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Domini Stuart

I write about business, the boardroom, insurance and health for hard copy and online publications. I have a particular interest in the role the corporate world plays in promoting social justice and human rights.

Please scroll down to see examples of my work.

My Articles

How to embed modern slavery human rights due diligence into strategy - AICD

Australian boards must place basic civil rights in every aspect of a company’s culture or the country will lose its status as the global leader in the fight against modern slavery. That’s the view of Professor John McMillan AO, who in 2023 handed down the results of a three-year independent review that had been built into the Modern Slavery Act 2018 legislation.
That report included multiple recommendations. While most of them are still under review, the government has appointed a dedicated Anti...

What boards must know to stay afloat

High interest rates, inflation and lingering pandemic effects are driving persistent financial strain and mounting cost pressures on Australian businesses.

The road ahead could be bumpier than many Australian boards are used to, according to John Park, senior managing director and head of Australian corporate finance and restructuring at FTI Consulting. “They’re facing higher inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions, global unrest and fundamental changes to the demands and...
Business Research and Insights •

Meet the doctors advancing fertility with science plus love

When Dr Haider Najjar left Baghdad, the city was still reeling from the 1990-91 Gulf War and the rumblings of the Iraq War had already begun.
“I came to Melbourne to complete my [medical] training and gained a completely different perspective on life,” he says. “When you arrive in Australia from a war-torn country, the opportunities seem limitless.”
With an interest in female health, his ambition was to be part of a state-of-the-art women’s health clinic that would provide excellent care to wome...

A double materiality assessment looks at the impact of ESG issues

Double materiality considers the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues from two different perspectives. Financial materiality, or the “outside in” view, focuses on how moves towards greater sustainability could introduce risks or opportunities capable of affecting a company’s financial performance. Impact materiality — the “inside out” view — looks at the impact an organisation has on people or the environment. In the European Union, double materiality is central to corpora...

Boards must monitor AGM expectations and developing trends

The single biggest change to Australian annual general meetings (AGMs) has been the introduction of virtual and hybrid formats. Share registry Link Group has been credited with holding the first true hybrid AGM in 2016, although it was COVID-19 restrictions that changed the landscape by leaving companies with little choice but to adopt a technology-driven approach. The benefits quickly became obvious and, as a result, a significant number of AGMs are now conducted either entirely online or in a...

Technology is redefining business models

Board members are highly experienced and, in the past, this was all it took to do a good job. Ongoing education was shrugged off as unnecessary. Times are changing.
“We have to recognise that what we knew yesterday will not serve us well tomorrow,” says Associate Professor Lynn Gribble of the UNSW School of Management and Governance, known for her work with AI and higher education. “Even if we desire just to stay where we are, that requires constant learning and constant adaptation.”
The develop...

Guidance on section 180 compliance

Are directors facing a growing burden of oversight? Section 180 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) outlines the duty of care and diligence required of directors and officers of a corporation. Regulators have pulled sharper focus on whether directors are adequately discharging their duty in relation to the growing number of non-financial risks, from work, health and safety, employee entitlements, cybersecurity, data protection and AI to anti- money laundering, and anti-bribery and corruption laws...
Company Director •

The Australian Business Growth Fund is helping SMEs access funding

“The two biggest limiting factors to SME growth in Australia are access to funding and to the right sorts of skills,” says Anthony Healy MAICD, CEO and managing director of the Australian Business Growth Fund (ABGF). “We set up ABGF as an innovative way to overcome these challenges.”

ABGF is a public-private partnership between the federal government and six leading banks — National Australia Bank (NAB), Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corporation, Australia and New Zealand B...
Business Research and Insights •

Pioneer's next move | Business Research and Insights

Dr Derek Mahony was a trailblazer in early orthodontic intervention in Australia. Now he’s set to extend his successful model into a whole new market. When Dr Derek Mahony moved to the UK in 1988, he left a traditional dental practice behind. He returned to Australia three years later with a life-changing business plan.
“Completing a Master’s degree in orthodontics in London introduced me to the concept of early intervention,” he says.
“The traditional approach to orthodontics is to wait until...

How boards need to work collaboratively for better outcomes for First Nations people

The relationship Australia has with its First Nations people is one of the most, if not the most, important issues facing the country today, according to Colin Carter AM FAICD, senior adviser at The Boston Consulting Group. He was speaking at the 26 May webinar, National Reconciliation Week: How organisations can create lasting social impacts, moderated by Louise Petschler GAICD, General Manager, Education & Policy Leadership AICD. Joining Carter on the panel were Cath Brokenborough GAICD, execu...

UniSA pursues lead for First Nations enrolments

Uncle David: The University of South Australia (UniSA) has a proud and celebrated history in Aboriginal education. The university’s founding legislative function is to provide education opportunities for Aboriginal Peoples and its mission is built on the work of pivotal antecedent organisations, including the Aboriginal Studies and Teacher Education Centre (Western Teachers College), Aboriginal Task Force, Anangu Tertiary Education Program, and the School of Aboriginal and Islander Administratio...

Championing First Nations Art Through Reconciliation Action Plans

As a peak body for museums, galleries and Aboriginal cultural centres, prioritising First Nations art and cultural heritage has always been key to our work.
Our first RAP was developed soon after our organisation held a Keeping Places & Beyond summit in 2011. One of the recommendations from this summit was the establishment of the Aboriginal Culture, Heritage and Arts Association (ACHAA), an Aboriginal-led peak body for Aboriginal cultural centres across NSW with M&G NSW playing a secretariat ro...

