Arete Podcast With Richard Triggs

Just how do you learn the ways of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across the world if you’ve never done it before? Scott Douglas tells us how. The Managing Director of Asia Pacific for WernerCo gives us an insight into his rise to the top of the management tree, and the inner workings of a truly global business. He’s on the phone to the global CEO and he’s answerable to a whole host of staff and a supply chain across different continents. Oh and by the way, he was the man who set up the Australian operation from scratch. We’re talking to a real international high-flyer on this week’s Arete podcast. Stay tuned if you want to learn more about M&A, different work cultures around the world and how a company that distributes something as simple as a ladder can still innovate and improve the product. In this episode you will learn: -How Scott has managed an upturn in demand from COVID -The logistical challenges of distributing products in the current climate -The value of an MBA to Scott -The halo effect explaine

In this episode I speak to someone who has accomplished a very rare thing these days: a hugely successful manufacturing operation in our own country. Where most would outsource to Asia, Scott Trenoweth and his family have proven what can be possible if you invest in local talent. The Associate Director of Thunderbox Industries recounts his journey to the top of the family business, which has grown from 4 employees in 2002 to over 100 today. It was genuinely inspiring to hear from someone who places such value in homegrown talent and innovation. Listen up to hear how Thunderbox did it. In this episode you will learn: -The strength of Aussie manufacturing -How Scott started his career straight out of high school -Automation in manufacturing -What motivated Scott to return to the family business after he’d left previously -What an Associate Director does on a day-to-day basis -How Scott stays competitive as a manufacturer in Australia -Why Scott gets by without a Linkedin profile, coach or any external busines

We cover some heavy global matters on this week’s Arete podcast with Larry Quick: a man whose job it is to help companies understand how macro issues could affect their everyday business. The senior analyst and strategist (and acting MD) of Resilient Futures was incredibly insightful. He basically deconstructed the major systems of the world and explained why they are important to you, the business leader. Larry is a very well travelled man in both a geographical and a career sense. Originally from Perth, he served time in the army and spent a decade in the UK working in the fashion industry, before returning to Australia. He then worked as a sales manager before eventually founding an internet business well ahead of the time most people even had the internet. Nowadays he specialises in conditions analysis. Pre-COVID he was flying back and forth to the USA, presenting his ideas on macroeconomics, community economic development and how they fit into wider society. His methods were so effective that he manag

Too many businesses treat health & safety as a box-ticking exercise, but if you listen to our guest this week, you’ll realise what an empowering force it can be for an organisation. We speak to Gareth Davies, MD of SafeAssure: a firm that offers specialist advice on workplace safety and environmental management systems. He knows what to do in a crisis and he also knows what to do to stop you having one in the first place. He explained how the suicide of someone close to him piqued his interest in looking after people in the workplace. Gareth has seen firsthand the worst that can happen to people if their workplace is dangerous to their physical and mental health, having given evidence in court and sat by more than his fair share of hospital beds. This is an important listen for anyone who cares about the wellbeing of their employees. In this episode you will learn: -What inspired Gareth to go it alone -The importance of mentoring -The difficulty of working with your spouse -What you need to think abou

Wouldn’t we all like to get inside the heads of our colleagues to understand why they might be resistant to change? Meg Hooper makes a living out of doing just that, and she was kind enough to share some great advice on how to understand the human side of change management. Meg is the Director and Principal Consulting Psychologist of her own firm, Carousel Consulting, and is an active member of the Arete Champions’ Forum. Her background is seriously diverse, starting out on a path to become a marine biologist and ending up in psychology almost by accident. Oh, and she spent a while as part of a circus, just for good measure! We talk about her wide-ranging journey and the simple things we can all do to make change management as painless as possible. In this episode you will learn: -How best to approach organisational change -How Meg knew it was the right time to roll the dice and go out on her own -The benefits of planning a long way ahead when affecting change -Real-life examples of successful change m

The social impact of what we do in business is becoming more and more important, so it was great to speak to someone who is making a success of marrying up the old corporate world with the socially conscious world of startups. Sandra D’Souza is the CEO of Ellect: a digital marketplace that connects small businesses with corporate buyers/investors, where every transaction has a social impact. Sandra gave us a really interesting insight into just how much opportunity is out there for smaller businesses to connect with big investors, if only they could make the right connections. What Sandra is doing is highly successful but remains a relatively untapped niche. Maybe your business could benefit from what Sandra does at Ellect? In this episode you will learn: -What drove Sandra to build a socially-conscious business -The scale of untapped demand for corporate investment -Why the type of business is as relevant as what it sells -How COVID has changed the way we look at supply chains -The value of an MBA versu

If you crack change management then you’ve cracked a key component of business, so it was great to talk to Don McKenzie from the Adizes Institute about their methodology for collaborative leadership and the importance of understanding which part of the lifecycle a business is in. Don is the MD of the Adizes Australia operation and an active member of the global executive team, having previously built up his own businesses to achieve some amazing results. He also knows what it’s like to get stuck with a business at the wrong time of the lifecycle, so he shares some valuable lessons with us about how to do it and how not to do it. If you’re interested in learning about some of the nuances that often get ignored when people talk about leadership and change in business, then listen up on the Arete Podcast here! In this episode you will learn: -The underlying organisational challenges of a global business -The ‘recrimination phase’ explained -The works of Dr Adizes Ichak -How to systemise process and make co

