The Director's Onboarding Playbook with Julie Coates, Director, Wesfarmers & Scentre Group and Former Managing Director & CEO, CSR

"You need to live through the board meetings and the committee meetings and the annual cycle." - Julie CoatesJulie Coates, Director of Wesfarmers and former CEO and Managing Director of CSR, discusses what successful director onboarding actually looks like in practice. From pre-joining meetings with each existing director to understanding board dynamics, from coordinating with business unit leaders to leveraging the company secretary's support, Julie provides a comprehensive playbook for new directors joining complex organisations. She discusses why onboarding should start before the first board meeting, how to be purposeful about timing, and the importance of patience in contributing effectively during your first year on the board._______________Note: Julie Coates was interviewed in September 2025. Since this interview, Julie has ceased to be a director of the Green Building Council of Australia and been appointed as a director of Scentre Group.________________Follow Podcast Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Conway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInFollow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInVisit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boardcycle website