AuSAE congratulates member Matthew Monaghan on his recent appointment as National Chief Operations Officer at Optometry Australia. Monaghan first entered the not-for-profit sector in 2006 and in the lead up to this appointment held various management roles within the sector including responsibilities encompassing membership, events, sponsorship and people management. Recently Monaghan kindly shared his musings with AuSAE’s General Manager Australia Kimberley Miller.
You have clearly achieved a great many things throughout your career, how did you get your start?
My first role within the not-for-profit sector was at the Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV). With a background in events management and marketing I joined to oversee the delivery of events for the organisation, shifting from a model of external PCO’s to building a capable and sustainable events team within the organisation. The organisation was evolving and I had the opportunity to identify some great mentors, be it lifelong members or board members. This really cemented the purpose of working within the not for profit sector, building relationships and not a transactional approach. I quickly found that to successfully manage an events unit, significant multiskilling was necessary and the position presented great exposure to finance, governance, marketing and stakeholder management. Over time I set up processes, procedures and policies that were implemented organisational wide and that achievement highlighted to me that I wanted to explore more generalised management roles within the not-for-profit sector.
What is your biggest professional achievement to date?
My biggest professional growth period was certainly my time at the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA). Over a five year period, I had the pleasure of building the organisation from a small not-for-profit with staff handling extremely diverse duties, to a medium sized not-for-profit with four dedicated business units each reporting to a line manager. The reach of the state division also increased to encompass three regional offices. During my time at IPAA, their was significant change and the need for adaptability. I commenced as Manager of Events and Member Services, progressing and over time to Operations Director, before taking on the CEO role for a period of 7 months.
The organisation grew rapidly from a team of 7 to 28 which saw my focus shift to change management and the establishment of good governance practices. My key takeaway from this journey is that without strategy, change is merely a substitute rather than progress that can lead the organisation forward.
What was the hardest work project you have ever undertaken?
While at the IPAA, the organisation experienced a significant decline in event attendance over a twelve month period due to changes facing the sector. It was with this challenge that presented an opportunity to undertake a project we called “Public Sector Week”. This was an opportunity to celebrate the work of the public sector with the focus on uniting and celebrating the work of the sector and importantly educating the public of the work of the sector. The IPAA set out to hold a record number of events in the space of one week, attract media attention and a large attendance all while running our core services in the background. I expected this to be a high risk, high stress project, however I did not foresee the resignation of IPAA’s CEO, and two team members due to various personal circumstances all within a short time frame before the launch. I am pleased to share that Public Sector Week was a success with 97 events, facilitated across 40 event sites in both Metropolitan and Regional Victoria held and an attendance in excess of 8,000. To read more about Public Sector Week please click here.
What exciting projects are you commencing in your current role at Optometry Australia?
It is an exciting time for Optometry Australia having recently undertaken a name change and realigned strategic priorities through a new innovative strategic plan. I am leading the implementation of a National IT infrastructure project for the organisation as well as working across the business, a very exciting opportunity as this is a driver for our member engagement strategy. I have various projects both at operational and strategic levels working with both the state offices and National Executive and board.
What would you say to someone starting out in the not-for-profit sector with a view to become a future leader?
Be an architect of your own outcomes and make sure you take every opportunity to diversity your skills. Communication and collaboration is key whilst being able to take a step back and celebrate your collective achievements as a team. I would also recommend taking on a mentor and attending regular sector networking events to meet people who can help you on your journey. Whilst we all work to service different sectors we all have the common objective of contributing to the outcomes of a specific sector and supporting and equipping professionals to truly enhance the capacity and capability of the sector. I have worked across the health, property, government sectors within member based organisations the ability to transfer skills across sectors and attending AuSAE activities has supported these transitions whilst building very beneficial networks.
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AuSAE thank member Matthew Monaghan for appearing in the September Edition of AuSAE Insider. AuSAE recognises a current member every month, acknowledging their success and ongoing commitment to advancing the not-for-profit sector. If you would like to share your story with other executives, please contact Kim Miller, GM Australia AuSAE at kimberley@ausae.org.au.
