SurePact Advisory Board Supports CEO to Lead Rapid Growth and Expansion

Some professionals encounter problems in business and get frustrated. Others decide to find solutions – and when the solution doesn’t exist they build it.

Fortunately, Megan Avard, Founder and CEO of SurePact, is a solutions builder. Leveraging her deep experience in project and contracts management Megan knew that there had to be a better way to help organisations reduce their risk and avoid time, cost and scope blowouts on their projects. It was at that point that the idea for SurePact was born.

SurePact is an innovative risk management software that allows project and contract managers to identify, mitigate and manage risks of deliveries from before early innovation, to the tender stage right through to closeout.

Since its launch in 2018, SurePact has gone from strength to strength. In the last year alone, SurePact has joined forces with tech giant Microsoft as a Global Co-Sell Partner, successfully deployed the software into 13% of Queensland Councils and received a swag of awards and recognition.

But for Megan, the real success is the results SurePact clients are receiving.

“Every client has either saved money, time or delivered a better result to their communities. We have seen results including up to 34% bottom-line improvements, 30% time efficiencies and variation reductions of more than 15%.”

“Along with the client reported statistics we continue to seek new technologies to support our clients. Establishing partnerships is a logical evolution and the recent roll-out of a partnership pilot program in Virtual Reality for Safety Training will provide our clients further bottom-line savings as well as strengthening SurePact’s capability with another cutting-edge technology.”

It’s that spirit of collaboration that has been a cornerstone of SurePact success and Megan’s own growth as a Female Founder.

Megan shared, “when starting SurePact, I knew almost nothing about setting up and running a technology company. I learnt very quickly to surround myself with good people who have the expertise in areas where I was lacking. While I established an advisory board from day one, I have also learnt you can always learn more and should be open to listening and learning every day.”

Supporting Female Founders

It was this desire to continue to learn and develop that led Megan to the Advisory Board Centre Female Founders program delivered in collaboration with Advance Queensland. Megan attended the Advisory Board Essentials program in 2019 and was subsequently selected as a participant in the Advisory Board Growth program for 2020.

Advisory Board Centre COO and Female Founders Program Lead Jan Easton noted that Megan was an inspiration to other Female Founders.

“There is a misconception in the market that you can’t create a technology enabled solution as a non-tech founder. Megan is smashing stereotypes in many aspects- she is leading a high growth technology business which is creating meaningful value in areas that are traditionally male dominated. She established an independent Advisory Board early in her journey to help her build a solid business and develop her skills as a CEO of a high growth business.” – Jan Easton, Female Founder Project Lead

Connecting to Expertise

Through this program, Megan has been supported by Mark Cranny, a globally experienced CFO and Certified Chair. While Megan has an existing Advisory Board that provides tremendous value to SurePact, the Advisory Board Growth program has supported her development as a Founder and CEO to formalise her board structure and build on her knowledge.

Connecting with a Certified Chair has added another layer to the rich support network around Megan and SurePact.

“Mark brings new ideas and questions my strategic view of SurePact’s future with an informed and experienced mentorship approach. His feedback has helped shape some decisions in regards to my current Advisory Board and how to better utilize their expertise.

He has also provided commercial insights from his experience that have allowed me to question timing in some decisions, all in a safe environment space and at a pace that suits me.

My team are all well aware of the value Mark and my Advisory Board have to our choices when dealing with SurePact’s future.

As an experienced professional I had built a large network of skilful people who nourished my abilities, however, now as a female founder, I have fewer personal connections who have the level of expertise in strategy and business growth experience. Mark and the Female Founders program have offered another avenue with a collection of trustworthy people I am pleased to call on and discuss the details of SurePact.”

Mark has been equally impressed with the quality of the SurePact offering and Megan’s role in not just founding the company but stepping up to lead SurePact into the future.

“SurePact was founded on Megan’s drive to build a solution to identify and manage risk to reduce common project management blowouts. However the success SurePact has achieved in a short time is due to Megan’s willingness to surround herself with experts and an Advisory Board with Industry and Commercial expertise to guide decisions and fast track growth. It is a pleasure to work with Megan and be part of the success at SurePact.” – Mark Cranny, Certified Chair

The support that Megan has gained through the Advisory Board Centre Female Founders program and the wider Advance Queensland ecosystem has helped her entrepreneurial journey.

The Advisory Board Centre provides a safe environment and expertise that has provided guidance to me around working with my current advisory board and also looking ahead at where my journey can go while ensuring my governance and engagement is concentrated in the right areas.

Having a board provides me with not only industry expertise but experienced mentors who are my sounding board to bounce ideas off and receive feedback both positive and negative in our steps to success.  This program has helped me to learn to ask the right questions of my advisory board as well as delivering the answers I need on my journey.

Megan Avard, Founder and CEO SurePact

To learn more about SurePact visit their website at https://surepact.com/.

About the Female Founders Advisory Board Program

The Female Founders Advisory Board Program is an Advisory Board Centre initiative delivered with the support of Advance Queensland and the Queensland Government.  The program provides education, connections and practical, independent Advisory support to innovative and high growth potential female-led businesses in Queensland.