Books To The Boardroom

In this episode Brisca Managing Director Sumith Dissanayake speaks to Damien Hicks, CFO of Entag Group. It was an enjoyable conversation with a talented individual. We discuss Damien’s early life as a water polo player, and how an unfortunate rugby incident at university affected him. Damien talks about an experience he had in his career where he intended to resign from a job, only to rethink it,...

Our guest today is Robert Easton, CFO of Oncore. We discuss Robert’s career all the way from England where he had a short stint selling insurance premiums through to working as a Management Accountant at a Kitchen Manufacturing Business, and for a Cinema business. Robert talks about the difference between Management Accounting and Financial Accounting. This is an important topic that Accounting an...

Our guest today is Scott Richardson, CFO of Burrana. In this episode we discuss what Scott believes makes a CFO effective. We also talk about how Accounting professionals often approach a fork in their career where they have to decide to become a manager of people, or dedicate themselves to becoming an amazing technician. We speak about the portfolio career that is now possible for CFO’s, but also...

Our guest today is Brett McCallum, CEO of Virtech. Having spent just a single day at University, Brett didn’t take the usual path. Now running a global business, Brett credits his success to being able to stay in his lane.  We talk about being burned by business partners, dealing with failure, but also dealing with success.  A great guest, and a fun discussion, Brett brought a great energy to the...

Our guest today is Andrew Ritter, the owner of Pleiades Corporate Services.  Andrew talks about how difficult it was at the beginning of his career to get a job at an Accounting Firm. Sometimes the perception is that you finish your studies and are guaranteed a job, this isn’t the case.  We speak about his background working at a startup company and transitioning from an Accounting Firm to a comme...

Our guest today is Stephen Lonergan, CFO of Village National.  In this episode, we explore a range of topics and get Stephen’s insight into how his career transpired. We talk about leadership, and the importance of leadership pathways when deciding how to treat your staff, negotiating big deals, and team development. We explore Stephen’s philosophies on embracing technology, and hear why his “Inte...

Today’s guest is Dr Andre van Zyl, Regional Director at The CFO Centre, Queensland. Growing up in South Africa, Dr Andre talks about how the leadership lessons he learned from his time in the military helped shape his career.  He then speaks about his move to Australia after having built a career in another country, we speak about the adjustment period that followed. With his work at The CFO Centr...

Today’s guest is Jason Atkins, CEO of Cake Equity. Jason speaks about his early life and how a move to London did wonders for his career. A driven individual, it was inspiring to see how confidence and competence can take someone through a successful Accounting career. A strong resume includes a role at Mastercard. Jason then talks about his transition from the world of Accounting to becoming a bu...

Today’s guest is Adam Campbell, an accomplished professional who now holds an enviable position as CFO of one of Australia's most iconic brands, Flight Centre. This episode is a great insight into how Flight Centre has been affected by Covid-19. Adam was very forthcoming about how this has affected him personally and how he has responded to such adversity. When talking about his journey to be...

Today’s guest is Zac Zahner, a man who has held many positions in the c-suite and at board level. This episode is a great insight into how competent governance plays a vital role in determining the ultimate success of a company. Zac talks about board experiences he has enjoyed and also those that left him disappointed.  Having spent time working as CFO and other positions in the c-suite, Zac was a...

Today’s guest is Jason Titman, an accomplished professional who has worked for a variety of companies throughout a varied career. Throughout this episode, we explore the ups and downs of Jason's various business ventures, and what he thinks is integral to a startup or small business to succeed. A true critical thinker, Jason shares his views on how Australia should embrace technology, and wha...

Today’s guest is Andrew Rogers, an accomplished professional who has worked in resources, professional services and as an Executive Advisor at QUT Business School. Throughout this episode we explore Andrew’s views on leadership, getting the most out of your staff, how and who to hire, and what important traits an Accountant must possess. Having worked in many positions within the C-Suite, Andrew i...

Brendt Munro, Director of Altor Capital shares his story with us today. In this episode we talk about the way Accountants should speak to clients to add the most value. Sacred cows are discussed and Brendt emphasises the importance of addressing them for business growth. His thoughts on leadership were interesting and our favourite quote was when he said ‘Leadership is taking people on a journey t...

