Today’s guest is Sharyn Williams, CFO of G8 Education. In this episode you will hear how Sharyn was impacted by Covid. G8 Education is a company that runs a number of childcare centres around Australia, so this past year and a half has been very difficult. We speak about that at length. Other topics we discuss include: How Sharyn’s team reacted to Remote Working during Covid. How Sharyn got her first shot at leadership when she was playing sport for Australia. How and why Sharyn thinks that lead...
Nov 24, 2021•42 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Today's guest is Michael Hentscher, CFO at The Scooter Group. Michael tells us about growing up in Outback Queensland and some of the culture shocks you can expect when coming to work in the city. Beginning his career in the city, Michael shares valuable insights as to what those first few years were like. Michael shares his experience watching those who get promoted to management positions based on their technical proficiency, and not necessarily their management skills. We cover this topic in ...
Nov 03, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Today’s guest is Toni Hawkins, CFO of Armour Energy. Toni’s interest in leadership started very young, and we go back to her school days to discuss how this interest came to be, and how that set the grounding for her career. We cover a range of other topics in this episode including: Why Toni chose not to work in the Big 4 Accounting Firms. What her first year was like at Qantas. This was the year 9/11 happened, she talks about what that day was like. We talk about the value of dealing with conf...
Oct 20, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Today we are speaking to Thomas Mackie, Financial Controller at Imaging Solutions. As someone who has worked in the Medical industry for his career, Thomas speaks to us about what that decision has meant for him, and what challenges it presents. Having taken a non-typical path, Thomas didn’t pursue a job in the Big 4 and got into Senior roles when he was very young. We talk about what the implications were for that including managing people much older than him. He’s worked for a wide variety of ...
Oct 13, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Today we are speaking to someone who has had an extensive career in Finance, Michelle Cooper. Bucking the trend for Finance Professionals, Michelle has a passion for life and adventure. You can find her skydiving and motorbike riding on the weekends. But this isn’t the only uncommon aspect to Michelle’s story. She talks to us about how she made a career change away from Finance early on and why. She shares with us her lessons around leadership, and what she learned from one particular leader who...
Oct 06, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 11
This episodes guest is Mark Tobin, CEO of Followmont. Followmont is a Family Business in the Transport industry, and Mark shares some of the effects Covid had on Transport. He talks about how he communicated with his team throughout Covid and lead the business through the pandemic. Mark talks about how talent is moving in Australia and how he has built and kept the best quality team regardless. This episode involves an extensive discussion about how to surround yourself with the right people to ...
Sep 29, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Today’s guest is John Livesey, an established professional who is passionate about healthcare. John is the Director of Finance at Wesley Mission Queensland, and this organisation like many were affected by Covid. We speak about the challenges and pivots he had to make when Covid arrived. We speak about his philosophies in leadership and how he gets the best out of his team and those around him, and specifically how to delegate with trust. John has worked for the same organisation for many years,...
Sep 15, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Today’s guest is David Delaporte, CFO of Drifta. Drifta was a company affected by Covid and we speak extensively about the challenges he had when the borders shut. Having a business that relies on freight and logistics, it wasn’t easy. We cover a range of topics in this episode including: Adjusting to remote work. Taking on considerable responsibility early on in one’s career and what that means for future success. Advice David received from a career counselor early in life How a fateful discuss...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Today’s guest is Scott Richards from Beyond The Numbers. Scott has a story that takes us from starting a business and advertising in the Yellow Pages through to working in Kenya, this episode has it all. Scott talks about his first business and how difficult it was to promote himself when he wasn’t accustomed to doing that. We talk about the composition of teams and getting the right mix of high performers and lower performers in a team. We discuss mental models and how they can help someone thr...
