Developing our culture - Queensland Law Society...Developing our culture 58 Queensland Law Society | Annual report 2013.14 ASX Corporate Governance Principles Although not a listed

53 Annual report 2013.14 | Queensland Law Society

Developing our culture

54 Queensland Law Society | Annual report 2013.14


Key outcomes for 2013-14

Achieved 85% of our ambitious 45 targets in the 2012-13 operational plan.

Staff engagement survey revealed increases in staff feeling better informed about Queensland Law Society’s strategic progress, vision and direction, pride in their organisation, feeling Queensland Law Society has a high level of employee engagement and believing that their manager provides regular feedback.

Average audience growth across our social media platforms was 111%.

Connected 34,578 people to solicitor services.

Members’ trusted counsel

It was an active year for Queensland Law Society’s Council that included a Council election, changes to Council governance and oversight of the Society’s response to significant legislative issues (see the Advocacy section, pages 38-43).

In accordance with the Legal Profession Act 2007, Council comprises 12 members, being four office bearers – president, deputy president (who succeeds the president in Council’s second year), vice president and immediate past president – and eight elected Council members. In addition, the Attorney-General nominates a Council representative. Therefore during Council’s two-year term there are 13 council members in the first year and 12 Council members in the second year.

Our Council is responsible for the governance of Queensland Law Society including the continual review of the strategic plan and the Society’s performance as reported through the CEO. Council is also responsible for approving the annual budget and overseeing the financial management of the Society’s affairs.

Proposed changes to our governance

This year we conducted an extensive member consultation process on proposed governance changes for the Society. The changes aim to modernise the way Queensland Law Society operates and adjust the Council structure to best meet the future needs of the profession. The process was in line with the Society’s intent to have an open and transparent member review and endorsement process and encourage members to engage in voting on the changes at the 85th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in person or through proxies.

The proposed governance changes include:

• Queensland Law Society will convert from a statutory body to a company limited by guarantee.

• The 12 members of Council will comprise nine directly elected by the membership and three appointed by Council. The three appointed members will enable Council to ensure that all of the necessary skillsets for a governing body are available and that representation is provided for all key member segments.

• All councillors must be members of the Society.

• The term of office for Council members will increase to three years (currently two years).

Member Services and Products

Marketing and Engagement

Chief Executive Offi cer

President and Council

Professional Standards

Corporate Services Finance Human Resources

Records and Member Services

Advocacy

Ethics Centre

Dispute Management

Centre

Business Development

Learning andProfessionalDevelopment

Marketing and Communications

Information Systems

Finance Human Resources

Corporate Governance andStrategy/Corporate Secretary

Offi ce of the General Counsel

Legal Practitioners Admissions Board

Sponsorship

Digital Marketing

Graphic Design

Events Management

Legal Investigations

Trust Account Investigations

External Interventions

Fidelity Guarantee Fund

Administration Services

Facilities and WHS

Organisational structure



• Councillors will be able to stand for a maximum of two consecutive terms, after which they will be required to take a 12-month break before renominating. This allows an improved level of succession planning.

• Council terms will be staggered with annual elections/appointments for one third of Council. This will enable better retention of corporate knowledge and increase Council’s ability to plan strategically.

• Office-bearers will continue to be the president, deputy president and vice president, but these office bearers will be elected by Council for a term of one year, after which the deputy president will succeed the president, and the vice president will succeed the deputy president.

• Council will elect the vice president each year and confirm by resolution the positions of deputy president and president.

• The president will become the immediate past president at the completion of their term as president and remain on Council for a further 12 months. The immediate past president will be able to exceed the maximum term of six years in order to serve in the position as immediate past president for the seventh year before retiring. There is flexibility for the president to serve a second consecutive term if necessary.

We carefully considered and planned these improvements, receiving legal advice, examining similar law

Voting summary

For Against Abstain

Registration as company limited by guarantee

More than 645* 23 25

Members motion to amend 3b 155 225 2

Changes to governance structure of QLS 406 166 3

* Motion 3a was moved on a show of hands and voting included all proxies and the members in attendance at the meeting.

