Leader Talk - Produced by Brainiact
Leader Talk is a weekly podcast proudly brought to you by Brainiact. In this weekly show, our hosts Pierlite ANZ CEO Gustav Arianto and Elite Words's Founder and Managing Director Natalie Dawson meet with leaders from across Australia and around the world. We have one goal in mind: to give back to small to medium businesses across Australia and around the world.
Our vision is a world where everyone has access to great ideas. Leader Talk is just another Brainiact initiative to manifest this into reality.
The show is livestreamed each week on our YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. It's also syndicated to wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.
Keep scrolling and you'll see who our upcoming guests are.
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Jared Dawson - Brainiact Founder
Daniel Wood - 4 August 2021
Daniel Wood is the Managing Director of Tupperware Australia.
He has significant experience and expertise in sales.
Over the last ten years, he has led the Australian operations of two US multi-nationals in the direct-sales industry.
In these roles, he has completed business transformations which have changed the way direct-sales businesses operate in the Australia market.
Check out Daniel Wood's article on don't let the perfect be the enemy of good.
Mark Burgess - 10 August 2021
Mark has 20 years’ experience in the global aerospace and defence industry. He is the CEO and Managing Director Quickstep (ASX: QHL).
He has been successful in the delivery of profitable growth and complex projects in advanced technology businesses.
Mark has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility for British and American companies across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia.
Mark has extensive experience in governance and stakeholder management, working in and with public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Mark has managed several successful post acquisition integration projects and has held numerous board positions on subsidiaries and international joint ventures.
Check out Mark Burgess's article on how a 'start local go global' mindset can change your world.
Justin Burgess - 20 August 2021
Justin is the Executive General Manager at Laminex Australia.
He is also a Board Member of Wespine Industries and Hexion Australia.
Justin has extensive experience running full profit and loss within the Australian & New Zealand Building Products segment.
Justin's specialties are leading sales and profit turnarounds, building and developing successful teams, as well as identifying and growing new market segments. Justin has a restless desire to make things better.
Check out Justin Burgess's article on innovation breeds success: Why businesses must always look to improve.
Liz Jones - 27 August 2021
Liz Jones is an experienced business professional and values-based leader, with proven experience delivering large scale, strategically critical outcomes for organisations. With a combination of problem solving and critical thinking skills, Liz is uniquely positioned to deliver the right commercial and business results for the organisations with which she works.
Liz is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Doors, the leading supplier of adaptive space solutions in Australia. Prior to joining Lotus, Liz was the Executive General Manager (EGM) of the Specialty Lighting Group (SLG) at Australia’s largest lighting company, Gerard Lighting, and an Advisory Board Member of Lotus.
Prior to joining Gerard, Liz operated her own business, advising in the areas of strategy, marketing and sales, with a particular passion for the development of compelling and sustainable value propositions, founded on deep customer insight.
She has consulted to some of Australia’s largest manufacturers and distributors including: Polytec, GWA Bathrooms and Kitchens, Dux Hot Water, One Steel, Carter Holt Harvey and The Laminex Group, as well the retailers which many of these manufacturers supply, including Bunnings, Mitre 10 Australia and Snooze.
Liz is degree qualified in marketing and business from the David Syme Business School at Monash University and holds a Bachelor of Laws from La Trobe University. Liz is also the 2019 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year and the 2019 Telstra Victorian Women’s Winner, Medium and Large Business.
Check out our article on becoming a better leader through values-based leadership, diversity of thought and performance to find out more.
Conrad Groenewald - 2 September 2021
Conrad Groenewald is the Chief Executive Officer at Detmold Group.
Conrad has global experience in important organisations,
such as James Hardie, HealthShare NSW and Visy.
As an innovative and progressive leader, Conrad understands the power of collaboration and being a team-player. Purpose-driven and passionate, he knows how to lead complex teams to success. His energetic personality, perseverance, and end to end business insights has meant that Conrad has thrived and supported his colleagues everywhere he’s worked.
Highly qualified, Conrad achieved the Council Award for Best Student in South Africa in his undergraduate business degree, before gaining his MBA the year after. He most recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course strengthening his leadership skills even further
Conrad has expertise in leading high-performing teams, generating a company culture around winning and motivating stakeholders with his structured and profitable business strategies. Conrad is an exceptional leader that inspires his employees through his hard work every day.
Check out Conrad Groenewald's article on finding your North Star should be a priority for every business.
