In this Podcast we interview experts on all things Enterprise Excellence, sharing their story and their insights. Experts who believe in achieving sustainable change that betters more than just an organisations' profit line. Experts who help organisations achieve a symbiotic relationship between environment and economics. Experts who believe in a culture of continuous improvement. We share world best practice and knowledge in achieving a win-win outcome for people, profit and the planet. Join us on this journey to excellence and help to create a better world for organisations, people and the planet.
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October 26, 2026Episode 23057 min
230 Innovation and Exporting from Australia with CEO Mike Walsh of Branach
Send us Fan Mail How can Australian manufacturers compete globally through innovation, operational excellence and exporting? In Episode 230 of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, host Brad Jeavons welcomes Mike Walsh, CEO of Branach, to explore how an Australian ladder manufacturer grew from a garage startup into an international business. Mike shares Branach's journey of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and product innovation, explaining how focusing on safety and quality rather than price helped differentiate the business. Discover the challenges of expanding into European markets, establishing operations in Germany and using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to support leadership, strategy and sustainable business growth. This episode offers valuable insights for business leaders looking to improve productivity, develop competitive advantages and expand Australian manufacturing internationally. Explore more resources: https://eexg.com.au To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
October 14, 2026Episode 22952 min
229 Creating Community to Lead Excellence with Mr Brett Aislabie of Volvo
Send us Fan Mail How can community drive continuous improvement and operational excellence across an entire organisation? In Episode 229 of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons welcomes Brett Aislabie, Operational Development Director at Volvo Trucks Australia, to explore how Volvo is building a culture of excellence through collaboration, shared learning and Lean for Retail. Brett explains how the Volvo Production System has been adapted for its dealer network, using bronze, silver and gold improvement levels to develop capability across approximately 55 dealers. Discover how peer learning, best-practice sharing and connecting leaders across organisations can accelerate innovation, strengthen leadership and create sustainable continuous improvement. Key themes: Lean management, operational excellence, continuous improvement, leadership development and building communities of excellence. Explore episode resources: https://eexg.com.au/ To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
September 28, 2026Episode 22812 min
228 How Vale Brazil Achieved Shingo Gold with Fabiana Trevizani
Send us Fan Mail What does it take to achieve Shingo Gold and create a sustainable culture of continuous improvement? In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons welcomes Fabiana Trevizani, Head of Excellence at Vale Brazil, to discuss the organisation's journey to achieving the prestigious Shingo Gold Prize. Fabiana explains how Vale used the Shingo Model to strengthen its Vale Production System (VPS), improve leadership behaviours and align operations and support teams around a common purpose. We explore: Leading with humility and respecting every individual Strengthening leadership through coaching and active listening Aligning support functions with operations Using shared logbooks, weekly meetings and integrated gemba visits Encouraging collaborative problem solving Building psychological safety and employee engagement Embedding continuous improvement into daily routines Fabiana also shares her advice for leaders pursuing organisational excellence, including the importance of humility, courage, resilience and learning from mistakes. This conversation offers practical insights for managers and leaders interested in the Shingo Model, Lean management, cultural transformation, operational excellence and continuous improvement. Case study coming soon: https://enterpriseexcellencepodcast.com/downloads #ShingoModel #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership #EnterpriseExcellence To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
September 14, 2026Episode 2271 hr 0 min
227 How Ferra Doubled Productivity Using Agile & Lean | Matt Oakley
Send us Fan Mail How can Agile and Lean transform productivity in advanced manufacturing? In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons speaks with Matt Oakley, Head of Operations at Ferra Group Australia, about how Ferra has combined Agile at Scale, Lean Manufacturing, Scrum, Six Sigma and continuous improvement to transform the way it operates. Over approximately four years, Matt explains that Ferra achieved around 25% average annual growth, approximately 220% EBITDA growth, doubled revenue while increasing staff by only around 30%, and roughly doubled the value generated per employee. In this episode, Brad and Matt explore: 🔹 Why Agile isn't just for software development 🔹 How Agile at Scale can work in manufacturing 🔹 Combining Agile, Lean, Scrum and Six Sigma 🔹 Improving productivity without simply making people work harder 🔹 Creating empowered and self-managing teams 🔹 Servant leadership and frontline problem solving 🔹 Removing blockers and improving flow 🔹 Making continuous improvement part of everyday work 🔹 Building an organisational operating system 🔹 The future of technology, automation and AI in manufacturing Matt also shares how his military background influenced his approach to leadership, teamwork and complex problem solving. A key message from the conversation is that organisations don't need to choose between Lean and Agile. They can take the strongest principles from different approaches and build an operating system that works for their people, customers and environment. This episode is a practical Australian case study for anyone interested in productivity, advanced manufacturing, Agile, Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, operational excellence and leadership. Learn more and access resources at: enterpriseexcellencepodcast.com #Agile #LeanManufacturing #Productivity #ContinuousImprovement #EnterpriseExcellence #Manufacturing #Leadership To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
