COSBOA today announces that its Chief Executive Officer since 2010, Peter Strong, will soon be taking three months’ leave. Mr Strong will be taking a well-earned break and not be available for media comments or public appearances during the months of June, July and August 2021.
COSBOA’s interim CEO is Alexi Boyd, who will take up the role on 1 June. Ms Boyd has been the host of community radio show Small Biz Matters for eight years and is a passionate advocate and educator for small business. She has run a family small business for 20 years and, as a fully qualified BAS agent, specialised in supporting other small businesses in her own bookkeeping practice for seven years.
Followers of COSBOA may have seen Ms Boyd at the 2019 National Small Business Summit or, more recently, at our online event, TheDirector’s Cut, where she was MC and panel moderator.
Mr Strong said “After more than ten years as CEO of COSBOA, it’s time to take a break from constant battle with those who claim to represent small business but don’t. Time to relax and spend time with friends and family. After the last twelve months, in particular, there are probably a whole heap of other people that should take a break; hopefully I can be a good example.
I am really pleased and indeed excited that a constant small business champion, Alexi Boyd, will be the interim CEO while I am away. Alexi has been heavily involved in the small business community for a long time and has the knowledge and experience to add to the role. We can all be confident that COSBOA is in capable hands.”
Alexi Boyd commented “I look forward to continuing the good fight for small business, particularly focusing on industrial relations and combatting false information from the employer IR Club. Supporting small business recovery post COVID-19 will be a high and on-going priority. I will also focus on unfair contract terms and the labour shortage that many small businesses are experiencing.”
COSBOA Chair Mark McKenzie said “Peter has performed beyond expectations during COVID19 and we are pleased to be able to accommodate a well-deserved three month break after a torrid year. We are privileged to have such a well credentialled interim CEO in Alexi Boyd to fill the gap while Peter is on leave. While we will have a temporary change in CEO, our priorities will not change.”
COSBOA will continue to advocate for the interests of small business owners and promote awareness of small business issues to the wider public. Areas of focus for 2021 include economic recovery from COVID-19, industrial relations reform, competition issues, local economic development, and COSBOA’s three projects: The Future Female Entrepreneurs Program, The National Innovation Games, and the Go Local First campaign.
Mr Strong concluded “as Jack Kerouac once said a holiday is only a holiday if you leave you turn off your mobile phone. I shall, mainly, do exactly that.”
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