Revolutionise your governance with both rigour and strategic purpose.
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Through this comprehensive program, you'll gain both the essential foundations of organisational governance and the strategic frameworks to lead with purpose.
Governing for Purpose delivers the rigour of traditional governance training while adding the critical perspectives needed for today's complex business landscape — elevating purpose and stakeholders as central to good decision-making.
Our curriculum builds on essential foundations of governance and compliance, then extends to leading practices — integrating stakeholders, protecting purpose and leading systems change.
Each participant has the opportunity to assess their personal boardroom effectiveness, culminating in an individualised Board Development Plan aligned to your specific organisational context and governance challenges.
Governing for Purpose is tailored to board members and directors who need both technical governance expertise and strategic vision to lead effectively in today's complex business environment.
The program delivers practical governance training for participants across industries and sectors, including:
If you're looking for governance training that goes beyond compliance to deliver genuine strategic value, reach out to our programs team to discuss how Governing for Purpose aligns with your professional development needs.
— Gayle Hardie, Global Leadership Foundation
A passionate and experienced governance professional, Mele-Ane’s work explores the intersection of cultural wisdom, purpose-led business, and the “next economy,” and believes in the immense power of storytelling for change. Mele-Ane holds an MBA from Oxford, where she was a fellow of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. She also has an LLB/BA from Monash University.
Mele has over 20 years of experience reporting to Boards and Board sub-committees with over 13 years of experience as a non-executive Director of Boards. Her experience spans ASX-listed companies, not-for-profits and for-purpose organisations across a wide range of sectors.
Mele-Ane’s professional background spans the areas of corporate law, human rights and community law, leadership development, strategy, operations, investment management and media. She has worked in Australia (predominantly based in Melbourne and the Kimberley) and overseas (the Netherlands, the UK and the UAE).
Prior to taking time to care for her young children, Mele-Ane was the founding CEO of Small Giants Academy for 2 years during its establishment. Prior to that, Mele-Ane held various positions across the Small Giants impact investment family office including co-CEO, strategy and portfolio manager, and general manager of Dumbo Feather. Mele-Ane began her career in law, working at Clayton Utz in Australia in corporate law, including governance advisory work and then for international French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel, supporting their expansion into the United Arab Emirates.
Mele-Ane is currently the co-Chair of B Lab Aotearoa Australia & New Zealand and founding Board member of Regen Melbourne.
Prior to that Mele-Ane was a Director of the Impact Investment Group (impact fund manager), Tolu - Te Pae ki te Rangi, an investment fund using Maori values and principles to invest in communities, where she served as interim Chair. She also sat on the Investment Committee for Small Giants Family Office and The School of Life, a board she also chaired, finally she was also Company Secretary of the UN Principles for Social Investment.
Mele-Ane has a Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Studies) and a Bachelor of Laws, in addition to a Masters of Business Administration from Said Business School, Oxford University where she was a Skoll Associate Fellow.
A passionate and experienced governance professional, Mele-Ane’s work explores the intersection of cultural wisdom, purpose-led business, and the “next economy,” and believes in the immense power of storytelling for change. Mele-Ane holds an MBA from Oxford, where she was a fellow of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. She also has an LLB/BA from Monash University.
Mele has over 20 years of experience reporting to Boards and Board sub-committees with over 13 years of experience as a non-executive Director of Boards. Her experience spans ASX-listed companies, not-for-profits and for-purpose organisations across a wide range of sectors.
Mele-Ane’s professional background spans the areas of corporate law, human rights and community law, leadership development, strategy, operations, investment management and media. She has worked in Australia (predominantly based in Melbourne and the Kimberley) and overseas (the Netherlands, the UK and the UAE).
Prior to taking time to care for her young children, Mele-Ane was the founding CEO of Small Giants Academy for 2 years during its establishment. Prior to that, Mele-Ane held various positions across the Small Giants impact investment family office including co-CEO, strategy and portfolio manager, and general manager of Dumbo Feather. Mele-Ane began her career in law, working at Clayton Utz in Australia in corporate law, including governance advisory work and then for international French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel, supporting their expansion into the United Arab Emirates.
Mele-Ane is currently the co-Chair of B Lab Aotearoa Australia & New Zealand and founding Board member of Regen Melbourne.
Prior to that Mele-Ane was a Director of the Impact Investment Group (impact fund manager), Tolu - Te Pae ki te Rangi, an investment fund using Maori values and principles to invest in communities, where she served as interim Chair. She also sat on the Investment Committee for Small Giants Family Office and The School of Life, a board she also chaired, finally she was also Company Secretary of the UN Principles for Social Investment.
Mele-Ane has a Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Studies) and a Bachelor of Laws, in addition to a Masters of Business Administration from Said Business School, Oxford University where she was a Skoll Associate Fellow.
Francie is passionate about using storytelling, education, business and finance to accelerate the transition to a more socially equitable and environmentally regenerative world.