Aug 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Today’s guest is Andrew Evans, CFO of Redpath Australia. Andrew describes himself as 'Not your typical Accountant.' As you listen to his career and story you will be able to see why. Having navigated much of his career through feel and gut, Andrew explains how he has made important decisions and his philosophy around leading others. We also talk about: Why he was encouraged to be an Accountant at a young age. The 15-minute interview he still remembers. His unique leadership style including being...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 6
On this episode, our guest is James Versace, CFO of the Brisbane Racing Club. James was CFO of a business that was greatly impacted by Covid. The Brisbane Racing Club relies on in-person events, and James shares how he and his team have navigated the pandemic so far. We also discuss: His considerations when hiring someone. What it’s like to be around senior directors reacting calmly under pressure. His respect for technically brilliant people, but we also discuss the limitations such people can ...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Today’s guest is Caitlin Scantlebury, Head of Risk Culture and Assurance at LGIA Super. Caitlin’s career path is anything but usual. We speak about how she has worked directly under executives from the start of her career and what that has taught her about leadership. We talk about how she always wanted to be a teacher before ultimately deciding to not go down that path. Caitlin explains: - How working in risk can tend to bleed into her everyday life. - How she responded to being made redundant ...
Aug 04, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Today’s guest is Matthew Hudson, Associate Director and Shareholder of SV Partners Matt has built quite a reputation on Linkedin amassing 15,000 followers and posting most days. He is someone who is passionate about insolvency and often speaks out for the industry. This episode will give you an idea of why he is the perfect person to do this. We speak about: What song plays when he receives awards. How he built his Linkedin following. How he has built his confidence as an introvert. The challeng...
Jul 28, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today’s guest is Guy Griffiths, CFO of PVH Brands Australia. Today’s conversation is an interesting insight into someone who has spent much of their career in retail, and working up to becoming a CEO. We talk about how Guy: Flew in and Flew out for over 9 years. Used Chartered Accounting as a passport to work around the world. What his sabbaticals were like early on in his career. What the benefits were of working in London early on in his career. What you should focus on getting out of an MBA i...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Today’s guest is Rhydian James, CFO of Discova. Working in the tourism industry Rhydian was one of those people affected by Covid and we cover what that looked like in detail. We also discuss: How Rhydian managed to work remotely and get up at 3am each morning. How hard it is when your revenue goes from something to nothing. His entrepreneurial endeavours during high school. Why Rhydian respects people who have worked in hospitality jobs when they were young. The role culture plays in someone’s ...
Jul 14, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode, we are speaking to Jeremy Stewart, CEO and Managing Director at Trade Tools. Jeremy is a very committed individual and has spent most of his working life at Trade Tools. As you know that is quite rare to see these days. We cover: His stint in Film and Television and why he stopped pursuing that. How an unfortunate incident prevented him from entering the airforce. The way his leadership and management skills have developed over time. How he filled knowledge gaps midway through h...
May 26, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 50
On this episode we are speaking to Duncan McHugh, Head of Finance at Nutrition Warehouse, and Co-Founder of One More Rep. Duncan’s story is one of loyalty. Having a Dad who worked as a CFO for the theme parks on the Gold Coast for 25 years, Duncan is someone who didn’t find it strange to stay in roles for 10 years. We also talk about: How he spent time in a remote town in Northern Queensland early in his career. What it has been like to start his own Accounting Firm. What it means to ‘manage up’...
May 12, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Today we are talking to Kylie Sheather, Director of Finance Business Partnering at Technology One. Kylie’s story is one of trusting your gut, going your own way, and making decisions for yourself. She didn’t go to London like most people on the podcast have done before and doesn’t have an audit background but has still become a highly competent professional in her field. We talk about: - How she was impacted professionally by the QLD Floods. - What it’s like to get a call at 2am in the morning n...
Apr 28, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Today our guest is Tanya Cain, CFO of Youi Insurance. Tanya is an accomplished professional who shares plenty of advice. We talk about: What it is like working for such an iconic brand. How the timeliness of information is more important than accuracy. Knowing when it’s time to move on. How her Dad would take her to business dinners when she was young and how that sparked her interest in business. Adjusting to life in Australia, and taking a step back in her career to do so. And much more. A gre...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Today’s guest is Keith Bailey of Blueprint Business Solutions. Keith is a veteran of Finance, Accounting, and Management. In this episode we discuss: What it is like to have a Portfolio Career. What he learned about converting clients faster when he worked as a consultant. How he started his first business at 9 years old Why he believes diversifying throughout life is important. His leadership philosophy and how it developed at a young age. The challenges he has had advising boards. How you get ...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 46
Today’s guest is Pierre De Villiers, Partner at CFO on Call, and CEO of Your Profit Xpert. In this episode, we discuss Pierre’s career which included living in South Africa, New Zealand, and now Australia. It is intriguing to hear his perspective on how you can transfer skills across countries, his observations around different cultures, and what stays the same no matter what country you are in. We spend time talking about: Why you shouldn’t discount products The role of Finance in Business Why ...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Today we are speaking to Kerri Siggs, CFO of Carter and Spencer Group. Carter and Spencer is an unusual CFO role that Kerri likens to a live trading market. This is due to working with Fresh Produce, and Kerri details some of the challenges surrounding that. Kerri also speaks about empowering women as an activator of SheEO, a global community of women helping other women to succeed. From a young age, Kerri seemed to have a knack for acquiring jobs in unusual ways which she details in this episod...
