Australian Vintage Limited’s, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Alicia Morris, has been named the 2023 winner of the “Governance Top 100” prestigious nationwide award acknowledging governance professionals who take their role to the next level.
The award highlights the importance of governance professionals, with nominees including an elite field of corporate governance professionals across a range of ASX-listed companies, not-for-profit groups, government and government owned corporations, private and unlisted public companies.
Launched in 2020 by 3YS Owls Governance Consultants, Co-founder and Director of 3YS Owls, Deb Anderson, said “Ms Morris is a worthy winner chosen from a high calibre of outstanding achievers and finalists for this year that represent a broad range of industries including local Councils, agriculture, banking and financial services, and a good mix of diversity.”
Morris is recognised for creating governance frameworks at global wine and drinks company Australian Vintage, which she joined in 2010.
Anderson said the judging panel was impressed by the high standard of the submissions and appreciate that Governance professionals are humble and can find it challenging to promote themselves.
Some of the attributes that stood out amongst these outstanding governance professionals included an increased focus on key ESG issues, working towards net zero emissions targets, climate-change related financial disclosures, modern slavery reporting, an increased utilisation of artificial intelligence (in an ethical manner) and cyber security to manage compliance with regulatory, governance and risk frameworks.
“Each of the nominees should be proud of the contribution that they have made and will continue to make to governance within their organisations.”
“This award truly emphasises the value and benefit of robust governance frameworks and the individuals that are responsible for driving these initiatives. Alicia is a true example of that, being named a finalist for both 2020 and 2023 as well as taking out this year’s award for winner of Governance Top 100 2023,” she said.
Award winner, Alicia Morris said she has been with the innovative wine and drinks company, Australian Vintage for over thirteen years and leads their legal team and governance portfolio and was incredibly proud of the governance journey she has been able to drive with the board of directors and broader team.
“I am so proud of my efforts to create governance frameworks for Australian Vintage to support and drive our powerful ESG ambitions, which will ensure our business is thriving for many years to come. Our sustainability roadmap incorporates our vision for the net positive impact we would like to create in our business and industry, with the intention of putting more back into the environment, society and economy than we take out. By creating governing frameworks, alongside goals and programs, we can move towards this positive future.”
To recognise Ms Morris’s achievement, her photo appeared on Friday 3 November 2023 (DST) on Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square, New York.