Football Federation Australia (FFA) has today confirmed that an agreement has been signed for the sale of the Hyundai A-League licence of the Western Sydney Wanderers to a consortium of prominent businessmen.

The consortium is headed by Paul Lederer, CEO of Primo Group and includes Director of Sabre Sports United Jefferson Cheng, the Pirtek director and head of international business, Glenn Duncan, and David Slade, a partner in the Australian branch of the UK retail chain Topshop- Topman.

FFA established the Western Sydney Wanderers in April 2012 and has held the licence for the past two years. The transfer of the licence will be effective from 30 June 2014.

FFA CEO David Gallop said the licence transfer was an important step in the evolution of the Western Sydney Wanderers.

“The Wanderers were built for the people, by the people of Western Sydney,” said Gallop. “That was the promise from day one and FFA has held true to that mission.

“Like FFA before it, the new consortium understands its role as the guardians of the Wanderers. They are entrusted by the members of the club to protect and build on what has been achieved.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Matthew Grounds, Guy Fowler and their team at UBS for the professional manner in which they handled the sale process.”

On behalf of the consortium, Paul Lederer said the culture at the heart of the Wanderers’ success would not be affected by the licence acquisition.

“The spirit of this club comes from the members, fans and the people of Western Sydney,” said Lederer. “Nothing will change in that regard.

“I have been a director of the club for the past two years and I’ve had the privilege to play a part and see first-hand what makes this club so special.

“The consortium has responsibility to ensure the Wanderers have a sound financial base and a strong administration so the club can continue to grow and be successful on and off the field.”

Novotel Sydney Parramatta is driven in providing the best opportunity for workers of the Western Sydney district. The hotel has made a commitment to recruiting talent from local communities and helping them strive to achieve the best of their abilities.

An integral part of this commitment is Novotel’s Human Resources Manager, Ashleigh Carr. Joining the force in the past year, she has helped maintain and build new relationships with partnering educational facilities such as schools, TAFE, as well as Western Sydney businesses, AUSSIP and the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce. Having placed over 20 people in promotions and transfers across Accor in the past year, Ashleigh feels that it is rewarding to see people learn and develop amongst the group.

Ashleigh’s experience expands past her five years with Accor with an extensive background in Human Resources and Hospitality. She has been involved in the changes of employee’s perspectives at work, introducing Accor’s ‘People – ology’ concept. Ashleigh’s take on People – ology, is that employees interact with guests on a more personal level to create a memorable and touching experience for them. Ashleigh’s own personality is warm and bubbly, with her office door always open and ready for staff, even just for a laugh. You might have even seen Ashleigh incognito around town during the hotel’s recent Kermit promotion!

Novotel has developed a strong partnership with local non - profit businesses that help in assisting senior school students practice and develop their industry competencies and their employability skills in a vibrant real work context. The hotel has assisted numerous students to develop skills in food and beverage and take on knowledge that will assist in their future endeavors. During the last few months, Novotel has also taken on TAFE students for Chef Apprenticeships including an adult student, giving them the chance to grow.

Ashleigh and the team at Novotel, have made a priority to help the community further by being heavily involved in local and charitable activities, such as ‘lunch for the homeless’, ‘Are you ok?’, Cancer Council and has just signed up for their first Club Red involvement – whereby as a group they will donate blood in a race with other businesses to assist the well being of others. 

To explore opportunities or to gain work experience in the hospitality industry, kindly contact the hotel on 02 9630 4999 to speak with the friendly, bubbly Ashleigh Carr. 

Have you ever been so overwhelmed, whether at work or with personal issues, that you needed good news to look forward to?

I imagine your answer would be yes. This is exactly what JCME is doing by organising The Annual Shine and Dine Gala Dinner in support of the Make a Wish Foundation.

You are invited to attend this fun night for a great cause. Check out last year’s dinner and think bigger and better!

By attending, you’re giving seriously-ill children (most of whom are sick with terminal diseases) something to look forward to: having their “wish” granted.  Doing so results in a 97% noticeable improvement in the child’s mental and emotional health.

This black tie event will consist of performances, a gourmet dinner, prizes, dancing and an after party as well the opportunity to mingle with celebrities such as

• Celebrity Ambassador and Ironman finalist, Kendrick Louis
• Fashion Commentator, Henry Roth
• The Footy Show presenters, Erin Molan and Beau Ryan
• Celebrity Chef Massimo Mele
• And more!

