligations under the Corporations Act and key governance guidelines.
‘As a government-owned corporation, the philosophy and processes of the Government Owned Corporations Act often follow the Corporations Act. Consequently the change to a company was not a huge one for me in my company secretary role.’
Asked if he would recommend the course to other professionals contemplating a move into a company secretary position, Dr Sharpe said, ‘Absolutely’.
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Stephen Phillips FCIS
Managing risk is part of government business
In the current tough economic environment where governments are under intense scrutiny to justify the investment of taxpayers’ dollars in both existing and new infrastructure, forward-thinking public sector professionals are upgrading their corporate governance skills as an essential risk management tool.
‘In discussions with other executives and senior public servants it seems that the need for public agencies to embrace more rigorous governance arrangements has accelerated in the past decade,’ said Stephen Phillips, Company Secretary and General Manager for Customers and Commercial Development at Hunter Water Corporation (HWC).
Stephen, who recently enrolled in Chartered Secretaries Australia’s (CSA) Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance — Public Sector, is responsible for maintaining effective corporate governance strategies and policies for HWC’s board.
He is also responsible for reviewing the corporation’s corporate governance guidelines, policies and procedures as well as ensuring that HWC’s compliance keeps in step with relevant legislation and regulations.
Other tasks include administration of the corporation’s agreements, constitutional amendments, board and committee charters, codes of conduct and keeping statutory records current.
‘In recent years the demands upon government have been increasing, which in turn means that government agencies have to be even more accountable to taxpayers. For government-owned enterprises like HWC, not only must the external processes which customers deal with be robust, but so must the internal processes,’ Stephen said.
‘If I have learned anything from my board responsibilities that have straddled both the private and public sector, it is that you can never stop learning; never stop improving your skills. Throughout these experiences I would often contemplate the strong similarities and benefits of good corporate governance practice within each sector.
The reason I undertook CSA’s public sector governance Graduate Diploma was first, to build on my existing skills and knowledge; second, so I could gain a better understanding of best practice governance in the public sector; and third, because it seemed to me to be one of the few programs of its type on offer.’
As governments demand more rigorous governance arrangements, Stephen is satisfied that the Graduate Diploma will help him to meet those challenges.
The course will assist him to provide further support in the risk management area by developing systematic solutions to the management of potential risks and to improve the monitoring and review of risk control systems.
‘Ultimately, this means improved reporting to stakeholders, including the HWC board and management, on compliance, governance and performance,’ Stephen said.
He chose to undertake CSA’s Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance — Public Sector, because he considered the Graduate Diploma more relevant to his existing position and the sector he works in.
‘Despite corporate governance having origins in the public sector, it might seem odd to think that public sector organisations are perhaps relative newcomers to some of the more sophisticated corporate governance arrangements being developed within the private sector. And as such, I wanted a course that addressed the issues my sector faced while at the same time covered issues common to both the private and public sectors.
‘This course meets all of the above and more. And should I ever decide to move back into the private sector, the skills and knowledge I have gained I think will remain highly relevant.’
After completing the Graduate Diploma in the second semester of 2010, Stephen became a Fellow Member of CSA in March 2011.
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Lance Oswald
Manager helps company perform at its BEST
As a member of the senior management team at BEST Employment Limited, Lance Oswald recognises that good governance drives good organisational performance.
With its role in helping the unemployed and disadvantaged in New South Wales’ New England region to find work and training, Lance is conscious that livelihoods depend on BEST Employment performing at its best.
‘My responsibilities are connected with many governance activities including risk assessment and management, compliance, systems and procedures improvement and reporting,’ said Lance.
‘And as we provide work placement services on behalf of the Commonwealth government, we also have significant accountability and transparency requirements.’
Lance undertook Chartered Secretaries Australia’s (CSA) recently launched Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance (Public Sector) to gain a better understanding of public sector governance requirements as well as to be more effective in his role.
‘We deal with many government bodies in the course of our work as a government contractor. I felt that doing CSA’s course would give me new insights into how these bodies operate.
‘I also believe that governance is a learned skill. By doing this course I will be able to provide more valuable and informed input to the senior management team,’ he said.
Lance considered other governance courses offered by major universities but settled on CSA’s course because of its strong practical focus.
‘The course appealed to me because it’s been developed and is taught by respected governance practitioners and public servants with real world experience. What you gain are skills you can immediately apply in the workplace.
‘The course also focuses on emerging issues such as industrial relations which keeps you on the front foot with new governance risks. Regulatory change is a given in the current environment so it’s essential for all managers to understand the impacts and respond appropriately,’ he added.
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Victoria Sweetman ACIS
Senior counsel backs own advice
As the senior legal counsel in a business unit of a large financial institution, Victoria Sweetman found that, increasingly, she was taking on company secretarial roles and providing advice on corporate governance.
'I was constantly attending meetings and forums where I was also expected to read a balance sheet and profit and loss statement, and be able to understand the financial impact of certain decisions,' Ms Sweetman said.
Faced with these evolving responsibilities, she considered a number of courses that would provide the necessary skills to enhance her career.
On her list was Chartered Secretaries Australia’s (CSA) Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance, the Australian Institute of Company Directors diploma, an MBA and a Master of Law. She selected the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance.
