Career Journeys and Aspirations

Hosted by Mike Roddy

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Latest episode

Jan 2024

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About the show

Dedicated to sharing some of the most interesting and inspiring career journeys by high achievers across diverse industry and community groups. We explore the ambition and adventures planned to enhance a life of purpose and fulfillment.

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36 recent

January 17, 202454 min

Mike Roddy with Lewis Olcot, Talent Acquisition - APA Group

Welcome 2024!Our first episode of Career Journeys and Aspirations. I am delighted share with you, one of the most authentic and genuine leaders in their discipline, in Lewis Olcot. In terms of his profession, Lewis is a Talent Acquisition specialist with a passion for recruitment processes, team leadership, candidate mentorship, project management and strategy. A career built on forging sustainable partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders and onboarding candidates by guiding them on a journey to success. Lewis prides himself on living his values and has a service to others ethos. This is one of reasons, I did seek Lewis out to be my guest as this character value, resonates with me and many others in the world we all work in.Lewis is a very intuitive leader and I reflected on his management style after we spoke and have adapted some of his practices that have earned him the respect a well as the growth in his team.Thank you to Technology People Group for supporting our podcast.Please enjoy my interview with Lewis Olcot.

March 26, 202346 min

Mike Roddy with Andrew Bell - Leadership in Innovation, People and Technology

My Guest today is Andrew Bell. Andrew was the Bank of Queensland’s Head of Technology since BOQ acquired ME Bank in 2021. He was previously ME Bank’s Head of Technology prior to the acquirement. Andrew has over 10+ years of experience as a leader and has worked across a range of disciplines and industries. Andrew is an experienced IT merger specialist who has experience in consolidation of company solutions into single platforms for all aspects of technology with specific experience with Banking, Health Insurance and Contact centre solution consolidation. Some of Andrew’s achievements include but of course are not limited to;· Being award the 2019 MOZO Excellent Bank App award for Bank Australia’s banking app which resulted in saving $1M over 3 years· And he uplifted the Cyber Security Maturity by 1.5 points in six months through the development and implementation of both a Cyber Security governance framework Like all great leaders, Andrew has a high level of emotional intelligence and along with his technical knowledge and business acumen, it is of little wonder why he has been so successful in his career.Andrew is now looking at various career and business options to pursue that ensures he continues his passion for innovation, leadership and delivering business prosperity. Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through the recruitment of talent in IT & Digital.Please enjoy my interview with Andrew Bell.

January 23, 202348 min

Mike Roddy with Laura Jones - Chief People Officer - dnata catering

My Guest today is Laura Jones. Laura Jones is Chief People Officer for dnata catering - Australia. Part of the Emirates Group, dnata catering is Australia’s most admired catering and retail partner specialising in inflight catering, buy-on-board catering programs, travel retail technology solutions, and airport lounge operation and management.Laura leads People, Culture, Safety, Wellbeing and Internal Communications; areas which have been critical as the aviation sector and it’s dedicated staff have navigated the post-pandemic world of work. An experienced HR professional, Laura is passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to thrive and boasts an impressive portfolio. Prior to her role at dnata catering, Laura lead people and culture initiatives at both UnitingCare Queensland and Virgin Australia. As part of her role at UnitingCare Queensland, Laura provided advice and support to leaders in a rapidly changing sector with a workforce of 25,000 people, including volunteers. Holding a number of senior roles at Virgin Australia including general manager roles, Laura was responsible for business partnering, leadership, talent and development. Leading large transformation change programs, Laura rolled out performance frameworks and embedded diversity and inclusion programs. A strong and accomplished HR professional, outside of work Laura is mum to a firecracker 11 year old daughter and loves ocean swimming.Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through the provision of providing talent in IT & Digital. Finally, a big thank you to Laura for giving up some of her time to share her journey and her aspirations. A most enjoyable and illuminating interview of which I am sure you will enjoy as much as I have.Please enjoy my interview with Laura Jones.

December 5, 202239 min

Mike Roddy with Alexis Hill - CIO- Brisbane Grammar School

I am delighted to welcome Alexis Hill as my guest today.Alexis is the CIO of Brisbane Grammar School. One of the leading schools in Australia for boys where continuous investment is made in creating an environment where boys are able to pursue their talents and realise their potential.By way of background, Alexis is a passionate senior executive with over 13 years’ experience in commercial and government industries. She has a passion for leading people, driving technological and organisational change in complex organisations. Alexis is committed to delivering continuous improvement and seamless service delivery.There are many elements to Alexis’s career that I admire and find fascinating. One key factor is her ability to manage a multitude of internal and outside stakeholders all with various objectives and harmonise outcomes satisfactory for all.A natural with people, it was a real treat for me to explore Alexis’s background and learn what inspires her and hear of her aspirations.I would like to thank Technology People Group for their continuous investment in our podcast. I am a very fortunate host to have such a strong Executive and Team supporting my passion! Remember, if you are seeking to recruit IT Talent- get in touch with the team.Please enjoy my interview with Alexis Hill.

