AI is revolutionising the way we work – automating everything from email creation and data analysis, through to medical diagnostics. But does faster really mean better? As businesses chase efficiency, are we measuring productivity in the right way – or just the easiest way? The Dean of UNSW’s Business School, Professor Frederik Anseel, says true productivity isn’t about hours worked; it’s about impact. With technology handling more and more of the routine, the real value may lie in creativity, p...
Jun 04, 2025•30 min•Ep. 61
Every second, 12 tonnes of plastic are manufactured globally, and millions of tonnes end up as waste. For entrepreneur James Lancaster, this stark reality drove him to create Renew IT, a company dedicated to sustainability, in a bid to tackle the problem head on. What started as a recycling business that generated value from discarded electronics became a passion. After a decade of recycling old office printers and monitors, Renew IT partnered with UNSW to develop world-first technology that tur...
May 21, 2025•27 min•Ep. 60
The global cricket market is booming. It’s projected to be worth 6.1 billion dollars this year. And while traditional revenue streams such as broadcast rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales still drive the cricket business, it’s the shortened T20 format that’s drawing in new revenue and new fans. Former cricket star turned commentator Lisa Sthalekar explains the lucrative business behind one of Australia’s favourite sports and what it can teach you about your company. +++ The Business Of podcas...
May 07, 2025•29 min•Ep. 59
"Do you have cash?" It's a question that's becoming increasingly rare in 2025. Nowadays, many of us prefer the convenience of digital wallets over physical cards, not to mention banknotes and coins. According to Richard Holden, an economist and UNSW Scientia Professor, we're moving towards a "functionally cashless" society, with the costs associated with carrying cash on the rise. But what does this shift mean for businesses? And how can we ensure a smooth transition that doesn't leave anyone be...
Apr 23, 2025•31 min•Ep. 58
Podcasting has completely reshaped the audio landscape, pulling audiences away from other media and into a space where brands, businesses, and creators can connect directly with engaged listeners. Today, companies are leveraging podcasts as a powerful marketing tool—leveraging the medium’s popularity as an accessible platform for authentic storytelling. James Cridland is the editor of Podnews, a world-leading podcast industry newsletter and he’s been tracking the rise of on-demand audio since th...
Apr 09, 2025•27 min•Ep. 57
In 2018, Lottie Dalziel scribbled down a New Year's resolution: Do better for the planet. Unlike most of us, she actually followed through. Frustrated by the lack of practical and authentic eco-friendly products on the market, Lottie decided she’d take matters into her own hands. While most startups take years to refine their product, test the market, and strategise their launch, Lottie built Banish – a marketplace and education platform focused on environmental responsibility – in just two week...
Mar 26, 2025•30 min•Ep. 56
Apple doesn’t sell computers. It sells creativity. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say people don’t buy computers, they buy the story a company tells about them – that they’re creative, clever, responsible, or anything else that might matter. Shane Currey , the founder of PRIME Collective Australia , learned this while working in the luxury brand space – without a powerful story behind a brand name, a laptop is just a laptop. So how do you tell stories people want to believe? And what about the s...
Mar 12, 2025•26 min•Ep. 55
Game days start hours before the opening siren for Sydney Swans’ COO Drew Arthurson . His game prep usually includes hosting corporate events. And sometimes making coffee for the players. Everyone in the organisation has their own game-day rituals, but when you break it down, it’s the art and science of how individuals do their best work. Elite performance is what everyone at the Sydney Swans strives for, regardless of their role. Drew explains the key leadership principles underpinning that sha...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min•Ep. 54
For decades, the world’s best brands have refined their techniques to reach new consumers and create loyal, life-long customers. But the modern consumer is smart and informed, maybe even cynical. So how do you grow your business without resorting to manipulative psychological tactics? Consumer behaviour expert Professor Nitika Garg says the key to earning consumer loyalty is authenticity and a holistic approach to your brand’s identity. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the Univer...
Feb 12, 2025•23 min•Ep. 53
How can brands connect with the next generation of consumers? It's a question on the minds of many, especially in a bustling online marketplace. Yet, only a few have cracked the code. While most organisations have jumped on social media in a bid to attract young consumers, what they haven’t done – according to Sam Koslowski , co-founder of youth media brand The Daily Aus – is taken the time to truly understand their audience. TDA is doing things differently, and its unique approach to audience b...
