NT Chamber of Commerce elects two new faces to board

A KFC franchisee and a KPMG partner have been elected to the NT Chamber of Commerce board.

UPDATE:

NT Chamber of Commerce elected two new members to its board at Friday’s AGM.

Alice Springs KFC franchisee Sam Edelman has been elected to the NT Chamber of Commerce board. Picture Chloe Erlich

KPMG partner Sarah Hicks has been elected to the Board

Chamber president Karen Sheldon announced late yesterday Alice Springs-based KFC franchisee Sam Edelman and KPMG partner Sarah Hicks had been elected to the Board.

An existing board member, Group Training NT chief executive Kathryn Stenson, was returned to the board.

The two new members replace current vice president Shaun Pearce and Alice Springs airport manager David Batic, who has relocated to Western Australia.

“The high number of candidates who nominated for Board positions indicates the strength and unity of the business community across the Territory,” Ms Sheldon said.

“The 2022 chamber board is growing in both gender diversity and in regional representation – and I am particularly pleased to see such a broad spectrum of business representation.”

In 2019, Sam Edelman made headlines when he travelled to Paris to meet Michelin Guide director Gwendal Poullennec to pitch his KFC restaurant for a prestigious Michelin star. “He found the idea very entertaining,” he said. “He definitely didn’t give any indication that I would receive a Michelin star.”

Sarah Hicks returned to Darwin in August after a long stint living and working in the UK, China, the Middle East, India and Singapore. She says she is an experienced business transformation and organisational change lead.

Stenson said strong networks between GTNT and more than 100 Territory businesses gives her a broad understanding of the challenges businesses face.

EARLIER: ELECTIONS for the Chamber of Commerce NT’s board of directors will take place this week with plenty of well-known Top End industry leaders putting their names forward for the positions.

Three positions on the board are up for grabs at the election, including those currently held by Shaun Pearce (Ironbark Aboriginal Corporation chief executive), Kathryn Stenson (Top End Group Training chief executive) and David Batic (Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Airports general manager).

Mr Pearce and Ms Stenson have put themselves forward to run for the roles once again.

Chamber of Commerce NT chief operating officer Nicole Walsh said the Chamber was looking for people with the skills to promote and move businesses in the NT forward.

“It’s an elected position by our financial members who are looking for leadership and skills from their board,” Ms Walsh said.

“Our members want to see a variety of skills that progress the Chamber and benefit and move forward business.

“We strongly encourage our members to get involved as it’s a way for them to be a part of the process and we also encourage NT-wide participation so it is great to see two candidates from Alice Springs and one from Katherine.

“We also congratulate the outgoing board members and those standing once again who have given up their time to progress business in the NT.”

Among the 11 candidates is Cricket NT’s Joel Morrison.

Mr Morrison is the current chief executive of Northern Territory Cricket and has 15 years of experience working in the entertainment industry.

NT Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison has put his name forward for the Chamber of Commerce elections. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

He has worked within the Territory and interstate for the Australian Football League, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council.

In 2018 he took up his current post at Cricket NT where he pioneered using cricket as a vehicle to boost the profile of the Top End.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with the Chamber team over the past couple of years and when this opportunity came around I was really keen to get involved,” Mr Morrison said. “I’m a firm believer that any crisis also creates opportunity and the Territory has a great chance to rebound strongly out of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I have a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities of operating a business both within and outside of the Territory.

“My background in repositioning businesses to unlock growth opportunities as we have done with Cricket NT is something I hope to bring to the team.

“Cricket 365 is an example of that with the program used as a vehicle to promote Darwin as a destination to live, study, work and play, in addition to growing Territory cricket.”

As well as Mr Pearce and Ms Stenson the other nominees are Mandik Gowda of Larrakia Nation, Sarah Hicks of KPMG, Sam Edelman of KFC, Jennes Walker of Charles Darwin University, Emma Nesbitt of Darwin Innovation Hub, Colin Southam of St John Ambulance NT, Linda Blackwood of Station Mechanical Solutions and Manfred Mlestin of SAMAF Group. Board members serve a two-year term once elected with an election for half the board each year. Those elected are set to be named on November 26.