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Aug 2026

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If you’re part of a mid-sized organisation with 50 to 300 people, this podcast is for you. Business Focus is a dedicated platform for exploring valuable tools in the business world, offering top-quality insights for anyone eager to enhance and push their professional performance or that of their team to the next level. Stay updated with the latest trends and updates alongside elite professionals from diverse sectors and industries, ensuring you're always at the forefront of innovation.

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August 11, 202627 min

Did the AI investment fund work? Pengana's story continued

Continuing our conversation with Varun Gupta from Pengana Capital Group, we shift from the technical side of AI implementation to something just as important: creating a workplace where employees are encouraged to solve problems. We earlier covered the business case behind Pengana Capital Group's AI fund project: why repetitive investor emails were the first target, the projected ROI, and the long-term vision for AI across the business.In this episode, we pick up where that conversation left off.Varun Gupta from Pengana explains what happened after the proposal was approved, how the project moved into implementation, and why getting buy-in across the business was just as important as choosing the right technology. We also discuss the role leadership played in backing the idea, why the project came from someone closest to the day-to-day work, and what other organisations can learn from the process.Rather than treating AI as an IT initiative, Pengana approached it as a business improvement project, starting with a clear operational problem and building from there.Key Takeaways✓ The hardest part isn't always the technology, it's getting the right people behind the idea.✓ AI projects don't have to start with senior leadership. The people closest to the work often see the biggest opportunities.✓ Internal support helped turn a business case into a funded project.✓ Successful AI implementation depends on collaboration between business teams and technical specialists.✓ Solving one operational problem creates momentum for future AI initiatives.✓ Building a culture where employees can improve processes makes long-term innovation much easier.

June 30, 20268 min

Hatz Explained: The Secure Multi-Model AI for Businesses | First Focus & CORE

Your people are already using AI. The question is whether your business has the visibility, governance and support needed to make that usage safe, productive and scalable.In this conversation, Brendan Ritchie and Jack Behrns discuss how Hatz fits into the CORE managed services model, and why it is a strong option for businesses that already have staff experimenting with different AI tools.Unlike choosing a single AI platform and hoping it stays ahead, Hatz gives users access to multiple leading AI models through one secure, governed interface. That means finance, marketing, operations and leadership teams can use the models that work best for their roles, while the business keeps oversight, control and confidence around data use.They also cover how Hatz supports AI adoption, why the platform can be more cost-effective than individual AI subscriptions, and how CORE helps businesses turn AI from scattered experimentation into a managed, measurable productivity strategy.If your business is thinking seriously about AI, automation, data governance or secure adoption, CORE gives you the operating model to make it work.Learn more about CORE: https://www.firstfocus.com.au/services/core/Key Chapters:00:00 – Why Hatz matters inside COREBrendan and Jack introduce Hatz as one of the AI platform choices available through CORE, alongside ChatGPT Business and Microsoft Copilot.00:35 – Hatz vs ChatGPT and CopilotJack explains how Hatz suits businesses where different teams are already using different AI models, and how it brings that usage into a secure, governed environment.01:49 – Solving shadow AI without limiting usersThe discussion covers why businesses do not need to pick one winning LLM, and how Hatz lets staff keep flexibility while giving the organisation visibility and control.03:16 – What the Hatz user experience looks likeJack walks through the interface, onboarding experience, AI champion certification, and why users familiar with ChatGPT, Claude or other AI tools should feel at home.05:28 – Why Hatz can be more cost-effectiveThey unpack the commercial model, including pooled AI credits, enterprise buying power, token usage and why this can deliver AI access at SMB-friendly pricing.

June 4, 20261 hr 9 min

AI Adoption, ROI & High Value Use Cases | Ask Me Anything with Jack Behrns

In this AI AMA webinar, First Focus AI Strategy Lead Jack and host Brendan Ritchie answer some of the most common questions business leaders are asking right now, including: ✅ How to prepare your business for AI adoption ✅ Data governance and AI security best practices ✅ Reducing AI tool sprawl and shadow AI ✅ Measuring AI ROI and identifying quick wins ✅ Real-world AI case studies delivering results ✅ AI agents, automation and productivity gains ✅ Copilot vs ChatGPT – which is right for your business? The discussion draws on First Focus' own AI journey, lessons learned from internal deployments, and practical experience helping organisations implement AI successfully. Whether you're just starting your AI journey or looking to scale existing initiatives, this session provides practical guidance on governance, adoption, security, and measurable business outcomes. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome & Webinar Overview 01:04 – How First Focus Adopted AI Internally & Lessons Learned 03:53 – What Does an AI Strategy Lead Actually Do? 07:44 – Why the Traditional MSP Model Is Changing in the AI Era 13:35 – AI Readiness: Data Governance, Security & Preparation 20:33 – Managing AI Risk, Shadow AI & Tool Sprawl 33:34 – Measuring AI ROI & Finding High-Impact Use Cases 43:28 – Real-World AI Case Studies, AI Agents, Automation & Copilot vs ChatGPT 🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS • AI success starts with clear business problems, not technology selection. • Data governance remains the foundation of effective AI adoption. • Shadow AI is often reduced by providing employees with secure, approved AI tools. • Quick wins and iterative improvements drive stronger adoption than large transformation projects. • Organisations should target measurable ROI and focus on practical productivity gains. • Internal knowledge assistants are among the most common and impactful AI use cases. • AI champions within teams accelerate adoption and innovation. • Security, governance, and user enablement are just as important as the AI platform itself. • Copilot, ChatGPT, and other AI platforms each have strengths depending on business requirements. • AI initiatives should be assessed based on outcomes, scalability, and business value rather than hype.

