APAC March 2017

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Producing Outstanding Results

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Richard Fiddis:

Inspiring a committed team We speak to Richard Fiddis, Managing Director at Civica International, a market-leading IT firm that specialises in digital solutions, critical software, and outsourcing services that help organisations around the world transform the way they work.

The Customer Comes First The Market Intelligence Co.

Also in this issue... Asian Hospital and Medical Center Alpino Gelato - Gumnut Systems International Homestay Network - Sunshine Sugar - Mercer ANZ Banking Group - Perri Cutten Australia PTY Ltd Oomf Recruitment - Conference Call International Trility - Nintex Pty Ltd - Reach Out Volunteers Manage Damage - Peoplogica - Arafura Resources Caine Real Estate - TravelEdge - Cash Cow Consulting Sabina Corporation - PKF Australia - Buchan Consulting Colmar Brunton - Conergy - Gordian Global Solutions I am Here - Reddawn Australia Pty Ltd - NowInfinity Olivet Aged Care - Egan Associates Pty. Ltd - EY - CT Connections Linkage - Offis - St Joseph’s College - Alpha-H Advance Yourself Career Services - - Ensurance Ltd Queensland Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery - Tristar Medical Group Nyoongar Wellbeing & Sports - Pulse Australasia - IPA Community Housing Ltd - Servcorp - HSBC - Evolis elitesco Communication Limited - Gold Coast Hospital Foundation

March 2017


Editor’s Note

, Welcome to the March 2017 edition of APAC Insider. In this edition, we learn that The International Day of Happiness is a United Nations initiative introduced in 2011 that recognises ‘the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental human goal’ and has been celebrated around the world on the 20th of March ever since. The condition monitoring equipment market in the Asia-Pacific region is set for transformation during the next five years according to research from Frost & Sullivan. Converging technology such as Big Data and the Industrial Internet of Things will create new business opportunities, while assured revenues via supplier-offered proprietary systems will ignite growth. According to HSBC, creating balance in the workplace, and building a diverse and inclusive working environment is not just good for business, it’s simply the right thing to do. On that optimistic note, I hope you enjoy reading all that this packed edition has to offer. Jonathan Miles, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: jonathan.miles@ai-globalmedia.com Website: www.apacinsider.com

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Contents

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A Dedicated Follower of Fashion @Perri Cutten Australia

4. News 8. Richard Fiddis: Inspiring a Committed Team 12. Recipe for Success 14. Drive for Constant Improvement 16. Motivating the Workforce 18. A Home Away From Home 22. Culture, a Conscious Choice 24. The Customer Comes First 26. A Dedicated Follower of Fashion* 28. Producing Outstanding Results 30. Unique Approach to the Recruitment Industry 32. Virtually Speaking 34. Water Is Our Business 38. Human-Centric World 40. Elephants and Teams 44. Delivering Excellence is Key 46. Have Mercy! 47. Strong Relationships 48. Staying Ahead of the Curve 50. Get Real 52. HSBC’s Drive to Encourage Women Back to the Workplace in India 54. Risky Business 56. Flying High 58. An Insight into the Rare Earth Industry 60. A Rise in the Importance of Content 62. Sabina Corporation Limited 64. Global Expertise, Filipino Heart 70. Power the World 72. Making It Easy 74. Up For the Challenge 76. Every Connection Counts 78. Leading The Way 80. Cloud Transforming Businesses 82. Strive for Better Things 84. Embracing Change 88. A Global Phenomenon 90. Education, Education, Education 92. All that Glitters is Gold 94. Finger on the Pulse 96. From Humble Beginnings 98. A Trusted Advisor 99. Staying Ahead of the Game 100. Quality Integrated Solutions 101. Take Risks, Continue to Invest 102. Global Workspace Solutions 104. A New Way of Thinking 105. Disability in the APAC Region 106. Secure Surroundings 107. How It’s Cement to Be 108. A Ray of Sunshine 110. Support & Peace of Mind 111. Developing Staff for Ongoing Success 112. Tristar Medical Group: A Leading Light in Medical Services 113. Building Business 114. Cost Effective 360 Degree Feedback Surveys 116. Shaping Brands 117. Optimal Patient Care 118. The Best in the Business

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NEWS

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New Growth Opportunities in Asia-Pacific Condition Monitoring Equipment Market

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NEWS

, The condition monitoring equipment market in the Asia-Pacific region is set for transformation during the next five years according to Frost & Sullivan.

Converging technology such as Big Data and the Industrial Internet of Things will create new business opportunities, while assured revenues via supplier-offered proprietary systems will ignite growth. To seize growth opportunities, companies specializing in a particular product or technology must seek out collaborative partnership strategies or acquire existing solution providers who have the right mix of condition monitoring technology, expertise and service capabilities. “A large share of condition monitoring systems, especially the software, is proprietary and has advanced capabilities. End users usually work with the same brand or supplier for upgrades and further testing. To assure current revenues, suppliers must offer quality products and customer-centric services,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation and Process Control Industry Analyst Krishnan Ramanathan. Asia-Pacific Condition Monitoring Equipment Market, Forecast to 2020,recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s Industrial Automation and Process Control Growth Partnership Services, finds that the total condition monitoring equipment market in Asia-Pacific was worth US$430.8 million in 2015 and is expected to reach US$514.8 million by 2020. The study provides analysis of the types of condition monitoring techniques and systems deployed across the Asia-Pacific region. It discusses key drivers, restraints, major suppliers, trends, technologies and success factors. Industry participants are profiled with a separate section for each product type.

SKF, Emerson, Rockwell Automation, FLIR, Bruel & Kjaer, PRUFTECHNIK, and Parker Hannifin are long-standing companies that differentiate their product offerings via strategies such as maintenance/repair support, technology, additional training and performance. Advanced technologies such as electrical signature analysis are increasing the deployment of condition monitoring systems across industries due to a low total cost of ownership. Other noteworthy developments include: • Services are gaining prominence due to the downward trend in new projects, especially in the oil and gas industry. • As new technologies become easily deployable, monitoring activities will become outsourced. • Significant opportunities exist for the merging of asset condition monitoring data and asset-related data from various sources into a single enterprise-wide platform. • Software revenue will grow at a higher rate than hardware due to an increase in spending on connectivity and convergence. “Many alliances are emerging between automation vendors, information and communication technology (ICT) vendors, and telecom providers to gain a share of the emerging machine-to-machine (M2M) market that predominantly benefits asset management. Companies adopting new technologies such as cloud-based asset management will gain prominence,” notes Ramanathan. www.frost.com

Fiji Becomes ‘International Day of Happiness’ Partner The International Day of Happiness is a United Nations initiative introduced in 2011 that recognises “the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental human goal” and has been celebrated around the world on the 20th of March ever since. Tourism Fiji is proud to announce an official partnership with the International Day of Happiness this year. Fiji has been granted International Day of Happiness member state accreditation status, and is one of the first nations in the world to receive this status. Matt Stoeckel, CEO of Tourism Fiji says, “Fiji is the place where happiness finds you and the hospitality extended to its visitors is world renown. Tourism Fiji recognizes the synergies with the International Day of Happiness and through this partnership will showcase to the rest of the world what makes Fiji such a happy place.” In the lead-up to International Day of Happiness next week on 20 March Tourism Fiji will be sharing the stories of what makes Fiji such a happy place via social media channels to a global audience. A competition will also run during this period and a dedicated microsite where users can vote on Fijian experiences that they feel best represent ‘where happiness finds you’. International Day of Happiness Founder Jayme Illien says, “We are thrilled to partner with Tourism Fiji and Fiji in 2017. It’s a natural partnership and we hope the rest of the world will learn a thing or two and take meaningful steps to-

wards richer, happier lives. Importantly, we see this partnership as a long-term relationship and are confident it will act as a model for other partnerships going forward.” To learn more about the International Day of Happiness, go to www.happinessday.org To experience first-hand what makes Fiji such a happy place, go to www.fiji.travel/happiness Tourism Fiji is the Fijian Government’s tourism marketing body and is responsible for promoting Fiji as a visitor destination around the world. Tourism Fiji has offices in Nadi, Sydney, Auckland, Los Angeles, London and representatives in India, reflecting the importance of visitors from these markets. Tourism Fiji also works closely with Fiji’s national airline - Fiji Airways - to market Fiji’s islands in Singapore and China. The tourism industry has contributed significantly to Fiji’s economy and is the country’s largest foreign exchange earner. The industry provides employment directly and indirectly to an estimated 45,000 people and is the fastest growing industry in terms of employment. In 2015, Fiji welcomed 754,835 visitors to its shores. The value of tourism in Fiji drives Tourism Fiji to continue to deliver a world-leading destination and help travel sellers around the world understand the beauty and character of Fiji.

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NEWS

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M&G Asian and M&G Global Emerging Markets Funds Moved to Recommended List

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NEWS

, US and Asian investors provided 76% of all the capital invested in European late stage tech in the last 12 months, and stand to benefit most from Europe’s unprecedented success in tech. Europe has created an unprecedented number of tech companies these last ten years. Early stage money, once so hard to come by, is now 25% of US levels, an astonishing statistic given how young the European tech industry is. Yet it is later stage money which is so crucial to creating global winners, and where so much of the real value is generated. By the time a tech companies achieves a $1B exit, late stage investors usually own most of the equity. While European tech has come very far in terms of early stage money available, later stage money remains elusive for most growth companies; US tech attracts 4x the early stage money available in Europe, but 10x the late stage money. Surprisingly, according to a recent Magister Advisors analysis, what little late stage money that is available is mainly provided by US and Asian investors. While it’s no secret international capital has been flowing to Europe in greater amounts, surprisingly over half of all late stage rounds were driven by US or Asian capital. The impact is even greater when we look at total amount, rather than number of rounds. US and Asian investors have driven 76% of all the capital invested in European late stage tech. The largest rounds creating the biggest tech companies are driven disproportionately by international interest. The implications are clear: • European tech has ‘come of age’ the last five years, attracting more money from international investors overall; all signs point to this growing even more over the coming five to ten years

Because of the lack of European late stage investors, the most promising European tech players have mainly been funded by overseas capital. While this is a huge validation of the quality and attractiveness of European tech competitors, it is also a huge indictment of the ‘local’ tech investment marketplace. Put simply, the quality of available ‘demand’ (companies looking for funding) far outstrips EU capital ‘supply.’. There are far too few late stage EU investment funds in Europe to fuel the next generation of winners. European investors have started responding. 1/3 of all $400m later stage European tech funds have been raised since the start of 2016, but the evidence shows it’s still far short of the available quality supply.

