AMTIL’s members were out in force on 22 October for our annual general meeting (AGM) at the Riversdale Golf Club in south-east Melbourne.
The event drew an impressive turnout, with a mix of new and long-term members in attendance and a packed schedule of association business to get through. Members in attendance were able to hear about AMTIL’s latest plans and initiatives, as well as getting an update from AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti on the previous year’s activities.
AMTIL President Paul Fowler gave a Welcome address, while Board Member Saxon Fletcher provided a summary of AMTIL’s financial report. Fletcher, along with fellow Board members Brigitte Stavar and Mark Dobrich, were all up for nomination, and were renominated for another two-year term. In addition, AMTIL welcomed a new member to its Board, as Phil Xuereb of Sutton Tools was confirmed to join.
“We’re very glad that all of our Board members will remain in place,” said Infanti. “All of the Board give up their time completely voluntarily to do this, so on behalf of AMTIL and its membership, I’d like to express our gratitude for their invaluable contribution. And I’d like to welcome Phil, whose experience and insight will be of great benefit to AMTIL going forward.”
Amid the usual items of business, the AGM also featured presentations on issues of importance to AMTIL members. Jeannette Hanna from AusIndustry was first to speak, offering a wealth of advice on how businesses could make the most of some of the government assistance schemes available, including the R&D Tax Incentive, the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and Tradex. She also shared some insights on the activities of the Federal Government’s Industry Growth Centres.
Hanna was followed by Rina Rose’meyer, Victoria Manager – Industry Skills at the Department of Education & Training. Rose’meyer outlined the key elements of the Government’s Industry Skills Fund, which provides grants and advice for companies seeking to invest in training and improve the skills of their workforce.
The final presentation, from Tony Hood, Director of Corporate Advisory at William Buck, was an informative talk on preparing your business for sale. Hood offered some invaluable tips on how to protect your business during the realisation process, how an investor might value your business, and what sort of factors can erode corporate value.
Once all the business was done, the AGM offered a chance for AMTIL members to network with each other, catching up with old friends, and establishing new contacts. It was also a chance to interact with members of the AMTIL team, who as always were glad to hear members’ views on the association and its future direction.
“I would like to thank the staff of AMTIL, under Shane’s leadership, for your daily efforts and passion for AMTIL and its members,” said Fowler. “Thank you to all AMTIL Board members for your continued commitment and input into the strategic development and guidance of AMTIL; your time and contribution is highly valued. A big thanks, saved to last, goes out to all our Members. Your support of AMTIL, our activities and initiatives makes AMTIL a proudly professional Industry Association delivering value to its members.”
If you would like contact any of the speakers to discuss the content of their presentations, AMTIL would be happy to make the necessary introductions. Please contact Events Manager Kim Warren on kwarren@amtil.com.au