August 31, 2026Episode 22637 min
226 Why Joy Comes Before Success with AI Pioneer Kevin Surace
Send us Fan Mail What if joy isn't the reward for success, but the foundation for achieving it? In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons is joined by Kevin Surace, a Silicon Valley innovator, serial entrepreneur, CEO and inventor, to explore joy, success, innovation, AI, productivity and workplace culture. Kevin has more than 90 worldwide patents and is recognised as a pioneer of virtual assistant technology that helped pave the way for Siri and Alexa. He has been named Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year, CNBC's Innovator of the Decade, and a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. His latest book, The Joy Success Cycle, explores a powerful idea: Joy comes before success, not after it. In this episode, we discuss: Why joy can be a prerequisite for success Kevin's journey from engineer to entrepreneur and inventor How curiosity drives innovation and problem solving Why lifelong learning matters Kevin's early work developing virtual assistant technology Why organisations struggle to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) The impact of workplace culture on AI implementation How AI can eliminate joyless and low-value work Why AI should increase productivity and value, not simply reduce costs How AI is changing software development and knowledge work Why employees should become AI-first Kevin's "one complaint a day" rule The relationship between mindset, behaviour and performance How leaders can create positive and engaged workplaces AI: Cost Cutting or Productivity? Kevin argues that the opportunity isn't simply to use AI to reduce headcount and cut costs. Organisations can use AI to remove waste, increase productivity, accelerate delivery and create more value with the people they already have. Brad connects this to continuous improvement and enterprise excellence, using technology to improve the flow of value while enabling people and machines to work together. The Joy Success Cycle Kevin's central message is that people shouldn't wait until they achieve success to experience joy. Instead, joy can create the mindset and environment that makes greater success possible. The conversation explores how people can take greater control of their mindset, reduce negativity, focus on what they can influence and create more positive working environments. About Kevin Surace Kevin Surace is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, innovator, CEO and inventor with more than 90 worldwide patents. He is recognised as a pioneer of virtual assistant technology and is the author of The Joy Success Cycle. Listen to the Enterprise Excellence Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1120772/episodes/19720903 Watch more episodes: [https://www.youtube.com/ @enterpriseexcellencepodcas6777 Learn more about Kevin Surace: https://www.kevinsurace.com/ Enterprise Excellence Group: https://eexg.com.au/ Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:24 – Meet Kevin Surace 01:48 – Kevin's journey as an innovator and entrepreneur 03:45 – Being early with innovation 04:20 – Curiosity and lifelong learning 06:46 – Why Kevin wrote The Joy Success Cycle 08:00 – The connection between joy, innovation and success 09:00 – AI, workplace culture and employee resistance 10:58 – How AI can remove joyless work 13:17 – Eliminating waste through AI 14:15 – AI and the future of software development 17:17 – AI, productivity and employment 19:00 – The Joy Success Cycle 21:17 – The "one complaint a day" rule 23:37 – How joy influences behaviour and results 24:20 – Advice for leaders and organisations 27:21 – Stop worrying about what you can't control 30:55 – Creating a culture of joy and engagement 32:17 – Social influence and workplace culture 34:32 – Where to find Kevin and The Joy Success Cycle 35:28 – Final thoughts 35:30 – Brad's key takeaways Subscribe to the Enterprise Excellence Podcast for conversations with global experts, innovators, CEOs and practitioners exploring enterprise excellence, continuous improvement, innovation, leadership, organisational culture, AI, productivity and creating a better future. #EnterpriseExcellence #ai #innovation #leadership #productivity #workplaceculture #joyatwork #KevinSurace To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
August 18, 2026Episode 22539 min
225, Adapt to Win – Why Great Strategies Fail and What Leaders Can Do About It With Author Evan Campbell
Send us Fan Mail Why do so many organisations create great strategies but fail to achieve the results they planned? In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons speaks with Evan Campbell, strategy execution expert and author of Adapt to Win, about why organisations struggle with strategy execution, strategy deployment, organisational alignment and strategic adaptability. Evan introduces the concept of strategy decay—the gradual loss of focus, alignment and momentum that occurs when an organisation creates a strategy but fails to continually deploy, reinforce, measure and adapt it. With a career spanning the United States Army, technology, software development, entrepreneurship, agile transformation and business consulting, Evan brings a unique systems-thinking perspective to the challenge of helping organisations turn strategy into measurable results. In this episode, we discuss: Why up to 70% of organisations struggle to achieve their strategic objectives What strategy decay is and why it happens The difference between strategy development and strategy execution Why a strategy PowerPoint presentation is not strategy deployment How organisations lose focus and alignment over time Why completing more projects does not necessarily create more value How OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can improve strategic alignment The importance of combining top-down strategic