CEO and CFO with 25 years of experience reporting to Boards of ASX listed, not-for-profit and private organisations across funds management, investment management, financial services, property, mining, construction, education, health and arts and culture.
Board Chair and Non-Executive Director with 13 years of experience on Boards of not-for-profit and private organisations across funds management, retail, education, health, arts and culture.
Current Governance roles:
Board Chair - Small Giants Academy Governor - WWF Australia
Board Director and People, Remuneration and Nominations Committee - RIAA (AFSL)
Advisory Board - Good&Proper
Advisory Council - Unless Financial
Board Director - Impact Funds Management (AFSL)
Board Director - SG Catalyst Foundation
Previous Governance roles:
Chair Governance Committee - RIAA
Board Director - Sentient Impact Capital
Board Director - B Lab Australia & NZ
Board Director - Northstar impact
Board Director - TOM Organic
Finance & Risk Committee - Our Watch
Finance, Audit & Risk Committee - Our Place (St Kilda Mums)
Francie has a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), and is also a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors course and AICD Boardroom Mastery course. Francie is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and APS College of Organisational Psychologists. She is a Provisional Psychologist currently completing a Master of Psychology (Organisational).
Francie is passionate about using storytelling, education, business and finance to accelerate the transition to a more socially equitable and environmentally regenerative world.
CEO and CFO with 25 years of experience reporting to Boards of ASX listed, not-for-profit and private organisations across funds management, investment management, financial services, property, mining, construction, education, health and arts and culture.
Board Chair and Non-Executive Director with 13 years of experience on Boards of not-for-profit and private organisations across funds management, retail, education, health, arts and culture.
Current Governance roles:
Board Chair - Small Giants Academy Governor - WWF Australia
Board Director and People, Remuneration and Nominations Committee - RIAA (AFSL)
Advisory Board - Good&Proper
Advisory Council - Unless Financial
Board Director - Impact Funds Management (AFSL)
Board Director - SG Catalyst Foundation
Previous Governance roles:
Chair Governance Committee - RIAA
Board Director - Sentient Impact Capital
Board Director - B Lab Australia & NZ
Board Director - Northstar impact
Board Director - TOM Organic
Finance & Risk Committee - Our Watch
Finance, Audit & Risk Committee - Our Place (St Kilda Mums)
Francie has a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), and is also a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors course and AICD Boardroom Mastery course. Francie is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and APS College of Organisational Psychologists. She is a Provisional Psychologist currently completing a Master of Psychology (Organisational).
Gayle and her Global Leadership Foundation co-founder, Malcolm Lazenby, are passionate about and committed to making a positive difference to people, organisations and communities – both locally and globally. They each bring over 30 years of experience and internationally recognised expertise in developing, strengthening and transforming individuals, teams, organisations and communities.
As a ‘for purpose’ organisation and a certified B Corp, Global Leadership Foundation, uses its business as a “force for good”, placing its profit each year into a philanthropic fund for the development of leaders in community. It’s pro-bono and low bono work also strengthens and supports individuals, organisations and communities to build compassionate and sustainable approaches to leadership and life.
Global Leadership Foundation along with its Global Fellows, works with boards, and senior leaders all over the world in a range of areas, including: transformational leadership and change in individuals and organisations, strategic planning and development, emotional health and leadership resilience, leading through facilitating, strengthening collaboration, and board and executive mentoring and coaching.
Lydia is a Conscious Leadership Facilitator. Her professional background is in executive arts leadership, festival curation and producing for theatre and film, in both urban and remote communities. She was previously the dual recipient of the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship and the Australia Council for the Arts Community Arts and Cultural Development Fellowship, where she formed much of the work she does today in facilitating conscious leadership, spiritual direction and next economy transitions for both companies and individuals.
Lydia has a BA in Social Sciences and is currently undertaking post-graduate studies in theology. She enjoys a continued arts practice as a singer/songwriter and freelance writer, creating two back to back albums True North and The Narrows in 2019–21. Lydia loves to enjoy her free time either in the ocean, church or the bush, and outside of her work she enjoys a simple, quiet life with her partner and two children.
Danny is co-founder and the Executive Chair of Small Giants. Danny was the inaugural Social Entrepreneur in Residence at RMIT, the founder and former CEO of Engineers Without Borders Australia and is the co-founder and Chair of the Impact Investment Group. He has founded over a dozen for profit and non profit organisations, as well as non-profit boards and advisories boards including the Jewish Museum of Australia, Stand Up, Smiling Mind, The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan and Toniic. Danny has been recognised through many awards including a Churchill Fellowship, RMIT Alumnus of the Year, EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year, UN PRI Social Investment Pioneer and the Medal of the Order of Australia.
