Alan Kirkland

CEO, CHOICE

The learning organisation

Upon retrospective: the board went Agile – with Sandra Davey

Someone recently said they’d be dead before Boards and Board of Directors become Agile! But, at CHOICE, they feel optimistic.

A 60 year old social enterprise, CHOICE is largely funded through a digital business that has undergone significant transformation. While much of this transformation has been within CHOICE, it’s been supported by a transformation at Board level. This is a Board that has learned to focus on what the organisation is trying to achieve rather than how, and favours OKRs over traditional business plans. Most of all, it’s a Board committed to continuous learning and improvement.

Board Chair Sandra Davey and CEO Alan Kirkland will talk about their ‘accidental’ Agile journey, and how and why they’re practicing new ways of working. If you’ve ever thought that Boards don’t think about user needs and will never understand Agile, this is the session for you.

About Alan Kirkland

Alan Kirkland has been stirring up trouble since he was a teenager. His career before joining CHOICE in 2012 involved campaigning on issues as diverse as education funding, homelessness and public transport. As CEO of Legal Aid NSW during the global financial crisis, Alan saw the human impact of poor lending practices, which sparked his passion for consumer rights.

These days, Alan sees his job as making sure that CHOICE stays relevant to the needs of Australia’s consumers, all while having a little fun along the way.