Arete Podcast with Richard Triggs

In this episode of the Arete Podcast, I welcome Nick Symonds, the director of MAS, a Brisbane-based architecture studio specialising in hotels, resorts, and multi-residential projects. Nick shares insights into his company's focus, the transition from an established firm to starting his own business during COVID, and the strategic decisions that paved the way for MAS's growth. He also touches on his early life, the influence of his upbringing, and his creative interests. The conversation highlights the importance of team culture, adaptability, and strategic planning in running a successful architecture firm. Nick also talks about his personal pursuits, including building his own house and future travel plans to Europe. Useful Links: MAS - Architectural Studio website: https://www.mas.com.au/ Nick Symonds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-symonds-82414631/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au

Growing any business takes skill, but growing one through strategic acquisitions takes a special kind of skill. It’s a skill that comes naturally to Matthew Dowd, CEO of Perth-based Keystone Training Group. Matthew joined me on the Arete Podcast, sharing details of the journey the growing Registered Training Organisation (RTO) has had so far. Keystone Training Group currently has three distinct subsidiaries, with head offices in Perth and Sydney, and more to come. Matthew also shared some of his personal professional journey, which kicked off as an engineer in the mining sector, and gradually transitioned into his current entrepreneurial model, drawing on the expertise of others through strategic shareholding partnerships, judicious acquisitions, and oversight by an independent and experienced board chair. Useful Links Keystone Training Group - https://ktg-training.com.au/ Matthew Dowd on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dowd-98582326/ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs/ Richard Triggs on LinkedIn

205 - Darren Godwell - Chief Executive Officer - i2i Global by Richard Triggs

204 - David Smith - Chair & CEO - Ceres Tag Ltd by Richard Triggs

The sky's the limit when it comes to aerospace, and ASX-listed Quickstep taking that literally. I spoke with Mark Burgess, MD and CEO, about the stellar growth the company has had in recent years, growing from a staff of 12 to 265 just on one manufacturing site alone. The company has diversified from being primarily focused on the international military market and now includes commercial transport, including sophisticated commercial drones. We discussed the hard recruitment and employment decisions Mark had to make to turn the company around when he took the helm some six years ago. It was a fascinating interview that will leave you in no doubt that Australia is at the leading edge of this important industry. Useful Links Mark Burgess on LInkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-burgess-43238b49/ Quickstep Website: www.quickstep.com.au/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/

When you can contribute to improving the education and prospects of young people, you can sleep at night knowing that your work is worthwhile. This interview gives us a brief, behind-the-scenes look at the work of an organisation that’s doing fantastic work and changing lives at the point where it’s most critical. It’s a testament to what can happen when a husband and wife start off with a simple, yet powerful idea. Useful Links Australian Indigenous Education Foundation website: aief.com.au/ Andrew Penfold AM on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrewpenfoldam/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/

Omnii is a collaboration between some of the most talented minds in the safety and fire protection industry. Listen in as Peter shares the story of the birth of the business and their rise to having a team of 56 people across the east coast of Australia, and with affiliates in the US, Canada, Chile and the UK Useful Links Omnii website: omnii.com.au/ Peter Glodic on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peter-glodic-3625101/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/

Engineering workshops have come a long way in the past 30 years. With the advent of computer-aided design (CAD), laser cutting and CNC folding, much of what used to be noisy and dirty work is now done by machines that wouldn’t look out of place in a hospital. My guest on the podcast this week is Douglas Dart, Director of GCI Group, a fabrication business started by his father 18 years ago. What started as a retirement project for his father is now a thriving enterprise, employing over 120 staff. Douglas says it’s the type of business that normally wouldn’t have made it past the business planning stage but, because there was no business plan it’s been able to succeed on its own terms. Useful Links GCI Group Australia website: gcigroup.com.au/ Douglas Dart on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/douglas-dart-3a207814/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/

While most industries have embraced digital innovations over the past 30 years or so, few people probably appreciate the enthusiasm with which the energy and resources sector have done so in that time. With infrastructure downtime costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour, and optimisations returning millions of dollars in bottom-line profit, ignoring digital trends is not an option for any serious players in the sector. But in order for organisations to be ‘on-trend’ they have to work with other organisations that are already ahead of the curve. I interviewed the Managing Director of one such firm on the podcast this week; Nick Bamford, from SRO Technology. Nick described how the business takes customers from a breakdown support situation, through to ongoing preventive maintenance programs, then to optimisation programs by making use of the vast amounts of data collected on sites. It’s a formula that’s proving successful, and has seen the business grow from five million dollars revenue to $20 million in a few short years, including revenues from a recent acquisition. It’s an interesting interview, including Nick’s own international globetrotting back story. Useful Links SRO Technology website: srotechnology.com Nick Bamford on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/njbamford/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/

Open discussion about mental health issues has lost a lot of the stigma it used to have in years gone by. But one aspect of mental health that we don’t hear a lot about is the impact on children growing up with parents struggling with mental health issues, diagnosed or otherwise. Luckily we have organisations such as Kookaburra Kids to cater for the needs of these children. I spoke to board chair Patricia Reid and board director Lee Knight on the podcast and found out about the fantastic work they are doing with their team of paid and volunteer staff throughout Australia. While they shared some disturbing statistics, such as 23% of Australian children living in families impacted by mental illness, amounting to 644,000 children in the 8-18 age group alone, they also gave good cause for an optimistic outlook, sharing the strategies and programs they are implementing throughout the country. It was an uplifting discussion and gave a lot of food for thought about the unsung heroes who are working behind the scenes helping the next generation become more resilient. Useful Links Kookaburra Kids website: https://kookaburrakids.org.au/ Lee Knight: kookaburrakids.org.au/about/governance-board-of-directors/ Patricia Reid on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patricia-reid-par88/ Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/