The departure of ANF (Acting?) CEO Don MacAskill today is an opportunity for the ANF to regroup from what has been an unsuccessful three years. The mission to unify newsagents behind a single national body has failed, newsagents are quitting the ANF over its involvement in promoting newsagents into the now collapsed Bill Express contracts and suppliers appear less engaged with the ANF than ever.
I’d encourage the ANF Board to reclaim the organisation for the good of newsagents. Specifically, I would propose:
- A thorough and independent audit of all ANF expenses and finances with the results of this audit being made available to all ANF members.
- Separating commercial activity into a separate newsagent owned commercial entity with a board made up of commercially savvy representatives and, most likely, not newsagents.
- Reducing the size of the ANF Board to make its operation more cost effective.
- Undertaking a strategic review of the function of the ANF including considering the role of the organisation, the size and skill of the staff necessary to fulfill this role and the size o the Board to oversee this role.
Newsagents are tired of the politics and are frustrated at the lack of face to face contact with those who represent them. Today’s events are an opportunity to reinvent national leadership for newsagents in pursuit of a strong future for our channel.
Hear hear, I would however recommend one change to the above.
Make the results known to all newsagents regardless of ‘membership’.
Lets really grab this opportunity and let us all own the solution. I for one volunteer time and energy in any way possible to make this so.
A great idea and perhaps ALL board members should now consider their tenure as transitionary to remove links from the past….but do not throw out the baby with the bath water…many newsagents are commercially savvy and should not be excluded from any representation including in a commercial entity…obviously input from commercial board members beyond the newsagents membership base will certainly help and should be actively sought out..but not necessarily dominate at member expense…..it is also worth considering that many newsagents might have significant commercial backgrounds beyond their current self owned vocations…perhaps board or office bearer positions should have minimum qualification and pre-requisite experience like many other commercial entity organisations..This might ensure the right people for the positions for a change…and just bring in best practice behaviour…
Given their performance on bill express the board should resign. A clean sweep is needed. Otherwise newsagents should cancel their membership.
About Don resigning/being forced to go, he’s just being used as a scapegoat.
I doubt the leopard will change its spots until ANF formally apologise for its dealings on BillExp and set about to right the wrong.
On Q dead at 12:17pm, 29 July 2008.