ABC’s chair hunt lacked equal opportunity, says board member Donny Walford

SA-based ABC board member Donny Walford has publicly criticised the lack of equal opportunity on display during the broadcaster’s recruitment process for the position of chair, which is now held by Ita Buttrose.

ABC board member Donny Walford. Picture Gary Ramage.

SA-based ABC board member Donny Walford has publicly criticised the lack of equal opportunity on display during the broadcaster’s recruitment process for the position of chair, which is now held by Ita Buttrose.

Ms Buttrose, a media veteran, was appointed chair of the organisation on February 28 after Prime Minister Scott Morrison ignored an all-male shortlist nominated by an independent panel.

The panel included three women — Sally Pitkin, Anne Fulwood and Helen Williams — and chairman Ted Evans, who was ill and missed most of the interview process. The panel worked with recruitment firm Korn Ferry on the nominations.

“Three females actually put up all males. I find that bizarre,” Ms Walford told attendees at a Committee for the Economic Development of Australia event on Women in Leadership.

The government does not mandate the make up of the shortlist, but Ms Walford suggested yesterday that should change.

Ms Donny Walford, giving evidence at a public inquiry into ABC Political Interference at NSW State Parliament on Tuesday. Hollie Adams/The Australian

“And so if we had, well the PM had, said (at the start) to not only those who were doing the recruitment as well as the panel: ‘don't bother with a shortlist that doesn’t have equal opportunity, so therefore male and female on the same shortlist. And if you can’t get a shortlist that has a male and female on it, then I’ll get someone who can’,” she said.

Ms Walford’s comments came in response to a question from an audience member, a Wilderness Girls High School student, on the issue of gender equality and equal opportunity.

“We have been looking at gender equality for many years and I don’t see a lot of change unfortunately. But in equal opportunity, if we strive for that (more can be done),” Ms Walford said.

She used the appointment of the new chair of the ABC as an example of a recent opportunity that had not been offered to men and women equally.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and ABC Chair Designate Ita Buttrose take questions from media during a press conference in Sydney, Thursday, February 28, 2019. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

The shortlist provided to the PM reportedly included Gilbert+Tobin managing partner Danny Gilbert, former Fairfax Media chief executive Greg Hywood, former News Corp Australia chief executive Kim Williams and Holding Redlich national managing partner Ian Robertson and followed an extensive global search by Korn Ferry.

PM Morrison has previously said he was surprised there were no women on the shortlist.

Ms Buttrose was eventually chosen to take over from Justin Milne, who left the job six months ago after a much-publicised clash with former managing director Michelle Guthrie.

She is the second woman to chair the ABC after Dame Leonie Kramer AC DBE in the early 1980s.

Ms Buttrose has promised an “open field” of candidates to become the new managing director, including current acting director David Anderson, who has applied for the position.

The Federal government has previously faced criticism for ignoring the panel’s recommendations and appointing Ms Walford, acting chair Kirsten Ferguson, Vanessa Guthrie and Joseph Gersh to the board.