Acting Deputy Chair Holly Kramer (pictured above) has been appointed permanently to the role, while Deidre Willmott has been named a new part-time non-executive director.
The news follows on from Christine Holgate being named as the organisation’s first female CEO, earlier this week.
The appointments will see five women serving on the nine-person board.
And that puts it well ahead of other major boards, particularly in business (although government boards are faring significantly better). Just over one in four board positions at ASX 200 organisations are held be women, and there are currently 13 boards across the ASX 200 that still do not have a single woman represented, and numerous more female-free zones across all ASX listed entities.
Disappointingly, the Australian Institute of Company Directors also recently found that the rate of female appointments has slowed significantly in 2017, at just 30% across ASX 200 boards, compared with 44% in 2017.
Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield made the Australia Post board announcement, saying the appointments will fill the board and “ensure it has a broad range of skills and expertise to steer the organisation during a critical period.”
Holly Kramer has significant expertise in retail and technology, a former CEO of Best & Less she is expected to help support Australia Post’s “customer focus”. She is also a non-executive director on the boards of Woolworths, AMP and Nine Entertainment.
Deidre Willmott will bring organisational transformation, government relations and business expertise experience to the board. She is the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and has formerly held senior roles with Fortescue Metals and as Chief of Staff to the Premier of Western Australia.
Outgoing CEO Ahmed Fahour said that as an advocate for diversity he’s proud to leave Australia Post at a time when, “five of the most senior roles in the business are now filled by women.”
It’s been well reported that the gap in pay between Christine Holgate and her predecessor is worth millions of dollars, as Georgie Dent wrote earlier this week.