September 30, 202240 min

Mike Roddy with Simon Bray- Director, Angel Investor - Tech Product and Digital Innovation

My Guest today is Simon Bray. Simon has had an impressive career holding a number of senior leadership roles.Simon navigates the intersection between strategy and technology in the digital world in order to improve lived experiences. He has a passion for building and creating products and services, learning from experience and helping others to reach their full potential. Simon has had an extended career in consulting where he creates incredible digital products, services and experiences whilst helping businesses to achieve technology powered growth, efficiency and cyber safety. He recently had an 8 year tenure with PEXA as it scaled to a $3.2B IPO. Simon more recently is investing his time and knowledge into inspiring and helping others to create product and businesses through working with the Australian technology and innovation community. He aims to help established organisations with their digital and technological challenges. I enjoyed Simon’s very inspirational and practical perspectives on innovation from concept to application. A real business leader with a skill set not common from where I sit. Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams providing talent in IT & Digital.Please enjoy my interview with Simon Bray.

August 23, 202242 min

Mike Roddy with Janice Carey - Leadership in Data Analytics

And over to me… My Guest today is Janice Carey. Janice is a leader in data, analytics and digital and was named number 3 in the IAPA Top 25 Leaders Awards in 2022. In 2021 and 2022, she led initiatives that won Tealium Digital Velocity Awards for paving the way in digital customer experience innovation. Janice was also nominated for the 2014 Telstra Business Women’s Awards for her leadership in delivering new technologies for impact. She is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and expertise and so is also a regular speaker at industry events and conferences. She is recognised as a thought leader who is brave, innovative, and practical in ensuring outcomes deliver ‘value add’ to the needs of businesses. During my interview with Janice, I was scribbling madly. The amount of learnings and thought bubbles I had was incredible. I am imploring you, my wonderful audience to listen to our interview several times and learn something new each time.Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People Group. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through the provision of sourcing talent in IT & Digital.Please enjoy my interview with Janice Carey.

July 3, 202241 min

Mike Roddy with Max Kimber - Mediator, Barrister, Investigator

My Guest today is Max Kimber. Max has had an exceptional career, achieving over 40 years’ as an experienced Barrister and over 30 years as a Mediator. Max began his career as a Barrister after having completed is postgraduate studies abroad. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 1999, after having focused the first 20 years of his professional work on the resolution of workplace issues through litigation, conciliation, arbitration, private negotiation and mediation. Max’s expertise has since grown to include commercial and administrative law matters, inquiries and workplace investigations. He also developed his interest in mediation and other ADR processes during this time.Max regularly presents at mediation forums and is involved in mentoring new mediators. I have known Max for some years and was honoured when he asked me to present at a communication conference he organised a few years ago, where he preceded to secure over 250 attendees across various industry, deciphering best practice in the art of communication.Every moment I spend with Max, I am that bit wiser. I am proud to call him a mentor and friend and I hope you too, can gain some insights into managing communication whether that be in your professional or personal life. Max is committed to the prevention and early resolution of conflict, with a particular focus on promoting better communication and listening skills and on the identification of common interests. Max is also Founder of the Max Kimber Communication who deliver mediation and an array of other business services. Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through providing talent in IT & Digital.Please enjoy my interview with Max Kimber.

June 16, 202249 min

Mike Roddy with Andrew Dennis - CIO for JBS Australia / New Zealand

Welcome to our latest episode of Career Journeys and Aspirations!My Guest today is Andrew Dennis who is the CIO for JBS Australia / New Zealand.Andrew has had an extensive career across a range of senior leadership roles here in Australia as well as overseas.Andrew is a results driven Senior Executive with an impressive track-record of over 20 years’ experience in IT strategic planning, business process re-engineering, and project and portfolio management. Andrew has a proven ability to lead diverse teams here in Australia / New Zealand as well as globally to exceeding levels of success in a range of challenging projects.In our interview, Andrew shared some incredible challenges that were facing his team particularly in recent times. Cyber attacks, COVID and a constantly shifting market place dynamics were all significant and potentially crippling blockages to business continuity. His approach in managing during such times, provided much insight to what exceptional leaders when faced with potential disaster. Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through providing talent in IT & Digital.Please enjoy my interview with Andrew Dennis.

May 25, 202249 min

Mike Roddy with Daryl Kirkhope - Leader, Lecturer and Practitioner of operational best practice and digital transformation

And over to me….Welcome to series 2 of Career Journeys and Aspirations!My Guest today is Daryl Kirkhope.Daryl has had an incredible career ranging from the military through to holding senior corporate roles.Daryl helps organisations to understand tomorrow’s problems through bespoke operational project and program improvement opportunities facilitated to deliver end to end business optimisation. He is a leader who listens to the customers situation. Daryl is a Chartered Project Professional, Certified Practicing Portfolio Executive and holds an Executive Masters in Complex Program Leadership. I wanted to ensure when interviewing Daryl, that his philosophy, values and intentions were shared with my audience. An amazing career to date, that proves how the extraordinary can be achieved with courage, conviction and action. Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People Group. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through the provision of providing talent in IT & Digital.Please enjoy my interview with Daryl Kirkhope.

February 10, 202234 min

Mike Roddy with Ben Swindale, General Manager IT at Icon Group

My Guest today is Ben Swindale. Ben is the General Manager, IT at Icon Group. Ben is an experienced leader in the technology industry with a focus on delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions for complex business problems. He has extensive experience in mentoring geographically technical teams and has designed and executed large scale and highly flexible solutions during organisations’ significant growth periods. A number of these initiatives have been recognised as market leading. Ben’s experience spans across Australia, Asia and Europe where he has led a number of key integration project for systems, processes and technical teams. I very much enjoyed learning about Ben who is very deliberate and considered in his choice of career and how he shares his incredible story.Thank you to our sponsor, Technology People. Each day, each week the team are Transforming Technology Teams through the provision of providing talent in IT & Digital. Please enjoy my interview with Ben Swindale.