While the imbalance is slowing changing, we expect the number of European success stories deserving of late stage funding will double in the next years. We cannot see how the gap can be filled quickly enough by the still sub-scale European late stage sector, so unless something changes fast we expect over 80% of all capital for these companies to be driven by investors outside the EU. Europe is now a proven laboratory for creating world-class startups capable of competing internationally. However, the huge value created this seismic trend looks set to flow mainly to investors outside Europe. Put bluntly, Europe is in the process of creating unprecedented value which the rest of the world can capitalise on.

The Potential of Using Synthetic Diesel Fuels to Improve Air Quality in China Greyrock Energy, Inc. in Sacramento, CA, on 16th March announced that it will participate with Tsinghua University of Beijing, China and Desert Research Institute (DRI) of Reno, Nevada to quantify the positive impact on air quality from the use of synthetic diesel fuels as compared with petroleum derived diesel fuels. Beijing was chosen as the initial focus of this study given concerns relative to air quality, as recently reported in Chemical and Engineering News, January 2017. Greyrock’s patented gas-to-liquids process produces synthetic diesel fuels that meet or exceed diesel fuel specifications established by ASTM D975. The improved characteristics of the Greyrock synthetic diesel over petroleum based alternatives include higher cetane, virtually no sulphur or aromatics, and excellent lubricity. Greyrock’s synthetic diesel burns more cleanly and efficiently than comparable petroleum based fuels resulting in reductions of particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Greyrock synthetic fuels can also improve diesel vehicle economy and extend the life of diesel engines by providing superior lubricity. Synthetic fuels may be used for other practical applications such as cooking and domestic heating, potentially resulting in up to 100 times less particulate emissions than coal fired stoves. Drs. Hoekman and Wang, of DRI, one of the leading research institutes for measuring and model-

ling ambient air quality globally, commented, “We look forward to collaborating with Tsinghua and Greyrock on this study.” DRI is particularly interested in studying the multiple benefits of using China’s agricultural waste to generate synthetic fuels, thereby reducing air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from biomass burning and finding better uses for China’s large stock of agricultural waste. “We are excited to work with Greyrock and DRI on this effort,” remarked Professor Ye Wu, Associate Dean of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University. Tsinghua, a leading university in Asia, will lead the efforts to carry out the vehicle emission modelling in Beijing. Having worked on various projects with Tsinghua and DRI for over 20 years, Dr. Dennis Schuetzle, Greyrock’s Chief Technology Officer, reported that “The models and databases developed in this study will be key to future efforts to access and improve air quality in other large cities such as Los Angeles, Mumbai, Bangkok and Tokyo.” www.greyrock.com www.FlaretoFuels.com www.tsinghua.edu.cn www.dri.edu

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Richard Fiddis: Inspiring a Committed Team Can you tell us about what your firm does? Civica is a marketleading IT firm that specialises in digital solutions, critical software, and outsourcing services that help organisations around the world transform the way they work. Civica’s vision is to help businesses achieve better outcomes by providing more connected and efficient ways of working, enabled by digital technology and automation. Civica has a strong focus on the community with many services providing support to education, health, local government, central government and other regulated sectors. Civica’s products and services provide business critical management solutions across a number of functions delivering support for operational management, customer service, operational efficiency and finance functions, amongst others. How long has the firm been going for and where are you based? Civica was established in 2001 but some of the companies that make up the group are over 40 years old. Civica has achieved an unbroken 15-year track record of growth. The head office is based in London, and various offices are located around the world: including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, India, Ireland and the US. Outside of its home market, the International division generated revenue exceeding A$100m in 2016, which was up 6 percent from the previous financial year. These results reflect the ongoing successful execution of Civica’s clear strategy, which is delivering value for all stakeholders.

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The APAC region claims Civica’s biggest contract win to date, secured late last year with Australia’s Victorian State Government’s Department of Justice. Civica has been appointed by the Department of Justice to implement a replacement infringement management system, worth AUD$ 103.6 million over the initial 8 year contract. What sets your business apart from the competition you face? Civica’s global presence and capabilities clearly set it apart from its competitors. The key differentiator is the strong commitment of its people driven by the benefits it delivers to the societies in which it operates. Despite operating on a global scale, Civica is still able to maintain a local focus, with many new products and solutions tailored for each market. Civica’s global reach and broad range of capabilities are able to tackle a large number of client opportunities with various office collaborating in order to provide the best solutions for clients. Since coming on board in 2014, my aim has been to help the team standardise Civica’s offerings and processes to provide consistent superior customer service, while providing tailored products for individual customers and increasing global cooperation. By encouraging a high level of collaboration between various parts of our organisation, Civica has been able to harness the advantages of a global company with localised expertise. For instance, software solutions that are developed by Civica’s Australian team have often

been adapted to suit the unique needs of individual businesses from other regions. Spydus, for example, is an award winning library management system that is developed in our Melbourne office. It has been implemented in various countries including the UK, US, Taiwan and Singapore, and has been localised to suit individual needs. Such levels of cooperation provide Civica with a unique edge over its competitors and fully utilises the global component of our company. Since 2005, the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) has utilised Civica’s library software and outsourced services capabilities. Civica centrally manage the library software, staffing, programmes, and book collections of over 300 school libraries across Singapore. This is made possible by the strong collaboration between Singapore and Australian teams. During my time at Civica we have successfully secured a third consecutive contract to support the MOE, which means some of the largest contracts that Civica has, are managed by the businesses here in Asia Pac. Civica’s people and culture set it apart. Our specialist expertise and commitment to do well for customers and colleagues are a key differentiator. Civica recognises this and remains committed to investment in developing and supporting employees, while maintaining the Civica culture which underpins its position as an employer of choice. We have a particularly strong track record in attracting talent from within the industries we serve, so they come with subject matter expertise, and an understanding of customer challenges.

Civica has invested significantly into key initiatives set to develop and support the team all around the world, from the US Code Academy programme to UK graduate and apprentice scheme and the annual Raising the Bar programme for all professionals across the business. This supports effective employee development and talent management. During 2016, Civica’s people benefitted from 98,000 hours of training, with a strong focus on leadership development. Consequently, the company has witnessed a very high employee retention rate. Lastly, Civica’s global strategy puts us ahead of the competition. Civica has a focus on providing products and services that enable clients to maximise full value from their investment. Increasingly these days those solutions include digital transformation initiatives and outsourcing services. Are there any specific developments and/or challenges in your industry sector you would like to discuss? There are great changes occurring in terms of customer expectations as significant cultural, economic and technological developments are altering many of today’s norms. Specifically, the digital revolution is driving great and far-reaching changes which are set to reshape the customer experience and also the underlying business model. Civica is already seeing signs of such changes with major upheaval occurring across the public sector; there is an increasing recognition that re-designed digital services,


g Richard Fiddis: Inspiring a Committed Team

Company: Civica Name: Richard Fiddis Web Address: www.civica.com

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increased level of automation, and greater collaboration are imperative to success. In all areas, there is a continuing move to the cloud and a desire to derive greater value from data. As such, the challenge is for Civica to maintain its position as an established provider of market leading solutions and to continue investing in developing innovative new solutions. Civica expects the demand for digital solutions and technologybased services to continue as organisations strive to respond to the changing needs of citizens and to meet cost and efficiency challenges. Civica is well placed to offer effective, value-adding and transformational solutions to customers and to build on markets on an international scale. How would you describe your client base? Civica has a wide range of clients from the UK, Asia Pacific, and North America. Civica’s focus is the global public sector, across all levels. Many clients operate across government, health & care, housing, transport and education sectors. Civica also operates in regulated markets, including travel and transport, financial and legal services, telecoms and utilities. Civica supports 2,000 major customers in 10 countries,

streamlines services to 100 million people and businesses and helps implement systems that administer over $190 billion annually. What do your clients say about the products and services you offer? After announcing that it has contracted Civica Education to implement a $32 million upgrade on its School Information System, Bevan Doyle (Chief Information Officer for the Department of Education, Western Australia) said the following: “The School Information System (SIS) will underpin the delivery of education services in Western Australia over the next 10 years. As well as the cost savings we’ve identified, there will be significant operational improvements for our schools, benefitting staff, students and parents. “Over the past twelve months we’ve undertaken a thorough procurement process and selected Civica as our partner.” Civica has excellent customer retention with many having used our services for over 20 years; customers that have expressed high levels of satisfaction with the products and services that Civica has provided. What role does staff play in the success of your firm?