We thank all members who participated in the AGM.

Legislative change is now required to implement the proposed governance changes. We are in discussions with the Attorney-General’s office on the issue and will keep members informed as this progresses.

association models in NSW and Victoria, as well as models of other membership organisations, and considering member feedback.

Members received extensive communication in the lead-up to the AGM to ensure they had input on the proposals. This included a formal member feedback process and form, publishing notices and member feedback in Queensland Law Society publications and on our website, social media announcements, emails to district law associations and policy committee chairs, a fact sheet and FAQs, a presentation from our president on Queensland Law Society’s YouTube channel and content for frontline staff to encourage members to participate.

The motions sparked considerable interest in the AGM with about 40 members attending in person, and 724 members submitting proxy votes. The proxy votes represented 8.2% of the membership, comfortably above the benchmark for proxy activity for similar organisations which ComputerShare, an independent service provider that managed the online voting, advised sat at around 5% of membership.

The outcome of the AGM was that members:

• Approved 3a. Registration as company limited by guarantee

• Rejected the motion raised at the AGM to amend motion 3b

• Approved 3b. Changes to governance structure of QLS (in its original form).

Electing to influence

Elections for Council are held in October every second year, with all full Society members eligible to vote. The 2013 Council election involved implementation of a comprehensive, multi-phase plan to:

• advise all members to ensure they were on the Roll of Members so they could nominate and/or vote

• encourage nominations for President, Deputy President, Vice President and Ordinary Members

• support candidates in their election campaigns

• manage the election process• announce the results.

Members received regular election updates through the election website, social media, electronic direct mail (EDMs), our publications, emails to district law associations, other Queensland law associations and policy committee chairs, and printed materials available at Law Society House.

There was a broad field of 18 candidates, from different sized practices, locations and areas of law. We helped candidates build their campaigns through:

• uploading their profile and photo to the election website

• candidacy announcements through our social media channels

• ongoing promotion for members to review and become familiar with nominees’ profiles via EDMs, QLS Update and notifications to DLAs and other law associations

• social media tips, a fact sheet and FAQs

• free postcards for their distribution.

Members were actively encouraged to take the opportunity to vote and give voice to their preference in the governance of the profession. This resulted in 1689 members voting, nearly 20% of full members. This was 5% fewer members than those who voted in the 2011 election which introduced e-voting. Our 2014 Council members are included in the Council meeting attendance table, over the page.



Audit and Investment Committee

Our Audit and Investment Committee is a sub-committee of Council and is responsible for overseeing, and ensuring the integrity of, the financial reporting process and for responsible investment of surplus funds in accordance with the Investment Policy. The committee met three times during the year.

Council meeting attendance

The Audit and Investment Committee is led by an independent chair, Mr Grant Wallace.

Our Council meets regularly to oversee Queensland Law Society’s policy direction through the strategic and corporate plans, and to discuss matters affecting the practice of law and proposed legislation.

Meetings attended

Queensland Law Society Councillor 2013 2014

Ian Brown (President 2014, Vice President 2013)

5/5 6/6

Annette Bradfield (Immediate Past President 2014, President 2013)

5/5 1/1*

Dr John de Groot (Immediate Past President 2013)

5/5 n/a

Michael Fitzgerald (Deputy President 2014) 4/5 6/6

Deborah Awyzio (Vice President 2014, Attorney-General’s nominee 2013)

2/5 4/6

Rohan Armstrong 5/5 n/a

Kara Cook n/a 6/6

Christopher Coyne n/a 4/6

Genevieve Dee 4/5 n/a

Warren Denny 2/5 n/a

Suzanne Greenwood 4/5 n/a

Danielle Keyes n/a 5/6

Joanne Parisi 4/5 n/a

Bill Potts 5/5 3/6

Elizabeth Shearer n/a 6/6

Christine Smyth n/a 6/6

Ken Taylor n/a 6/6

Paul Tully 5/5 6/6

Paul Spiro (Attorney-General’s nominee 2014)

n/a 5/6

*resigned February 2014.