Vincent Buggs - 5 September
Vincent Buggs is a retired Army General in United States Army Reserves and CEO of Embrace the Power and Power Pony Express Sports LLC.
As a CEO of Embrace the Power and Power Pony Express Sports LLC., one of the main projects General Vincent Buggs is developing is the Holistic Service Member program which is combining a community approach to enhance the lives of Military families in the Reserves and National Guard.
Embrace the Power's main company focus is working in communities to help people find their inner ability to navigate life. Power Pony Express Sports is about creating opportunities for parents who have little to no means for private training lessons. As a leader, his bottom line is human capital to help others improve their quality of life.
Vincent also holds a Master’s Degree in Global History from the American Military University and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College where he earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies.
Check out Vincent Buggs article on why small businesses need resilience, courage, and agility to succeed.
Kaushal Kapadia - 8 September 2021
Kaushal Kapadia is currently the CEO of Schréder Australia, with a successful lighting career dating back to the early 90s.
He has been instrumental in the growth of the Schréder Australia business transforming it into a leading intelligent outdoor and customised indoor lighting solutions provider. Over the last decade he has led the Sylvania-Schréder Australia business to be a leader in large Government/Infrastructure projects and developing and implementing Smart Cities and IoT applications.
With Kaushal’s leadership SCS – Schréder Australia’s smart city integration business, has made remarkable inroads in the Australian smart city space, that delivers reliable, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
Kaushal’s focus and expertise lies in change management and team building, which in turn enables him to build solid and trusting relationships. He believes the trust and growth of the team is critical to help build solid business foundations.
He is recognised for being an inspirational leader and mentor in the lighting and smart city industries.
Kaushal has a drive is to deliver innovative and reliable solutions for all stake holders, with sustainability as a core value.
Check out Kaushal's article on the importance of simplicity in business.
Preeti Inchody - 16 September 2021
Preeti Inchody is the Managing Director of Transactions at Ankura.
Preeti has extensive experience as a leader across a range of industries and countries. She actively champions diversity in every company she works for, advocating for open communication and encouraging idea generation from everyone.
Preeti is highly qualified completing her undergraduate degree in accounting at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, her MBA in corporate finance at Cornell University and the Master of Business Administration at IE (Instituto de Empresa).
Results-driven, Preeti has a goal to make a significant impact at the inflexion points of the journeys of over 100 companies by using her extensive corporate finance skills.
She is passionate about working in high growth and stressful situations, showcasing her resilience in all scenarios. Preeti is motivated by the aim to gain the best possible outcome for her clients and company.
Check out Preeti's article on how to be a successful leader during times of uncertainty.
John Arneil - 24 September 2021
John Arneil has diverse experience working at James Hardie Australia. Currently the Country Manager, John has worked in almost all areas such as the Director of Sales and Marketing, the National Business Development Manager and both the Canadian and UK manager for James Hardie Building Products.
An expert in sales management and the sales process, John understands how to lead businesses to success. His resilience and drive to achieve, has inspired his employees to attain excellence and improve their overall performance.
John gained a Bachelor of Business at the University of
Queensland before achieving a Master of Business Administration at the University of Leicester. He is highly qualified in a wide area of business skills, which help him to perform effectively in his role.
With a dedication and drive to achieve the company’s objectives, John understands what it takes to thrive in fast-paced and stressful environments. His high standards and confidence in his team has seen him achieve the impossible in every role he’s been in.
Check out John Arneil's article on busting the myths about sales people.
Jarrod Sanfilippo - 30 September 2021
Jarrod Sanfilippo is the Managing Director at Burbank Group.
After a successful career in the automotive industry, Jarrod joined his father, Eddie Sanfilippo, at the helm of the family business in 2005 as Managing Director of Burbank Group.
Having worked in the industry for several years, Jarrod has established an expert knowledge of the residential market including detached homes, townhouses and apartments, and possesses a comprehensive understanding of the homebuilding process from the early stages of sales and marketing, right through to operations and construction.
Leading from his father’s strong accounting background, Jarrod has further grown the finance brokerage company to become an established name in the industry, winning numerous awards along the way. Beyond this, Jarrod has extensive experience in land acquisition, development and project management, as well as strategic business expansion and development, including the evolution into the building repair and maintenance industry.