Civica recognises that our people and culture is what makes it successful and differentiates us from our competition. Civica’s strong position as a trusted partner for customers is based firmly on the sector expertise, service values and commitment of our people. We often recruit from within our market sectors and regularly it is people who have worked with us as clients who seek opportunities to join us, bringing their sector expertise with them. Civica’s people do what they do with the strong conviction that they are making a real positive difference in their communities. Civica is a business that does things that its people are proud to be part of. Whether it’s to do with education and libraries, helping teachers teach and students learn, in government helping citizens interact with their agencies, or in health insurance getting claims paid more easily, staff can see the work they do making a real impact which is a further encouragement in itself. Civica is an organisation that promotes equality and diversity within the workplace and actively seeks to encourage further involvement of women in the IT industry. Civica understands that providing flexible working conditions is a key factor in ensuring that women can continue to pursue their careers while raising young children. Consequently, Civica implemented its “Agile Working Programme” over 18 months ago, which allows for a flexible working environment by giving employees the freedom to adjust their schedule and location based on both professional and personal commitments. With these policies in place, 35 percent of Civica’s employees are female, which is seven percent higher than the industry standard. Civica is also planning to develop a number of programs in 2017 that support greater female participation in the ICT industry, such as mentorship programs for high-performing women, as well as recruitment programs at a

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university graduate level that will encourage both young men and women into ICT careers. Do you have any plans for the future that you would like to share with our readers? As the digital revolution is poised to change the way organisations operate, Civica will continue to pursue key strategic acquisitions, which will significantly increase the scope and scale of its digital services for customers. As well as adding to its capabilities in the public sector, Civica will also look to extend its position within regulated private sector markets, including travel and transport, financial services and critical infrastructure. We also see markets across the globe following the UK public sector lead into managed outsourcing and seeking partners that can deliver business outcomes against a backdrop of increased financial pressure. Further Comments Civica has experienced significant growth in the APAC region over the past three years, driven by a focus on training and development of staff, multi-country support, as well as an increase in new product investment and new acquisitions, with an equally strong focus on sharing best practice and providing consistent great customer service across the group. We continue to look for new opportunities in the markets where we have an established presence For example we have recently launched a new Community Protection business unit for Australia and New Zealand. Civica’s focus on critical software, digital transformation and outsourcing is already delivering for the group and provides us with great growth opportunities for the future particularly in the Asia Pacific Region. Richard Fiddis is Managing Director at Civica International, based in Sydney, Australia.


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Recipe for Success Laura Nobile, of Alpino Gelato, tells us the secrets to her success as the company’s current CEO, following being voted CEO of the Year 2016 - Australia. Alpino Gelato was founded in 1950. It is Australia’s first gelato company, opening before any other Gelato or ice cream corporation. The company has set many benchmarks and historical achievements in the field of gelato, ice cream and sorbet and servicing Australia with healthy products. Alpino Gelato has established its own secret recipe and has stuck to it since the day that it opened in the 1950’s, creating an Australian-made, Australian-owned and Australianrun business. In 2013, Alpino Gelato made the Australian history books as the first gelato company to successfully export a finished, live product to China. This success has continued with Alpino releasing healthy, low in sugar, strictly no dehydrated premixes from overseas, healthy food and desert products. With its secret recipe dating back to the 1950’s, Alpino Gelato was established by Filomena and Vincenzo Tropeano and the business was handed down to their daughter, Anna Nobile with her Husband Giuseppe Nobile. They been involved with Alpino for their whole lives, now with the third generation strongly by their side, indeed their children Laura and Amanda Nobile continue the company’s legacy success. Laura has been part of this team for going on 18 years. She is the current CEO of Alpino gelato, assisting in export, product development, product readiness, marketing and certification activities.

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Laura has in her time with Alpino gelato, achieved the Kosher certification, The Vegan certification, the made in Marrickville mark, and soon to launch some very exciting and innovative super food gelato and sorbet ranges. Laura was happily involved in the export to China account, as well as the associated branding and marketing, logistics not to mention the health and safety of the products during this project. In Laura’s own words, “I love serving Australia and the world with a naturally healthy, authentic Italian, modern and traditional gelato and sorbet, free from pre-mixes and anything artificial. I love serving Australia and the world with a healthy, Italian, authentic, non-premix, cultural and traditional gelato and sorbet.” This has been her passion and happiness when it comes to servicing consumable high quality gelato and sorbet and ice cream products. She has worked alongside Australia’s best chefs, celebrities, international celebrities, prominent Australian and international personalities and has designed many desserts for them. Laura’s professional and knowledgeable approach allows people to feel comfortable with even the most confidential events and public figures. Elaborating on this point, she says, “I enjoy meeting these people, and guiding my team to make only the best possible product - not a mass produced, fast food product. The honor is ours to design and create for them and speaking to a public forum about good healthy gelato and sorbets.”

Laura has, through her years with Alpino, been in newspapers for her original macaroons gelato sandwich and Chinese New Year ‘Good Luck Lotus Flower’. She has been covered in the media with celebrities and chefs and master chefs for the product that she services. Alpino and Laura have serviced hotels, cafes, restaurants, hospitals, celebrity events, book launches, TV shows, and events for radio stations as well. Recently Alpino gelato was featured on studio 10 on Christmas Day as celebrity host loved and endorsed the Alpino product, which the company was humbled by and grateful for. Laura has always believed in health as the main passion for making a healthy gelato, ice cream and sorbet, without adding fillers, dehydrated powder mixes from overseas, gelatin, glycerin, or any artificial preservatives or additives. Along with her team, they have made and stuck to the traditional and delicious recipe. “In five years’ time, I hope to still be guiding my team in a positive manner and continuing the growth that we are currently experiencing. The hard work through challenges is starting to pay off, as people are more and more aware of what they are eating. “I try to be a very positive and humble person when it comes to dealing people in the industry. There have been many challenges over the years, with an influx and growth of powdered premix products that allow people to make cheap gelato and sorbet on the premises. This has taken away from the purity

and knowledge you need to have to make a distributable, healthy and traditional product. I rely on my knowledge of food science, health, techniques and healthy ingredients which have allowed me to run and produce only the best and most natural gelato and sorbet, while respecting Italian tradition and refusing to compromise our product to save a few dollars.” “The Asia-Pacific region has appreciated our traditions and purity of the gelato that we are serving to not only Australia but also to them. This is why we are highly successful in our own country and also throughout the world. Whilst everybody else is looking at gimmicks and fillers, we are looking at tradition, healthy products, good ingredients, as many fresh, local ingredients as possible and sticking stringently to this. “Australia prides itself on being a healthy and fit country and I believe that the Asia-Pacific countries see the health benefits in eating good quality food. That is why Alpino falls under that umbrella and has been recognised by these countries that partake in the Asia-Pacific region. As the CEO of Alpino Gelato, I have enjoyed trading with these countries. I have enjoyed learning about them and their culture, and being able to service not only adults but also children with a desert that provides the health benefits of calcium, protein and fibre. I’ve enjoyed interacting and making the best product I possibly can. I believe that being a positive person, a team leader, who listens and communicates not only with our clients but also my colleagues, so this makes us strong.”


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Recipe for Success

Company: ALPINO GELATO Name: Laura Nobile Email: laura@alpino.com.au Web Address: www.alpino.com.au Address: 90 – 92 Addison Road, Marrickville Australia Telephone: +617 2 9569 3667

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Drive for Constant Improvement Glen Stratton from Altro talks to us about what the company have done to help transform everyday spaces into environments that can improve the wellbeing of everyone that uses them.

“We are a global leader of specialised products to the health, education, hospitality, retail and pharmaceutical sectors. We are often first to market with innovative products. Our client base is rather wide including governments, architects, builders, flooring contractors and end users. “In Asia Pacific, we are focused on delivering the highest quality solutions and an exceptional customer experience. Because we offer specialised products for high function areas we can separate our products and services from our competitors, who have a more general approach to these sectors. By building long term value added relationships we feel this will continue to set us apart into the future. “We have spent a lot of time as a team establishing who we are, what we stand for and why we are doing what we do. We are very focused on staying true to these principles. Bringing in talented people, empowering them and then supporting their own growth is also proving beneficial.”

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Glen explains what the challenges of working in the APAC region are and how he has managed to overcome these challenges through keeping motivated and positive. “As we sell premium products in the construction market with a focus on safety hygiene and sustainability, the biggest challenges have been emerging markets where these factors are lower priorities for many of the individual markets. Ensuring we stay true to our core strategy while addressing specific local needs is proving successful. It is a slow process however we have persistence, our own good people and some great regional partners taking us forward. “I get the motivation I need to succeed from our people. Helping them succeed and achieve their own goals in both business and life is very satisfying. There are times where you need to step back and reflect and finding that time for personal thought is also important to me.” “One of the appealing things about the APAC region is that it is so diverse. This provides big challenges however also big opportunities for companies who get their strategy correct. Of course these days, no one is truly isolated from world events however I feel there are still many emerging markets in the region that will provide a bright future for us.” As well as staying motivated in order to ensure the success of the business, Glen lists the other attributes he has that he believes have made him successful.

“Active listening, patience, persistence and a drive for constant improvement are behaviours I hold dear. I also feel the focus to strip away all the distractions and focus on what is really going to make a difference is a constant goal.” Price and technology are the main changes that have appeared in recent years in the construction industry. Glen explains these changes and how they affected business. “The construction industry continues to become more and more focused on price. The majority of building continues to be completed as cheaply as possible rather than delivering quality long term solutions to end-users. Margin issues and time line pressures for our customers continue to increase and in 2016 we saw several large flooring contractors enter in to periods of financial hardship or liquidation. “As we supply products to specialised areas such as Hospital surgeries, developments

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Altro is a third generation, family owned business that manufacturers hygienic floor and wall coverings. Altro APAC is a fully owned subsidiary with teams in China, Australia, New Zealand and distribution partners in most other Asian countries. Glen Stratton spoke to us about the firms impact in the industry.

