Peter Strong takes three-month hiatus as chief executive of COSBOA

Peter Strong, chief executive of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), has announced he will take a three-month hiatus from his duties after 10 years in the role.

Starting June 1, Alexi Boyd will lead COSBOA as interim chief executive. Boyd is a passionate advocate and educator for small business, and has hosted the community radio show Small Biz Matters for eight years.

Boyd also has 20 years experience running a family small business, and — as a fully qualified BAS agent — she has specialised in supporting other small businesses in her own bookkeeping practice for some seven years.

Announcing his leave, Strong said that after more than ten years as chief executive, it was time to take a break from “the 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,” he said.

Strong said he is “really pleased and indeed excited” that a small business champion like Alexi Boyd would be acting chief executive while he is 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,” he said.

COSBOA will continue to advocate for the interests of small business owners, with a focus on economic recovery from COVID-19, industrial relations reform, competition issues and local economic development.

COSBOA is also committed to deliver three projects: The Future Female Entrepreneurs Program, The National Innovation Games, and the Go Local First campaign.

Acknowledging her new role, Boyd said in a statement that she looks forward to continuing to advocate for small business, including on industrial relations and combating false information.

“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,” she said.