Ollie Visser, Chief Financial Officer of Videopro Group shares his story with us today. He talks about the choices he made to become the person he is today and shares some interesting theories on how we make the decisions we do. We talk about personal growth, and what he learned from struggling to get a job out of university, all the way through to becoming the CFO he is today. Amanda Campbell co-...

Today we are talking to Nicky Lonergan about her career and how she came to be CEO of Archers - The Strata Professionals. Nicky talks us through her story of moving from a career in Finance to end up in a leadership role, her honest assessment of work-life balance, and her views on management. Nicky shares some candid stories about how she moved industries and views her role as CEO now. This episo...

Today we are talking to Paul McCartney about his career and how he came to be a Chief Clean Futures Officer. Paul talks us through his story of moving from a traditional accounting path into a leadership role, balancing business purpose with the need to be financially sustainable, and his thoughts on managing staff. Working in clean energy, Paul has some very interesting views on legacy and what h...

Today we are talking to Peter Jamieson about his career that has had him become the CEO of Cox Industries. Peter talks us through his story of working his way up through sporting organisations, to finally land as the CEO of Cox Industries. A fascinating story of grit, determination, creativity, and leadership. This episode is co-hosted by BRISCA Managing Director Sumith Dissanayake, and Amanda Cam...

Today we are talking to Alan Sparks about his career that has seen him become the CEO of Cellnet. Alan talks us through his remarkable story of changing the fortunes of many companies around while experiencing numerous challenges throughout his career. This episode is co-hosted by BRISCA Managing Director Sumith Dissanayake, and Amanda Campbell. Thanks for tuning in to Books to the Boardroom ! If...

Today we are talking to John Knight about his career that involved working his way up from an Accountant to a Managing Director. We talk about what he has learned about managing his staff, a life-changing trip to Mongolia, and what his plans are for the future of his company Business Depot. This episode is co-hosted by BRISCA Managing Director Sumith Dissanayake, and Amanda Campbell. Thanks for tu...

Ben Mannion speaks to us about his career that involved banking and leading numerous sporting organisations. Now the CEO of Queensland Touch, Ben talks us through his story that got him to this point. It involves many ups but also some difficult periods that were shared with raw honesty. This episode is co-hosted by BRISCA Managing Director Sumith Dissanayake, and Amanda Campbell. Thanks for tunin...

Gordon speaks to us about a career that has spanned many professions and roles. Gordon is a strong storyteller as you will hear throughout this episode. A keen business mind, great people skills, and an inquisitive nature all make Gordon the type of guest we love having on this podcast. This episode is co-hosted by BRISCA Managing Director Sumith Dissanayake, and Amanda Campbell. Thanks for tuning...

Phil was a fantastic guest, where we explored his thoughts on what is missing in the world of management, how he turns off and enjoys his weekends, and ways in which you can build your influence as you ascend through your career. A very intelligent man who has spent a lot of time behind the microphone made this a pleasure to record. This episode is co-hosted by BRISCA Managing Director Sumith Diss...

Elena's story is a fascinating one. Growing up in Russia, Elena speaks about the challenges involved in moving to another country. She also speaks about her love for Australia and all the opportunities she has been given. A very high energy episode, Elena details how she rose above many challenges throughout her life to become the leader she is today. This episode is Co-Hosted By BRISCA Manag...

Bob’s career involved working in banking spending time in both the commercial and the community side, before eventually becoming the CEO of Maleny Credit Union he is today. Bob has some great advice for young people who are starting out in their career or even those in the middle of their career. Full of rich stories, and a natural storytelling ability, Bob was an outstanding guest. This episode i...

Michael’s career involved working as an Accountant, starting his own business abroad, and working until now working as CEO of Xact Accounting. Michael details how he became the leader he is today and what each step in his career taught him. Full of rich stories, timeless advice, and a passion for outsourcing, Michael provided great quality advice for up and coming Accountants. This episode is Co-H...