Please note: Details on our consultancy use and overseas travel are available on our website, qls.com.au and through the Queensland Government Open Data website, qld.gov.au/data.

Our 2013 Council

July to December 2013

Annette Bradfield (President 2013)

Ian Brown (Vice President)

Dr John de Groot (Immediate Past President 2013)

Rohan Armstrong*

Genevieve Dee

Warren Denny

Michael Fitzgerald

Suzanne Greenwood

Joanne Parisi*

Bill Potts

Paul Tully*

Deborah Awyzio (Attorney-General’s nominee)*not in photo

January to June 2014

Ian Brown (President 2014)

Michael Fitzgerald (Deputy President 2014)

Deborah Awyzio (Vice President 2014)

Annette Bradfield* (Immediate Past President 2014, resigned February 2014)

Kara Cook

Christopher Coyne

Danielle Keyes

Bill Potts

Elizabeth Shearer

Christine Smyth

Ken Taylor

Paul Tully

Paul Spiro (Attorney-General’s nominee 2014)*not in photo

http://www.qls.com.au

http://www.qld.gov.au/data



July to December 2013

January to June 2014



ASX Corporate Governance Principles

Although not a listed entity, Queensland Law Society has adopted best practice governance arrangements in line with the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations. The purpose is to ensure good governance outcomes and meet the reasonable expectations of our members. We report here on our compliance with those principles and recommendations.

Principle 1 – Lay solid foundations for management and oversight.

Companies should establish and disclose the respective roles and responsibilities of board and management.

1.1 Companies should establish the functions reserved to the board and those delegated to senior executives and disclose those functions.

Queensland Law Society (the Society) has established a Council Charter that clearly outlines the role and functions Council reserves for itself as the governing body of the organisation and those which may be delegated to management. The functions specifically reserved for Council include:

• appointing and removing the chief executive officer (CEO) and determining the role’s terms and conditions of employment (including remuneration)

• reviewing and ratifying: • systems of risk management

and internal control and compliance, codes of conduct and legal compliance

• financial and other reporting • major capital expenditure,

capital management, the investment policy for the

Society, management of its statutory accounts (ie the Law Claims Levy Fund and FGF) and those of its entities, and acquisitions and divestitures)

• any matters in excess of powers that, from time to time, it may have delegated to the CEO and senior management (for instance, in relation to capital expenditure)

• approving each of the following, on the recommendation of the CEO:• the strategic operational

plan, at least annually • the budget, at least annually • the appointment and, where

required, the removal of the group chief financial officer, corporate secretary, and general counsel

• significant changes to organisational structure

• the acquisition, establishment, disposal or cessation of any significant business of the Society or its entities.

The Council Charter is published on the Society’s website – qls.com.au.

We actively fulfil our obligations regarding continual professional development. Queensland Law Society provides an induction program for all new Councillors and has an approved policy and funding for the President or Deputy President to undertake the Graduate Diploma with the Australian Institute of Company Directors each year and for all Councillors to attend relevant workshops, seminars and conferences to update and maintain their skills and knowledge to perform their role effectively.

1.2 Companies should disclose the process for evaluating the performance of senior executives.

The performance of the Society’s senior management is evaluated by the CEO at least half yearly in reviewing progress against stated objectives of the Society’s strategic plan.

The Society has adopted a remuneration policy that supports our corporate values, is transparent, fair and consistent and aims to attract, retain and motivate employees to achieve the Society’s

strategic objectives by encouraging accountability and teamwork.

Principle 2 – Structure the board to add value.

Companies should have a board of an effective composition, size and commitment to adequately discharge its responsibilities and duties.

There were 11 Council (board) meetings during the year. An attendance table is provided on page 56. The president, CEO and corporate secretary discuss and finalise the agenda for each meeting which routinely includes monthly financial reports, quarterly progress to strategic objectives and update and exception reports for major projects and undertakings. Council papers are distributed a week prior to the meeting to ensure councillors are fully conversant with issues for discussion.

