The Board of the Australian Institute of Company Directors has appointed Angus Armour as the organisation’s new Managing Director & CEO.
Armour, who will start in the role in early October, comes to the AICD after a distinguished career in Australia and overseas in financial services and advising business and government, particularly on trade and investment issues. Armour is currently Principal Adviser at the Business Council of Australia, focused on innovation and disruptive technologies.
AICD Chairman Elizabeth Proust said Armour had strong leadership experience in government and non-government organisations in Australia and overseas.
“Angus brings to the AICD decades of experience working with governments, business leaders and the public service,” Proust said.
“He has strong relationships across Australia and the region, which will be important as we continue to grow the AICD’s reach and influence. Angus is the right person to take the organisation forward at a time when corporate governance issues are more important to all organisations than ever before.”
Armour said, “Australia is rightly seen as a leader when it comes to corporate governance and I look forward to continuing the AICD’s crucial work further improving the knowledge and skills of current and potential company directors.”
“Directors are facing an increasingly complex and challenging environment, making the role of governance education more important than ever,” he said.
Under Armour’s leadership, the AICD’s goal will be to cement its role as a key influencer in the creation of world-leading governance laws and practices in Australia, and help boards and directors achieve excellence in governance.
Before his current role at the BCA, Armour was Deputy Secretary of the NSW Department of Trade and Investment from 2013 to 2015. Previously, he spent 20 years in management roles at the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, including a decade as Managing Director and CEO. He has an MBA and Economics degree from Queen’s University, Canada; and is a Fellow of both the AICD and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.
Proust said Rachel Gatehouse, who has led the AICD as Acting CEO since late 2016, will continue to direct AICD’s activities until October, at which time she would resume her role as CFO and General Manager, Corporate Services.
“Rachel has done a tremendous job in the role this year. We cannot thank her enough for her strong leadership under challenging circumstances,” Proust said.