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How the CEO of Oroton learnt to make the right career choices
Earlier in her career, Oroton CEO Jenny Child was frustrated at McKinsey and scored a job offer elsewhere. But a mentor warned her that the grass would not necessarily be greener. Child stayed at McKinsey, was made partner, moved to Australia and now runs a luxury retailer.
- Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan
This CEO didn’t go to uni and never had a career plan
Australia Post chief Paul Graham left school and tried out myriad manual jobs. Now he is responsible for 63,000 employees.
- Sally Patten and Lap Phan
April
What happens when Rio Tinto’s Australian CEO gets cranky
Kellie Parker, Rio Tinto’s Australian boss, discusses what happens when she gets tired, why she likes puzzles and why she continually tracks her emotions.
- Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan
Star chef Matt Moran reveals his dinner party secrets – and pet hates
At age 15, Matt Moran dropped out of school and learnt to cook. Along the way, he has learned how to run a business, manage people and stay sane.
- Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan
Why Lendlease CEO Tony Lombardo landed on the career fast track
The double jolt of his mother being diagnosed with cancer and his father dying at an early age put Lendlease CEO Tony Lombardo on the career fast track to everything.
- Sally Patten and Lap Phan
The advice that helped land HESTA CEO Debby Blakey the top job
HESTA chief Debby Blakey talks about how maths helps her to make decisions, how a key piece of advice from a mentor helped her land the top job, and why she likes 42-minute meetings.
- Updated
- Sally Patten and Lap Phan
March
Why this CEO is happy to admit he is ‘not particularly smart’
Intrepid Travel chief James Thornton says he did “OK” at school and isn’t that smart. But he was CEO by the age of 35.
- Sally Patten and Lap Phan
How this CEO cuts hour-long meetings to just five minutes
Justin Graham of advertising firm M&C Saatchi also says he wants to compete on Survivor, but suspects he might be thrown off the reality TV show early.
- Sally Patten and Lap Phan
Google’s Australian boss reveals her pet hate in the office
Ask Mel Silva, managing director of Google in Australia, what she doesn’t like at work and she doesn’t hold back.
- Cindy Yin and Sally Patten
What the Carlton Football Club CEO learnt about ambition
Brian Cook says he became a good leader when he realised leadership wasn’t all about him.
- Cindy Yin and Sally Patten
February
The best advice this boss was given: don’t let somebody else manage your career
Having a clear strategy around how you manage yourself, both in business and outside, is important, says Blackmores CEO Alastair Symington
- Cindy Yin and Sally Patten
The podcasts this top CEO always goes back to
When Aware Super CEO Deanne Stewart was offered the chance to run a business in the early 2000s in New York, she broke down and said, “No, I can’t do it.”
- Cindy Yin and Sally Patten
December 2023
How the Y2K bug reset Opera House CEO Louise Herron’s career
When the anticipated global computing meltdown did not happen on January 1, 2000, the former lawyer couldn’t help thinking her career was “really stupid”
- Sally Patten
AirBnB’s boss on the perils of being too good at negotiation
Susan Wheeldon once made the mistake of negotiating too good a price for a contract. She realised that down the track the deal was not the win she thought it would be.
- Sally Patten
November 2023
What this CEO did after being made redundant from Macquarie
Tim Fung didn’t waste a crisis when the company let him go after the GFC. Instead, he tried his hand at an entirely new industry.
- Sally Patten and Euan Black
This CEO was once told he wasn’t making enough mistakes
Renato Mota, the chief executive of Insignia Financial, talks about embracing risk and the importance of allowing the mind to wander.
- Sally Patten
What this CEO learnt from stepping away from his business
Adam Schwab, chief executive of Luxury Escapes, says terminating staff who are not right for the business is critical to a company’s success.
- Sally Patten
What this former barrister had to learn to be a great CEO
CoreLogic chief Lisa Claes says it’s up to leaders to create an environment in which employees stretch themselves but avoid burning out.
- Sally Patten and Euan Black
October 2023
My best career advice: develop good manners
It was Bega Group chairman Barry Irvin’s mum who gave him what turned out to be the best career advice he has ever been given.
- Sally Patten and Euan Black
Why this CEO worries about WFH and ChatGPT
DigitalX boss Lisa Wade has several tools to get through stressful situations. She takes “a few breaths”, taps her watch, or presses her feet into the floor.
- Sally Patten and Euan Black
How Sydney Swans boss Tom Harley makes the right decisions
Getting your priorities in order is critical when it comes to making decisions. Sydney Swans chief executive Tom Harley’s key priority is his family.
- Sally Patten and Euan Black
Why this CEO avoids email and shuns morning routines
Living with a bit of chaos breeds creativity, says Sarah Derry, CEO of Accor in the Pacific.
- Updated
- Sally Patten and Euan Black
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