direction with bottom-up engagement How Lean Portfolio Management helps organisations prioritise high-value work Why leaders need to stop or kill projects that are no longer delivering strategic value The dangers of rigid, traditional project management How organisations can develop strategic adaptability Why leadership teams often have false alignment around their strategy Three practical actions CEOs and senior leaders can take to improve strategy execution One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is simple: Creating a strategy is only the beginning. For strategy to succeed, leaders must create clarity around where the organisation will play, how it will win and what outcomes matter most. That strategy then needs to be continuously deployed, measured and adapted as the business environment changes. If you're a CEO, executive, business leader, strategy professional, transformation leader, lean practitioner, agile coach or enterprise excellence professional, this episode provides practical insights into improving business strategy, strategy deployment, organisational performance and strategic execution. About Evan Campbell Evan Campbell is an experienced technology and business leader specialising in strategy execution, strategic adaptability, OKRs and lean portfolio management. His career has included serving as an Airborne Ranger and Green Beret in the United States Army, working in telecommunications and technology, co-founding successful businesses, leading agile and lean transformations and helping organisations around the world improve how they execute strategy. Evan is also the author of Adapt to Win, a book exploring how organisations can overcome strategy decay and build the capabilities needed to adapt and thrive in an increasingly complex world. 🎙️ Listen to the Enterprise Excellence Podcast: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/enterprise-excellence-podcast/ 📺 Watch more Enterprise Excellence Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@enterpriseexcellencepodcas6777 📖 Learn more about Evan Campbell and Adapt to Win: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast/making-strategy-real-evan-campbell ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 01:11 – Evan Campbell's journey from Green Beret to business leader 05:12 – Becoming a systems thinker 07:20 – Why Evan wrote Adapt to Win 10:22 – What is strategy decay? 13:19 – Why organisations struggle with strategy deployment 15:31 – The importance of strategic alignment 17:46 – Why strategy should not just be a collection of projects 22:28 – OKRs vs traditional management by objectives 25:50 – Lean Portfolio Management and stopping low-value projects 27:20 – Strategic adaptability and responding to change 30:01 – Three actions leaders can take to improve strategy execution 36:07 – Where to learn more about Evan Campbell and Adapt to Win Subscribe to the Enterprise Excellence Podcast for conversations with leading experts, CEOs, practitioners and thought leaders exploring how organisations can create a better future through enterprise excellence, continuous improvement, leadership, strategy and organisational transformation. #StrategyExecution #BusinessStrategy #OKRs #Leadership #EnterpriseExcellence #LeanManagement #StrategyDeployment #OrganisationalExcellence #BusinessTransformation #ContinuousImprovement #LeanPortfolioManagement #StrategicLeadership To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
August 3, 2026Episode 22437 min
224 Stay, focus, rebuild with Michelle Thomas, Head of Innovation MinAus BHP.
Send us Fan Mail Are you a senior leader struggling with executive burnout, an overloaded calendar, and a team that depends on you for everything? You are not alone — and you do not have to walk away from the career you love. In this episode, Brad Jeavons sits down with Michelle Thomas, a global innovation and mining executive with 27 years of experience across oil and gas, geophysics and the resources industry. Michelle shares the exact steps she took to recover from executive burnout and build a high performance innovation team so strong it kept running without her for an entire month. What you will learn: How to spot the early warning signs of leadership burnout before it escalates Why your calendar is the key to unlocking leadership performance and team wellbeing How to build meeting rhythms and operating cadence that eliminate chaos and create clarity How to use Leader Standard Work (LSW) and the Week in the Life Of (WILO) to structure your time How the Stop Start Keep framework helps you ruthlessly prioritise high value work Why meaningful delegation is the leadership skill that unlocks team autonomy and growth How the leadership shadow you cast every day shapes team culture and psychological safety How to build a self-sustaining high performance team that thrives without you Essential listening for: Senior executives and directors experiencing burnout and calendar overload Women in leadership navigating mid to long term career challenges and overwhelm Innovation, technical and operations leaders in complex global organisations HR, organisational development and continuous improvement professionals Leaders in mining, resources, oil and gas and energy sectors Brad's two key takeaways: Connecting leadership change to a meaningful personal purpose is what makes it sustainable A team system that keeps running when the leader is absent is the ultimate measure of great leadership Free Time Optimisation Program and Transformation Resources: our new website is live! https://eexg.com.au/ #leadership #WeekInTheLifeOf #wilo #stop #planning #operatingsystem #psychologicalsafety #leadership #executive #Recovery #continuousimprovement #innovationleadership #highperformanceteams #EnterpriseExcellence #mining Subscribe for weekly episodes on leadership development, executive burnout, high performance teams, continuous improvement, business transformation, lean management and enterprise excellence. The Enterprise Excellence Podcast — engaging and aligning everyone to execute continuous improvement and innovation for a better future. Like, share and subscribe to help other leaders stay focused, rebuild and thrive. To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