As a respected name in the industry, Jarrod is known for his ability to build and sustain solid relationships with suppliers, developers and industry associations. Through his strong team building and leadership attributes, Jarrod has been able to focus on improving the way people and systems work by enhancing and developing companies to have a strong digital technology focus to improve customer's experiences and company deliverables throughout all departments and teams.
Check out Jarrod Sanfilippo's article be aware of how you show up.
Umesh Phadke - 30 September 2021
Umesh Phadke is currently the President Director of L'Oréal Indonesia.
He joined L’Oréal over ten years ago. Prior to joining the company, Umesh Phadke has over 17 years of sales, marketing and general management experience across four countries. He is proficient in six languages, including Bahasa Indonesia and Thai.
Starting in 1995, Umesh has had a successful career with P&G and Glaxo SmithKline where he held various commercial and marketing positions across India, Thailand and the ASEAN region. At P&G, Umesh was responsible for the haircare category across South East Asia and therefore he knows Indonesia quite well. Umesh and his talented team have continued to build a very successful subsidiary in Thailand for over five years. In April 2016, Umesh Phadke joined L’Oréal Indonesia.
Under his leadership, Indonesia is among key L’Oréal subsidiaries, which has demonstrated major advancement in sustainability achievements throughout operational locations, from the factory, the warehouse and head office in Jakarta.
In 2020, Umesh had been recognized as Most People-Focused CEO by HR Excellence and one of the Best CEO Indonesia by SWA Magazine. He also led the company solidarity efforts to employees, business partners and communities, and L’Oréal Indonesia has been recognised as Corporate Pandemic Heroes by SWA Magazine.
Check out Umesh Phadke's article on the key to attracting, developing and nurturing talent.
Max Garcia - 7 October 2021
As a US Marine Sergeant Major, Max Garcia understands what makes a great leader.
Max Garcia is the only former US Marine Sergeant Major speaking in Australia. Since writing an Amazon #1 best seller with Joe Vitale who was featured in the movie "The Secret", Max has used leadership stories from Iraq and Afghanistan to provide inspiring presentations to audiences which have included but are not limited to The Wests Tigers, Members of Parliament, businesses, professional golfers, universities, and radio.
Max Garcia joined the Marines in 1994, later becoming a Drill Instructor in 1999. In 2003 and 2004, he deployed twice to Iraq and was awarded the combat action ribbon, and a medal for Valor from General Mattis who was recently the US Secretary (Minister) of Defense.
From 2006 to 2009 Max taught future officers at at the University of South Florida and was a Drill Instructor for Officer Candidates before deploying to Afghanistan in 2010.
From 2012 to 2014 Max served with the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team, better known as FAST Company, in Spain until selection to Sergeant Major, the top enlisted rank in the Marines. He then transferred to Okinawa, Japan deploying to multiple countries in the Pacific. Max has travelled to all 50 US states and over 70 countries.
Check out Max Garcia's article on overcoming limiting beliefs to become a strong and resilient leader.
Graciela Szwarcberg - 14 October 2021
Graciela Szwarcberg is an Organisational Consultant and Executive Coach. She is a change, leadership and culture specialist making her a master of understanding leaders and how to improve as one.
Graciela has over 20 years of experience as a facilitator and executive coach assisting organisations and their leaders to become more successful and reach their full potential. Her passion and diverse industry knowledge make Graciela a leader in supporting businesses to create a culture of ambition and success.
Graciela has multiple qualifications in social psychology and social communication science. Further, she has achieved a Master of Management at the University of Technology Sydney.
Her intelligent insights and influential skills are harnessed to alter business behaviour to create beneficial outcomes. Graciela has experience in full scale transformations at individual and organisational levels and regularly assists leaders in all fields.
Results-driven and motivated to implement critical changes, Graciela understands how to shape a leader into their best self.
Check out Graciela Szwarcberg's article on forever learning - your key to growing as a leader.
Catherine Cannuli - 21 October
Catherine Cannuli is a former Matilda's Australian football player who is the Head Coach of the women's Western Sydney Wanderers team in the A-League. She played national league football in the Women's National Soccer League. As a professional footballer, she has won several championships and awards, one of them being the Women's National Soccer League Golden Boot: 2003–2004.
In 2020, Catherine was named Female Coach of the Year at the
Female Football Awards for her work at the Wanderers and in grassroots football as the Women’s Technical Director at Southern Districts Soccer Football Association.
As a football coach, Catherine has experience in sports management and leadership, she is recognised for being an inspirational leader for embracing the power of collaboration and being a team player. Purpose-driven and passionate, she knows how to lead individuals and teams to success.