2.1 A majority of the board should be independent directors.

Every two years members vote for 12 of the current 13 positions of the Society’s Council. The Attorney-General nominates the 13th councillor.

2.2 The Chair should be an independent director.

The President (Chair) and Deputy President of the Society are determined by member vote every two years. The President holds the position for one year and the Deputy President then becomes the President for the following year. Both positions are independent.

2.3 The roles of the chair and chief executive should not be exercised by the same individual.

The Society separates the role of the President (Chair) who is elected by members and the CEO who the Society employs. The CEO is appointed for a renewable term.

2.4 The board should establish a nomination committee.

Given the nature of the organisation and the manner in which Council members are selected, Queensland Law Society has determined it is

http://www.qls.com.au



not practicable or necessary to establish a permanent nomination committee. As required, a nomination committee is established for the recruitment of key positions, such as the Independent Chair of the Audit and Investment Committee in 2012.

Council has adopted a policy for nominee appointments to be made with due consideration of:

• nominee appointments to external organisations

• the complexity of the business to which the appointment is made

• the necessary and desired skill set of the board/committee to which the appointment is made

• the level of experience required• the appropriateness of

the appointment• any real or perceived

conflicts of interest.

Appointments are made for a term of two years, after which the incumbent may seek reappointment for a maximum of three consecutive terms.

2.5 Companies should disclose the process for evaluating the board, its committees and individual directors.

Council undertakes a bi-annual performance self-evaluation that compares the performance of Council with the requirements of its charter and effects any improvements to the Council charter deemed necessary or desirable.

Principle 3 – Promote ethical and responsible decision making.

Companies should actively promote ethical and responsible decision making.

3.1 Companies should establish a code of conduct and disclose the code or a summary of the code as to:

• the practices to maintain confidence in the company’s integrity

• the practices necessary to take into account their legal obligations and the reasonable expectations of stakeholders

• the responsibility and accountability of individuals for reporting and investigating reports of unethical practice.

The Society has developed and implemented a Code of Conduct that applies to all staff and we encourage our Council, committee members, members and business colleagues to partner with us in implementing our Code. Staff are educated in the importance of the Code, requirements to ensure adherence and potential impacts if the Code is breached.

3.2 Companies should establish a policy concerning diversity and disclose the policy or a summary of that policy. The policy should include requirements for the board to establish measureable objectives of achieving gender diversity for the board to annually assess both the objectives and the progress in achieving them.

The Society has developed and adopted a variety of policies and practices that encourage a diverse workforce and promote flexible working arrangements. These policies include our reward and remuneration policy, carer’s policy, study assistance and learning and development policies.

3.3 Companies should disclose in each annual report the measureable objectives for achieving gender diversity set by the board in accordance with the diversity policy and progress towards achieving them.

The Society endeavours to encourage and maintain diversity in all forms throughout its workforce. To date this has been successfully addressed and achieved by our recruitment and selection processes, which seek to employ the best candidate to meet the ongoing needs of the Society. We are mindful of our size, the industry in which we operate and the likely candidate pool for vacancies. We provide:

• a flexible work environment• opportunities for individual

development

• a supportive learning and development policy which encourages continual professional development to enable staff career progression.

We do not currently have, or consider it necessary to have, a specific policy on, or plan to promote, gender diversity.

3.4 Companies should disclose in each annual report the proportion of women employees, women in senior executive positions and women on the board.

68% of the Society’s workforce is female. Females represent 48% of middle management, 62.5% of senior management and 47% of the Society’s Council (Board).

Principle 4 – Safeguard integrity in financial reporting.

Companies should have a structure to independently verify and safeguard the integrity of their financial reporting.

4.1 The board should establish an audit committee.

4.2 The audit committee should be structured so that it:

• consists only of non-executive directors

• consists of a majority of independent directors

• is chaired by an independent chair, who is not chair of the board

• has at least three members.

4.3 The audit committee should have a formal charter.

The Society has an Audit and Investment Committee that meets not less than three times per year. The committee has an independent Chair who is not the Queensland Law Society President and it currently consists of five independent councillors and the CEO. The Audit and Investment Committee operates under a Council-approved Terms of Reference document which is approved by Council and is annually reviewed.



