Arete Podcast with Richard Triggs

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 t...

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...

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...

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 soc...

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, ho...

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. R...

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 i...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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 gr...

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...

In this episode, I interview Vinod Muthanna - CEO and President of DBM Vircon. DBM Vircon is a merger of 3 companies and he leads the integration and the creation of a global practice with nine offices in 8 countries over four continents. He also shares his experiences throughout his career, past and present, and shares his thoughts on being a CEO and a servant leader to his team and business. DBM...

This episode was recorded at the end of March 2020, just as severe restrictions were taking hold due to the Coronavirus/Covid-19 threat. While you might expect that job prospects are difficult for everyone at this time, the executive job market, especially for mission-critical roles is surprisingly vibrant at the moment. In this episode I chat with Brett Jarman, Executive Producer of the Experts O...

In this episode of the Arete Podcast, Richard interviews Grant Moyle - the CEO of XLM Systems. XLM Systems helps mining businesses switch from mechanical solutions to IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) solutions for their operations. He shares his personal background, his career over the past years, his mindset on business investing and acquisitions, to employee recruitment and team handling, hi...

In this episode, I’m chatting with Bill Petch, CEO of the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia, about his first CEO role and how he’s managing such an important sector during a time of exciting change. The charity is the only national charity dedicated to helping those with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related blood disorders. Bill was first appointed CEO of the Queensland branch in 2012 and led...

In this episode I chat to Mark Denning, owner and managing director of Fallon Solutions about risks he’s taken over the years, investing in training for staff and networking throughout Australia and across the pond in the US. Brisbane-based Fallon Solutions provides B2C and B2B trade services to customers in South East Queensland, including electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, carpentry and all...

In this episode I chat to David Carter, CEO Suncorp Banking & Wealth about some of the issues facing the banking industry and the challenge of restoring confidence for customers and employees. Suncorp is the largest of the Queensland-listed public companies, with more than 1.1 million customers. David, who has a team of around 650+, is publicly thought of as the person who runs the bank, but his d...

Building a business based on something you love is easy. Building a business that works without your constant attention isn’t. Too many business owners run away with a business idea without having the skill set they need for it to really take off and fail to understand what’s missing. In this episode, I chat to Ben Fewtrell, CEO of multi-million dollar business MaxMyProfit. He’s been in the busine...

In this episode, I delve into the arts sector with Craig Whitehead, CEO of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) to learn more about the business and leadership of a large orchestra. Craig’s love for the performing arts sector began at a young age, despite being brought up in a “sports-focused” family in Stafford. He went on to become a freelance actor in London, UK, and saw an opportunity to st...

What do you do when you’re thinking about replacing a current employee who is underperforming? Or have a position to fill and an internal candidate who meets the requirements of the role, but you want to make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job? I discussed these scenarios, and our Headhunted Shortlist package, with Brett Jarman, Founder and Executive Producer of Experts On Air, the pr...

Competition in the workspace is high nowadays, so career development is no longer just about doing a great job, whatever your role. If you want to get access to the best opportunities, you need to show you are doing more than competently executing your responsibilities. As a result, building a personal brand is becoming more prevalent. How you come across in the marketplace can make all the differ...

In this episode, I chat to Moira Harris, the managing director of Hygrade Water Australia, a family-owned startup. The company manufactures, imports and distributes specialised water-related products for the civil construction industry, and employs 25 people across its two branches in Brisbane and Sydney. Moira is a strong business leader with experience in operations management, sales management,...

In this episode I’m joined by three company directors, each with a unique outlook on the past, present and future of business. My three guest speakers are Ian Sampson, Michael James and Natasha Howie. Ian is an executive and non-executive director and chairman of several companies, advising senior leaders on complex issues. Michael is a company director and business advisor, working mostly with SM...