Check out Catherine Cannuli's article From football pitches to business meetings: What business leaders can learn from elite sport.
Michael McNab - 22 October 2021
Michael McNab is the Managing Director and founder of Queensland’s construction and civil company, McNab. Michael is also the Chair of the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) Queensland Chapter.
With over 25 years of experience in the property, development, and construction industry, he has significant expertise in rapidly growing a business successfully.
Michael has grown the McNab business into one of Queensland’s
leading privately-owned construction companies. With his background in engineering, Michael is passionate about the sustainable growth of the Toowoomba and Darling Downs region.
Check out Michael McNab's article on being clean with your feedback.
Emilee Cherry OAM -28 October 2021
Emilee Cherry is a former Australian Rugby Union player, representing Australia in Sevens Rugby.
Emilee won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio after defeating New Zealand. Emilee won the Women's Sevens World Player of the Year award in 2013 and 2014. She was selected as the 2014 World Sevens Player of the Year after scoring the most tries and being the standout player during the 2013–14 IRB World Series season.
As well as being a professional athlete, Emilee possesses a degree in Health Sport and Physical Education from The University of Queensland.
Results-driven, Emilee is a hard working, dedicative and passionate individual. Throughout her professional career, she has developed the ability to collaborate in a team while maintaining her own high-performance as an individual contributor.
Check out Emilee Cherry's article on investment is a two-way street.
Tony De Domenico OAM - 4 November 2021
Tony De Domenico is currently the Chair of Bertocchi Smallgoods Pty Ltd, the Chair of Abalone Victoria (Central Zone), Chair of Plastic Oceans Australasia, Director of Common Equity Housing Ltd, Director of Prahran Market, and Director and Life Member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Life Member of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, and a Corporate Life Governor of The Royal Life Saving Society (ACT).
Previously, Tony was the Executive Director of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) and has been Chair of Places Victoria, Deputy Chair of Development Victoria and has also served on the Council of Latrobe University including a term as Deputy Chancellor.
Through his extensive business experience, he has developed skills in business relationship management, risk management, business development, strategy, and executive management.
In terms of leadership, Tony trusts the power of persistence and passion and believes that it is a leader's task to find people that exhibit these values to empower their teams to success.
Tony was awarded a Medal in The Order of Australia at the Queen’s
Birthday Honours List in 2018 for his contribution to urban planning, research, and development in Victoria.
Check out Tony De Domenico's article on passion shines through persistence.
Leanne Heywood OAM - 11 November 2021
Leanne Heywood is currently the Non-Executive Director at three ASX-listed businesses - which are Galaxy Resources, Quickstep Holdings and Midway Limited.
Leanne is an experienced non-executive director, consultant and senior executive with broad general management experience gained through an international career in the mining, rural, government, and not-for-profit sectors. She has been in the industry for over 25 years and has worked in nine different countries.
Leanne is recognised as an experienced leader of transformational change, for leading divisional start-ups, organisational restructuring, disposals, and acquisitions, including integration.
She is passionate in the area of global leadership, which includes complex cross-cultural negotiations, broad commercial leadership and command of international customer and stakeholder relationship management.
Leanne is highly qualified, completing her undergraduate degree in Accounting at Charles Sturt University and her MBA at
the University of Melbourne. Leanne also attended programs at Harvard for Negotiation and Competitive Decision Making and at Stanford University for Innovative Marketing for Strategic Advantage.
Check out Leanne's article on the importance of having a risk management plan.
Michelle Bowden - 19 November 2021
Michelle Bowden is a trainer, speaker and managing director at Michelle Bowden Enterprise. Michelle is passionate about helping people on their business pitches. She believes that everyone can speak confidently, clearly and charismatically, no matter what their natural ability is.
She is one of 42 female Certified Speaking Professionals (CSPs) in Australia, which is the highest designation for speakers in the world. Michelle is renowned for achieving results through learning and laughter. She has a passionate, entertaining, and highly interactive approach to her presentations that ensures behavioural change every
time.
Throughout her career she has coached keynote speakers and executives for company conferences, road shows and client events. She has been nominated for the past nine years for the Educator Award for Excellence.
She has presented her
Presentation Skills Masterclass over 890 times for over 10,000 people. With a dedication and drive to help businesses, Michelle understands what it takes to thrive in fast-paced environments.