Principle 5 – Make timely and balanced disclosure.

Companies should promote timely and balanced disclosure of all material matters concerning the company.

5.1 Companies should establish written policies designed to ensure compliance with ASX Listing Rule disclosure requirements and to ensure accountability at a senior executive level for that compliance and disclose those policies or a summary of those policies.

The Society is not a public entity and therefore does not have any continuous disclosure obligations. A copy of the Society’s annual report is made available to all members and stakeholders and published on the Society’s website.

Principle 6 – Respect the rights of shareholders.

Companies should respect the rights of shareholders and facilitate the effective exercise of those rights.

6.1 Companies should design a communications policy for promoting effective communication with shareholders and encouraging their participation at general meetings and disclose their policy or summary of that policy.

The Society regularly uses video and teleconferencing facilities to overcome geographical challenges of providing services across Queensland and to ensure regional participation. We have developed a communication strategy to foster a high level of engagement with our members, stakeholders and the broader public. Examples of the execution of this strategy in the past year have included communication with members about the 2013 Council elections and proposed governance changes.

Principle 7 – Recognise and manage risk.

Companies should establish a sound system of risk oversight and management of internal control.

7.1 Companies should establish policies for the oversight and management of material business risks and disclose a summary of those policies.

The Society has established an Audit and Investment Committee with an independent chair that oversees the financial activities, investments, risk management and reporting of the Society. The committee has its own Terms of Reference and meets at least three times per year. We are a statutory body and meet the obligations and requirements of the Financial Accountability Act 2009.

7.2 The board should require management to design and implement the risk management and internal control system to manage the company’s material business risks and report to it on whether those risks are being effectively managed. The board should disclose that management has reported to it on the effectiveness of the company’s management of its material risks.

The Society has adopted an integrated risk management approach, with risk assessments performed routinely in the development of business cases and the normal course of business. Material risks are identified, assessed and captured on a centralised risk register. Management reviews the register at least quarterly and updates it whenever new risks are identified. It is then submitted to both the Audit and Investment Committee and Council for their respective consideration and review.

7.3 The board should disclose whether it has received assurance from the chief executive officer (or equivalent) and the chief financial officer (or equivalent) that the declaration provided

in accordance with section 295A of the Corporations Act is founded on a sound system of risk management and internal control and that the system is operating effectively in all material respects in relation to financial reporting risks.

Through the Audit and Investment Committee, Council receives written assurance from both the CEO and the group financial officer in accordance with Financial Accountability Act 2009. This Act contains similar provisions to section 295A of the Corporations Act 2001.

Principle 8 – Remunerate fairly and responsibly.

Companies should ensure that the level and composition of remuneration is sufficient and reasonable and that its relationship to performance is clear.

8.1 The board should establish a remuneration committee.

8.2 The remuneration committee should be structured so that it:

• consists of a majority of independent directors

• is chaired by an independent chair

• has at least three members.

Given the size and nature of the Society and that Council is elected by Society members, we do not consider it necessary or practical to establish a remuneration committee.

8.3 Companies should clearly distinguish the structure of the non-executive directors’ remuneration from that of executive directors and senior executives.

The President and Vice President are the only non-executive directors (Councillors) who receive an Honorarium for their services to the Society. Council determines the Honorarium from time to time. The non-executive and independent chair of the Audit and Investment Committee is paid an agreed rate.



Our connection continuum

We connect potential clients to members and keep members connected to Queensland Law Society through accessible, responsive communication services. These services deliver business results and the right information for members to strengthen their bottom line and grow their professional knowledge.

In 2013-14 there were increases in:

• referral service inquiries that connect people to our members

• member inquiries to Queensland Law Society

• our social media audiences.

We welcome these positive results that support our members in practice, demonstrate the value of Queensland Law Society services and help us communicate our services, and the benefits of solicitors’ services, to an ever-growing audience.

