2026 Call for Director Nominations

 

The Association of Biosafety for Australia and New Zealand is seeking nominations from interested and suitably qualified members to fill two (2) Elected Director positions that will become available in November 2026.

The current ABSANZ constitution allows for 9 directors, 7 Elected Directors and 2 Board appointed directors.  

The ABSANZ Board has overall responsibility for the governance of the association and its strategic development and growth, with key functions delegated to several Committees and Association Management.

To ensure that the Board has the right balance of skills to effectively lead the association into the future, ABSANZ is seeking nominations from individuals with the following skills and experiences.

  1. Industry experience – Architecture/Design, Engineering, Construction, Clinical Trials, Laboratory and Facility Managers 

  2. Finance, Governance and Funding Experience – Experience in financial management, corporate governance, risk management, compliance, grant applications and submissions, funding opportunities and/or securing external funding.

  3. Strategic thinker – you love mapping out big-picture plans and have a proven knack for shaping and driving organisational strategy.

  4. While board and committee experience is desirable, it is not essential.

 

It is also desirable for the Board to encompass diversity in aspects such as gender, age, background, and perspective. It is envisaged you will complement existing Board members. The ABSANZ Board has a broad range of skills and experience. The current directors can be viewed here:Board of Directors

Directors will be appointed for an initial three (3) year term with Board meetings held quarterly over teams during the day to accommodate time zones.  It is an expectation that each board member serve on one sub-committee in addition to contributing to online strategy and development meetings and events.

The Board of Directors is responsible for governance, focusing on the wider issues of the association's purpose, including the setting and monitoring of strategic direction, overall risk management and the monitoring of the Association's overall performance.

The Board works in close partnership with its committees and the Association Manager to ensure that ABSANZ objectives and goals are achieved.

How to Nominate

 Nominations for the position of Elected Director need to be:

    • In writing, by completing the  2026 Directors Nomination Form
    • Signed by the nominee certifying their willingness to accept the nomination.
    • Endorsed by (2) current ABSANZ Members
    • Including a photograph (head/shoulders) and biography (max 100 words)
    • Include a Statement of Board Intent indicating your objective(s) for nominating to join the ABSANZ Board (up to 250 words).

A completed nomination form must be received by ABSANZ no later than Friday 9th October 2026 5:00pm (AEST)