Check out Michelle Bowden's article on be mindful how you present.
Jason Murphy - 24 November 2021
Jason Murphy is the CEO and Managing Director at CSP Architectural.
Jason has a Bachelor degree in Engineering from Swinburne University of Technology.
Jason is an accomplished leader with a meticulous approach to business. He has been instrumental in transforming CSP Architectural from a local Melbourne-only business to a company that now spans three states across the eastern seaboard of Australia.
Highly skilled in team building, process, and financial management,
Jason brings a wealth of experience and demonstrated success in growing small and medium-sized businesses.
Check out Jason Murphy's article on walk the talk.
Kari Baynes - 3 December 2021
Kari Baynes is the Founder, Director and Chief Vision Officer of Different Strokes Swimming. Kari has had an impressive career in the media industry with roles including Head of Business Development, Group Advertising Director, and Project Lead for News Corp Australia.
Balancing health, well-being, and mental and physical fitness
have been crucial to Kari’s performance during her 25 year career in top strategic leadership roles.
Kari founded Different Strokes Swimming after noticing a need in the fitness and well-being market in areas such as learn to swim, continuous stroke correction, and structured recreational pool and open water swimming. She's also seen a potential for social and corporate networking for busy executives, mothers' groups, and friends looking for new challenges.
With her skills in marketing and strategic skills Kari's mission is to help everyone, regardless of age or ability level, thrive. With a vision to build confidence and mental and physical fitness, she aims to empower individuals to flourish in all parts of life by creating an environment that fosters technique and performance improvement.
Check out Kari Baynes's article on Passion, sales, and swimming: Why leaders need to remain curious and keep learning.
Ahmed Abbassi - 14 December 2021
Ahmed Abbassi is the Executive Director of Competitions and Football Development at the Qatar Stars League. He is also the co-founder of Qatar Solar Energy W.L.L. Previously, Ahmed was the Director of Operations at the Qatar Football National Teams and was the FIFA Competitions Coordinator during the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.
Ahmed is widely recognised as an experienced leader with a proven
history of talent and passion in the sporting industry. Ahmed excels in all areas involving leadership, strategy, football management & governance.
Aside from his passion for football, Ahmed is renowned for his passion in the areas of public speaking, research, and linguistics.
Ahmed is a world-class Information Technology (IT) enthusiast
with an Executive MBA from Manchester Metropolitan University and is currently a Doctoral Candidate working on the Executive Doctorate (DBA) focused in Business Administration and Management from École des Ponts Business School.
Ahmed is a critically acclaimed passionate leader and uses
his talents to ensure that his team reach their greatest possible potential.
Charles Brewer - 17 December 2021
Charles Brewer is the Group Chief Executive Officer at Pos Malaysia
Berhad. Charles has had an extraordinary amount of experience in the industry, especially in regards to his numerous leadership positions. Charles once held the CEO position at Canada Post, Click and Connect, DHL e-commerce in Singapore, Mara Xpress, and DHL South Africa.
As a direct consequence of his international endeavours, Charles
has developed a unique ability to adapt to different environments and cultures. His work in Europe, the Asian Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East have made him a Certified International Specialist in his fields.
Throughout his career, he developed a passion for E-commerce logistics, cross-border fulfilment, international business operations, general business, and digital transformation.
Result-oriented, Charles trusts the power of confidence, character and talent to realise opportunities, engage and organise teams, and deliver high-quality results with his unique leadership repertoire.
To be a strong leader, Charles believes that you have to
have a team with purpose, trust and positivity to concentrate on priorities and meet deadlines. Charles’ leadership experience makes him a prominent figure and a qualified teacher in all areas involving business.
Check out Charles's article explaining how to be a leader to anyone, anywhere.
Todd Towers - 22 December 2021
Todd Towers is the founder and CEO of Farmboy Fine Arts INC. Farmboy Fine Arts is an international art advisory with a hand in hospitality, health & wellness and fine art leasing with their operations being based in Canada.
Todd is well known for both his passion and expertise in arts and creative business.
Having extensive experience, Todd specialises in art acquisition and procurement, international collection management, business development, channel development/extension, creative development, art leasing, art financing, and art investment services.
Todd has professed that he is driven by collaboration and teamwork.
Todd believes that art challenges the mundanity of modern life, and that art can inspire passion, compassion and inclusivity to make the world a better place.