Jan 29, 2025•28 min•Ep. 52
Lights... Camera... Spreadsheets? Emile Sherman and his production company See-Saw Films have produced some of the most beloved films and TV shows of the last few decades, including The King’s Speech, Lion, Heartstopper and Slow Horses. It’s a job he loves, but it’s not all glitz and glamour. In fact, it's similar to running a business in almost any other field... Whether you're trying to spot the next big thing or learn when to say “no” to the big money, running a production company is far more...
Nov 27, 2024•23 min•Ep. 51
‘Dreaming is such an important thing. You have to have space to imagine what something could be.’ Carving out the time and space to imagine and ideate is crucial for all business leaders. The development and growth of their companies depend on it. And for contemporary artist Ramesh Nithiyendran, finding time to ‘daydream’ is only possible with the strong infrastructure he’s built around himself and his practice. Across the first decade of his professional career, Ramesh built a successful art pr...
Nov 13, 2024•23 min•Ep. 50
At seven years old, Hayley Saddington experienced an incident that became the catalyst for her whole career. Decades later, Hayley founded two companies – HALO Medical Devices and PeakMedical – but she’s not your typical tech entrepreneur. For one thing, she doesn’t come from a tech background. Both companies have tested her patience, her drive and her sleep schedule, but her deeply personal purpose has kept her going. And as a mentor to budding entrepreneurs, Hayley wants to help others determi...
Oct 30, 2024•30 min•Ep. 49
It’s the early 2000s, and Roby Sharon-Zipser just wants his internet connection to cover his whole house. He’s on his hands and knees, trying to thread a cable through a hole in the floor, caked in white dust when he realises... I need some help! In that moment, the idea for hipages was born. And over 20 years later, it’s transformed from a Yellow Pages-style home improvement directory to an app-based marketplace, connecting tradies and homeowners right across the country. Roby explains how play...
Oct 16, 2024•23 min•Ep. 48
We’re finalists in the 3rd Annual Signal Awards! Help us win the Listener’s Choice Award by voting for The Business Of here. Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to data. In a digitised world, it is possible to collect reams of data on customers, but at what cost? Many companies don’t even realise they’re suffering an extreme case of ‘bad data hygiene’ which in the face of a cyber incident, could be critical. Laura Newton , a regulatory lawyer and cyber incident response lead at...
Oct 02, 2024•24 min•Ep. 47
How productive can you be if your working environment is bad for your mental health? Psychosocial hazards at work are often less visible than physical risks but can have a significant impact on employees' mental health and wellbeing and typically arise from the way work is structured, the organisational culture, and relationships within the workplace How can workplaces be better designed to better care for employee well-being and efficiency? Carlo Caponecchia, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity...
Sep 18, 2024•24 min•Ep. 46
Tell the truth and tell it fast, especially when faced with a crisis that has the potential to put people – and an organisation’s reputation – at risk. Most businesses have some sort of crisis management plan to enact when threatened with turmoil, but what happens when the best laid plans fail? Sue Cato, one of Australia’s leading crisis experts, has been at the coal face of many of those incidents, guiding an array of companies through their most vulnerable moments. Sue explains the common mist...
Sep 04, 2024•23 min•Ep. 45
Would you describe yourself as a right-brained or left-brained thinker? We’ve been conditioned to believe you’re either one or the other. And while we all know a math genius who couldn’t hold a paintbrush if they tried and some creative geniuses who’d be lost in the simplest of spreadsheets, we can all develop both our creative and logical abilities. And in business, having a balance of both is key to great leadership. Alexandra Smart knew this when she co-founded the fashion label Ginger & ...
Aug 21, 2024•24 min•Ep. 44
In today’s attention economy, it’s all about getting and keeping eyeballs on your product or service. How do you capture attention in an increasingly crowded market? And once you have it, how do you convert a casual fan into a die-hard fan? Darren Werner is the Head of Marketing at Kayo Sports , an Australian streaming service that airs live and on-demand programming. He explains how to capture viewer attention by adapting your product to changing consumer habits and leveraging the media platfor...
Aug 07, 2024•29 min•Ep. 43
Business is an incredibly powerful force – how do you use it for good? How do you balance ambitious social impact targets with the realities of day-to-day operations? For Adam McCurdie, co-founder of social enterprise ticketing platform Humanitix, creating social impact was the priority from day one. How was he going to change the world? By starting a software company with a difference: one where he and his co-founder have no exit plan, and the profits go to charities around the world. But that’...
