As a Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC) Old Collegian myself, I take great pride in the College. I am also proud to be part of the PMSA’s transformational journey to achieve our Christian mission and become a progressive leader in independent education.
Following the resignation of College Council Chair and PMSA Board member Mark Gray last night, I am pleased to inform you that long-term College Council member John Down will become the Acting Chair.
PMSA Board member and current BBC parent Dr Bridget Cullen will also join the College Council as Deputy Chair. The College Council and the PMSA will now work together through the nomination and appointment process to appoint a new Chair.
Operationally, Headmaster Paul Brown and his team will continue to capably lead the College. Paul will continue to report to the BBC Council and we look forward to working together to achieve our Group’s and College’s vision.
On behalf of the PMSA Board and the BBC Council, I would like to thank Mark for his contribution.
May I now take this opportunity to share how the PMSA is evolving.
As the owner and governing body which employs more than 1000 staff across the four schools, the PMSA continues our journey to ensure the long-term prosperity, sustainability and business performance of the Group. This allows each school to protect their unique identity and maintain their individual operations with their School Council.
Our Group strategic vision involves transforming our governance into modern contemporary practice and improving our Group’s professional capabilities. This change process is well underway.
We now have 40 highly-qualified and experienced volunteer governance members across the PMSA Board, Committees and School Councils who together share our strategic vision.
In the past, we have been publicly criticised for not operating an efficient, contemporary organisation. In addition to our recent governance appointments, we have made significant improvements to establish valuable Group capabilities. These reflect those demanded of a large and complex organisation as well as those of a leading education institution.
Our Group capabilities are already adding value to our schools, creating opportunities for students, reducing organisational risk and ultimately reducing costs. These capabilities represent roughly two per cent of the Group’s total expenses.
Exciting projects underway include:
- implementing Group-wide systems for regulatory and legal compliance as well as professional standards in areas such as risk management and child protection and safeguarding.
- leading the development of contemporary enterprise practice across the Group including best-in-class policy and workplace thought-leadership.
- maximising group purchasing power and efficiencies of scale, which enable schools to invest in student resources and infrastructure.
- identifying and capitalising on innovative opportunities for the future competitive advantage of our schools.
The effective implementation of initiatives like these will provide value to every PMSA stakeholder – staff, students and parents. And these results are only the beginning.
The PMSA Board is absolutely committed to ensuring the most efficient and effective management and governance of the Group. This enables our schools to completely focus on providing outstanding Christian education for the more than 4500 students currently in our care and the many more students and families who will become a part of our school communities in the future.