International Scholarships Program 2018

A report by the Korn Ferry Institute in collaboration with the AICD found that women CEOs were more likely to have strong skills in six areas.

The international scholarships are designed for directors, aspiring directors and community leaders of organisations with an annual turnover of less than AU$1 million who without financial support, would not be able to undertake such governance training.

The AICD is proud to announce the five chosen international scholarship recipients.

Ritash Ratiram

Ritash Ratiram is the Managing Director of a private aquaculture venture called Growa Fish (Fiji) Ltd (GFL). GFL specialises in fresh water aquaculture of prawns and fish the mission to contribute to food security for the region as well as to run completely on renewable energy. With the support of this scholarship, Ritash is able to attend the Fiji Directors Course and gain the knowledge and skills required for him to implement a strong governance framework to help mitigate various economic, environmental and market access challenges and ensure its long-term sustainability.

Raymond John

Raymond John is a council member of the Papua New Guinea Human Resource Institute (PNGHRI), a not-for-profit organisation responsible for the advancement and development of the HR profession in PNG. Raymond hopes the Fiji Directors Course will enable him to improve the governance of the PNGHRI, and allow him to become a better leader within the organisation, his community and country. As a current lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea’s Business and Management program, Raymond also intends to share the skills and knowledge he gains through the AICD governance training with the future generation of leaders in the country.

Cheryl Thornton

Cheryl Thornton is the Vice-Chair of the all-female board of e7 Daughters of the Emirates, Promise of a Generation (POAG), a volunteer organisation aimed at developing the next generation of female leaders in the United Arab Emirates. Over the next five years the group aim to grow membership across the region to 3000+ socially responsible women who mentor, support and learn from each other. As a relatively new organisation Cheryl’s training through the International Company Directors Course in Dubai will assist her to define the roles and responsibility of the board and to establish a robust governance framework to ensure the longevity and success of the organisation.

Hina Durrani

Hina Durrani has been heavily involved in the multicultural and immigrant community in Australia since moving to Australia from Pakistan in 2014. Among multiple volunteer committee positions she currently serves as Senior Deputy Chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), the peak national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Hina is passionate about board representation of women of multicultural backgrounds and believes the International Company Directors Course in Hong Kong will strengthen her own individual capacity and effectiveness on a board, as well as provide value to the boards and communities she serves.

Katrina Van De Ven

Katrina Van De Ven, Chief Operations Officer of Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA), holds long term goals of transforming her extensive not-for-profit experience into board positions in the international affairs space. With YAIA currently investigation opportunities to appoint a Board Katrina, through the international training of the International Company Directors Course, will be well placed to support this process for the organisation. Given her organisation’s mandate of building Australian leadership in the Indo-Pacific, undertaking the International Company Directors Course in Hong Kong alongside leaders from other countries will also enable her to better understand the governance opportunities and challenges in the region for YAIA and its members.