RA-Aus has a new CEO

[DonRamsay]

New CEO

 

July 7, 2014 | members

 

RA-Aus would like to welcome aboard our new CEO, Michael Linke. Michael comes to RA-Aus with a wealth of experience in managing businesses through periods of change and we are looking forward to using his experience to take us into the next phase of our future. It’s worth noting that in the recent report by the ASRR it was stated that RAAOs need to work on their governance and Michael’s skills and knowledge in this area will certainly play a role in satisfying this requirement.

 

Michael will officially commence in the new role on 7 July 2014, however, he has already begun engaging with the staff to ensure he can hit the ground running and start working from day one. Michael will be given the responsibility for modernising our offices, improving processes and delivering greater value to our members and other stakeholders. Moreover, he will play a significant part in shaping the future of RA-Aus and ensuring we have a solid base to build on in coming years.

 

His appointment was a unanimous decision by the board and we look forward to working with him in the coming years. We hope you, the members, welcome him with equal enthusiasm and I’m sure he looks forward to meeting you when the opportunity arises during his tenure.

 

Michael MonckPresident

 

 

[dodo]

Ex-RSPCA and ex-Tax Office. Quite a combination!

 

dodo

 

 

[DonRamsay]

Let's welcome Michael to our Association and wish him the best as he takes on this very challenging role.

 

Let's also give him some space and be supportive while he comes to grips with the many issues that confront RA-Aus.

 

Reading the President's Report in SportPilot these days gives me considerable comfort that we are finally in good hands and that, while a long way from being out of the woods, we are definitely headed in the right direction. The fact that the new CEO starts with the unanimous support of the Board must be encouraging to us all.

 

Now all we have to do is get our fingers out and vote in the current Board Election process in those RA-Aus Regions where we have a choice. We need to ensure we have a Board that can give the new CEO the latitude to get the job done and the oversight to ensure We have some excellent candidates in NSW/ACT. Andy Saywell is well known on here for his considered posts. He is certainly number one on my ballot paper. Col Jones is similarly well known to us and has invariably demonstrated sound judgement.

 

Michael Apps has been a real asset on the Board and has done and is still doing more for Aviation in Australia than anyone else personally known to me. I have great respect for his intellect and integrity. I know he has been very frustrated by some of the Board shenanigans of the past. For all that, I think Michael Apps has done his share and then some and it is time for some new players like Andy, Col or Greg Doyle to have a go.

 

 

[turboplanner]

If true, that sounds suspiciously like the board members will sit back try to get him to do all the work as perviously.

 

And when did the General Manager become a CEO again?

 

 

[David Isaac]

Thanks Don,

 

Was the title CEO part of the official announcement or your poetic license?

 

 

[kgwilson]

Thanks Don,Was the title CEO part of the official announcement or your poetic license?

It is as reported on the RA-Aus website. It may be a slip of the tongue of the new President or they have changed the title.

[coljones]

There are lots of CEOs in Not-For-Profits earning a lot less than the person who runs RAA. The title CEO or General Manager? Neither title jars with me so long as we depend upon a well constructed, accurate, agreed duty statement with measurable performance indicators regularly reviewed. (as long as we don't call the boss "Team leader")

 

 

[robinsm]

given the track record of the board selecting CEO/GM's I wait with bated breath. No reflection on the successful candidate, I wish him the best, but hopefully the board gets it right this time.

 

 

[rankamateur]

given the track record of the board selecting CEO/GM's I wait with bated breath. No reflection on the successful candidate, I wish him the best, but hopefully the board gets it right this time.

Surely you would agree that the last one was a big improvement on the one before. Hopefully we keep heading in the right direction with this next appointment.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Anyone running a book on how long the new CEO will last?

 

 

[facthunter]

Don't know what we would do without you f t. Nev.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

If the RAA wasn't so good at managing people we wouldn't need one.

 

 

[facthunter]

I wait for the day when you will say something positive about the RAAus. Nev

 

 

[Guest john]

Could a Board member please provide a resume of the new CEO's aviation experience. We all await with baited breath to obtain a response.

 

In the meantime it is difficult to receive any reliable information directly from RAA in this day & age as they obviously only want to tell us little people what they want us to know. The Board & staff of RAA must never forget the old proverb which states "Its the crumbs that make the bread."

 

Since there are a record number of aircraft for sale in the magazine, can anybody reliably inform Recreational Flying how many current financial members there are at present in RAA as compared to this time 2 years ago?

 

 

[DonRamsay]

The reversion to the title "CEO" was a deliberate choice by the Board. In Government circles, General Manager did not imply Chief Executive. Lee Ungermann had experienced this effect. It was not done at the request of the new CEO.