Human-centred design in the insurance industry

Within one year of its launch in 2020, Singapore-based insurtech company bolttech achieved unicorn status. Series A funding of US$210 million — said to be the highest ever in this sector — lifted its valuation to over US$1 billion. Within two years, the company had a presence in more than 30 countries across the Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas.

“The vision of bolttech is really quite simple — to connect people with more ways to protect the things they value,” the company’s chief customer...
ACUITY •

How are women shaping the future of AI?

When AI creators are mostly men, there’s a danger that bias will disadvantage women. Here’s how one group is preventing this.By day, Angela Kim is head of insights, reporting and data analytics and AI at health insurance provider AIA. In her free time, she volunteers as ambassador and chief education officer at the not-for-profit Women in AI (WAI).
Launched in Paris in 2016, WAI has grown from a small Facebook group into a community of more than 8000 members in 140 countries. It has a mission to...

Navigating risk in the evolving D&O insurance landscape

In 2018, the big news in Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance was soaring premiums. Successive years of underpriced capacity and rising claims activity had triggered a “hard market” phase that was to last for four years. Today, higher rates are attracting new carriers, increasing competition and driving down costs — at least for the time being. Insurers may need to increase premiums to offset increases in the cost of defending a claim and any compensation caused by global inflation.
“During th...

Technology is redefining business models

Board members are highly experienced and, in the past, this was all it took to do a good job. Ongoing education was shrugged off as unnecessary. Times are changing.
“We have to recognise that what we knew yesterday will not serve us well tomorrow,” says Associate Professor Lynn Gribble of the UNSW School of Management and Governance, known for her work with AI and higher education. “Even if we desire just to stay where we are, that requires constant learning and constant adaptation.”
The develop...
Photo by lalesh aldarwish on Pexels

Update on the Modern Slavery Act Review

Most new legislation with untested regulatory impact is subject to a three-year review. In March last year, Professor John McMillan AO was appointed to lead such a review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (the Act) with the support of the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Branch. An Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, McMillan has extensive experience in conducting major investigations and providing legal and policy advice. He has also reviewed the medicinal cannabis regula
Business Research and Insights •

A brilliant career built on dedication and determination

“I feel very fortunate to do what I always wanted to do.” President of The Australian & New Zealand Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Dr Patrishia Bordbar tells us about her incredible journey from a young girl in Iran to her career today as a renowned surgeon.

By the time she was 13 years old, Patrishia Bordbar had left behind her home in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, lived and studied for two years in Germany, then settled in Australia. Even at that young age, she was determined
Business Research and Insights •

From rural health recruitment to 65 medical centres

While practising in the NSW outback, doctors Hamish Meldrum and Ross Lamplugh had a passion to improve rural and remote healthcare. Today, the result is Ochre Health - a national network of 65 medical centres and two medical recruitment businesses. And they're not done yet.

It was Christmas 2001 and Dr Ross Lamplugh was about to miss out on his holiday. He and Dr Hamish Meldrum were working as procedural GPs in the NSW outback town of Bourke and had planned a break at the same time. Despite giv

Insurance for cryptocurrency: how can we cover digital currencies?


• Cryptocurrencies offer significant opportunities for insurers, although there are challenges to overcome.
• The volatility of the currencies is a major concern.
• There is a pressing need for clear and consistent regulation globally.


The transaction volume of cryptocurrencies tracked by blockchain data platform Chainalysis grew to US$15.8 trillion in 2021, up 576 per cent on the previous year. Over the same period, criminals acquired cryptocurrencies worth US$14 billion — a significant bu
Business Research and Insights •

Four brothers, 13 pharmacies: How risk equalled reward

It took a brave relocation to regional NSW to kick-start Fawaz Khodary’s pharmacy career. Today, it’s paid off handsomely as he and his three pharmacist siblings grow their Your Discount Pharmacy brand.

When Fawaz Khodary gained his degree in pharmacy he feared he’d made a big mistake.

“All pharmacists need to work as a supervised intern before they can be registered but, in 1991, jobs were hard to find,” he says. “I approached 50 or 60 Sydney pharmacies without success.”

The sense of having

The insurance industry’s net zero commitment

Climate change is creating an insurance crisis in Australia. An average rise in the global temperature of 1.44oC over pre-industrial levels has already increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, driving up both the number of claims and the cost of premiums.



“Insurance is the bellwether for climate impacts in Australia across a range of sectors, and rising temperatures are having an impact on the availability and affordability of insurance in this country,” says Andrew
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Importance of acquisition strategy

A 2011 article published in the Harvard Business Review pegged the overall failure rate for M&As as between 70 and 90 per cent. Since then, this has been widely quoted. A decade later, Aoris Investment Management examined 1,000 of the largest M&A deals over the past 50 years and put the failure rate at 60 per cent. Aoris also identified the two most likely causes as the size of the deals and how far the acquirer strays from their core business.

“While many of the risks associated with cross-ind

How boards need to work collaboratively for better outcomes for First Nations people

The relationship Australia has with its First Nations people is one of the most, if not the most, important issues facing the country today, according to Colin Carter AM FAICD, senior adviser at The Boston Consulting Group. He was speaking at the 26 May webinar, National Reconciliation Week: How organisations can create lasting social impacts, moderated by Louise Petschler GAICD, General Manager, Education & Policy Leadership AICD. Joining Carter on the panel were Cath Brokenborough GAICD, execu
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