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    15 Minutes with the Boss

    15 Minutes with the Boss

    15 Minutes with the Boss is a podcast about success and failure and everything in-between. It’s 15 minutes you can’t afford to miss.

    Hosted by

    Sally Patten

    BOSS editor

    Sally Patten

    Produced by

    Lap Phan

    Podcast Producer & Actor

    Lap Phan

    Listen now

    Latest Episode

    Why you shouldn’t set a deadline if you want to be more resilient

    The strongest leaders believe in themselves and don’t try to set timelines for when a difficult period will pass, says Macquarie Technology Group CEO David Tudehope.

    • Updated
    • Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan

    BCG’s local boss Grant McCabe on why he has taken up pilates

    Boston Consulting Group’s Australian chief, Grant McCabe, says rookie executives should “remove that baggage” about whether they are going to succeed.

    • Lap Phan and Ciara Seccombe

    June

    Why this CEO doesn’t like flying business class

    For Who Gives a Crap co-founder and CEO Simon Griffiths, sitting at the front of the plane doesn’t resonate with the company’s brand.

    • Lap Phan and Ciara Seccombe

    Why this CEO loves celebrity news

    UBank chief Philippa Watson keeps a keen eye on her Gen Z employees, the technology they use and the news they consume.

    • Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan

    Top CEO reveals the biggest mistakes he ever made

    Koda Capital CEO Paul Heath says among the worst errors he has made is failing to realise how difficult change can be for staff.

    • Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan

    How this CEO survived two dud product launches

    oOh!media chief Cathy O’Connor’s former boss told her the mistakes she made were the best thing that ever happened to her. He was right.

    • Lap Phan and Ciara Seccombe

    May

    What this CEO has learnt about spouting off ideas in meetings

    Netwealth CEO Matt Heine is a self-proclaimed “ideas fountain,” but has learnt the trait doesn’t always work in the top job.

    • Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan
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    Why you don’t have to be ruthless to be successful

    Founder of Matchbox Pictures Tony Ayres talks about how to succeed without being ruthless, the value of unsent emails and, for telling stories, the rule of three.

    • Lap Phan and Ciara Seccombe

    Adam Powick failed to make partner twice. Now he runs Deloitte

    The chief executive says when people fail to get a promotion, they are often told they are doing a good job and should continue along the same path. He reckons that advice is “BS”.

    • Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan

    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

    April

    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

    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
    Tony Lombardo.

    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
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    Google managing director Melanie Silva.

    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

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    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

    HOW TO LISTEN (APPLE DEVICE)

    1. Open the ‘Podcasts’ app on your iOS device. If you don’t have it on your device you will need to download it from the App Store.
    2. Open the search page by tapping on the magnifying glass button in the bottom right corner. This will open up the search box.
    3. Search the name of the podcast you want to find (e.g. The Sure Thing) and tap the search button on the keyboard. You will then be shown a grid of search results.
    4. Tap on the podcast you want from the search results and this will take you to the homepage with a list of available episodes.
    5. Choose an episode to play by tapping on it or subscribe to the podcast to have it appear in your library and automatically download the latest episodes.

    For more information refer to Apple support.

    HOW TO LISTEN (ANDROID DEVICE)

    1. Download and install the Google Podcasts app from the Google Play Store.
    2. Open the ‘Google Podcasts’ app and use the search box to search the name of the podcast you want to find (e.g. The Sure Thing).
    3. Tap on the podcast you want from the search results and this will take you to the homepage with a list of available episodes.
    4. Choose an episode to play by tapping on it or subscribe to the podcast to have it appear at the top of the app. A new section of the app will then notify you of new podcast episodes when you are subscribed.

    For more information refer to Google support.