Apr 01, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Today we are talking to Brent Charlton, Director of Altitude Advisors We talk about how he navigated the GFC in his business, and as an individual. Growing up with 2 parents as business owners, it seems Brent was always destined to become an owner himself and became a director in his late 20’s. For an Accountant, Brent had a very unique university experience by engaging with the process in a way that is not typical. He talks about only changing jobs twice in his whole career which makes for inte...
Mar 24, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Today we are talking to Brad Sheahon, Head Of Finance at Cromwell Property Group. Hailing from New Zealand, he had nomadic parents and went to many different schools when he was young. It was interesting to hear how this set a foundation for the rest of his career. He shares stories around navigating the GFC in London, where the effects were felt even heavier than in Australia. We talk about the difference between management and being a technician, and how you can go about approaching both. Brad...
Mar 10, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Today’s podcast guest is Ian Judson of JudsonKoman. What an interesting story Ian has. We spoke about so many different aspects of Ian’s life and career. He has life-defining overseas experiences, spent time as a musician, and built himself into a skilled finance professional and business owner. We discussed Stoicism which has never been explored on the podcast before, and Ian speaks about how he views his role and purpose at this stage of his career. It is very enlightening. A great leader and ...
Mar 03, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Today we are talking to Stuart Dempster, co-founder of Changealytics.AI Stuart has a fascinating story and was a great guest. He speaks about: - Giving bad news to Richard Branson. - Raising millions of dollars for a business he owned. - Good and Bad examples of leadership AND his personal leadership philosophy. - Floating a UK company when something goes wrong. And - His passion for Not For Profits. Jack Ferguson was the co-host of this episode. Thanks for tuning in to Books to the Boardroom ! ...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Today we are speaking to Craig Kurkowski, Finance and Accounting Lead of Helimods. We talk about how he started his career in hospitality and how that led him to cook for the queen. We discuss Craig's unconventional methods for tracking staff health and he shares an interesting metaphor around what fishing and leadership have in common. As is becoming a trend on the podcast, Craig has some very unsettling travel stories. We finish the discussion exploring what got him into working for such an in...
Feb 16, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Today we have another great guest on the show, Chris Mitchell, the CFO of Canstar. You have probably heard of Canstar. But it wasn’t always so well known. After being with the company for 13 years, Chris talks to us about how 20% of people recognised the brand when he first started, to now over 70%. A great achievement that is fitting for such an iconic brand. Growing up in rural Australia, Chris talks us through his journey from his early days of Accounting that took him overseas to London and ...
Feb 03, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Today we are talking to Rod Facey, CFO of REIQ. Rod talks us through his career and life and how he handled all the challenges that came at him with integrity. A natural leader, Rod got a chance at leadership at an age much younger than most. He talks about how he handled a redundancy with dignity, how he determined what type of work he wanted to pursue, and what it was life to be in charge of a financial department during the GFC. A man with a unique leadership style to talk about when it’s app...
Jan 19, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Today we have another great guest, David Muir. David is currently the MD of DS Energy. However his career has been varied and not without challenges. He speaks about interesting events in his life such as breaking his neck, what happens when you love rugby but also work in it, and the strange world of solar which he refers to as the ‘solarcoaster.’ One particular story of interest was when David speaks about securing finance for a project, flying all the way to the UK to work on it, only to walk...
Jan 08, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 36