Company: Altro APAC PTY LTD Name: Glen Stratton Web Address: www.asf.com.au

in technology is going to play a huge part in our future. Altro have a dedicated innovations team with the specific goals of creating products that contribute to healthy environments and improved well-being. Recently we were awarded the ABA Business Award for Product Innovation for Altro Xpresslay, which was a very proud moment for us. The award was nice recognition of our constant drive for new and improved products.” Finally, Glen outlines what Altro APAC PTY Ltd have to look forward to in the near future. “In five years’ time we will have delivered the first stages of our plans, which will mean we are a very different company than the one we are today. This will have provided the foundations for our longer term plans through to 2035. We have very clear goals and an ambitious vision. My focus is on our amazing people and helping them to achieve what we have set out to do, and of course ensure we all have a great time doing it.”


EVENTS | MARKETING | STAFFING 08 8363 3544 www.mangopromotions.com.au 1701AP37


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Motivating the Workforce Nedim Aydogdu talks to APAC Insider about the firm, its strategic approach to technology and its intentions for the future.

Gumnut Systems International is an Australian software development and marketing house specialising in Business management systems for SMEs. Nedim Aydogdu gives us a more in-depth overview of the firm, the services it provides and the type of clients it attracts. “Twenty years ago, when we had just started, our first systems were for businesses like physiotherapy, chiropractic, sports medicine centres,” he begins. “Then we have moved into the hair, beauty salons, cosmetic clinics, fitness clubs, hospitality and spas. “With our revolutionary spa system we have started marketing overseas, especially to 5-star hotel chains around 2010. Then we made a strategic decision and redeveloped our systems utilising Microsoft Visual studio, .Net and Sql server database. These new systems have been developed as a multilocation business management suite from ground-up. Since then we have also added many mobile apps and web functions to complement the main product. “Our systems are currently used by all the major hotel chains like Marriott Group, Ritz Carlton, Intercontinental group, Accor group, Q hotels, Aman resorts all around the world. We also look after Virgin Active, Nuffield Health and Fitness Express,

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Margaret Dabbs in UK and Endota Spas, Australian skin clinics in Australia. “We also have a 24/7 helpdesk to provide excellent support for our clients all around the world. The help desk is manned by our specialist who will connect to the clients systems and provide help. “Our current server based multi-location system is able to be utilised by businesses that may even have locations in different countries with their own taxes, currencies and legal requirements and languages. Furthermore each location can be completely self -customised and providing a different service. The client database is common therefore the business can offer loyalty systems, gift cards, memberships across the locations. We have also built special functionality for franchise operations to cover their needs. Adding a fully functional web environment for bookings and sales it makes the business operate 24/7. Our branded mobile apps also provide excellent operational features for the staff and marketing functions for their clientele.” The firm’s overall mission is to always keep striving to upgrade its systems with new technologies and keep the clients satisfied with its solutions. “Our dedicated team of developers and support specialists work around the clock to achieve this,” states Nedim.

Indeed technology is of utmost importance to Gumnut Systems International and is one of the many reasons that the firm is able to differentiate itself from the competition and mark itself out as the best possible option for clients. “We are dedicated to provide the best solution for our clients this means that we are prepared to fully customise our system and develop additional functionalities for clients so that our systems are providing the best result. We have a team of developers who are constantly developing interfaces, reports, new functions for clients that require them. “We utilise the latest technologies and offer full customisation to our clients. Specifically, our branded mobile apps and web functions provide a unique solution. Our server based secure environment allows companies to easily manage their operations and grow.” Working in the APAC region is not without its challenges, and Nedim tells us more about how the firm overcomes issues and outside influences to stay ahead of the game and ensure it continued successful. “The most important is to understand the local culture of the countries that you work with,” he comments. “As we have been operating in this area for such a long time we have been successful in developing the special requirements for

this region and the functions that they need. There are distinct differences in the way an Australian or UK business operates than an Asian business. “There are always a lot of outside influences that effect our region or regions that we are active in. We keep doing what we do best which is developing solutions and providing the best products to our clients. “The techniques we employ to stay head of emerging trends is simply to be always lead by our client base and their requirements - they usually will tell us what they need and we strive to fullfil their demands.” The internal culture of the firm is important to ensure that staff are happy in order to keep on achieving the same levels of success for Gumnut Systems International. “We are constantly improving the experience of our developers and training them in the use of the latest technologies,” says Nedim. “Especially the security concerns as these have been the main area of our developments for our server-based clients in their use of our systems, mobile and web apps. Our helpdesk staff are all very experienced in our systems and are able to provide solutions to clients on the spot. Their average staff expectancy is four years with Gumnut. “We have now made a decision to employ new graduates instead


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of experienced staff as we are finding that it takes at least six months for new staff to learn our systems and be useful. We are also more successful in finding the young talent and moulding them into our corporate culture and work ethics. Under heavy supervision of our management we are getting much better results. “We have also learned that looking after our staff is very important in many ways. We have lots of social activities, including an annual company outing where we take all our staff on a well-deserved four-day holiday. This keeps them motivated and loyal to our business. Currently our management team has been with us for average 10 years and we have a very low rate of resignations with average staff staying with us for approximately four years in our company.” With regards to the future, Nedim states that the firm just wishes to do its best to keep on improving its business and products.

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“We are constantly monitoring the latest technological trends and also the security concerns for server based systems and offer the best solutions for our clients.”

Company: Gumnut Systems International Name: Nedim Aydogdu Email: nedim@gumnutsoftware.com Web Address: www.gumnuts.com Telephone: +61291882056

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A Home Away From Home Tina Holland of Homestay Network tells us about the industry in the APAC region and how she strives to ensure client satisfaction.

Homestay Network provides accommodation within Australian family homes for International Students coming to study in Australia. Tina Holland tells us more about the firm and how it operates. “Hosts are paid to host students attending private schools, language colleges, Universities and internships across Australia’s major cities. We also manage Study Tour groups and private tours for students or guests wanting to spend time in an Australian family environment. “We place students of all ages, and we have particular pride in placing students under 18 years old and offering guardianship arrangements. We are pleased to celebrate as 2017 marks the 30 year anniversary of Homestay Network.” The firm’s overall missions is to place students with caring Australian host families, respecting cultural values and behaving in a professional and ethical manner. “We strive to attract the best host families in Australia, as they represent Homestay Network,” explains Tina. “We feel confident every time we make a placement that the host is the best possible match for that student. To this end, we offer training and support to our host families and ensure they pass a rigorous onboarding process. The method

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includes Working With Children Checks, phone screenings, physical inspections of the hosts home and monitoring of the student placements we offer to those hosts.” Homestay Network is the longest running homestay company in Australia. This is just one of the key attributes that sets it apart from its competitors. “We have an experienced and dedicated team who have a proven history of delivery,” says Tina. “One of the key differences for our business is that we believe we have a ‘high touch’ business, meaning that we connect with our clients on the phone and in person. We don’t rely solely on the technology available today and web presence. Similarly, we don’t just redirect our clients to our website; we take the time to speak to them. As we are in the business of placing people with other people, we need to be certain our hosts are decent, trustworthy and caring. The best way to get to know anyone is to spend time talking to them, and that’s what we do. We often ask ourselves “would I like my child to live there?” and the answer needs to be ‘yes’ every time. “Another key differentiator is that we do re-inspect our hosts every 12 months; we don’t assume that nothing’s changed within a host’s family. Homestay Network physically re-inspect the host’s homes and note any changes

so that our students are going to positive environments. We take this opportunity to touch base with the host and make sure they are still enjoying hosting and are still suitable to host and represent Homestay Network. All too often families are changing by way of suffering a loss, a divorce or a hardship of some kind. If this is the case, we ensure our hosts take a break as this is not going to be a happy time to host a student.” A great deal of Homestay’s business comes from South East Asia. Tina elaborates on the industry within the APAC region and the outside influences which affect it. “The global economy impacts our business; we saw hard times when SARS hit back in 2003, Swine Flu in 2009 and the impact of 9/11 did not leave homestay placements untouched in 2001 and following years. Sadly terror threats are on parents minds when they weigh up which country to choose to send their child. “Australia has been on the receiving end of a boom from China over the past few years bringing with it a huge number of international students. 2016 saw the peak of students at 50,000, which was up 23% on 2015. This growth stimulated not only our economy but also greatly aided Australian families with an additional source of income, making a difference to that family, and in turn benefiting an international student.

“Australia competes with Canada for many of our inbound Japanese tour group business. In fact, our prices were higher for short-term study tours in the 90’s than they are right now. As homestay is no longer a niche market and there are many operators, we have had to offer price incentives to directly compete with Canada for the Japanese clients. Within the Asia-Pacific, we have had to keep abreast of the issues facing these countries and understand their economic climate and their emerging trends. Students expect to see what they are getting for their dollar as they can with other accommodation options and they vote with their feet.” Tina tells us that both herself and her team regularly travel to different countries in the Asia-Pacific to meet parents and clients and continue to understand their culture and environment, something which helps the firm stay ahead of the curve and be on top of any emerging trends within the sector. “It’s important to know how Australia is perceived and what challenges our customers foresee in sending their children to Australia so that we can address them. Often problems can be as simple as the students expecting not to like the food or wanting high-speed internet. Most concerns can be quickly addressed and any fears allayed.”


g A Home Away From Home

Company: Homestay Network Pty Ltd Name: Tina Holland Web Address: homestaynetwork.com.au Address: Suite 10, Level 3, Delhi Corporate, 32 Delhi Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2113 Telephone: + 61 2 9412 3100

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Tina has a vested interest as a small business owner in ensuring that her team remains motivated. “Every role we have is needed, and our successes are celebrated and shared,” she says. “Failure also must be seen as an opportunity to review and learn in order to progress and grow. “Many of the staff had some exposure or experience with homestay before coming on board. We have a small team that get along well together; have a sense of humour, which helps at times, and they enjoy the work. The culture is open, transparent and direct, we, in turn, have the same approach with our hosts. Our values are firmly upheld by our staff, to respect cultural differences, value our customers, do what it takes and act with integrity. “I encourage a continuous improvement philosophy; which harks back to my days in Project Management where I had to deliver and was outcome focussed. Our team are always coming up with new suggestions and ideas for improving the speed and efficiency within the office. We value each person on their merit; everyone is different and brings something unique to the table. These qualities benefit our clients. As a business owner, I listen to my staff, incorporate their suggestions and create opportunities for them to succeed. I want my team to want to come to work and feel valued as it reflects in their work and how they deliver service to our clients. “When we are hiring staff, we are looking for someone with an open mind who has enjoys the challenges of working with people. We recently hired someone who came to Australia from Indonesia as an international student and felt this job was calling to her as she had lived in a homestay in her younger years. She has turned out to be an asset as she can empathise with students and has an excellent understanding of the placement process and challenges it can present.

