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Thursday, 09 September 2010 - 9:59 PM EST

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TEAM BOSS

BOSS team 2010AFR BOSS was a stripling newbie in March 2000. Readers asked then - as they do now - why name it BOSS? It's so hierarchical, it smacks of the things we want to see change about the rigidities of corporate life. Yes, we talk to the boss - and our conversations with leaders at all levels of the organisation help us learn from each other.

But there's another meaning. At a time when the onus is on each of us to step up in the world of work and take responsibility for our own careers, the message holds true: you're the boss - of your own career, your world of work. It's about you taking charge and using your own power to effect change.

Founding editor, Helen Trinca noted at the time that BOSS was to be an independently minded magazine - cutting through the mass of management coverage and providing readers with rigorous material to help them manage and lead. That reasoning still grounds our award winning journalism and photography. The BOSS team looks forward to all the changes the next 10 hold, as we reflect on the past 10.

Ollie Towning, art director

No suit needed. It's all about the look. Although the suit is often seen as the mark of power visually, the trend in BOSS lately has been to strip back the suit to create a relaxed, humanised and more approachable person. Louie Douvis, photographer Rely on your instincts and keep experimenting - it's a good philosophy for coming up with new ideas in photography and life in general.

Rose-Anne Manns, chief subeditor

I used to think capitalism and socialism were mutually exclusive. I've been heartened to see a breed of businesspeople embrace the idea that social benefit can co-exist with the profit motive.

Haki Crisden, subeditor

Coming from the United States, I note that the Australian workplace only appears to be more casual than the one I knew.

Jessica Gardner, reporter

As a young journalist, I am often pigeonholed as being "so gen Y", but I won't be surprised when the generation Y approach to work and leadership becomes the norm.

Catherine Fox, deputy editor

I wish we had another word for management because it doesn't cover the fascinating stuff about behaviour, emotion, philosophy, power and neuroscience that I have discovered working here. At BOSS, we say this isn't just about the way we do our jobs - it's about life.

Narelle Hooper, editor

I marvel at how many leaders achieve all they do and stay sane and grounded. Words and symbols are important signposts in the development of our thinking. I now have a personal ban on the phrase "soft skills". The numbers - they're the easy things. The people behind the numbers, that's the really hard part.

Fiona Smith, AFR Workspace

The evolution of a more humane, people-centric workplace was merely set back by the GFC. The talent shortage means we will continue to progress away from those industrial-age organisational structures, which no longer fit.

NARELLE HOOPER, editor

Narelle HooperNarelle is the editor of AFR BOSS. She is a former senior writer with The Australian Financial Review and has been a contributor to AFR BOSS since 2002. Narelle has reported on Australian business and financial markets for more than 15 years. She previously worked as finance correspondent with ABC Radio's national current affairs programs AM and PM, and was a presenter of SBS TV's The Business Show. She was BRW's political correspondent based in the press gallery at Parliament House and is a former editor of BRW's prestigious Rich 200 list. Narelle grew up in country NSW and studied journalism at Canberra University. She recently completed a Masters of Management (Financial Management) at Macquarie Graduate School of Management and is slowly making her way through an MBA.

CATHERINE FOX, deputy editor

Catherine foxAn award-winning journalist, Catherine is deputy editor of AFR BOSS magazine. She has held several positions at the AFR, including editor of marketing and Smart Money, and court reporter. Before she joined the newspaper in 1989, Catherine worked in financial marketing and consulting in Sydney and London. She has worked for a range of large and small organisations, including two of Australia's largest banks, a university and an advertising agency. She has written two books: Better than Sex: How a whole generation got hooked on work, co-authored with former AFR BOSS editor Helen Trinca; and The F-word: How we learned to swear by feminism, co-authored with social commentator Jane Caro. Catherine often speaks on the topic at seminars and conferences. She writes a weekly column for the AFR newspaper on Tuesdays called Corporate Woman, and has a BA Communications (University of Technology, Sydney) and an MA Hons (University of New South Wales). She lives in Sydney with her husband and three daughters. Email cfox@afr.com.au