Todd’s passion in his line of work, as well as his morals, makes him a brilliant leader and an excellent art enthusiast.
Kobi Simmat - 19 January 2022
Kobi Simmat is a business advisor, speaker and the founder & CEO of bestpractice.biz, a company that helps business owners expand their business.
Kobi is on a mission to guide businesses towards consistent
and sustainable growth and is on his way to successfully achieve that ultimate goal; to inspire improvement in 100 million companies.
With over 25 years of experience, Kobi strives to unleash the potential within every business, provide friendly and flexible business
solutions, and provide continual improvement.
Highly educated, Kobi graduated from Western Sydney University and has a high depth of knowledge in business management assessments, advisory and training.
Passion driven, he has consulted businesses in 7 countries from 50 different industries and has been selected as a finalist for Outstanding Business Person of the Year in the Northern Beaches Local Business
Awards, as well as being featured in the ‘Top 50 Unsung Business Heroes’ series.
Check out Kobi Simmat's article on there’s no business without employees. Here’s how to attract and retain them.
Yasser Zaki - 27 January 2022
Yasser Zaki is the CEO of Tender Loving Care Disability Services.
Yasser is a certified and registered NDIS provider that delivers high-quality support for individuals with disabilities. With over 12years of experience, he has gained extensive experience in the disability services sector.
He is passionate about his work at TLC and loves being hands-on in his line of work. Having worked through various support positions allowed him to support PWD firsthand and had helped him understand the challenges that come with supporting those who are heavily disadvantaged in society.
Yasser’s vision is to develop a service where people aren’t limited as a result of their bodily functions, and is passionate about making regular services more inclusive for those who are physically and cognitively disadvantaged.
Result-driven, with his skills and experience alongside his qualifications, his goal is to deliver not only quality services but also an extensive, longitudinal approach to helping advance the lives of those who are the most unfortunate in our society.
Check out Yasser Zaki's article on why employing people with disabilities benefits both businesses and communities.
Mimmo Lubrano - 3 February 2022
Mimmo Lubrano is the CEO of Sandhurst Fine Foods and was the prior Vice President of the Australian Association of Food Professionals (AAFP).
Mimmo has extensive experience working for more than 30 years in the food industry. He has a plethora of experience in identifying fresh produce, as well as cooking unique recipes.
He is an expert in food marketing, purchasing, branding, and distribution.
His success in the industry comes from his passion for food service, as well as supporting family-owned businesses. Mimmo is extraordinarily passion-driven and has proven himself to be a great leader for
those who are trying to get their produce, whether that be fresh or
value-added, onto store shelves.
Check out Mimmo Lubrano's article on the purpose of a business is to give you a life, not to take it away
Steven Walker - 10 February 2022
Steven Walker is the co-owner of Kookaburra Homes, one of the leading home builders in South Australia. He also acts as one of the board members at Regional Development Australia Murraylands and Riverland.
With over 14 years of experience in the building industry, Steven has helped 1000s of customers make their dream home become a reality.
Steven is known to be a passionate and resilient individual, as well as an expert in his field. He is behind the success of Kookaburra Homes
with his innovative sales and marketing techniques. Steven is an incredibly organised individual, ensuring that his team make effective use of their time.
His extraordinary passion for marketing is what sets him apart. As a result-oriented person, he emphasises fantastic customer relationships and service. Steven strongly believes that a business is
successful when you consistently exceed the expectations set by your customers, and not just simply meet them.
Check out Steven walker's article on your business doesnt have to be your whole world. Here's why.
Lucy Jones - 16 February 2022
Lucy Jones is the Co-founder and President of Neuroblastoma Australia.
With the belief that every child deserves to express their
right to grow healthily, Neuroblastoma organises events to raise awareness of and fund research for children’s cancer.
Lucy is recognised for her tireless work in raising awareness of neuroblastoma through the Westfield Local Heroes for Chatswood, and she has been nominated for a 2020 Westfield Local Hero award. She currently works on behalf of the consumer and community committee for Sydney Children’s Hospital and Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre redevelopment project in Randwick.
Lucy, with her kind heart, is focused on driving change in neuroblastoma survival rates through fundraising and believes that research will give better treatments for devastating childhood cancer.
Check out Lucy Jones's article on on a mission to save children’s lives, one step at a time.
Nick Sheehan - 23 February 2022
Nick Sheehan is the Founder and CEO of EFEX Group.