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“We love working in this industry as my team, and I come in contact with many different cultures. We have had some truly wonderful experiences shared through hosting. Hosts have told us that they have been invited overseas to China, Vietnam, Japan and Korea to attend their former student’s weddings. Often the students have bonded with the hosts, and they are their extended families for years to come. Knowing that we can assist Australian families by bringing in an additional income while also sharing another culture is rewarding for our team.” With regards to the future, Tina foresees growth for Homestay, as well as for the industry as a whole. “Homestay Network started in Sydney, Sydney is always strong for me, and we have a great base of hosts with over 3,000 families. We would like to have more placements in Melbourne and are looking to start in Perth this year. By 2022 we hope to be fully operational in all States of Australia as many of our clients are asking for Homestay Network presence, particularly in Perth and Melbourne. “In recent years accommodation options for students have changed, especially for the students aged over 18. In many cities, there are companies like Urbanest and Iglu that offer student accommodation centrally located and appealing to international students. This style of housing is often, clean, well presented and affordable. This format is competition for homestay families for the over 18 age group. Our selling point is the personal contact that homestay offers students along with the fact that students will be speaking English at all times thus re-enforcing what they are learning each day. There will always be new challenges either domestically or internationally, and we will continue to do what we do best. On the flip side, hosts are also learning that they can advertise their homes or a room on AirBnB. AirBnB has impacted our host pool to

a smaller extent as these hosts are then not suitable hosts for Homestay Network. We can only utilise hosts where all the family members (aged over 18) have a Working With Children Check, and if hosts are boarding unknown guests, we cannot be assured of their guest’s suitability to be in the same home as our students, especially those that are under 18 years. “Additionally, global matters and foreign policy dictate where parents send their children to study. Australia is a safe destination for international students, as we have an excellent education system. With Donald Trump as the new President of the United States of America, this may have some impact on the global economy and the various relationships within the Asia-Pacific. We will have to wait and see where alliances are forged and what that means for Australia.”

“It’s important to know how Australia is perceived and what challenges our customers foresee in sending their children to Australia so that we can address them.”


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Culture, a Conscious Choice You could write a book about corporate culture – in fact many people have. One thing experts agree on is that even though it’s challenging to articulate or describe a particular workplace’s culture – it’s vitally important. One analogy describes culture as the air around us. We rarely give it a second thought but we live every moment surrounded by it and we rely completely on it. And if anything about it changes, we realise immediately. Some of the highest performing companies attribute their success to the culture they have created – you can find case studies online that explore aspects of Amazon’s, Google’s, Zappos and countless more besides. But so much of it is ineffable – just try to accurately detail your company’s culture. It’s especially hard when you consider larger organisations, take ANZ (the bank I work for) as an example. It doesn’t have a single culture. Among our different divisions, business units, professional functions and geographies and even down to small teams – in fact wherever groups of people come together – cultures are created. Conscious choices and other factors that shift culture Instead of managing a cultural program, I chair a working group of committed and passionate volunteers - representatives from each of ANZ’s Technology teams - who have come together to lift engagement and enrich culture. Even the formation of this group marks a positive step and progress. We work and support each other, collaborating on initiatives we believe will improve us as a Technology function and help become a better bank for our customers.

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This approach isn’t aspirational anymore, but an imperative

should have been something different entirely.

Cultural Revolution Look up from your smart phone and you will see that digital natives are driving the biggest social change we have seen in modern history.

The truth is, “teams behave differently when they’re more balanced. There’s not much point collaborating when everybody thinks like you. So getting that diversity of thought is really important” (Shayne Elliott ANZ CEO. AFR, Feb 2016).

The growth and popularity of social media has seen the balance of power transfer from companies to the people. Customers have embraced this new power and years of carefully developed and cultivated reputations can be damaged in a tweet. Organisations are taking notice. Our customers are telling us what products and services they want and need and they’re demanding that we develop these faster than ever. Of course, it isn’t easy and many organisations wrestle with the changing norms of society, the cracking pace of technological empowerment and what it means to adopt a culture of being ‘customer centric’. Diversity of thought If we agree that we need a customer centric culture then we must also agree that diversity is a key enabler of this. After all, our customers are a diverse group, often representing even more diverse communities and we need to reflect that across our organisations. The technology industry historically hasn’t been great at this, particularly in relation to gender. We typically resort to having ‘targets’ to address this imbalance, when the remedy

Instead of the metrics being the outcome – “diversity of thought” is, supported by well-defined metrics to shape behaviour. No need to throw it all away Rarely is a company’s culture built by a single ‘generation’ of its people. That’s why I prefer to focus effort on ‘enriching’ a culture, rather than changing culture. It’s important to recognise and celebrate those who came before us and the positive contributions they made. In this spirit, we have given the reigns to our people to dream and shape their culture, focusing on inspiring and invigorating, recognising and leading from a platform of diversity and inclusion. In reflection it has been a year of experimenting, working out what resonates and adopting characteristics aligned to our ideal culture At times, it felt like fireworks going off; small initiatives all over the place that lit up the night sky, were celebrated and then disappeared into the inky dark.

However there were some initiatives that took a hold, where people derived a personal sense of purpose from them. Better connected through speed mentoring A simple concept; set up a series of short conversations between senior leaders and employees to share knowledge and experience on topics of mutual interest. It was an instant hit. By cutting through hierarchy and creating greater opportunities for open and authentic conversation, we gave many people a level of personal interaction with a senior leader they had not experienced. It’s an activity that opened the eyes of the leaders too – hearing firsthand about the ideas and opportunities of those delivering work and broadening their understanding of issues and trends. It created new networking opportunities and enabled people to seek out fresh coaches and mentors to help them achieve the next step in their careers. Effective leaders should inspire us to achieve new heights that we didn’t believe were possible, to realise a potential that crafting learning and development plans, frankly doesn’t. It’s our responsibility to walk through when the door is opened and sometimes, yes, we have to knock.


g Culture, a Conscious Choice

Building curiosity With a desire to encourage diversity of thought, we invited a range of speakers to inspire invigorate and broaden our horizons. Some highlights that come to mind: • The wonderful Millie Tapper, one of Australia’s Paralympians, who shared her story of overcoming adversity to be the first Australian to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic games. • Dr Stan Rodski, a noted neuroscientist who works with many large organisations and sporting institutions on peak mind performance and energy replenishment techniques. • Elaine Saunders, an awardwinning businesswoman, audiologist and academic who improved the lives of thousands of Australians by making premium hearing aids more accessible. • The amazing Chris Varney who took his autism and founded the I CAN Network, driving a rethink of autism from “I Can’t” to “I Can” mentoring young people on the spectrum to live a life with an “I Can” attitude These and so many more brilliant speakers have opened everyone’s eyes to new possibilities and motivated them to action and a culture of giving. Giving of time, skills and experience to benefit our customers and the broader community. An Australian first ANZ has a long history of supporting diversity and continuing to lead on these important issues is part of who we are. This final example perhaps showcases best the benefit of lifting engagement and enriching culture. Many people don’t know that 1 in 63 Australian school children have been diagnosed with autism. Fast forward 20 years and only 34 per cent of adults on the autism spectrum are employed in meaningful paid work, despite often being highly-qualified.

Using the app, clinicians are able to send child specific strategies to parents through a push feature, carers can maintain a personal journal, and they can also carry on conversations in a carer-to-carer discussion forum. As the winning team, they received a $25,000 grant from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre to help turn their idea into a reality.

Not only are these ‘programs’ expensive to run, but they often feel manufactured. Bringing people together and inviting them to shift their own culture can be messy and at times chaotic (remember the fireworks?), but in my experience, empowering people and encouraging diversity of thought leads to good things.

Colleagues described the event as the most inspiring experience of their careers. ANZ is now well on its way to implementing ‘Careers for Autism’ an initiative that will see interview processes tailored, roles tuned for those on the spectrum and teams properly supported to give candidates every opportunity to build and grow a fulfilling career. This has seen collaboration across teams, management levels and new partnerships with specialist recruiters, research institutes and technology organisations. It speaks to what can be achieved when we put ourselves aside and centre on a common goal Culture: there are no shortcuts While it can be tempting to pay a team of consultants to create a culture ‘program’ for your organisation, I have seen firsthand that these rarely last.

Company: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) Name: Matt Ormiston Email: Matt.Ormiston@anz.com Web Address: www.anz.com Address: ANZ Banking Group 10/833 Collins St, Melbourne Victoria 3000, Australia Telephone: +61 39273 5555

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This statistic was one of the reasons why ANZ sponsored #apps4autism; the first Australian hackathon event focused on the development of technology solutions for the autism community.

The winning team designed a website and app to assist speech pathology clinicians and carers of children on the spectrum to manage time between appointments.

