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The Centre for Corporate Public Affairs
The Centre for Corporate Public Affairs is a Sydney based membership organisation specialising in identifying and disseminating global best practice in the corporate public affairs management function. It has about 120 members from the ranks of corporations, industry associations, and government business enterprise's operating across the Asia Pacific. Since 1990 it has contributed to the development of the public affairs function in large corporations globally, and has promoted and facilitated the evolution of the contemporary public affairs management function in corporations to include crisis management, issues management, government and industry relations, investor relations, media relations, internal communications, and corporate responsibility. The Centre's aim is to develop and deliver executive education and professional development programs and information resources to assist its Member organisations in embracing best practice public affairs structure and strategies.

History
Inspired in part by the US-based Public Affairs Council, The Centre for Corporate Public Affairs (The Centre) was established in 1990 with its headquarters located in Melbourne, Australia by Geoff Allen AM, foundation CEO of the Business Council of Australia, as an independent business unit of the ACIL Allen Consulting group. Its headquarters moved to Sydney in 2007. In the absence of public affairs tertiary education programs, the Centre brought together government affairs and communications executives from major companies around Australia, and developed a cohesive network of professionals who shared relevant research, professional training and development through the exchange of best practices in the field. By connecting with overseas networks, the Centre allowed Australians in the field to gain access to "state of the art" innovations abroad through information sharing. In 1994, the Centre conducted a National Public Affairs Survey which demonstrated that the public affairs function was “emerging within organisations and being bedded down as an integrated professional function within organisations”. The Centre was acknowledged as a "driver of this development”. Since 2006 the Centre has been led by its Executive Director Wayne Burns, a former senior corporate affairs executive, journalist, political adviser and the previous Executive Director of public policy, economics and corporate public affairs consultancy at ACIL Allen Consulting. Wayne extended the Centre’s education, research, membership and consulting offerings across the Asia Pacific and Middle East. In 2018 Wayne led a management buyout of the Centre from management consultants ACIL Allen Consulting.

Professional development
Since its foundation in 1990, the Centre has engaged with the majority of corporate public affairs departments in Australia. It has also contributed to the professional development of more than 2000 public affairs practitioners from Australia and New Zealand in high level intensive residential professional development programs such as its five-day annual residential Institute, held at Melbourne Business School. As part of its executive education offerings it develops webinars, workshops, E-Learning modules, roundtables, and hosts an annual oration event. Guest international academic contributors to the Centre’s educational programs have included Professors Ed Freeman, Peter Sandman, David Grayson, Charles Fombrun, and Craig S Fleischer. Regular contributors to the Centre's faculty include representatives from companies such as IBM, Weyerhaeuser, Shell, Chevron, Dow, ABB and Tyco International as well as representatives from ASX 200 companies including Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Australia Post, IAG, Qantas, Woolworths, BHP, and Treasury Wine Estates. . The Washington-based Public Affairs Council have also provided regular contributions to the Centre’s faculty.

Institute
More than 2000 Australian and New Zealand practitioners have participated in the Centre's annual intensive one-week residential ‘Institute’ program at the Melbourne Business School. This broad-based program, whose faculty has included international practitioners and academics, has assisted in the development of many of the current heads of the function in major companies and organisations. Its seminars and workshops have explored public affairs concerns at an early stage of their development, led by international leaders in their relevant fields. Professors James Post, John Mahon, and Jennifer Griffin have been regular faculty members for the program. After attracting international attention, Canadian academic Craig Fleischer wrote that the institute program "should be replicated in other parts of the world". The institutes success promoted the Centre to replicate it with an Asian focus at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School held in conjunction with the US Public Affairs Council (PAC). Faculty included the PAC’s President Doug Pinkham and University of Maine’s Professor John Mahon.

Annual Oration
The annual oration of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs (published in Australia and internationally) is intended to mark the distinguished contribution of individuals to public life, and provides insight into the socio-political environment in which companies operate. It also serves as an annual gathering and networking opportunity for leaders in the corporate public affairs function from Australia and New Zealand. Past orators have included former Australian Prime Minister John Howard OM AC, former Australian Treasurer John Dawkins, Professor Marcia Langton, Alastair Campbell - Director of Communications and Strategy for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, business leaders Alison Watkins, David Murray, Diane Smith-Gander, Mark Scott, Stan Wallis, Sir Arvi Parbo, John Prescott, Graeme Samuel, and international academics.

Study Tour
As part of its professional development offerings, the Centre has led 12 international best practice study tours to companies and business schools in North America and Europe. The study tour group comprises of heads of corporate public affairs functions from Australia and the Asia Pacific as well as and senior practitioners with responsibilities for issues management, government and regulatory affairs, media and external communications, internal communications, stakeholder relations, reputation management, and corporate responsibility. The group meets with representatives from leading firms including, academic institutions, corporations, industry associations, and other relevant organisations in Washington DC, New York City, and London who provide briefings with a focus on internal communications and corporate responsibility.

Consulting Services
The Centre for Corporate Affairs’ management consulting arm operates for-profit, providing consulting services to businesses, governments, universities, and industry associations across industries and sectors. It works with Heads of Corporate Public Affairs, company board of directors, CEOs, senior leadership teams, as well as business and industry associations across a range of private sector industries. The Centre works also with Australian State and Federal Government departments / agencies, and governments across Asia and New Zealand. Its consulting services include organisational design and capability reviews, stakeholder perceptions and reputation, strategy development, coaching, mentoring, socio-political analysis, and performance benchmarking.

Publications
The Centre produces a variety of publications annually including handbooks for public affairs professionals, benchmarking studies, and the Public Affairs Management Report series. The Centre has also conducted many papers, reports and research projects into aspects of public affairs practice and policy, including on corporate community investment, corporate responsibility, sectoral salary structures and rates and aspects of best practice in public affairs. Since 1999 the Centre developed and delivered three reports to the Australian Government on corporate community investment (commissioned by the Prime Minister’s Business and Community Partnership), the latest was the business volume of Giving Australia 2016.

Podcast
The Centre's Very Public Affairs podcast provides listeners and corporate public affairs practitioners working in corporations globally, with regular episodes examining aspects of best practice corporate public affairs as well as industry trends and developments. Guest speakers on the podcast also provide practical insights and guidance on key areas of public affairs such as corporate reputation, stakeholder engagement, corporate communications, issues management and corporate responsibility.