Please see your invitation below for all details of the event. To purchase tickets or find out more, please go to www.shineanddine.com.au

With the ageing of the Australian population and the retirement age now set to rise to 70, it is more important than ever to encourage experienced workers to remain in the workforce and also introduce programs to pass their skills and knowledge on to others.

In recognition of the fact that mature age workers are critical to Australia’s ongoing economic success, the Australian Government has responded with the Experience+ initiative to support mature-age people to participate in the workforce.

At IPA we’re delighted to have been appointed by the government to consult to employers on mature aged workforce participation as an official provider to the Corporate Champions Program.

Within this initiative, specific support is available to assist employers in recruiting and retaining mature aged workers as well as developing succession plans.

It has been identified that maintaining momentum around workforce participation will require a long-term approach which recognises that achieving sustainable change will be a generational undertaking. As will addressing workforce participation both to introduce new workers to the workforce as much as retain and re-enter existing workers to the workforce.

To work towards this, “Corporate Champions” is part of a $70 million, 4 year allocation, announced by the Government in April 2012, to assist organisations focus on maximising mature age participation and help address negative attitudes and recruitment practices towards mature age people.

Through this program, employers can get assistance to develop workplace practices that assist them to employ mature-age workers and to keep them working in their business for longer, as well as providing some financial incentives.

Your business can reap the benefits of a package of mature age assistance including up to a $10,000 Restart Incentive, grants of up to $4,400 for skills recognition and large employers can receive up to $20,000 worth of consulting assistance consisting of

• A professional assessment of workforce strategies, recruitment and retention practices
  
• Practical help developing an action plan using the Investing in Experience Tool Kit. This could include updating recruitment processes, rolling out new flexible working arrangements and putting into practice retention and mentoring programs for mature-age workers
  
• Support to access Australian Government financial assistance including the Experience+ Jobs Bonus
  
• Advice on positive age management, superannuation, occupational health and safety, career planning, training and age discrimination
  
• Small, medium and large employers may be eligible to receive support through the Corporate Champions program
  
• The program is delivered by a number of expert providers who work with employers in both regional and metropolitan areas across Australia

Platinum Partner, MatthewsFolbigg young lawyer, Clare Kerley, was one of three winners in the Workplace Relations, Employment & Safety Category at the Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 awards.

The winners in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards are ready to leave their mark on the legal profession.

Around 300 people gathered in Sydney’s Ivy Ballroom on Friday night (16 May) to hear the announcement of the 30 winners across 10 categories at this year’s Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards.

A number of the winners came from boutique or small firms, emphasising that clients are attracted to specialist advice rather than big firm reputation in selecting external legal providers.

“The level of access I have to work, the hands-on approach to clients and matters that a small firm gives is extremely rewarding,” said Clare Kerley (picture below left), from Matthews Folbigg in Parramatta, who was one of three winners in the Workplace Relations, Employment & Safety category.

Clare (pictured on the far left with the other winners in this category, Erin Lynch from boutique firm People + Culture Strategies, David Burnton from national firm Mills Oakley and Betty Ivanoff), added that it is “a misnomer” that small firms don’t get big work.

Clare’s client list includes government agencies with over 5000 employees. She is also currently the chair of the NSW Young Lawyers Workplace and Safety Law Committee and a past Generation Connect Chair.

The Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards were open to lawyers throughout Australia, in private practice and in-house, who were under 30 years of age on 16 May 2014, the night of the Awards. Three winners were selected from each of the 10 categories.

June Special Offer - Exclusive to WSBC Members.

When booking our seafood buffet during the month of June all WSBC members will receive a complimentary bottle of our Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (image attached if required) with every booking. Oyster Bay is the  perfect accompaniment to our Sensational Seafood Buffet. To book call 02 9689 3333 and mention that you are a WSBC member to claim this offer.

Every business has intellectual property (IP) - in the brand, the products, processes and innovations.  When they're commercially valuable, owning the rights to this IP can protect you from copycats, attract investment, increase your business asset value and secure your operations.

In this short interview Styli Pelekanos, the General Manager of Regents Park manufacturer, Brio, shares his insights into the company's IP protection strategy. Discussing challenges, risks and successes experienced in a growing manufacturing company, Styli gives direct insight and valuable advice for innovators, startups and SMEs on intellectual property protection.