A big welcome back to Marina Go, our founding publisher who rejoins us as a regular contributor — sharing tips and anecdotes from her portfolio career which includes a new start-up called The Daily Siren, as well as a number of board positions including chairing the West Tigers and her latest, joining the board of the just listed Autosports Group.
I am a seasoned career planner. Very little of my career has occurred due to chance or luck. And so I have never sat back and hoped for that. But timing has always been critical in successfully executing each next stage.
The final chapter in my book Breakthrough begins with the assertion that “new beginnings are liberating and should be embraced”. When I wrote that in January this year, I was thinking about when, rather than if this would happen. My youngest son had completed high school and had been offered a place in his dream tertiary course, my oldest son had just graduated from university with a Commerce degree. I begin to feel as though the timing could be ideal for a new beginning to my career.
Anyone who has read my book will know that I have spent the past decade working towards this next stage of my career. The seeds of my plan for a board portfolio career “one day” were planted shortly after I graduated with an MBA in 2003.
I have spoken at great length about the fact that it has taken me a decade to achieve my plan to join an ASX board. I have worked hard to develop a skill-set that would offer value to boards and I have networked to build my profile with the business community. I have also attended relevant courses, conferences, seminars and participated in the Australian Institute of Company Directors Chairmen’s Mentoring program.
And although my first board appointment, The Apparel Group, was paid, for the first decade of my career sitting on not-for-profit boards in the sport, arts and health sectors, there was barely more than expenses paid.
But the experience gained was priceless and worth every hour of my time.
As the result of all of that, about six weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to join the board of a company that was about to list on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Two weeks ago that decision caused me to take the leap from a 30+-year executive career to begin the next stage of my career as a non-executive company director.
And this week the board that I joined, Autosports Group (ASX: ASG), listed. It was an extraordinary event to be a part of and an experience that has launched my next career in the best possible way.
I have fully embraced the new experience, transforming the way that I work, where I work and even how I travel to meetings. It’s early days, but it would be hard to think that I will be looking back anytime soon.