Andrew Horberry, DTM

Relevant work experience and how it relates to Toastmasters and your role as a Board Member:

My entire adult working life has been spent working in marketing communications. Marketing only "works" if you're an effective listener (to customer concerns and needs), thinker (really getting to the heart of what the customer is telling you), and speaker (converting all those inputs into outputs that move the customer to action).

I have been fortunate enough to have worked in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, listening to customers with vastly different experiences and needs. I've then had to synthesise that information and work in multi-disciplinary teams to devise effective solutions, within set budgets, to answer those needs.

I believe this experience, and a love of what Toastmasters offers its members, equips me to be an effective and productive Board Member.

What experience do you have in strategic planning?

Working for a strategic marketing company (described as "a cross between IDEO and McKinsey") for 20+ years, I worked alongside the C-suites of Fortune 500 companies creating their pitches to critical audiences (investors, dealers, media, and the public), and then collaborated with creative teams to visualise and emotionalise the presentations.

This meant I had to absorb large amounts of data, analyse it, and interpret it in both technical and everyday terms for different audiences. Many projects required me to interview futurists and subject matter experts, and then describe an achievable "glide path" between the envisaged future and today.

Within the marketing company, I was part of the leadership team (eventually becoming General Manager of our Detroit office). We devised and implemented a strategic plan that saw our office grow from six to 50 employees, and become the global lead serving our most important global client.

What experience do you have in the area of finance?

As well as budgeting smaller programs for non-profit for who every penny counted, I negotiated and implemented multimillion dollar annual marketing programs for major corporations (up to US$18m p.a.).

No matter the size of budget, I learned how to communicate the case to diverse audiences (Finance, commissioning client, donors, C-suite), each of which required particular "cuts" of the data.

What experience do you have in developing policies?

I led a small global team, comprising members from the US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia, that created ISO-compliant process policies for a multinational marketing agency. We literally wrote the operating system for that company.

In another role, I wrote entire HR policies for a US marketing agency, then re-wrote them for the COVID era, and re-wrote them again for the post-COVID era. The policies covered all aspects of the employee experience, from vacation allowances to DE&I.

What lessons did you learn from previous leadership positions?

1. Communicate clearly, simply, and consistently. If people know why (as well as what), then they will understand more deeply.
2. Integrity is key. It takes a lifetime to establish, and 10 seconds to lose.
3. Team is vital. Diversity is a strength. One person alone cannot generate enough brilliant ideas, nor implement them.

What experience and key strengths would you bring to the Board of Directors?

1. A Global Perspective. My work has taken me literally around the world, and I've learned never to assume that works well in one region will work at all in another.
2. Marketing. I'm skilled at analysing markets and briefing teams to create marketing programs that achieve well-defined goals.
3. Communications. Accurately determining what needs to be said to whom, and when, can make the difference between enthusiastic acceptance and rejection.
4. Finance. Plans without funding are pipe dreams. I understand the importance of cashflow and the necessity of securing funds.
5. Project Management. A clear plan and constant communication of progress will increase engagement.
6. Human Connection. My time as an HR professional brought home the impact each of us can have by taking the time to understand someone else - especially someone whose point of view is diametrically opposed to yours.

Why do you want to serve as an International Officer/Director?

I am a great admirer of the futurist, Buckminster Fuller, and in particular his assertion that "We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims."

I love this organisation. I've seen it transform lives. It will continue to do that for thousands of our members if the Board of Directors successfully steers a course through constantly changing opportunities and competitive threats. I am deeply committed to collaborating with Board Members to work through the challenges and create an even more dynamic and attractive organisation that will be magnetic for prospective members.

Now that I'm recently retired, I have the energy and time - and unique combination of skills - to devote to helping Toastmasters continue to succeed.

What volunteer experience do you have outside of Toastmasters?

I'm currently an Ambassador for Concerts in Care, MC'ing musical performances in long-term care homes. As we begin to understand the extraordinary power of music to connect with and revitalise people with deteriorating memory, I'm convinced of the importance of this work.

I also served as Chair of my local neighbourhood association in downtown Toronto. This involved communicating with extraordinarily diverse audiences, often with conflicting priorities (which included board members!), and then negotiating with City Hall, police, property developers, and other stakeholders to arrive at the best possible outcomes.

Have you worked with other Boards of Directors outside of Toastmasters? If so, describe your experience.

I have served on boards of not-for-profits (Traverse Theatre, Youth & Music, Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association) and for-profits (Imagination, The Leith Agency).

In every case, I've seen how enthusiasm and ambition, accurately matched to income and other resources, can open up opportunities for growth and personal development. Boards have to balance an extraordinary range of inputs and stresses, and it takes Board Members with open minds to work together to arrive at the best possible outcome for their organisation.

In your opinion, what are Toastmasters International’s major objectives and how would you work to achieve them?

1. Positively impact members' confidence and success in achieving their communication objectives. I would focus on how we can simplify processes and maximise celebration of success, so that members have fewer obstacles and more fun on their journeys.
2. Positively impact members confidence and success in achieving their leadership objectives. I would focus on how we can simplify processes and reduce the administrative load on club officers and District leaders (per the Strategic Plan), so that leadership is more streamlined and less bureaucratic.
3. Achieving a more diverse range of income streams. I would focus on quickly implementable new products and exploring new distribution channels.

Additional information about candidate:

I'm a continuous learner - as my work roles changed, I became a Certified Meeting Professional and later, a SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Certified Professional. If we're to keep pace with changes in our world, we need to be exposed to new ideas - which is why I'm an enthusiastic library member and theatre-goer.

And I'm a strong believer in a healthy mind in a healthy body, so every day is structured around a one-hour class of vigorous exercise - Body Combat being my favourite.