We all need someone like Rex Urwin in our lives. The Managing Director of Mind Matters and an expert of all matters of the mind makes it his business to empower leaders and entrepreneurs to break through their limits and be their best selves. Unlike most business coaches out there, Rex sees beyond the rigid structures of the workplace. This conversation mainly focuses on how we can revolutionise the way we perform by gaining control of our breathing. Who knew that our thoughts are so inextricably linked to the way we breathe? Listen up for 45 minutes of free advice from a man who has already inspired major organisations such as Queensland Rail, Australia Post and Flight Centre. In this episode you will learn: The importance of good breathing Is the human brain an unlimited mechanism? How to smash glass ceilings How to combat limiting beliefs How to perceive obstacles to make them less harmful The link between breathing and anxiety The difference between breathing and ‘being breathed’ How to get out of th

What an incredible conversation I had with Paul Fairweather, an esteemed creative who gives masterclasses on how we can succeed in business by discovering our creative side. Paul has been a painter, architect, standup comedian, property developer... you name it, he’s done it! The common theme in Paul’s career is his confidence to get ideas out there. He quickly understood how to lose the fear that disempowers people in business every day. This episode of the Arete Podcast is basically our own private masterclass from Paul. By the end of it, you’ll have some great tips on how to lose that fear, and as Paul says, ‘how to show up in your own reality’. In this episode you will learn: -The sliding scale of pragmatism and creativity -The difference between creativity and artistry -How rejection in childhood eventually empowered Paul -The definition of ‘frisson’ -How self-awareness can be disempowering as we get older -How Paul took the bold move to change careers -How you might be creative but not know about it -

Alice Evans is a great example of an executive who knows how to broaden their horizons and innovate in whichever environment she finds herself in. Although her varied career has seen her move from physiotherapy to HR management and now to her present role as CEO of True Relationships and Reproductive Health, her life in senior management has been defined by her ability to grow with an organisation. It was great to pick her brains about the incredible strides True Relationships and Reproductive Health has made, bridging the public sector with the private sector to raise awareness and improve sexual health in areas that are traditionally conservative. She also gave some great insight about how she is using emerging technologies to empower vulnerable people, and how she has harnessed the power of networking and peer groups to make her into the executive she is today. In this episode you will learn: -How Alice’s executive team pivoted to create effective online content during lockdown -Ground Probe’s revolution

Ross has had an extraordinary journey getting here, having worked in 15 different countries around the world! He’s been in the information technology space for 30 years, working as a consultant for various big hitters such as IBM, Vodafone and Chevron, so he is certainly qualified to comment on the current state of the tech recruitment marketplace. We talked about all kinds of things, from the social issues relating to automation all the way through to the current state of the Australian marketplace. Could we be in prime position to capitalise on the shifting sands of the world economy? In this episode you will learn: - Why Ross was excited to come into the recruitment space - What it’s like to play international cricket in Belgium - Launching Three - How to answer candidate queries about the state of the market - How the Australian market is bouncing back post-COVID - The key trends in the market for the next 12 months - How cyber security and AI will be major growth areas - If zero-point singularity is a

In this special episode I interview my dear friend Colin Clerke. I was a coaching client of Colin’s before and started referring clients to him. A few years ago, we ran what was originally called Breakfast of Champions, and even prior to that called In Good Company. Colin has a very interesting personal and work history. In this episode, Colin shares his philosophies and wisdom about the world, how our subconscious affects us and how to manage it to allow us to reach our preferred reality. If you listen and take away and start to implement these in your lives the transformations that are possible will literally seem unbelievable. I am delighted to share this podcast episode with you. My first meeting and previous experiences with Colin. Colin’s history. "Loss is the only discovery of gain." "If you pin your life on your circumstances, you'll be in trouble. You rise with the good times. You'll fall with the bad times." "You are the creator of your life rather than a victim of circumstances." "Whatever you'r

In this episode, we have an interesting discussion with Rob Ashdown. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clean Energy Transfer Fund (CETF), a company with the focus on realising the competitive advantage of renewable and clean energy in the energy mix within Australia. They concentrate on the National Electricity Market, taking a position on wind and battery energy storage projects. Rob shares his personal and professional journey into climate change markets and marketing that led him to start CETF, the strategies they use in the company, some hedge fund technicalities, and fun personal stories. Rob is also a member of my Champions’ Forum and shared his experiences with the group on this episode. What are Rob's current professional responsibilities? Rob runs a hedge fund called Clean Energy Transfer Fund "The anchor bias that a lot of people have is that renewables are expensive. Renewables are uncertain, renewables come with a lot of uncertainty and therefore cannot form a majority of the ele