Building our members’ business

Queensland Law Society connects potential clients to members through our phone and web inquiry referral services. Members need to apply for inclusion on the referral list for which they must satisfy criteria relating to their years of practice and fulfilment of professional standards. Of course, potential clients can choose to use a basic search to find a particular solicitor or law firm, however the referral list helps more law firms connect with clients as searches can be based on areas of law and specialist accreditation.

The success of our referral service is demonstrated by the increase in referrals this year. Phone referrals increased by 7% to 34,578. The majority of phone referrals sought a solicitor in civil litigation, industrial relations/employment law or family law – the same as last year. We encourage practitioners to apply for listing on the referrals database (email [email protected] or phone 1300 367 757).

Access to Find a Solicitor, our web inquiry services resulted in 673,269 pageviews, 1.7% more than last year’s total of 661,466 pageviews. This year, we have not included referrals from Queensland Law Society staff in our calculations, only external access to the service. We are pleased to report that, even without staff access, the service maintained a healthy number of pageviews, offering participating practitioners a valuable referral stream. The Find a Solicitor service was highlighted at the Department of Justice and Attorney-General Law Week Display in Brisbane, as a community service (see page 33).

Communication results speak volumes

Our contact centre responds to hundreds of calls each day from members and the public. In 2013-14 we answered 67,941 phone inquiries, a 3% drop from the previous year. This is largely due to 4701 fewer general inquiries, the result of our relatively new interactive voice response system that has now been running for just over a year. The system provides advice on the types of information available from Queensland Law Society and directs people to online information sources.

Member inquiries increased by 6% to 41,217, equating to 22 member calls every hour. This reflects the growth of valued member services such as ethics and professional standards advice, the specialist accreditation program and learning and professional development events.

These offerings and other important outcomes such as our advocacy activity, media outcomes and other legal profession news are regularly communicated through our social media channels. Our channels increased in take up as all Queensland Law Society staff became involved in feeding in content to keep our members informed, and coordinating campaigns across multiple social media platforms. Our Twitter account has gained more than half as many followers as last year, while our Facebook and LinkedIn audiences have more than doubled.

Twitter: a 64% increase to 2,311 followers

Facebook: a 158% increase to 3,219 likes

LinkedIn: a 112% increase to 2,792 members.



Leading our people forward

Highlights of our internal activity this year included training two Mental Health First Aid officers, and conducting two important assessments – review of our policies against the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation (TJMF) guidelines and our internal staff engagement survey.

Mental Health First Aid

Queensland Law Society is committed to promoting health and wellbeing at work. We now have two certified Mental Health First Aiders who successfully completed the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course run by MHFA Australia, a national not-for-profit health promotion charity that runs mental health training and research.

Self-assessments

QLS’s promotion of MHFA helps ensure a best practice approach to organisational mental health issues as advocated by the TJMF Psychological Wellbeing: Best Practice Guidelines for the Legal Profession. The guidelines were officially launched in May – see page 52 for more information on our adoption of them.

While the guidelines assessed Queensland Law Society’s wellbeing policies and processes, our internal staff engagement survey measured staff commitment, role satisfaction and engagement.

The results showed a high level of commitment among QLS staff (81%). An increasing number of staff feel better informed, that they receive regular feedback from their manager and have a good understanding QLS’s vision. Other encouraging results included:

• 77% of staff were proud to say that they work for QLS

• 79% state that they have clear goals to achieve – these goals are linked directly to the corporate plan

• 81% state that they have a good relationship with their manager.

We are ensuring these results are reinforced through strengthening team members’ involvement in planning and decision-making and their capabilities to achieve our strategic goals.

About the people who serve our members

Queensland Law Society has 99.5 full time equivalent staff. This is an 8% increase on last year, an investment based on assessment of service and project needs to deliver on our corporate and strategic plans. We welcomed 33 new team members through our comprehensive induction program and met our goal of 90% of new recruits staying at least a year.

Our workforce is predominantly female, 68% female:32% male. Females represent 62.5% of our executive leadership team and 48% of our middle management team. We expect the profession will be in a similar position in 2-3 years. Staff turnover increased from 11% to 17%, mainly due to retirement and resignations of long-serving team members.