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The Customer Comes First Angela Orsaris talks about the market research industry in the APAC region and about the firm’s strong customer satisfaction values. Established over 25 years ago, The Market Intelligence Co. is a leader and trusted specialist in customised market intelligence. The firm’s specialised expertise is in business-to-business and industrial markets, as well as Government. As a privately owned and independent Australian company with a solid track record in the industry, the firm does not utilise off-the-shelf products or services; all of its projects are customised using a range of solutions to meet clients’ specific needs. With offices in Australia and New Zealand, and a network of preferred partners in Asia, The Market Intelligence Co. conducts multi-disciplined projects across the APAC region. Angela Orsaris explains that the firm’s clients and its people are at the centre of everything it does, and that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is not appropriate to meet clients’ needs. “The Market Intelligence Co. strives to become a trusted partner of its clients and to provide them with the most relevant and impactful insights, in a timely and cost effective manner” begins Angela. “To achieve this, The Market Intelligence Co. uses a wide range of tools to meet our clients’ needs. And it doesn’t

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just end with project delivery. The Market Intelligence Co. then works with clients to get the most from our work/the project. This work includes action plans, development of KPIs, benchmarks, help with training and staff communications, including conducting roadshows across all levels of clients’ staff and partner organisations.” “What makes us different is that our clients truly come first. We recognise that we are partners with our clients and not just suppliers. This leads to a more genuine and honest relationship where we don’t sugar coat things and we tell it like it is whereas others might just tell the client what they want to hear. “We have a strong client service ethic and a focus on quality throughout the entire project process. We are passionate about achieving the best possible results for our clients and their clients – results they can depend on, results that drive their businesses into the future.” Keeping abreast of emerging developments within the industry is a must for a business of this type, and Angela tells us just how the firm, and its dedicated workforce, ensure they stay ahead of the curve. “We continually attend local and international events and seminars, and not just those related to our profession, but also those that are complementary

to our profession and those that are aligned to our major client industry sectors,” says Angela. “We continually learn to stay abreast of the competition; to provide leading edge services to our clients and to maintain our qualified practices and industry accreditations. “We also work closely with our partner network and suppliers both here and overseas to share learnings and benchmark best practice outputs; and we fuse technologies/tools to meet new challenges and create new offerings.” With regards to the future, Angela foresees developments within the market research industry, including the exponential growth of new technologies and platforms; the industry becoming increasingly commoditised; and market consolidation of the sector. “Advances in technology and the arrival of big data have led to a proliferation of non-traditional competition. Any company can use its own internal resources to gain information, however, it requires a level of expertise to know which areas to focus on and how to get the best information out of specific market segments and stakeholders, in the context of the client’s business objectives. “We want to help people understand their business or market better, so they can

develop and improve – but that’s much more than just data or supplying a metric or a number. It is actually trying to understand the motivations and drivers behind those numbers or metrics so that they can understand their markets, their customers and work with them to provide better products/services and/or customer service and support. “At The Market Intelligence Co., we stay ahead of emerging technologies worldwide and invest in further development and fine-tuning those technologies that are relevant to our clients, e.g. on-line portals for real time information, data mining tools, modelling, mobile technology, etc. This will continue to be a focus area in the next couple of years.” Angela also shares with us what she sees for The Market Intelligence Co. within the next five years. “We want to be an even better version of our current selves. We want to continue to be the trusted partner of leading companies in the APAC region, in the industry sectors that we are familiar with today as well as expand our expertise into new industry sectors that have a logical fit with our capabilities and business approach. “We shall continue to be flexible to adapt to the changing market/industry conditions and demands.”


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The Customer Comes First

“Our primary operations at present are in Australia and New Zealand but we can and have also provided our services throughout the APAC region and beyond. A primary operation/ presence of our own (or a formal arrangement with a suitable/likeminded company) is not out of the question for Asia within the next five years.�

Company: The Market Intelligence Co. Name: Angela Orsaris Email: angela.orsaris@market-intelligence.com.au Web Address: www.market-intelligence.com.au Address: Lakes Business Park, Level 1, 4A Lord Street, Botany NSW 2019 Australia Telephone: +61 2 8336 8000

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A Dedicated Follower of Fashion Perri Cutten, is an iconic fashion house that has been dressing stylish Australian women for over 35 years. The designs offer timeless appeal, incorporating classic styling, magnificent fabrics and superb cuts. Perri Cutten founded the company in 1981 and have become one of Australian’s most respected fashion designers and businesswomen. The collection is available in over 30 locations around Australia, from selected Myer and David Jones stores, stand-alone stores and online. Perri Cutten’s signature label exemplifies smart, styled and high quality fashion that continues to reflect the customers’ needs. The range has evolved to offer a modern classic look with an element of contemporary design enabling the company to attract new customers and reflect ‘on trend’ looks. The mission of the company is to always listen to the customer about their ever-changing needs but also to inspire them. To achieve the outcome, the company has a disciplined business approach and committed to presenting high quality garments offering good

value. As well as the quality of the garments, customer service is highly attuned to the needs of the customer and is one of the key attributes of the company. When starting a new Collection, customers’ needs form the foundation of the range, with trend interwoven throughout. One of the key factors differentiating Perri Cutten to other brands is that we source the best fabrics globally and are proud of the fact that 75% - 80% of our product is manufactured in Australia. The company has a small group of makers who have been working with the company for many years. Perri Cutten continues to be recognised with the Ethical Clothing award. Fashion in Australia is becoming increasingly difficult with the influx of International brands. Perri Cutten continues to focus on the company’s core values, and the customer who is 30 years or older. This continues to set us in a different age bracket, compared to the many other brands that are new to the Australian market. The other key point is the quality and the time the company takes to produce the product. We are not ‘fast fashion’, indeed each garment has taken more than two months to produce. The fit of the garment is the number one priority and that focus has continued to set us aside. With

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an ever-increasing Asian market and in particular the Chinese customer, the company has introduced smaller sizes to meet the needs to this growing market. In recent years, Perri Cutten has also been available online. This has been a positive platform for our customers to research product they are searching for, as well as a valuable tool for overseas and Australian customers in rural areas to make a purchase. Within the business, there is a unique culture. People are the priority and the creative team have been working together for up to 18 years. This has enabled a very strong and consistent level of understanding about what outcomes are expected. The office is left in an ‘open plan’ environment to ensure conversation and direct communication is never compromised. The creative team collate a simple and very effective manual of product information to the retail staff. As well as this we have set times throughout a fashion season, where workshops or conferences are held to continue to give the staff the tools they need to achieve a high level of customer service. Over the next five years, Perri Cutten will continue to build on the already strong base the

brand has, fine tuning areas of the collection to meet the ever-changing customer needs. We continue to raise the level of brand awareness and the images that are used in any advertising medium, but ensure what is portrayed is a true representation of the product available. The focus will be to continue to offer timeless, refined luxury, that is good quality, good fit, at reasonable prices. The online business is a growing area but we are still very much focused on maintaining and nurturing the customer service aspect of the business. The Perri Cutten website has given us a way to tell our story, not only in words but also visual. It is also an effective tool for Perri Cutten to sell product to customers who are not physically near a store location. The Perri Cutten brand was established to cater for the businesswomen who wanted well designed clothing, made with quality and to have consistency. We still keep this as our prime focus and recognise that our customers’ needs change. Time and time again, people comment on the company for the level of happiness and engagement of the people employed across the business. There is very much a ‘family’ feel about the business and a sense of humour is never too far away.


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A Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Company: Perri Cutten Australia Name: Penelope Loorham - Designer Email: penelope@perricutten.com.au Web Address: www.perricutten.com.au Telephone: +1 800 359 650

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Producing Outstanding Results ActiveOps is an international leader in work force optimization software solutions for enterprise-scale back office operations and shared service centres. Paul Moroney, the firm’s Chief Product Officer based in Adelaide, Australia, discusses how the firm is providing solutions that enable leaders to manage differently, lowering operational risk whilst producing outstanding results in this complex area. In diverse service industry back office operations and shared service centres the rate of change continues to increase. The rapid adoption of automation and robots are the latest in productivity improvements impacting positively on quality and speed of service. The challenge of having the optimal amount of capacity available, from people or robots, to meet variable customer demand in a reliable, manageable way has never been more complex. Since 2005, ActiveOps has been developing the Workware software suite and the Active Operations Management (AOM) methodology enabling operations managers to think differently about how to address these challenges. The origins of Workware and AOM began as organisations centralised fulfilment work, and sought technology and methods for managing operations consistently and efficiently. Management solutions have often been driven by lessons learned in manufacturing but this can only go so far. Service operations have their own, unique challenges and this requires senior leaders to think about managing differently

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Service Differences While the two environments have some similarities, the most significant differences are caused by the inherent variety in service transactions. Yes, work can be standardised and categorised but not to manufacturing precision. Each item of work contains differences caused by variations in product offerings, customer requirements, service level targets or even the length of someone’s name and address. A manufacturing production line can be set to a certain delivery rate. People, however, do not have a dial on their forehead and they deliver a more variable output rate. Manufacturing practices seek to eliminate variation, while service operations must work with variations and need real-time accurate information. Service Challenges There are many moving parts to consider, including competitive market forces, new products, legislation and seasonal trends. Add to that the introduction of Business Process Management (BPM), Workflow and Document / Process management technologies and more recently robotics. In addition continuous improvement initiatives such as

Lean and Six Sigma all aspire to improve customer experience, yet struggle at times to quantify and realise the benefits they bring. Therefore, there is a need for software to provide accurate and real-time workforce performance data essential to manage operations efficiently and effectively. If done well these activities promote staff satisfaction and engagement whilst reducing turnover rates and correlate directly to increased customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores. Increasing demands on costs is resulting in hot desking or homeworking. The work pattern is moving from a standard working week to be better aligned to when the work needs to be completed and ever shortening service standards. Work that was being delivered in 2 days is now being required in 2 hours!

requires processes to enable teams and team members to understand the part they play. Strong communication, the use of visual displays plus constructively used real-time performance data is vital. Development opportunities including the identification of time for effective cross training programs and the opportunity to use skills regularly. Secondly, quantify work and time. For work this means quantifying manual tasks with items recorded in both workflow and core systems. For time this means capturing all hours worked and classifying where they are used. Both are key to calculate key metrics such as productivity for individuals, teams and operations.