'I thought that its curriculum was very relevant to someone who was an in-house lawyer working in a corporate environment, especially as I didn’t have undergraduate accounting qualifications.'
'I had studied economics and economic statistics but I didn’t have any postgraduate accounting or finance qualifications, so the diploma was very appealing to me.'
While CSA’s graduate diploma covered financial subjects, Ms Sweetman was also drawn to the formal study of corporate governance.
'Understanding corporate governance and corporate responsibility, and how that impacted on an organisation, was important for me.'
She also found the secretarial practice subject to be very helpful.
'It was excellent to understand good corporate governance, running company meetings and compliance with the Corporations Act.'
Unlike most students, Ms Sweetman completed two subjects by correspondence and two by classroom learning.
'I found the correspondence course and teaching materials first-rate,' she said.
Besides obtaining credit from her law degree, she also valued the professional networking opportunity the course provided.
Following completion of the graduate diploma, she undertook a Master of Law degree, for which she received credit for the diploma.
Professionally, she has moved to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu where she works as a lawyer in its Forensic practice as well as being the company secretary of The Deloitte Foundation, the firm’s charity.
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Judith Priday
Distance learning opens new doors for governance professional
Distance learning opens new doors for governance professional
While working for the Queensland Treasury, Judith Priday was asked to join the QLD Asset Sale Team. Having worked for both an insurance company and an investment bank, Ms Priday's understanding of commercial concepts was strong — what she lacked was expertise in government practices and processes.
In an effort to fill in the gaps, Ms Priday enrolled in Chartered Secretaries Australia's (CSA) Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance course. After previous experience with colleagues who had CSA qualifications, she was confident CSA would provide her with the best opportunity to gain insight into government workings in a timely manner.
'I elected to undertake the course largely by distance education as my job meant that I could not always ensure that I would be able to attend lectures,' Ms Priday said. The Graduate Diploma course provided Ms Priday with a convenient means of education that didn't interfere with her work schedule. While remaining motivated and allocating time for research could prove challenging, Ms Priday managed to find a balance and successfully completed the course.
Ms Priday finds the practical knowledge and skills she gained from her studies to be extremely useful and applicable in her current role on the Commercial Transactions Team for Queensland Treasury and also as a member of the QLD Asset Team. 'I am currently working on roles and responsibilities of boards and ensuring that there is compliance with legislation and rules as part of a restructure,' Ms Priday said, 'so Corporate Governance and Risk and Compliance are relevant subjects.'
While her main role is not focused on governance, she interacts with the subject matter on a daily basis. 'My current role involves restructuring of businesses ahead of sale, so governance and risk management are important aspects to be considered,' Ms Priday added.
'The subjects allowed me to understand the governance of government,' Ms Priday said, specifically helping 'to provide a greater understanding of the framework under which government operates.' Through CSA's Graduate Diploma course, Ms Priday has become much better informed in a number of governance and risk management-related areas, and she recommends study with CSA to all individuals seeking to have the same insights.
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Mark Watson
Ex-Navy member plots a new career course
After serving in the Navy for 35 years and working for the Federal Government in recent years, Mark Watson felt he had plenty of public sector governance experience under his belt.
'I had occupied senior positions within the Commonwealth and was experienced in briefing Ministers and Departmental heads on governance and related matters,' Mr Watson said, 'but I did not have a formal governance qualification.' Despite his background in public sector governance, corporate governance was a fairly new field to Mr Watson.
An ex-Army colleague suggested that the Chartered Secretaries of Australia's (CSA) Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance would be the ideal solution for Mr Watson's situation. Seeking a way to fill any gaps in his public sector knowledge and to learn more about corporate governance, Mr Watson enrolled in CSA's Graduate Diploma. After just one year of study, he had earned a postgraduate qualification.
Mr Watson studied for the Graduate Diploma full-time (most students graduate after two to four years studying part-time), and while he chose to focus on the public sector stream, his coursework also gave him valuable insight into corporate governance.
Overall, Mr Watson found the material rewarding as it brought him up to date with what was happening in the governance domain while exposing him to a mix of theory and practice. However, he also found his studies allowed him to get up to speed on the corporate side of things.
'The CSA Graduate Diploma provides in-depth governance knowledge which, in my view, is essential for any governance specialist,' Mr Watson added.
Mr Watson is now working for Effective Governance Pty Ltd, which advises boards on governance, where he is using much of the material from the Corporate Governance and Risk and Compliance subjects on a daily basis. 'Put another way, if I hadn't studied for the Graduate Diploma then I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now,' Mr Watson said.
Although it is unlikely Mr Watson will work in the public sector again (apart from Navy Reserve service), he now works as the specialist on public sector governance for jobs that arise with the Commonwealth and state governments.
'The diploma has also given me enough knowledge to advise 'corporate' as well and, indeed, that's where I spend most of my time.'
Exposed to courses that were both challenging and relevant, Mr Watson said he would absolutely recommend CSA to a colleague. He also noted that the CSA environment was very supportive both during his studies and afterwards.
'I had certainly encountered that level of support when I was serving in the Navy — but not elsewhere such as university,' Mr Watson stated, 'The CSA support-system is very personalised and very refreshing.'
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