EFEX is an Australian business technology service provider. They are dedicated to making IT simple and accessible for SMEs and enterprise-sized companies.
Nick believes in presenting flexible, scalable, simple and robust solutions to clients. These elements are what distinguish EFEX from their competitors.
Nick has been an instrumental driver in EFEX Group’s strong growth. A combination of Nick’s strong work ethic and passion for helping others have seen EFEX named on the AFR BRW Fast Starter list twice and placed as runner-up in the CRN Fast50 Awards in both 2015 and 2016.
Michele Lombardi - 10 March 2022
Michele Lombardi is the Senior Vice President at CNH Industrial, as well as being a part of the Board of Tech Start-ups.
Michele’s passion is to motivate the growth of Technological
Startups through Board participation, and aims to further push our world into the technological era.
As a leader, he has encouraged the instrumental growth of his company; evident by the growing profitability of his P&L statements across numerous businesses and markets, as well as his economically extensive endeavours undertaken on behalf of his offshore clients.
Michele’s expertise predominantly lies in commercial operations, corporate strategy, new business development, mergers & acquisitions, divestitures, and joint venture negotiations.
Michele’s work in the industry has made him a valuable resource in the Technology, Automotive and Industrial Goods business sectors in North America, Europe, and Asia. His international ventures have made him a distinguished leader and a notable character in the business sector.
Alison Attard - 23 March 2022
Alison Attard is the Executive Director at BNI Global (Sydney South West).
With her extensive experience working in the industry, Alison suggests that networking has a significant role in every business. She strongly believes that networking would allow business owners to increase the number of prospects and opportunities for their business.
Alison’s focus and expertise lie in effective networking, where experienced people in their respective fields could help each other to succeed and grow by sharing ideas and collaborating.
Alison completed her bachelor degree in commerce, accounting and law from Western Sydney University. Moreover, she is also highly skilled in interior design, making her an incredibly qualified individual.
Check out Alison Attard's article on networking isn’t about selling yourself. It’s about making genuine connections.
Dan Goodwin - 1 April 2022
Dan Goodwin is a content creator and YouTuber.
He is the head of content production at Off Limits Entertainment Ltd and as well as the creator of Lions TV - a Millwall-focused fan channel.
Dan is a passionate man. He began Lions TV on his own in 2016, and it has since grown exponentially. His passion for football is what sets him apart from others. This is reflected in his ability to run a large fan-based community. As a results-oriented person, Dan believes that creating great content that the world wants to see is the only way to truly succeed in content creation.
Dan has been in the industry for many years and has accumulated a huge amount of experience throughout his career. Through his dedication and hard work, Lions TV managed to receive the best club content creator of 2019 and 2020 in the UK Football Content Awards.
Jim Penman - 6 April 2022
Jim Penman the CEO of Jim’s Group, the largest franchise chain in Australia and the most renowned lawn-mowing business in the world. He has become a symbol of success in the Australian business sector, and despite his extraordinary achievements, is still driven to continue the growth of his enterprise.
Jim famously started Jim's mowing decades ago with only $24 to market himself to the world. Now Jim is a globally recognised entrepreneur with over 50 unique trade divisions under his name and over 4,350 individual franchises across four countries.
Jim is highly dedicated to his business, spending the majority of his waking hours being involved and running his business. He is directly accessible to all of his franchisees and to any client with a serious complaint. He believes the key to success in a business heavily relies on customer service.
Passion-driven, Jim has authored best-selling books to share his corporate experience from the bottom to the top. Jim is also active in a research program into the epigenetic of social behaviour, a continuation of his PhD work, which he believes could help in the treatment of mental illness and addictive disorders.
Check out Jim Penman's article on constantly strive to improve.
Annette Slunjski - 13 April 2022
Annette Slunjski is the Managing Director at the Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia and the founder of Lucidity Marketing Communications. Annette is a professional in her field with a passion for data-driven business and analytics.
With over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications, Annette specialised in B2B marketing, growth and technology to enhance the strategic position and success of blue chips and startups.
Highly qualified, Annette holds a Bachelor's and Master's
degree in Commerce from UNSW. Result-driven, Annette is a ‘strategy first’ advocate with a special interest in market data analysis. She also draws on her experience in B2B marketing technology to showcase the technology solutions that are increasingly becoming part of a marketer’s and small business owner’s world (including insights academic research can deliver).