July 20, 2026Episode 22326 min
223 Strategy & Cultural Planning: A System Behind Sustainable Excellence with Brad Jeavons.
Send us Fan Mail Is your business strategy failing to deliver results? In this episode, Brad Jeavons breaks down the Strategy and Cultural Planning System — the essential framework for business leaders who want to build a high-performance culture, drive sustainable productivity growth, and achieve real business transformation. Drawing on the latest Reserve Bank of Australia productivity data from June 2026 and the new book Leading Enterprise Excellence by Butterworth, Jeavons, Ray and Dargan, Brad reveals why most strategic planning fails and what to do instead. In this episode you will learn why Australian productivity is in negative territory and what leaders must do now, the two levers of organisational productivity — optimisation and innovation — and how to build a strategic planning system that actually executes. Brad also covers how to define your culture through ideal leadership behaviours, how to use SWOT analysis and the XY Matrix for strategic focus and core competency development, and how to align strategy and culture from the boardroom to the frontline. This episode is essential listening for CEOs, senior leaders, operations managers, continuous improvement practitioners, HR and organisational development professionals, and anyone leading business transformation in Australian or global organisations. Coming up in this series: Strategy and Behaviour Deployment, plus real-world examples from Michelle Thomas of BHP and Matt Oakley of Farah. Download free Strategic and Cultural Planning templates at theenterpriseexcellencepodcast.com/downloads Please like, subscribe and share to help other leaders create a better future. To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
July 6, 202622 min
222 Simply Achieving Excellence Your Way for Sustainable Results with Brad Jeavons.
Send us Fan Mail Is your organisation struggling with disengaged employees, quality issues, productivity challenges, or failed transformation projects? You're not alone — and there's a better way. In this solo episode, Brad Jeavons shares the current best-practice framework developed by the Enterprise Excellence Group: a proven 5-step transformation journey that helps organisations build a genuine culture of continuous improvement and innovation at every level. Brad walks you through each phase of the journey: Assess – Voice of employee & customer, strategic and cultural maturity reviews, and extended value stream mapping Design – Co-creating your culture definition and business operating system with frontline and middle management teams Build – Developing leadership capability to lead culture and systems Embed – Deploying the system into daily work across the organisation Sustain – Annual maturity reviews and continuous improvement of the journey itself With global employee engagement sitting at just 24% and productivity in decline, Brad makes the case that the cost of not following a structured transformation approach runs into the trillions worldwide. This episode cuts through the noise of silver-bullet solutions and gives you a clear, proven path forward. Resources mentioned: Leading Enterprise Excellence – Butterworth, Jeavons, Ray & Dargan Enterprise Excellence Maturity Index Download the Enterprise Excellence Transformation Journey and Process Mapping Guide at 👉 https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ 🎙️ The Enterprise Excellence Podcast explores how to engage and align everyone in an organisation to execute continuous improvement and innovation. If this episode added value, please share it and leave a like — helping others discover this work is how we create a better future together. To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
June 22, 2026Episode 2211 hr 0 min
221 Why Care? Psychological Wellbeing, Continuous Improvement and Leadership with Chris Warner.
Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons speaks with Chris Warner, author of Flick the Switch and co-author of the award-winning book Why Care . Chris shares insights from over 30 years in the automotive and mining industries, exploring the powerful connection between psychological wellbeing, leadership, and continuous improvement. Together, they discuss psychological safety, psychosocial hazards, leadership responsibility, systems thinking, and why thriving individuals are essential for creating thriving cultures of improvement. Whether you're a leader, improvement practitioner, or executive seeking better performance and engagement, this episode provides practical guidance on creating workplaces where people feel safe to contribute, innovate, and thrive. Key Topics Discussed • Psychological safety vs psychological health and safety • Understanding psychosocial hazards in the workplace • Why psychological wellbeing drives continuous improvement • Leadership as system architecture • Creating psychological capacity for innovation and problem-solving • The importance of Go See, one-on-one engagement, and systems thinking • Reducing workplace stress through better work design About Chris Warner Chris Warner has spent more than three decades leading operational excellence and continuous improvement across automotive and mining industries. He is the author of Flick the Switch , co-author of Why Care , and a passionate advocate for psychological wellbeing in the workplace. Connect 🌐 Enterprise Excellence Group: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au 📧 Contact Brad: b.jeavons@eexg.com.au To learn more about what we do, visit https://eexg.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.
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