Service Solutions There are three key areas where the ActiveOps Workware suite and AOM methodology addresses these challenges to sustainably improve performance in back office operations.

Thirdly, the capability to optimise the balance between the work to be done to meet customer expectations, and the time available for this - while meeting training, projects, leave commitments and the like. The key is to provide the right data and a consistent process to enable operational priorities to be met.

The first is to help create an environment where teams collaborate to meet organisational objectives. This

When all three areas are executed well, operations managers can effectively plan and monitor the number of


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Producing Outstanding Results

engaged and skilled staff (and / or robots) required to meet customer demand efficiently. Simple yet challenging questions such as ‘how productive are we?’, ‘should we replace the three people that recently left?’ or ‘why are we working overtime in our team when the other teams are all leaving on time?’. Summary For optimal performance, the data and process to answer these questions at an organisational level need to be available to teams collaborating on a common understanding of operational priorities and customer needs. Organisations that continue to work the same way and get the same outcomes will be out performed by those that manage differently to create different outcomes.

Company: ActiveOps Limited Name: Paul Moroney Email: paul.moroney@activeops.com Web Address: www.activeops.com AsiaPac Address: 231 Kensington Road, Kensington, South Australia Telephone: +61 8 7070 0522

K APAC / March 2017 29


1702AP30

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Unique Approach to the Recruitment Industry Alice Clark of Oomf Australia talks to APAC Insider about the firm and its unique approach to the recruitment industry. Oomf is an Australian-based bespoke creative recruitment agency with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. “We are currently in our ninth year of operation with a team who work with a range of clients in the design, branding, advertising, digital and marketing sectors,” explains director Alice Clark. “We work across freelance, longer term contract and permanent opportunities, often tapping in to our international network of candidates for specialised and high demand skill sets.” The firm provides a consultative approach to understanding and solving its clients’ core problems. This involves an initial meeting with our clients to unlock crucial information such as their company history, vision, client base, size, structure, growth opportunities and location, physical environment and culture which is important when assessing long-term fit with potential employees.

“We view each new project, be it with a new client or candidate, as a partnership and opportunity to build the foundation of a successful relationship. With each new project we start with obtaining a comprehensive job brief and meeting with our client to discuss the opportunity in depth. “Likewise we spend face to face time with all of our candidates to thoroughly understand their journey to date and their ideal next role, mapping out the steps we believe they can take to get to where they want to be. We help them to put their best foot forward, offering guidance on their CV, folio and ways they can improve their personal brand and how they can create their own reality. “We form long term relationships with our two sets of customers, our candidates and clients, and pride ourselves on our personable and honest approach which sets us apart from the industry norm.”

Oomf’s mission is simply to connect great people. “We recognise talent, passion, energy and kindness which inspires us to work hard and create opportunities. We respect our two sets of customers equally,” states Alice. “We are super easy to work with and excel at providing our candidate and client’s with a highly personable, professional and exceptional customer experience. We also work in a highly collaborative environment where our consultants work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients and candidates. This is what ultimately sets us apart from our competitors.” The rise of digital and social media in Australia has seen the influx of new roles and a changing landscape. Alice goes a little more in-depth about the external influences which affect the industry within the APAC region. “UX/UI and digital natives are on the rise. We are also seeing a trend in many relocating or returning to Australia after a number of years abroad. A number of our clients are choosing to formally establish their presence in the Asian markets which demonstrates a strong economy and growth in the Asia Pacific market. “It’s amazing what you learn when you speak to people and we are in the business of meeting new people and speaking with people every day. These insights keep us informed as do our media partners and international counterparts.

30 APAC / March 2017

“As job titles and responsibilities vary globally, our consultants spend considerable time breaking down these boundaries when assessing international applicants.” The internal culture at Oomf is all-important when it comes to ensuring staff are well-equipped to provide the best possible service to its clients. “Oomf has a fun, positive, energetic and family friendly culture,” enthuses Alice. “We intrinsically care and strive to provide customer service excellence. Our collaborative ethos ensures that we are all on the same page and share this same vision.” This internal culture also plays a large part on Alice’s approach to hiring staff and attracting the best talent in the industry. “Oomf is a firm believer that a successful business is based on a positive and supportive culture that values and empowers their staff. This foundation has helped us attract like-minded people to our organisation. Whilst skills are important, genuine personality and customer centric fundamentals cannot be taught. This is what Oomf seeks when we hire staff internally and we are happy to look outside of the box when doing so.” The future is bright for Oomf and Alice states that they are all particularly excited. “We have just secured a bigger space and are finalising several new


g Unique Approach to the Recruitment Industry

additions to our Melbourne and Sydney teams,” she comments. “We are exploring several unique product streams and will be focusing on publishing content that will help both of our clients and candidates better understand the value of people, design and recruitment.”

Company: Oomf Recruitment Name: Alice Clark – Director Email: alice@oomf-recruit.com Web Address: www.oomf-recruit.com Address: 1 High Street Prahran VIC 3181 Telephone: +61 3 9533 8841

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1702AP33

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Virtually Speaking Andrea Goding of Express Virtual Meetings speaks in depth about the award-winning firm, its passion for improving corporate communication and what the future holds.

Andrea Goding, General Manager, talks in more depth about the services that the firm offers to clients, and its overall mission. “We help businesses improve the way they communicate and collaborate with teams of people, colleagues, clients and customers by removing the barrier of distance and offering smart and simple, time-saving ways to connect and work together. When our customers use our conferencing services to meet over the phone or online they improve their productivity and significantly reduce their meeting-related travel expenses.

itself from the competition, as Andrea explains further. “Unlike large telco providers, our customers are extremely important to us and our agility allows us to offer a bespoke range of products and services that can be specifically tailored to the needs of the customer which means they receive the best possible outcome. “Our holistic, collaborative approach ensures every aspect of our customer’s journey is easy and seamless, from setting up a conferencing account, using our services, enjoying on-demand, 24/7 Australia-based phone support right through to paying their account.

“Our mission is to simplify and improve the way people in business connect and collaborate with each other no matter their location. Our aim is to show them how they can reduce their operational expenditure in both time and money and also provide a way they can improve productivity and increase operational efficiencies.”

“We take the time to make the life of our customers easier and we allay their fears or concerns if they are using conferencing for the first-time. We can change tact quickly for any of our customers. We offer on-demand, Australiabased phone support 24/7 and a range of flexible products and services that can be tailored to the specific needs of the customer. Whether they are running a small, in-house team meeting, a full schedule of print or broadcast media interviews around the world or a large-scale event call for company shareholders and investors with a coordinated question and answer session, we can accommodate any request and help our customers as much or as little as needed. If a customer requests something we don’t have, we build it for them.”

Express Virtual Meetings owns and manages its own state-of-the-art, high capacity conferencing bridge infrastructure which means that quality and reliability of its technology is never compromised. This allows the firm to clearly differentiate

Thanks to the increase in the acceptance of flexible working hours, working remotely and the exponential rise in the adoption of mobile devices (smartphone subscriptions) for business communication - with Asia Pacific leading the way - demand for

32 APAC / March 2017

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is set to experience substantial growth within the Asia-Pacific region in the next few years. In order to stay ahead of the game with regards to emerging trends in the industry, Andrea has a tried and tested strategy. “We monitor, listen and subscribe to leading industryrelated content and business conversations globally and listen daily to our front-line staff who share invaluable insight into the needs and frustrations of customers and prospects and their barriers to success. We share and work with that information within our own dynamic, fast-paced environment on a regular basis allowing us to anticipate shifts in the way people consume products and services that help them communicate and work together.” The firm recognises internal talent by actively encouraging innovation and rewarding its people accordingly. “Our internal culture is one of collaboration, continuous improvement and learning,” explains Andrea. “We celebrate success and avidly promote a healthy work-life balance. We

ensure that our team is happy and equipped for success by providing training and skills refreshers on a regular basis, opportunities to extend themselves and lead by example. We work hard to maintain a working environment with clear and visible leadership, a focus on efficiency, innovation and continuous improvement. Opportunities for growth, career development and continuous learning, collaborative working and sharing good practice and taking pride in the delivery of an exceptional customer experience are some of the ways we try to provide the best possible service to our customers.” With regards to the future, Andrea foretells the rise in demand for Unified Comms technology as businesses both large and small realise the potential benefits of packaging and streamlining the way they communicate and collaborate to increase operational efficiencies. “We currently offer simple, easy to use audio, web and mobile conferencing solutions. Our technological capability and agility however, allows us to adapt our offering to align and grow with the needs of our customers (whatever their budget) to improve the way they communicate and work together.”

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Express Virtual Meetings is an awardwinning Australianowned and operated conferencing provider, offering a wide range of reliable and flexible audio, web, mobile and operator-assisted conferencing options to businesses in Australia and New Zealand and the wider Asia Pacific region. The firm has been servicing small to medium businesses and large-scale enterprises for more than 15 years.

Company: Express Virtual Meetings Name: Andrea Goding, General Manager Email: sales@expressvirtualmeetings.com.au Web Address: www.expressvirtualmeetings.com.au Address: 10 Mt Eliza Way, Mount Eliza, VIC 3930 Australia Telephone: + 61 1800 704 782


Our mission is to deliver Australia’s finest transactional real estate experience.