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Kaj is the Director of the Small Giants Academy Action Labs, where he leads the incubation and development of new initiatives. This has included the creation of Regen Melbourne, launching B Corporation in our region, bringing the School of Life to Australia and co-creating the Mastery of Business and Empathy and Impact Safari. He is a guide on a number of the SGA programs including Impact Safari Scandinavia: the Future of Cities.
Dr Tim Dean is Senior Philosopher at The Ethics Centre and hold the Manos Chair in Ethics. He has a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of New South Wales on the evolution of morality and specialises in ethics, critical thinking and public philosophy. He is an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney and the author of How We Became Human published by Pan Macmillan. He is the recipient of the Australasian Association of Philosophy Media Professionals’ Award for his work on philosophy in the public sphere and teaches philosophy, ethics and critical thinking to children through Primary Ethics and in high schools around Australia. He has delivered keynotes and workshops across Australia and the Asia Pacific for the likes of Facebook, Commonwealth Bank, Aesop, Clayton Utz, Art Gallery of NSW, the Sydney Opera House and the University of Sydney.
We offer flexible pricing structures to support different individual contexts. Please get in touch with us to discuss pricing further.
Governing for Purpose is facilitated by the Small Giants Academy, led by Mele-Ane Havea, Chair of B Lab Australia And Francie Doolan, CIO, Small Giants. The program draws on a global network of guest speakers and case-studies presented by leading organisations.
Yes, although not in the traditional sense! Participants will take part in mini-projects and reflections within each module, as well as some longer projects that last across the breadth of the program. Participants will also be asked to peer-assess work delivered by their peers. Active participation in the peer-assessment process will form part of the overall assessment.
For dates and timetables compatible with your location, please sign up to the Small Giants Academy newsletter to be the first to know of new timetables and locations.
Active participation throughout the program, including attendance at sessions, and completion of reflection exercises and project work, will result in successful graduation.
The emphasis of our program is on peer-to-peer learning. Our time together will also include guest faculty sessions, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience.
Our time together will include guest speaker sessions, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience. As such, participation at each weekly session is required. We do not have a minimum rate of participation as such, and of program, life sometimes gets in the way! Some sessions will be recorded for catch-up viewing, however, regular participation is expected.
Yes. Prior to each module there will be some pre-reading required and projects and reflections will be completed outside our contact hours. We estimate between 2-3 hours of additional study time per week.
This governance program is a non-accredited program and does not result in the award of a qualification recognised with the Australian Qualifications Framework. it is your responsibility to ensure that the Governance program meets your requirements and has the expected recognition outcome prior to enrolment.
All of our programs note ‘continuing professional development hours and you will receive a certificate upon completion. Continuing Professional Development hours are a guide only and participants should contact their respective professional membership organisations for guidance.
General Admission: $4,500 + GST, B Corps Concession: $4,050 + GST NFPs, Registered Charities, and First Nations People $3,600 + GST
As part of our blended delivery program, we will be gathering for a three-day in-person intensive as part of our 2025 program. This program is planned for May 2025
Governing for Purpose is facilitated by the Small Giants Academy, led by Mele-Ane Havea, Chair of B Lab Australia And Francie Doolan, CIO, Small Giants. The program draws on a global network of guest speakers and case-studies presented by leading organisations.
Yes, although not in the traditional sense! Participants will take part in mini-projects and reflections within each module, as well as some longer projects that last across the breadth of the program. Participants will also be asked to peer-assess work delivered by their peers. Active participation in the peer-assessment process will form part of the overall assessment.
For dates and timetables compatible with your location, please sign up to the Small Giants Academy newsletter to be the first to know of new timetables and locations.
Active participation throughout the program, including attendance at sessions, and completion of reflection exercises and project work, will result in successful graduation.
The emphasis of our program is on peer-to-peer learning. Our time together will also include guest faculty sessions, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience.
Our time together will include guest speaker sessions, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience. As such, participation at each weekly session is required. We do not have a minimum rate of participation as such, and of program, life sometimes gets in the way! Some sessions will be recorded for catch-up viewing, however, regular participation is expected.
Yes. Prior to each module there will be some pre-reading required and projects and reflections will be completed outside our contact hours. We estimate between 2-3 hours of additional study time per week.
This governance program is a non-accredited program and does not result in the award of a qualification recognised with the Australian Qualifications Framework. it is your responsibility to ensure that the Governance program meets your requirements and has the expected recognition outcome prior to enrolment.
All of our programs note ‘continuing professional development hours and you will receive a certificate upon completion. Continuing Professional Development hours are a guide only and participants should contact their respective professional membership organisations for guidance.
General Admission: $4,500 + GST, B Corps Concession: $4,050 + GST NFPs, Registered Charities, and First Nations People $3,600 + GST
As part of our blended delivery program, we will be gathering for a three-day in-person intensive as part of our 2025 program. This program is planned for May 2025
Apply to secure your place in the program, or reach out to chat to our programs team about how Governing for Purpose can enhance your leadership.
Small Giants is located on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
With thanks to our partners