May 21, 202625 min

ASIC vs FIIG: The Critical Cybersecurity Controls You Might Be Missing

A $2.5 million cybersecurity penalty has changed the conversation around cyber risk in Australia. In this episode, we unpack the ASIC vs FIIG case, what actually happened during the cyber attack, and why regulators are now holding businesses accountable for cybersecurity preparedness. We discuss: What led to the FIIG data breach Why ASIC imposed such a significant penalty The cybersecurity controls FIIG allegedly lacked Why incident response planning matters What Australian SMEs should do now How cyber governance expectations are changing If your business handles sensitive customer data, this conversation is essential viewing. 💬 What’s your biggest cybersecurity concern right now? Let us know in the comments. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on cybersecurity, business risk, compliance, and technology strategy. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to the ASIC vs FIIG Case 01:10 – What Happened During the Cyber Attack 03:20 – How Malware Entered the Organisation 05:05 – Why ASIC Imposed a $2.5M Penalty 08:10 – Missing Cybersecurity Controls Explained 11:40 – The Importance of Incident Response Planning 15:30 – What Australian Businesses Must Do Next

May 5, 202633 min

Inside the First Focus + Integris Partnership: Building a Global Managed AI & IT Provider for SMBs

A week ago, the news broke that First Focus and Integris are joining forces to build the global managed AI and IT services provider for small and mid-sized businesses. In this conversation, recorded in Chicago, First Focus CEO Ross Sardi sits down with Integris CEO Rashaad Bajwa to go behind the press release.If you are a First Focus client, the takeaway is short. You keep the local team you already work with. You gain a much deeper bench of specialists, round-the-clock security cover from people who are awake when you are asleep, and faster access to AI use cases proven across a global SMB customer base. Nothing is being taken away. A lot is being added.In this episode, we cover: Why First Focus and Integris are the right fit, after years of running parallel playbooks on opposite sides of the world How the integration will actually work, and why local teams stay local Why scale matters more than ever in the age of AI, and how the combined business will run experiments across both markets Ross's new role as Chief Innovation Officer with global responsibility for AI product What changes immediately for clients in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines Why the New Zealand market in particular stands to benefit A get-to-know-you segment with Ross and Rashaad The partnership is pending regulatory approval. More on growth plans, active acquisitions and what comes next is covered in the second half of the conversation.Subscribe for more conversations on managed services, cybersecurity and how AI is reshaping the way SMBs work.Chapters: 00:00 News of the partnership and what we are covering 00:38 Meet Rashaad Bajwa and the Integris story 03:01 Why First Focus and why Australia and New Zealand 06:22 What the partnership will actually look like 09:15 Pending regulatory approval and the planning window 10:31 AI is a big part of this conversation 13:33 Ross's new role as Chief Innovation Officer 16:25 Why MSP owners are joining rather than going alone 19:31 What ANZ and Philippines customers gain 23:09 What this means for the New Zealand market 24:50 Staying innovative as the business scales 30:42 Get to know Rashaad: rapid-fire questions35:14 Get to know Ross: rapid-fire questions42:12 Closing thoughts: only upside