ROSE-ANNE MANNS, Chief subeditor

Rose-Anne is chief subeditor and also writes for AFR BOSS. She has 20 years' experience as a writer, editor and publisher, mostly with HR and management publications. She launched the award-winning WorkplaceInfo subscription website for HR professionals. She has edited several specialist newsletters including Workforce, Discrimination Alert and HR Report. Rose-Anne also teaches journalism at the University of Technology, Sydney. Email rmanns@afr.com.au

FIONA SMITH, contributing writer

Fiona is a regular contributor to AFR BOSS and editor of the Work Space section of The Australian Financial Review. She has been with the AFR for more than 10 years, as editor of Special Reports and also a writer covering the hotel, tourism and property industries. Previously, she worked at The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Manly Daily. She has a BA (Communications) and her first job was as editor of an ill-fated brass, pipe and concert band magazine. Email fiona.smith@afr.com.au

JESSICA GARDNER, reporter

Jessica joined The Australian Financial Review in September 2009 as editorial assistant and was made a reporter in May 2010. She has dabbled in sports reporting, medical research and online advertising for music labels. She has particular interest in media, marketing, science and technology and ponders the arrival of Generation Y in business. Email jgardner@afr.com.au

OLLIE TOWNING, art director

Ollie Towning is the art director of AFR BOSS. He has been at the Financial Review Group since 2006 working on various publications, before designing his first issue of BOSS in October 2008. Prior to joining the Financial Review Group he was the senior designer on Virgin Blue's in-flight magazine. Ollie studied design at Sydney Graphics College. He has been making magazine pages look great ever since.

HAKI CRISDEN, subeditor

Haki Crisden is a subeditor for AFR BOSS. Prior to joining the Financial Review Group, Haki Crisden was assistant news editor for The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland, Ohio newspaper. He spent six years as part of its award-winning, page-one design team. He has a bachelor of arts in English from Virginia State University. Haki grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, home of the world’s largest naval base, and migrated to Australia to be with his wife, whom he married in 2007.

AFR BOSS this month

AFR Boss magazine
True Leaders 2010

In our 10th-anniversary year, we nominate 17 leaders who have demonstrated staying power over the past decade. » More  Plus Eight innovators

REGULAR COLUMNS

workspace

WORK SPACE

A weekly look at work, people and performance. First published in Tuesday’s AFR. Click here.


catherine foxCORPORATE WOMAN


Catherine Fox’s corporate woman column. Click here.


PODS, BLOGS, ETC
The Pods, blogs, etc column. Alerting you to things of note online.



BOSS Guru: a guide to the unwritten laws of the workplace
Check out our online section dedicated to your questions to BOSS Guru.



AFR BOSS TV

AFR BOSS True Leaders

AFR BOSS Young Executives of the YearAFR BOSS magazine nominates the leaders who have endured. Much has changed over a decade of AFR BOSS magazine, but consistency, adaptability and vision never go out of style. View the video.

Meet the 2010 winners here

AFR BOSS Young Executives of the YearThe annual AFR BOSS Young Executives of the Year Awards are run in association with global talent management consultancy DDI. The awards, now in their seventh year, recognise the achievements of aspiring future leaders. BOSS aims to identify six young Australians with the skills, talent and drive needed to make a successful future leader. View the video

AFR BOSS Young Executives of the YearWomen to watch

Gender is back on the corporate agenda as companies introduce a range of programs to reverse the low level of participation by women at senior levels in the corporate world and on company boards. AFR and BOSS magazine recently hosted a forum on the topic. Sue Morphet, Chief Executive of Pacific Brands (pictured) gave some useful insights on how companies can build better gender balance into their organisations. View the video

Welcome to AFR BOSS

Narellehooper August issue out now!

As we sat down for our leadership roundtable for this month's flagship issue of AFR BOSS, the discussion was very clearly that these times call for something more: collaboration over control; the need to actively champion more inclusive work cultures; the erosion of hierarchy in a world where information that once could be kept under wraps slips out through cyberspace. » Read more

CAREER SURVIVAL GUIDE

Tips for managing your career in a volatile environment. Click here.