 

While Turbo may not be happy with the title or the role, to me it still makes perfect sense in an organisation this size to have the work of the Executive function done by employed staff. That leaves the Board in a pure policy mode and oversight of the executive function. None of our Board Members have the time to be the Chief Executive even if in the past Steve Runciman attempted that, unsuccessfully in my view.

 

It is quite fair to "hold our breath" and see if the right selection has been made. At the time of recruitment you have two choices - employ the best candidate or go through the employment process once more. I guess there is a third approach much favoured by Eugene Reid - appoint a mate with no selection process. From what I know of the process this time it was professional and has the quality to produce good candidates and choose the best of those. For me, I'm prepared to give MIchael Linke a real good go and I'll write to him offering him any assistance he thinks I can provide.

 

Mark Clayton, in my judgement, was the best CEO by far of the last three or four. Let's hope that Michael Linke can build on the good work and the achievements of Mark. Michael Linke has the advantage of the support of a highly qualified business person in our President Michael Monck plus his partners on Exec. Treasurer Jim Tatlock and Secretary Tony King. It is shaping up as a period of competent stable Board operation.

 

In the latest SportPilot (July), Mick Monck has foreshadowed the coming major restructure of the Board to get it down to a workable size and cut Board Costs in half. This restructure is going to require everyone to drop parochial considerations and start thinking about what's the best for RA-Aus as in Australia not just RA-Tasmania or RA-WA. We must get away from popularity polls electing legions of CFIs. RA-Aus needs a Board comprised of people who have real business credentials. RA-Aus Board needs to have what all Boards need . . . sound business expertise, a strong sense of good governance, some professional legal and accounting capability and a clear view of where RA-Aus needs to be in five to ten years from now.

 

We can either go with the desperately needed reform or shove our heads back in the sand and have more of the crap we've had to put up with over the last 5 years or more and end up in the same pile of steaming manure that inexpert and nepotistic Boards and Management dumped us in.

 

 

[turboplanner]

The President is the leader and motivator of an Incorporated Association, and I've had no problems in being recognised as such in my dealings with Government Ministers so that's a furphy.

 

Certainly there needs to be someone in charge of the office and day to day operations.

 

But it's deja vu; I remember the board members (good ones who'd had a gutfull) who used to email me with the sad story of the tail wagging the dogs, and try to get me to fire bullets, The structure got them, and the board members, particularly the ones outside the executive just didn't know what was going on.

 

It's your money.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I wait for the day when you will say something positive about the RAAus. Nev

flag waving isn't my thing.

 

 

[facthunter]

Bugga me Deb.... Don has been communicating more than most. He made his position clear about not finding the situation tenable, when he left. Give it a break. Nev

 

 

[Peter008]

I have to ask FT. What's with the quote from Maj as your footer?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I'll admit I'm a keen student of history

 

 

[facthunter]

Sure you haven't awarded yourself a doctorate of Philosophy? Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

fair not fare

 

 

[rankamateur]

Where is Dazza tonight?

 

 

[Guest john]

Hi Don,

 

The President is the leader and motivator of an Incorporated Association, and I've had no problems in being recognised as such in my dealings with Government Ministers so that's a furphy.Certainly there needs to be someone in charge of the office and day to day operations.

 

But it's deja vu; I remember the board members (good ones who'd had a gutfull) who used to email me with the sad story of the tail wagging the dogs, and try to get me to fire bullets, The structure got them, and the board members, particularly the ones outside the executive just didn't know what was going on.

 

It's your money.

New CEOJuly 7, 2014 | members

RA-Aus would like to welcome aboard our new CEO, Michael Linke. Michael comes to RA-Aus with a wealth of experience in managing businesses through periods of change and we are looking forward to using his experience to take us into the next phase of our future. It’s worth noting that in the recent report by the ASRR it was stated that RAAOs need to work on their governance and Michael’s skills and knowledge in this area will certainly play a role in satisfying this requirement.

 

Michael will officially commence in the new role on 7 July 2014, however, he has already begun engaging with the staff to ensure he can hit the ground running and start working from day one. Michael will be given the responsibility for modernising our offices, improving processes and delivering greater value to our members and other stakeholders. Moreover, he will play a significant part in shaping the future of RA-Aus and ensuring we have a solid base to build on in coming years.

 

His appointment was a unanimous decision by the board and we look forward to working with him in the coming years. We hope you, the members, welcome him with equal enthusiasm and I’m sure he looks forward to meeting you when the opportunity arises during his tenure.

 

Michael MonckPresident

Hi Don,

Could you please advise how many applicants were received for the position of CEO, & furthermore what do the minutes of the general Committee meeting show as to the final vote for the accepted Applicant.

 

The minutes of this subject Committee meeting relating to this matter would no doubt be on record & available to members should same be requested as per the Constitution & Company Code.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[biggles]

Where is Dazza tonight?

Maybe he's on a "holiday"

 

Bob