Determinants and Resultant Impacts of the Composition of the Boards of Australian Partners of Humanitarian International Non-Government Organisations

This qualitative analysis of seven case-study organisations explored the factors determining the board composition of Australian partners of Humanitarian International NGOs. The desire for compliance skills, gender equality and diversity drives recruitment more than the need for sector expertise, resulting in significant governance gaps. This gap is amplified when a CEO external to the sector is hired. There is little debate as to whether the framework of super-majority independent, non-executive directors should be followed unquestioningly. The two main recommendations are that sectoral- and firm-expertise should be seen of equal importance, and that CEOs should be appointed as executive directors.