In this episode, I interview Brad Shaw. He is currently the Director of InterFinancial Corporate Finance Limited, an independent corporate finance and growth consulting firm, specialising in the mid-market sector. Brad shares how their company is helping businesses find where their value creation is and deliver strategies to reach those goals and opportunities. We also get to know Brad’s passion in working with business, his career and experiences over the years, and his love for learning. Brad is also a member of my Champion’s Forum and shared his experiences with the group on this episode. Brad shares his professional responsibilities and more about his work as the Director of InterFinancial Corporate Finance Limited. The company mainly specialises in mergers and acquisitions, and some corporate advisory work for entrepreneurial businesses across Australia. Brad shares with us his personal background, specifically where he came from, his first failure early in his university days, his first job as a cadet

In this episode, I interview Paul Avey, the Chief Executive Officer of Concept Environmental Services, a provider of fluid process solutions to the resources, biogas, utilities and agricultural industries. Paul shares to us how he came to be passionate about leading people from his young formative years, to joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and his corporate journey that led to him becoming CEO of Concept. Paul is also a member of my Champion’s Forum and shared his experiences with the group on this episode. He also gave us a glimpse of how his organisation adapted to the challenges of the Coronavirus, and their strategic initiatives and process. Paul’s current professional responsibilities CEO of Concept Environmental Services for roughly 1 year now. His main responsibility is to solidify the business with what they've got now and take their core technology called Concept Tank and develop markets outside the coal and gas industry. "We've got a fantastic company, really good people, really stable f

In this episode, I interview Anthony and Melanie Baker, a husband and wife team who owns and manages Premier Building & Construction. This episode though is not entirely about their construction business. Anthony and Mel share with us their new business venture, the Essence of Harrogate, in detail. Essence of Harrogate is a gin production business they affectionately refer to as the cousin of the Spirit of Harrogate, producers ofSlingsby Gin. Anthony and Mel share how they came to start the business, their experiences with the product, their business strategies, and more interesting facts. What are Anthony and Melanie up to professionally in terms of their normal day jobs? Premier Building & Construction, the company owned and managed by the husband and wife team of Anthony and Melanie has been operating for 13 years. The company is licensed up and down the East Coast, from Queensland through to Victoria. Predominantly, the company undertakes commercial work like schools, healthcare, retail and industria

In this episode, I interview Nathan Psaila - National Sales Manager for RDO Equipment, agents for agricultural, construction and forestry equipment. He has been with the company for over 18 months now and is helping build a unique culture for himself, his sales team, and their clients, as well as ensuring he is leading them towards their goals, their vision, and the core values of the business. He shares in this episode his thoughts on self-reflection as an employee for the team and personal growth. He also shares his love for working with people and with the company. What are Nathan's current professional responsibilities? He works mainly to increase market share and increase overall turnover for the John Deere product line in their construction space. What's RDO Equipment's relationship with John Deere? RDO Equipment as a business is a US company. RDO Equipment Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary. The US entity invested in Australia 7-8 years ago into a company called Vanderfield which is synonymous w

In this episode, I interview Jo Boyce - CEO of Crookwell/Taralga Aged Care. Crookwell/Taralga Aged Care is a merger of 2 organisations responsible for 3 aged care facilities. Jo shares her experiences as the CEO of the company, about the facilities they handle, the communities where the facilities are, the company being an integral part of the communities, and her plans after exiting the company. Jo’s current professional responsibilities She is the current CEO of Crookwell/Taralga Aged Care Ltd, responsible for 3 care facilities: Viewhaven Lounge, Sunset Lodge, and Upper Lachlan Community Care The company merged from 2 organisations,Crockwell and Taralga, 12 years ago. "For a community, by the community" CTAC have been operating for about 45 years in Taralga and nearly 40 years in Crockwell. Her educational background is in business and studied in QUT's Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS) She’s been the CEO for 7 years and is exiting the role for personal reasons "Some roles yo

For the past 2 years I’ve been running the Arete Breakfast of Champions, small in-person breakfast meetings of executives from non-compete fields for peer-based support and exchange. These have been very successful and provided participants with great insights, support and opportunities. In light of the coronavirus situation (this episode was recorded at the end of March 2020) the need for such groups is greater than ever so, to keep the program going and as our way of supporting executives at this time, we’re now launching an online version that we’re calling the Arete Champions’ Forum. The idea for the Arete Champions’ Forum was inspired by one of the Breakfast of Champions participants who attributes more than $200 million in capital investment to connections he made through the group. He valued the peer support and wanted us to find an online format to continue it in, especially as he is now based in Perth. In this episode, Brett Jarman (Founder of Experts On Air, the producers of this podcast) and

This is one of a series of special episodes we’ve put together to assist executives while the coronavirus/Covid-19 situation is upon us. I asked Brett Jarman, executive producer at Experts On Air, the producers of our podcast, to jump on with me and drill down on the subject of executive recruitment. While many might think that the recruitment market has dried up at the moment (late March 2020 as we recorded the episode) we’re finding that the opposite is the case and that there’s actually a war for talent going on. We discuss the background to this and what we are doing to help organisations win that war. Most job companies are cutting back on frontline staff rather than executives The demand to recruit for senior roles is still continuing Companies and organisations still have mission-critical roles, even in times of crisis CEOs and HR heads are looking beyond the current logistical challenges and taking a longer-term view of the situation and what the needs of the company will be Times of uncertainty in