Is newly minted Jay Westbury, formerly the head of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, the right fit as CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia?
The FCA’s previous CEO appointment process came under scrutiny earlier this year when Matthew Monaghan swiftly exited the role in April.
As the franchising sector is alert to how the FCA moves forward, the spotlight is on the appointment of Jay Westbury as its new chief executive.
Westbury comes with industry association credentials but hit the headlines four years ago for comments made about A Current Affair’s Tracy Grimshaw, which led to his resignation from the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA).
So is Westbury the right person for the top franchise job?
FCA’s CEO appointment
Franchise Executives spoke with Richard Thame, the new FCA chair, about Westbury’s appointment.
FE: There has been criticism about the FCA’s recruitment process for former CEO Matthew Monaghan; how has this recruitment process differed?
Richard Thame: We didn’t get it right previously and took steps to address that. The FCA advertised the role and canvassed as widely as we could. We had some very experienced applicants, some with industry association experience.
It became very evident in the shortlisting process we needed someone equipped to deal with the challenges the FCA would face in the future. Dr Schaper did an excellent job of articulating the issues in his review of the Franchising Code, and that provided us with a really good brief for the right kind of candidate.
We spoke to people in AFTA, government relations experts and after our recent experience, people who have worked for and alongside Jay. That gave us the confidence he could lead a team.
FE: Jay’s comments about Tracy Grimshaw and his subsequent resignation from the AFTA would have been a red flag in the recruitment process. What convinced the FCA this was not a problem?
Richard Thame: Jay’s passion has caused some controversy in the last few years and we can’t sidestep that. Do we endorse those comments? Of course not. They were poorly chosen words in the heat of the moment, at a time the travel industry was under enormous pressure.
The board looked beyond that, at his achievements over 12 years at AFTA.
FE: What specific achievements in Jay Westbury’s career align with the FCA’s goals and made him a standout candidate?
Richard Thame: Jay has an excellent track record with regulation and deregulation, with industry bodies, and is well-known and respected in Canberra. He is excellent at policy and good with members, and he has worked with large industry groups, some of which are franchised so he understands how franchisees and franchisors think, he understands the vulnerabilities, and he will be a passionate advocate on behalf of both.
What was standout was handling a complex deregulation at state and national level. He also showed the ability to articulate for change, for travel industry reform.
We’re looking for someone who could stay the course, advocate on behalf of members and give them a reason for being a member. We need someone to galvanise the organisation and members behind it, particularly when we are looking at things like licensing. Licensing is proven in other industries, but what can look good from a distance sometimes requires a lot more thought. There is a great opportunity to provide research and data, with someone capable of driving the agenda.
We’re acutely aware that we need to set Jay up to be successful and articulate the needs of members. Members need a good quality team that represents them well, that is on the front foot representing their interests.
FE: With the chair, deputy chair and CEO all based in Sydney, what impact will this leadership shift have on the FCA’s daily operations and office culture?
Richard Thame: We are a national organisation and we are not asking Jay to move to Melbourne. We’ve seen over the last few months that we have some terrific people in the Melbourne office capable of running the organisation on a daily basis, so Jay can be out on the front foot with members, increasingly in regional areas and in Canberra, in what will be the lead up to an election.
FE: How can the board assure FCA members it will respond swiftly to any concerns about the CEO’s performance?
Richard Thame: There’s a real opportunity for the board to reflect on what we could have done differently last year, to put in some clear guard rails, so the board has the right visibility.
The challenge is how do we work most effectively representing the sector? It’s an ongoing process.
The FCA AGM is in November and Jay has plenty of opportunity to meet members beforehand.
We know we need to provide members with more regular business updates and a greater level of transparency.