Jun 19, 2024•22 min•Ep. 42
What will you need to know – or know how to do – to succeed in business over the next ten years? A decade ago, the answer would have been to up-skill in tech. According to Lee Hickin, the AI Technology and Policy Lead for Microsoft in Australia, the advances we've seen in the last decade mean that “technology is not this thing that happens as a segment of a business, it’s actually how a business runs today.” And mitigating the risks and impact of climate change is the new frontier. Penny Joseph,...
Jun 05, 2024•12 min•Ep. 41
Artificial intelligence becomes more powerful by the day – which means the dangers that come with it are growing too. If you’re using AI tools in your business, you need to know how to use them safely and responsibly. So where do you start? Dr Catriona Wallace, a world-leading AI expert and Adjunct Professor at AGSM, shares a framework for using AI ethically, and explains why that responsibility falls on the shoulders of leaders and not just tech teams. Stela Solar, Director of the CSIRO’s Natio...
May 22, 2024•18 min•Ep. 40
So, you want to start a business. And no matter how big your ambitions are, chances are you’re going to start small as one of the 99.8% of businesses in Australia that operate as small-to-medium enterprises – or SMEs. Associate Professor Kristle Romero Cortés teaches people how to make confident financial decisions for themselves and their organisations every day at the University of New South Wales School of Banking and Finance. She’s going to help you unpack key concepts as you’re starting wit...
Apr 10, 2024•26 min•Ep. 39
Katrina McPhee is in the superannuation industry for the long haul now, but that wasn’t always the case. She’s currently the Chief of Staff at Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, but when she first entered the industry, she wasn’t interested in sticking around in a field not exactly known for its desire to shake things up. But that all changed after a Royal Commission investigated misconduct in the banking, superannuation and finance sectors, and sparked a renewed focus...
Mar 27, 2024•28 min•Ep. 38
Tech start-ups have been the darlings of business media in recent years, and for good reason: new technology is exciting and flashy, and tech entrepreneurs tend to share pithy catchphrases about grinding, hustling, or “moving fast and breaking things.” But what happens when a start-up needs to slow down? In the case of the investment app Pearler, speed was never the ultimate goal. Co-founder Hayden Smith thinks veering away from that traditional startup mentality has been key to building relatio...
Mar 13, 2024•27 min•Ep. 37
In their first few years of operation, Humanitix didn’t spend a cent on traditional marketing. Despite this, they managed to build up a client list that includes Google, TED, Red Bull, Canva and Facebook, and gave millions to charity in the process. How did they do it? Adam McCurdie is the co-founder and CEO of Humanitix, the new contender disrupting the fiercely competitive ticketing industry for all the right reasons. After making a pact with his close friend and co-founder, Adam left the corp...
Feb 28, 2024•27 min•Ep. 36
How do you market your business when consumers pay not to see your ads? How do you make your name stand out when the internet is overrun with marketing? And how do you build trust and make your name sticks when everything’s moving so fast? Dee Madigan is an advertising expert, a founding panelist on ABC’s The Gruen Transfer and the creative director and owner of ad agency Campaign Edge. Dee breaks down one of branding’s most powerful tools – sponsorship. She explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke how...
Feb 14, 2024•30 min•Ep. 35
What makes a great marketer? Maybe a good eye for product design, a deep understanding of market dynamics, excellent communication skills and the ability to give customers what they want. But what about a fierce devotion to ethics? Wendy Mak is the Chief Marketing Officer at Link Group, a global financial services company driven by digital and data technology. Wendy’s excited about the potential productivity gains promised by brand-new technology like generative AI, but she’s not all-in - yet. A...
Jan 31, 2024•31 min•Ep. 34
“In future, I expect that everybody will have climate resilience and climate mitigation as part of their roles.” Penny Joseph is the Head of Climate Resilience at major Australian electricity provider Ausgrid, but when she began her career, this type of role didn’t exist. As the climate heats up and more industries are feeling the effects of changing weather, Penny explains to The Business Of host Dr Juliet Bourke that roles like hers will become the norm. How are the leaders of tomorrow learnin...
Nov 29, 2023•30 min•Ep. 33
You might have come across the term black swan events – commonly used in the insurance space – they’re considered rare occurrences that are almost impossible to predict. As our climate and weather patterns continue to change at pace, the unexpected is really all we can expect now. How do businesses like insurers plan for risk and implement resilience strategies in the face of uncertainty? Leading with clarity during these high-pressure events takes a systematic approach, and for James Fitzpatric...
Nov 15, 2023•34 min•Ep. 32
