Women in Seafood Australasia (WISA) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

WISA adopted this structure in 2022 to support its growth as a national and Australasian organisation and strengthen accountability, transparency and good governance.

Our Board is responsible for WISA’s overall governance and strategic direction and works to ensure the organisation remains focused on its purpose, financially sustainable and accountable to its members.

WISA’s Board combines geographic representation with the ability to bring additional skills and expertise into the organisation.

Under the WISA Constitution, the Board includes:

• One elected Director from each Australian State and Territory
• One Australasian Director, representing the broader Australasian region
• Up to two Independent Directors, appointed by the Board to contribute additional skills, experience or expertise

This structure helps WISA maintain strong connections across different regions and parts of the seafood industry, while building a Board with a complementary mix of skills, knowledge and perspectives.

State, Territory and Australasian Directors are elected by WISA members and serve three-year terms.

Director terms are staggered so that Board membership changes progressively rather than all elected positions becoming vacant at the same time.

Elected Directors may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, meaning they can ordinarily serve for up to six consecutive years.

If an elected position is not filled, the Board may appoint an eligible member to temporarily fill the position for up to one year, or until an appropriate Director is elected.

The Board may appoint up to two Independent Directors where additional skills, experience or expertise would strengthen the Board.

Independent Directors are appointed for one-year terms and do not need to be WISA members.

The Constitution does not specify a maximum number of consecutive one-year appointments for Independent Directors.

If an elected Director leaves the Board before completing their term, the Board may appoint an eligible person to fill the casual vacancy.

A Director appointed to a casual vacancy serves until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting, when they may be eligible to stand for election.

The WISA Board provides leadership, governance and strategic oversight for the organisation.

The Board’s role is not to manage WISA’s day-to-day operations. Instead, Directors work collectively to:

• set and monitor WISA’s strategic direction
• oversee financial performance, risk and organisational sustainability
• ensure WISA meets its legal, governance and compliance responsibilities
• safeguard WISA’s purpose, values and reputation
• represent and promote WISA within the seafood community
• support strong relationships with members, industry and other stakeholders
• oversee the organisation’s performance and hold management accountable for delivering the strategy

Being a WISA Director is an opportunity to contribute to the future of WISA and help create positive change for women across the seafood industry.

Directors bring their own experience, perspectives and connections to the Board, while acting collectively in the best interests of WISA.

WISA values diversity in culture, skills, experience, industry background and location. No Director is expected to bring every capability. Instead, WISA aims to maintain a Board with a balanced and complementary mix of skills and perspectives.

Previous Board or governance experience is valuable, but it is not the only thing that matters. Commitment to WISA’s purpose, sound judgement, collaboration and a willingness to contribute are equally important.

More detail is available in the WISA Director Information Kit.

The WISA Constitution sets out the formal rules governing WISA, including membership, Director appointments and elections, Board responsibilities and general meetings.

You can read WISA Constitution HERE.