I would like to congratulate the 21 members who have nominated for the AIIA Board and wish them well in the coming election. Your nomination is a signal of commitment to, and interest in, the many AIIA actives and initiatives and its broader objective to grow the ICT industry in Australia.

I have enjoyed 13 years on the AIIA board and the privilege to serve as the education and skills task force chair for 10 years as well as being involved with many of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and other groups.

After three years as chair of AIIA I will soon pass the baton to my successor and thought it may be helpful to summarise some key factors about the Board and the role of directors in matters such as governance, strategy and program initiatives.

Members have different perceptions about the AIIA Board, but from my observation are that the AIIA Board is representative of all members with CEOs from local SMEs and multinational corporations as well as from all sectors of our industry.

As a fundamentally voluntary organisation with a small full time staff, AIIA operates in a particularly inclusive way to ensure that any progress is sustainable and in the best interest of the whole ICT industry.

The opportunity for board members to contribute to the future direction of the industry is extensive with AIIA continuously lobbying government and legislative decision makers for key industry objectives.

Among the more significant issues discussed recently are a potential merger with another association and an environmental policy initiative along with implementation of capped liability and IP commercialisation in government contracts.

AIIA is regarded highly by government as a serious and influential industry association and is invited regularly to contribute to an array of enquiries and reviews.

During the last federal election campaign, the board executive played a significant role in lobbying activities which resulted in both major parties making commitments on capping liability in government ICT contracts, the effective release of IP from government projects to allow commercialisation, and an increase in funding for the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG).

As well as the interaction with government, board members play a significant role in deciding the AIIA’s direction through the creation of SIG’s and specific project task forces to deliver policy outcomes. Existing task forces include education and skills, public policy and government business. The taskforces are complemented by a number of SIGs which include local industry, environmental policy, females in IT, multiPLIERS, product regulation, remuneration survey, marketing and legal.

Being an AIIA board member provides a unique opportunity to have a direct influence on the future of the ICT industry in Australia through working closely with colleagues of ‘like mind’.

Although the demands of operating a full time business sometimes restrict how much directors can contribute to the position, all consider it a privilege and manage their load by incorporating in their day to day lives an on going thought process focused on the development of the ICT Industry.

I look forward to working with those AIIA members whose nomination for the board is successful to ensure the continuing development of an economically sustainable and increasingly strengthened ICT industry.

John Price
Chairman
Australian Information Industry Association