THE review of CBH Group's governance structure is underway and started with a peer review phase which provided the board with insights on the governance processes of other co-operatives around the world.
Representatives of CBH spoke with co-ops including the Capricorn Society, Credit Union Australia, Norco and SunRice in Australia, Alliance Group, Fonterra, Foodstuffs North and Silver Ferns in New Zealand and Co-operative Group and Openfield in the United Kingdom.
CBH chairman Simon Stead said during this phase, they also sought the views of the CBH directors, the CBH Growers' Advisory Council (GAC) and alumni in order to understand the perceptions of the current governance model and potential areas for improvement.
"The discussions and feedback have included views on all elements of governance including term and tenure, nature of representation, skills and capability, election process, board size and role of the GAC," Mr Stead said.
"Additionally, we reviewed materials from a variety of governance and regulatory bodies including the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM), International Co-operative Alliance, Governance Institute of Australia, Australian Stock Exchange and the Australian Institute of Company Directors."
The decision to perform a governance review came after months of turmoil and in-fighting, including the resignation of former chairman Wally Newman and dismissal of ex-director Trevor Badger, which threatened to tear CBH Group apart.
Changing the governance structure of the co-operative has been a hot topic since the annual general meeting earlier this year, when Wongan Hills grower and former board member Robert Sewell suggested reducing the number of grower-elected directors on the board.
CBH will seek feedback from members about the review at upcoming grower meetings around the State in August.
The dates of the meetings can be found at cbh.com.au/ about-cbh/governance-review?src=1