Staff capability/learning and development overview

We strongly support and encourage ongoing professional development and apply a blended learning solution to learning and development. Our approach is to recognise and build on individuals’ strengths and develop skills that are critical to their respective roles.

Given the diverse roles and skill sets in Queensland Law Society, every team member has a tailored professional development plan to build necessary skills and capabilities. This is based on assessment of capability gaps as part of the annual performance planning process.

In addition, we launched 360 degree reviews for our leadership team with progressive business unit roll out for managers. The reviews focused on four key performance areas – strategic thinking and business planning, leadership, relationship building and commercial acumen. This is an ongoing project that forms the basis of leadership development plans that dovetail with their performance plans.

This year, learning and development activity included:

• attendance at workshops and conferences such as developing high performance teams, providing exceptional customer service and the art of membership, industry events such as the National Ethics Forum, and specialised training such as CPD seminars, Microsoft Office programs and digital marketing.

• eight one-hour ‘lunch and learn’ sessions with topics including de Bono’s six thinking hats, mental toughness

and resilience, e-communication and social media, trust accounting 101, and budgeting and superannuation.

• study assistance for team members undertaking law degrees, certificates in business and training and assessment, the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors Course, and postgraduate qualifications including law, employment relations and MBAs.

• annual refreshers of our regulatory and compliance requirements, including recordkeeping, public records, and the Information Privacy Act.

• planning for project management and service excellence training that will support on time, to-budget project delivery and high quality, tailored member service.

Cross-team collaboration

In 2013-14 a number of initiatives involved cross-team collaboration that resulted in positive outcomes from members. These included:

• finalisation of the Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules commentary – a considerable project undertaken by our Ethics and Design teams that produced 170 pages of content. The commentary will be available in early 2014-15.

• coordination of the iMIS Power Users Group that involves representatives from each division helping their team members navigate and use iMIS (our member relationship management system), as well as identifying reporting and other technical needs for discussion and action in the group.

• the new guidance statements process that leveraged the existing close working relationship between our Professional Standards, Ethics and Advocacy teams to formalise guidance statements’ assessment and production for members

• an effective working relationship between the Advocacy and Communication teams to manage policy issues, communicate these to all staff and provide direction for frontline team members to help manage member inquiries.

QLS staff by employment type

Employment type

Number %

Full time 79 72%

Part time 25 23%

Casual 6 5%



Our leadership team

Noela L’Estrange

Chief Executive Officer

BA (Hons) LLB MAdmin FAICD FAIM

Noela L’Estrange was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Law Society in May 2009.

She is a director of Lexon Insurance Pte Ltd and is a member of its Audit and Investment Committee.

Noela is a director of the Camerata of St John’s and a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management.

She is a member of the management committee for the Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House (QPILCH), which operates the Society’s pro bono legal program, and a member of both the Supreme Court Library Queensland Committee and chairs its Finance and Risk Management sub-committee. She is a member of the Griffith Law School Visiting Committee.

Noela has extensive experience in the legal profession, as a practitioner in both private and public practice, an academic, human resources lawyer, strategic consultant and, immediately prior to her appointment, as the Director of Legal Practice Support for the Australian Government Solicitor in Canberra.

She has been a director of public and private companies, a national director of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association and a councillor for the ACT for the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Erin Bray

General Manager, Marketing and Engagement

GradCertBus AFAMI CPM

Erin Bray joined Queensland Law Society in May 2011 and provides strategic and operational support through corporate branding, member engagement, and marketing products and services.

Erin leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for attraction and retention of members, publications, public relations, internal and external communications, advertising and sponsorship, market research, visual identity, brand awareness and events management.

Erin has also been the President of the Queensland Association of Law Firm Marketers (QALFM) since 2012.

Anne Gately

General Manager, Member Services and Products

MA Dip Ed PGCE MAICD FAIM

Anne Gately is responsible for teams that design and deliver a range of products, services and experiences that are commercially viable and sustainable and which form the member value proposition of Queensland Law Society.