Angela Orsaris - 20 April 2022
Angela Orsaris is the Managing Director at The Market Intelligence Co, a leading, Australian-owned and independent company that specialises in business-to-business and industrial market intelligence and research.
Angela is a professional in her field. She is passionate about helping her clients to better understand their opportunities in new or current industries.
Angela is degree qualified. She graduated the University of Wollongong completing her Bachelor of Commerce. Purpose-driven and passionate, she believes that it is more crucial to understand what drives data/metrics for a company to ensure that they succeed in their relevant fields.
Highly experienced with over 30 years of expertise in desk research and hybrid methodologies. Angela has established a business with an identifiable point of difference. With technological advancements, she believes that any company can set up its own customer database to gain information. Angela understands that it takes a level of expertise to know which sectors they should reach and how to get the best information out of them.
Check out Angela Orsaris's article on customer complaints are the key to a successful business.
Marcel Donnelly - 27 April 2022
Marcell Donnelly is the CEO of FlatRateNOW, an Australian-made quoting solution for Trade Service Businesses.
Prior to becoming the CEO, Marcell was the director of Sales and Marketing of the company. As the Director of Sales and Marketing, Marcell developed incredible communication skills, allowing him to generate great outcomes for tradies across Australia by coordinating his team to an exceptionally high standard.
Marcell acknowledges both the value and importance of cooperation and teamwork as core growth mechanisms for an innovative business. He believes that the key to a successful business lies in fulfilling customers’ needs, which is the main idea of FlatRateNOW; to help tradies in accelerating and automating quote creation, calculation, and manipulation.
Tauran Black - 13 May 2022
Tauran Black is the owner of Tradie Design Co - a social media phenomenal for tradies!
Tauran and Tradie Design Co specialise in making Australian trades businesses look great online and offline through great brand identity, websites, signage and vehicle wraps.
Tauran is a passionate and engaged individual who is driven to help tradies grow their businesses through simple and smarter design and brand identity.
Tauran’s grown a fantastic online business through great client satisfaction and referrals and has a lot to teach us all in these areas.
Damien Sheehan - 20 May 2022
Damien Sheehan is the Country Head of IWG Australia Pty Ltd. He is an engaged, result-oriented individual with extensive international experience. Damien is an expert in eCommerce, logistics, sales, and marketing.
Damien worked in the transport and logistics industry for over 20 years spanning Asia, the Americas, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, which made Damien a multi-nationally recognised leader, granting him skills in employee management and team-oriented aptitudes. Prior to his work in the transport and logistics sector, he was the Managing Director of DHL eCommerce for Australia and New Zealand.
Damien is a firm believer in the free-market economy and believes that the most crucial approach to growing a small-to-medium enterprise is to ensure a positive work environment, emphasise workplace planning, and to put all of your efforts into expanding, instead of focusing on short-term profit.
Irene Ochem - 27 May 2022
Irene Ochem is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), a not-for-profit and pan-African women empowerment organization that works to promote and support women's enterprises and innovations across Africa.
Irene is an expert in entrepreneurship, commerce, and innovation. Irene is passionate about helping women-owned businesses to become more competitive and to expand their markets. Throughout Irene’s career, she has directly trained and supported 2,000+ female-owned startups across different African countries through curated enterprise development and entrepreneurship capacity building programs.
Irene’s interest is focused on gender economic equity and social inclusion. She has 25+ years of experience spanning the geographies of Africa and Europe. Her work at the strategic leadership of AWIEF is focused on driving female entrepreneurship and promoting women-owned enterprises and innovations across the African continent.
Irene is internationally recognised for her impactful work and has received numerous awards for feats. She has been featured on prestigious national and international media platforms including CNN, BBC, SABC (South Africa), Channel Africa (South Africa), and Channels TV (Nigeria), cementing her position as one of the greatest leaders in women’s empowerment in the corporate world.
Anthony Koutoufides - 3 June 2022
Anthony Koutoufides is a former Australian footballer hailing from the Carlton Football Club. Considered by many as one of the most powerful and athletic players of all time, he played all positions effectively and was often called the prototype of the modern footballer.
Throughout his life, Anthony has always believed that staying fit and healthy determines one’s overall success and general well-being; that’s why he created KOUTAFIT, his own personalized online program designed to help people to succeed and reach their fullest potential.
His experience as a professional athlete has developed Anthony’s leadership skills. Passion and focus have been the key to Anthony's success. He believes that a positive mindset combined with hard work and dedication is the key ingredient to success.