April 29, 202618 min

How BCQ Improved Productivity and ROI with AI-Powered Reporting

In this episode, we sit down with Phil McCaw from Business Chamber Queensland to unpack how AI is being used to solve a very real executive problem: time lost in governance reporting . As part of an AI Investment Fund initiative, Business Chamber Queensland is building a solution to automate and enhance monthly reporting processes—freeing up leadership time while improving the quality and depth of insights. We explore how AI can connect data across teams, reduce manual effort, and ultimately drive better decision-making across an organisation. If you're thinking about AI in your business, this is a practical, real-world example of where it delivers measurable impact. Key takeaways: AI can save weeks of executive time by automating governance reporting processes Centralising data across Excel, Word, and other tools enables better visibility and consistency Understanding variance vs plan is critical to maintaining control of business performance AI helps uncover hidden relationships and insights across departments that humans often miss The goal isn’t reducing headcount—it’s freeing time to improve KPIs and team performance Outputs from AI should always be validated by subject matter experts (AI is ~80% accurate baseline) Strong governance, security, and training are essential foundations before scaling AI AI adoption can become a competitive advantage and inspiration for members/customers Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction to the AI Investment Fund 00:24 – What Business Chamber Queensland Does 01:30 – The Problem: Time-Heavy Executive Reporting 03:19 – Quantifying the Time & Cost Impact 04:47 – How AI Will Solve the Problem 05:03 – The Importance of Variance Analysis 06:04 – The AI-Powered Reporting Experience 07:36 – Seamless Adoption Across Teams 09:45 – Defining Success & ROI 12:41 – Turning Time Savings into Business Impact 14:11 – Supporting Members Through AI Leadership 15:36 – Governance, Security & AI Readiness 16:50 – What Happens Next (Roadmap & Rollout)

March 30, 202619 min

How Pengana Capital Is Using AI to Free Up Its Client Service Team

Pengana Capital Group manages roughly $4 billion across six to seven countries. Their Head of Client Service noticed a pattern. During capital raises, the same questions kept coming in, and his team was spending hours on replies that could be templated.In this episode, we sit down with Gupta from Pengana to talk through the AI project he pitched internally, what it will actually look like in practice, and where he sees it going. The idea starts with automating standard email responses (think forms, common investor queries, campaign FAQs) and builds toward AI-assisted management reporting and fund flow analysis.We cover the real numbers behind the project, including a $20K build cost against an estimated $125K in annual benefit, plus the practical considerations around data management, ASIC regulations, and why Pengana chose an internal email workflow over a public-facing chatbot.Key Takeaways✓ Start with the repetitive stuff. If your team is answering the same questions again and again, that is the clearest signal that AI can help. Pengana's first target is standard client emails like form requests and campaign queries.✓ You don't need a chatbot to get value from AI. Pengana considered a chatbot but opted for an internal email processing workflow instead, partly due to ASIC's closer monitoring of chatbots on financial services websites.✓ Guardrails matter more than capability. By telling the AI what not to do (don't add information beyond the approved template), Pengana can actually get more consistent responses than a busy human might produce.✓ Free up time for the work that matters. The goal is not to replace the team. It is to stop them spending ten minutes a day on form requests so they can spend that time building relationships with high-net-worth clients and advisors.✓ The economics stack up quickly. A $20K build cost against $125K in estimated annual benefit, with a 4 to 6 week build and test timeline. The data sets already exist, so there is nothing extra to purchase.✓ Think bigger once the proof of concept works. Pengana's longer-term vision includes AI-assisted management reporting, fund flow analysis, and identifying client retention risks from quarterly data.✓ Market cycles create volume spikes you can prepare for. In funds management, capital raises and market movements drive predictable surges in client queries. Having AI ready to handle the standard ones means the team can focus on the conversations that need a personal touch.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction00:12 About Pengana Capital Group02:02 The problem with repetitive client queries03:34 Expanding the project scope05:06 How the email automation works06:04 Why not a chatbot? ASIC's role08:09 Impact on costs and revenue08:49 Scaling without adding headcount11:19 Future vision: AI-powered reporting14:21 What the proof of concept needs to prove16:03 The numbers: $20K build, $125K annual benefitCheck out the full episode here:

March 30, 202629 min

First Focus Is Now an Official OpenAI SMB Channel Partner

First Focus has been selected as an SMB channel partner with OpenAI, joining a small group of experts trusted to help mid-market businesses get real returns from AI. In this episode, we break down what the partnership means, why adoption matters more than licenses, and how to make sure your business isn't falling behind. Why this matters for you Most businesses are already using ChatGPT in some form. Executives are paying for personal licenses. Teams are copying and pasting company data into free tools. The problem? None of that is structured, governed, or delivering a measurable return. OpenAI knows this. They also know they can't reach every 50 to 200 seat business in Australia themselves. So they've built a channel partner program, selecting a small number of trusted providers to sell, implement, and support ChatGPT Business for the mid-market. First Focus is one of those partners. This isn't a badge we bought. It's recognition of the work we've already done, the AI and automation projects we've delivered, and the investment we've made in getting ahead of where our clients are in this space. Key takeaways ✓ First Focus is now an official SMB channel partner with OpenAI, selected for our track record delivering AI and automation projects for mid-market businesses. ✓ ChatGPT Business is available on a month-to-month basis. No long lock-in required. You can turn it on and trial it with your team. ✓ Buying a license is just the start. The return comes from adoption, tailoring, integration, and ongoing education, which is exactly what our Core service is built for. ✓ Your AI platform needs governance. A managed rollout gives you data controls at the business level and reduces the risk of staff using unapproved tools. ✓ Adoption is the leading indicator of ROI. If people aren't using it, dig into why. Relaunch and iterate. ✓ Start capturing clean data now. Even if you're not ready to build automations today, the data you collect now is what will power them later. ✓ Think ecosystem, not just model. The best AI platform is the one that connects to the tools your team already uses. Timestamps 00:00 Big news: First Focus is an OpenAI SMB channel partner 00:36 How OpenAI changed the way businesses work 02:37 The gap between personal use and enterprise AI 04:05 Licenses vs real ROI 05:02 What changes for First Focus clients now 06:23 ChatGPT Business alongside Microsoft Copilot 07:24 Why every business needs to act on AI now 09:01 What partner access means for our team 10:07 The OpenAI ecosystem and integrations 12:02 What makes an MSP an AI expert 14:09 AI governance and security risks 17:00 Employee experience and the right tools 19:23 Adoption as the metric that matters 22:47 Is AI foundational for SMBs? 23:40 AI vs automation: understanding the difference 25:37 Why your data strategy matters now 26:44 Choosing your AI ecosystem About Core Core is the future of managed services at First Focus. It's a productivity-as-a-service offering that ensures your team has the support, education, and ongoing iteration needed to make AI and automation a real part of how your business operates. If you're investing in ChatGPT Business or exploring AI more broadly, Core is how you make sure that investment delivers. Want to talk about what this partnership means for your business? Get in touch with your Technical Account Manager, or reach out to our team to learn more about Core here: https://www.firstfocus.com.au/services/core/chatgpt/

March 30, 202621 min

Seafolly: Building an AI Knowledge Agent to Drive Retail Efficiency | First Focus

First Focus is funding a $20,000 AI project with Australian swimwear retailer Seafolly. The goal: build a prompt-based AI knowledge agent that gives casual retail staff instant access to the operational info they need, so they spend less time searching and more time with customers. The problemSeafolly runs over 30 stores globally with a highly casual workforce. New hires and existing staff regularly lose time hunting through SharePoint, group chats, and scattered process documents for answers to everyday questions. That pulls people off the shop floor and puts pressure on support teams. What we're building First Focus and Seafolly are developing a custom AI agent tailored for retail staff. Team members ask a question in plain language and get accurate, up-to-date operational guidance on the spot, without needing to raise a support ticket or chase a manager. What this means for the business - Faster onboarding. New casual staff get to answers quicker without waiting on someone to walk them through it. - More time on the floor. Less time searching means more time serving customers. - Fewer repetitive queries hitting the support desk. - Better documentation over time. The system tracks unanswered questions, highlighting gaps in internal content.How the rollout works The AI agent will be tested across five stores over three months. The team will measure adoption and accuracy before deciding on a wider rollout across the full retail network. Learn more about First Focus CORE: https://www.firstfocus.com.au/services/core/

March 30, 202617 min

Why This Property Development Company Chose AI Over Hiring More Staff

How do you scale property development to 1,500+ apartments without scaling your headcount at the same rate? In this episode, we sit down with Peter, Head of IT at Billbergia, to unpack how a leading Australian property developer is using AI to transform defect management, improve customer experience, and drive measurable ROI through the First Focus AI Investment Fund Initiative Billbergia’s customer lifecycle can span up to 10 years — from first sales engagement through to the six-year defect liability period. When a building launches, hundreds of residents move in at once, triggering a surge of defect tickets. The challenge? Triage them quickly, accurately, and without increasing admin overhead.Instead of starting with high-risk sales automation, Billbergia focused on backend AI-driven defect triage to prove value fast In this conversation, we explore: - Why backend AI can be the smartest first step - How AI triages defect tickets and routes them automatically - The role of human-in-the-loop validation - Leveraging 10 years of defect photos and data - Measuring ROI through FTE efficiency and scalability - Why adoption risk is lower than you think If you're exploring AI in construction, property development, or any high-volume service environment, this is a practical blueprint for implementation. ⏱ Key Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Billbergia & The Growth ChallengePrivately owned developer scaling high-density projects across Sydney and Brisbane 02:00 – The 10-Year Customer Lifecycle ProblemWhy fragmented systems and manual processes create friction 05:00 – Why Start with Backend AI (Not Sales)Proving ROI quickly through defect and liability automation 06:30 – AI Defect Triage in ActionRouting tickets, filtering non-defects, integrating booking systems 08:00 – Quantifying ROI: Headcount vs ScalabilityHandling greater ticket volumes without linear FTE growth 09:30 – Image Recognition & 10 Years of DataTraining models using historical defect photos 15:00 – Human-in-the-Loop & Continuous Improvement Accuracy safeguards and building a long-term AI knowledge asset If you're all-in on AI — or soon will be — this episode demonstrates how to move from experimentation to operational impact. 🔔 Subscribe for more AI Investment Fund case studies