Anne’s experience includes senior management roles in three global professional services firms, including two legal firms, and a national member association.

Anne’s roles were in strategic and operational leadership, marketing and business development.

Anne has experience as a non-executive director of an e-learning company and three professional associations.

Vijay Mavani

Finance Manager

BCA MBA CA

Vijay Mavani joined Queensland Law Society in February 2014 and has overall financial responsibility for the Society.

He holds an MBA from Southern Cross University and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington. Vijay is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

He has extensive experience in financial management and has held senior financial roles in various organisations both in the private and public sector.

Jo Mugglestone

General Manager, Human Resources

Grad Dip Psychology BA (Psychology) BA (Business)

Jo Mugglestone joined Queensland Law Society in February 2014 and is responsible for ensuring that effective human resource and organisational development systems and practices are in place to support the business strategy.

Jo has held key senior leadership roles in human resource management across a range of industries including mining and engineering, aviation and professional services.

Executive leadership team

Gender Number %

Female 5 62.5%

Male 3 37.5%

Management team

Gender Number %

Female 10 48%

Male 11 52%

Queensland Law Society promotes a diverse workforce, evidenced by the number of women in leadership positions.



Bronwyn Neroni

General Manager, Corporate Governance and Strategy Support/Corporate Secretary

BA LLB

Bronwyn Neroni ensures that Queensland Law Society maintains appropriate governance and effectively manages risk and compliance. She is also responsible for working with the Council and the leadership team to develop and implement strategy and manage reporting. She joined the Society in June 2014.

Bronwyn was admitted to practice as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1999. She has experience as a litigation lawyer, in-house legal adviser, legal practice manager and as national manager of the pro bono practice at the Australian Government Solicitor. She is a non-executive director of Deaf Services Queensland.

Katrina North

Corporate Secretary

MBA, GAICD, ACIS

Katrina North joined the Society in May 2010 with a background in strategy, corporate administration and governance and brought experience from a variety of industries including professional services, government-owned corporations, small-to-medium sized enterprises and financial institutions.

She holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, is a Chartered Company Secretary, a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Non-Executive Director of Museum and Gallery Services Queensland.

Katrina resigned in April 2014.

Scott Rowan

General Manager, Corporate Services

BCom CA

Scott Rowan looks after Queensland Law Society’s internal corporate needs, ensuring our IT systems, administrative support, facilities and workplace health and safety systems support operational and strategic requirements.

Scott is a graduate of the University of Queensland and has more than 14 years’ experience in information systems, along with a background in accounting.

He brings a strong drive to deliver on strategic objectives through the selection, implementation and ongoing use of appropriate systems and processes.

Craig Smiley

General Manager, Professional Standards

LLB (Hons)

Craig Smiley joined Queensland Law Society in June 2004. He leads the Society’s Professional Standards Division.

Craig provides leadership to the Professional Standards team across trust account investigations, legal investigations, the Legal Practitioners’ Fidelity Guarantee Fund and external interventions. He is Queensland Law Society’s Deputy Secretary.

Craig has practised law as both a solicitor and barrister in private practice and as a government lawyer.

Anthony Walduck

Chief Financial Officer

BCom, CA

Anthony Walduck joined Queensland Law Society in November 2005 and had financial responsibility for the Group.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia. He commenced his career with a Big 4 chartered accounting firm before holding various senior financial positions with a number of insurers.

Anthony resigned in January 2014.

Dianne Firman

General Manager, Human Resources

Masters of Organisational Development and Strategic Human Resource Management

Grad Dip Organisational Psychology

Dianne Firman joined the Society in April 2010 and was responsible for ensuring effective human resource and organisational development systems and practices to support the business strategy. She has an extensive background in human resource management across a range of sectors including hospitality, airlines, professional services and tertiary education.

Dianne resigned in February 2014.

Documents

Developing our culture - Queensland Law Society...Developing our culture 58 Queensland Law Society | Annual report 2013.14 ASX Corporate Governance Principles Although not a listed