[Osia-members] Resignation

[Jack Burton]

Afternoon, all.

As noted at last week's AGM, irreconcilable differences have arisen as
between myself and one of the other 2015/16 directors who was also
re-elected at the AGM, on matters of probity, diligence and governance
in general.

Those differences are of such a fundamental nature, that from my own
personal, legal risk management perspective I feel strongly that I can
no longer serve alongside him on the board.

Quite apart from my own interests, it is also abundantly clear to me
that the OSIA board cannot continue to function effectively whilst it
retains amongst its number two people with such completely opposite
views on what it means to be a director. So for the good of the
company, clearly one or other of us must go.

I raised the matter at the October board meeting and asked the director
in question to consider standing down at the AGM, for the good of the
company, but he declined to do so. In the week since the AGM I have
made the same request again, with the same result.

Accordingly and with great sorrow in my heart, earlier this afternoon I
offered my resignation as a director of OSIA, as foreshadowed at the
AGM.

It has been a great privilege to serve on the board of OSIA for seven
years (the last six consecutively; the last five as chairman) and I
thank the members for having granted me that privilege.

I note that during my tenure as chairman, OSIA's rate of submission
lodgement has increased sixfold, our rate of other direct government
engagement has increased fivefold, our rate of mentions in the media
has also increased somewhat (although to a far lesser extent) and we
are now for the first time in a position where governments are not only
starting to listen to our industry's voice, but are pro-actively
engaging with us and seeking our advice.

I am justifiably proud of those achievements, but I recognise that they
would not have been possible without the substantial contributions of
the wide range of highly talented individuals I have had the pleasure
of serving with on the OSIA board over the years.

I would like to take a few moments to thank those people.

People like Brendan Scott who first inspired me to join OSIA & later to
join its board and the other luminaries of the "old" OSIA such as Con
Zymaris, Arjen Lentz, Del Elson, Donna Benjamin & Avi Miller, each of
whom were a great inspiration to me in his or her own way.

People like Bob Birchall, Bob Waldie, Carl Holden & Stuart Guthrie, who
were the stalwarts of OSIA's resurrection following the crisis of 2010.
Bob Birchall in particular, in his former role as Company Secretary,
was by far the most valuable adviser on the finer points of corporate
governance with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working.

People like Paul Gampe who both dragged OSIA's infrastructure kicking &
screaming into the 21st century and edited the first edition of OSIA's
highly regarded case studies brochure, or like Don Christie who led
(and over in New Zealand still leads) the charge against TPP, or like
Anastasia Kuusk who (with help from Sir Tim Purcell and later Aimee
Maree Forsstrom) finally solved the hitherto intractable problem of
OSIA's public website, despite being the only person ever to tackle
that problem who was not herself a web developer.

And of course people like Paul Foxworthy & Aimee Maree Forsstrom, whose
distinguished contributions to OSIA's recent public policy efforts
stand in print for all to see forever more or like Jessica Field
without whose ground-work on the VPM project we would not have our
highly successful focus today or like Steven Sackett whose tireless
work behind the scenes has kept us easily solvent and fully compliant
in recent years.

Thankyou to all those people -- it has been a pleasure to work with you
all.

Thankyou also to Andrew Yeager -- whilst I never had the privilege of
working directly with you, without your heroic efforts in 2010, OSIA
would not exist today.

If there are others whose roles in OSIA's growth & successes I've
overlooked I apologise -- there have been so many great minds at OSIA
over the years it is sometimes difficult to keep track.

Notwithstanding my departure from the board, let me assure you that I
remain a great supporter of our august industry and a firm believer in
the cause for which Brendan, Con, Arjen & Del first established OSIA,
all those years ago.

Let me also assure you that I completely support Aimee Maree Forsstrom
as the next person to take on the mantle of leading OSIA and I call
upon all members also to support her in that role. Aimee Maree is one
of the most highly capable people I have ever had the pleasure to work
with and I have no doubt whatsoever that she will lead OSIA on to
further successes.

I wish Aimee Maree the greatest of success in building the OSIA of the
future, ushering in a new era in OSIA's history, and I look forward to
-- as an ordinary member -- watching from afar as the fruits of those
labours emerge.

Regards,



-- 
Jack Burton MACS CP <jack at saosce.com.au>
--
Director, Saosce Pty Ltd
Company Secretary, Safecoms Cyber Security Pty Ltd
--