INTHEBLACK June 2022 - Magazine - Page 68
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// G I V I N G B A C K
STORY KATIE LANGMORE
PLUGGING
THE GAP
MICHAEL WILSON FCPA IS NO STRANGER TO BEING
INVITED TO SERVE ON A COMPANY BOARD, WITH
MULTIPLE ORGANISATIONS INSPIRED BY HIS
ENTHUSIASM FOR AND INTEREST IN THE NUTS AND BOLTS
OF THE BUSINESS, AS WELL AS HIS PASSION FOR FILLING
THE NEED FOR A STRONG SKILL SET IN FINANCE.
T
here are many reasons to join a board. You
might have a personal connection to the
organisation you’re supporting or want to
further your career or give back to your community.
When Michael Wilson FCPA is asked what his
reasons are for joining a board, his response is
perfectly unadorned and blunt in his no-nonsense,
Aussie style: “Because someone asked me to.”
Talking to Wilson, it becomes clear that a fair few
people have asked him to volunteer his time over
the years. Yet it is equally clear that it’s not the only
driver in his directorships. Wilson clearly loves a
challenge, to join an organisation that is in need of
some financial guardianship and give it his all.
On more than one occasion, Wilson has
recognised a definite need for his finance skills on
the boards he has served on. In his experience,
directors bring diverse skills to a boardroom, but
not always the skill set to manage the books.
“Some people who join boards can overplay
or underplay the technical skills they bring to the
organisations, but at the end of the day the most
important thing potential directors require is an
enquiring mind,” says Wilson, who has certainly
brought the trait to his roles as deputy chair at
Volunteering Victoria and treasurer at Brite Services.
Brite Services is a not-for-profit and social
enterprise that offers employment opportunities
for people with intellectual disabilities. It was
established in the 1970s, after a group of parents
and carers lobbied for an inclusive workplace for
people of all abilities. In response to their efforts,
local and state government, local service clubs
and families came together to purchase land in
Broadmeadows, Victoria, build a factory and offices
and establish the organisation.
“We manufacture goods such as the 2kg and
4kg Peter’s ice cream tubs. We pack Brite Muesli.
68 ITB June 2022
Michael Wilson FCPA with a
"Brike" – an electric powered
pushbike with an attachment
in front for a wheelchair.
Brite Services is a
Melbourne-based
not-for-profit social
enterprise and charity
that offers disability
employment services,
support and training.
Brite Services was
established in 1976
and now employs
200 staff – including
140 supported
employees – who
work in
manufacturing and
a plant nursery.
brite.org.au
CLICK HERE
TO ACCESS
CPA Australia’s
resources on
voluntary or pro
bono accounting
services
We grow plants – in fact all the plants used for the
new green spaces along the Epping Line were from
Brite,” explains Wilson.
The organisation is also paid by the National
Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as part of its
employees’ disability support packages. “It’s such
an essential part of their social wellbeing – for some
of our supported staff it means everything to them,”
says Wilson.
It’s clearly a worthy and respected organisation
with a solid record, but when Wilson was asked by a
friend to join the board, he soon realised how much
it was struggling.
“Not everything had been going to plan financially
for a couple of years,” explains Wilson. “The finances
needed some work… But the intent was definitely
still there among the staff.”
As treasurer, Wilson has helped to steer the
organisation through the difficulties of the pandemic
while getting it back on track financially. It is even
taking steps towards a new product called a Brike.
“It’s an electric-powered pushbike with an
attachment at the front for a wheelchair, so
someone in the wheelchair and someone on the
bike can go for a ride together,” explains Wilson,
clearly and justly delighted by the product. “Toyota
is coming onboard to support the project.”
It’s an enthusiasm that surpasses a mere
obligation to a friend, and it’s a real interest in the
nuts and bolts of a business that has seen him
invited to bring his skills – gained over 30-plus
years managing Wilson Business Services – to many
boards and committees.
There are countless reasons accountants join
boards, but perhaps the primary reason is that
their skillset is deeply needed. If you’re recruiting
for someone as dedicated and capable as Michael
Wilson, you just need to ask.