MELBOURNE

www.caine.com.au


1702AP36

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Water Is Our Business Francois Gouws of TRILITY tells us more about the water market in the APAC region and what the future holds for the company. TRILITY is an established industry leader, solely dedicated in the delivery of water, wastewater, reuse and biosolids solutions across Australia and New Zealand’s municipal and industrial sectors. This leadership draws on more than 20 years’ experience of providing high-quality solutions for our public and private sector clients including financing, design and construction, operations and maintenance, asset management, disinfection and utility services. The company has a growing footprint across Australia and New Zealand and our capabilities span the full life cycle of water infrastructure, delivering services to millions every day. TRILITY’s mission is ‘leading the way in water utility solutions’, and Gouws of TRILITY tells us more about how the Company achieves this objective.

ensure we contribute to the overall advancement of the water industry. Our participation includes major national bodies such as the Australian Water Association, Water Services Association of Australia and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia as well as numerous state-based associations and organisations.”

the most appropriate bespoke solutions for any given challenge that its clients face. This includes both technical and commercial aspects of a solution. Coupled with this focus on appropriate solutions is the collaborative culture that TRILITY brings to its client relationships, manifested through transparency, integrity and flexibility.

In the lead up to a new project, the TRILITY team spends significant time understanding the client’s strategic context and the underlying drivers for the project. This includes analysing competing priorities for the potential client and understanding the priority of issues to be resolved.

Where staff are concerned, TRILITY’s internal culture is based on continued service delivery to its clients. Having a simple mission relating to leadership in water utility solutions provides clarity and allows the development of a strong culture.

“Our offerings are as tailored as possible to suit the client’s needs,” explains Gouws. “We customise technical solutions, commercial structures, and delivery partners in an attempt to achieve mutual success with our clients’ on every project.”

“We focus on providing appropriate solutions to the wide range of challenges which our clients are faced with,” Gouws begins. “Our technical teams strive to keep abreast of innovation and new technologies, and our commercial teams examine a range of approaches to ensure solutions are delivered as cost effectively as possible over the long term.”

“Given that most of our projects are long term, collaborative contracts, we also place significant emphasis on values and culture alignment with those of our clients’. At the commencement of a new project, our team places significant effort on relationship development and builds this into a robust project planning process.”

“TRILITY also focuses on active participation in a range of industry associations to

The Company’s differentiator with regards to the competition focuses on its ability to develop

34 APAC / March 2017

“Our core values relate to integrity, being progressive and showing commitment in what we do,” Gouws embellishes. “Our culture is focussed on safety, sustainability of our operations and integration within the local communities where we operate.” “A unique challenge in maintaining a strong culture is the geographic spread of our business and the bulk of our staff being located in small, geographically isolated teams rather than in an office. To overcome this challenge, we focus on a flat hierarchy, regular and open communication and positive interactions between the teams in our business. In spite of the geographic spread we do manage to maintain the feeling of a relatively small, flexible and friendly business.”

TRILITY is committed to improving the communities it serves, and as a supplier of essential services, the company understands the impact its facilities have on the communities where it operates. This, in turn, means it is also focused on ensuring that employees adhere to the corporate values and commit to exemplary performance across all aspects of TRILITY’s footprint in the community. “This runs across everything we do, from protecting the environment to supporting community organisations. This means we are constantly seeking to recruit the best employees - those who can deliver results today and work towards an improved result tomorrow.” “Cultural and values alignment is important in our recruitment decision making. We use behavioural based techniques to assess potential staff as well as considering skills and experience requirements.” “TRILITY employees work together in an environment where each is treated equitably, with fairness and respect. We are committed to developing employees who can excel in current and future roles. We ensure that appropriate career opportunities are available for talented employees seeking new challenges. As such, we place priority on promoting from within as part of a broader objective of developing a high performance


g Water Is Our Business

Company: TRILITY Name: Francois Gouws Email: FGouws@TRILITY.com.au Web Address: trility.com.au Address: Level 10, 115 Grenfell Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Telephone: +61 8 8408 6500

K APAC / March 2017 35


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business that recognises talent and rewards excellent.” “An important focus for TRILITY is that internal staff are first offered the opportunity to progress into a new role before seeking external recruitment. This can mean a change of skills or perhaps a move to a different geographic region, but our staff do appreciate the opportunity to express interest in either current vacancies or potential new roles created in new projects.” A brief overview of the Australian water market notes that water service delivery (and hence TRILITY’s customer base) varies significantly across Australia and New Zealand. In general: • In Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, state-owned companies are responsible for water supply and distribution on an almost state or territory wide basis; • In Victoria, New South Wales, South East Queensland and Auckland there are separate municipal retail service providers that cover the major municipal centres and regional Victoria and; • Local governments provide water services in most parts of Queensland, New South Wales and much of New Zealand. • State and Local Government owned entities are generally responsible for the ultimate delivery of water, but private sector operators are increasingly involved, working in partnership with government owned utilities. • There is significant outsourcing of capital project delivery and maintenance services to the private sector; • Discrete water and wastewater treatment assets and associated services are increasingly provided by private sector operators (e.g. water treatment, wastewater treatment, desalination, filtration and recycling) and; • The growth in outsourcing is expected to continue as governments seek to improve

36 APAC / March 2017

operating efficiency and control the overall cost of service to customers. While there are a number of key issues a recent Deloitte/ Australian Water Association State of the Water Sector Survey identified five of the most significant for the sector: • The price of water and water regulation; • Water sector professionals’ perceptions of customers’ beliefs; • Sources of water; • Digital technology and; • Asset management and operational efficiency through asset management, process improvement and works management and systems improvement. Gouws states: “The industry we work in is very fragmented across different geographies in Australia and New Zealand. This creates a range of unique challenges requiring a specific approach in each geographical location, including: staff spread over significant geographic distances and small teams working in physical isolation; significantly varied climatic conditions and hence safety hazards and technical challenges; and unique regulatory environment and client corporate structures.” TRILITY’s core business has been focussed on developing long term relationships with utility clients, predominantly focussed on the provision of water and wastewater treatment solutions. This has included financing, constructing and operating and maintaining as well as providing bespoke equipment solutions. This provides the Company with an excellent core business with long term contracts and a significant geographic footprint. Gouws tells us more about the Company’s future. “A focus area for us at the moment is how we can use this base to add a “fifth service offering” to provide additional services, predominantly to existing clients. There are a

number of areas we see potential for this offering, based on growth in our clients’ businesses.” “Our clients continue to adapt to meet their end customer needs and expectations and of late this includes a significant focus on embracing new digital technologies. These technologies are helping our clients meet their customer needs.” “At TRILITY we are placing an emphasis on understanding current digital technology trends and how they impact on our core business (for example in improving treatment plant performance) and also how they will offer new business opportunities for us in the areas above or other emerging areas.” The success of the business has in large part been due to its continued focus on providing water and wastewater solutions. It has avoided the temptation to spread its focus too widely and has instead remained dedicated to the water sector. “We see that this will still be the absolute core of our business in five years’ time as helping our clients to provide this essential service provides a very strong cultural and values base for our business. The water sector will continue to grow with population and economic development but will need to increase its resilience to cope with important factors such as climate change and other disruptive factors, so we see a range of new opportunities for our business.” “Whilst continuing a core focus on the water sector we envisage working in new geographies and providing different service offerings within the sector.” “TRILITY’s shareholders will change during the next year and this is something that the management team and staff have embraced to ensure the same level of service continues to be delivered to our customers and the communities we serve.”


g Water Is Our Business

Swan Reach Water Treatment Plant - part of the Riverland Water Project in SA

APAC / March 2017 37


1702AP38

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Human-Centric World John Burton is CEO of Nintex. He talks to APAC Insider about the firm, the industry and what the future has in store. Nintex, with its industry-leading workflow and content automation (WCA) technology, empowers professionals across business and IT departments to quickly turn inefficient manual processes into automated wellrun engines. Nintex Workflow Cloud™ is the company’s next-gen workflow and content automation platform that empowers anyone to easily build powerful “process apps” that bring human-centric workflow automation and process intelligence to all of the structured and unstructured content across a business. The firm currently has more than 7,000 customers, 1,700 partners, 400 employees and two million+ workflows that execute billions of time per year have been automated by Nintex customers. CEO John Burton tells us in more depth about the firm and the steps it takes to ensure that clients receive the best possible outcome every single time. “Nintex Workflow Cloud enhances/expands our architecture and enables workflow automation on any platform, across clouds,” begins John. “Nintex Workflow Cloud delivers on Workflow and Content Automation, the combined synergy of workflow automation and document generation with powerful analytics. “With external triggers, we are a hub integrating multiple cloud services, applications, task capabilities, customers, and partners. Like everything else we deliver at Nintex, our solutions are easy.” Nintex Workflow Cloud is based on three pillars: • Easy: hit the ground running fast with a cloud-based

38 APAC / March 2017

solution that removes upfront setup and costs Human-centric: empower people closet to lines of business automate the processes that are your business Intelligent: Gain insight and intelligence over evolving workflow challenges and opportunities

“Nintex products come to life by a global network of highly trained and motivated partners (third-party SIs, VARs, and managed services firms) who share our passion for solving real business challenges and are critical to our success and the success of our customers,” John continuess. “They have deep expertise in Nintex together with leading technology solutions like SharePoint, Office 365, Power BI, Azure, Salesforce, SAP, and more. This combination of tech and know-how means that companies get a ‘game-changing’ result. “Organizations that automate workflows are more efficient, more effective and more engaged with customers because they’re not bogged down by manual, paper-based processes. Enterprises use Nintex to save time, boost productivity, and decrease costs.” Nintex’s mission is simple - to improve how people work, and John elaborates on how this is achieved. “We believe in the power of people—individually and together. We believe getting work done means connecting a person to the systems, data, apps and services he or she uses. But more importantly, it’s about connecting people to each other. That’s why we believe workflow is for everyone. “We’re growing rapidly. We’re a leader in our category, Workflow and Content Automation (WCA).

We’re an employer of choice. And while all of this is fantastic, we exist to improve the way people work. It’s the core of our culture, the reason Nintex is growing. It defines everything we do.” For a company such as Nintex, differentiation from the competition is easy. John tells us what marks the company out as the best option for clients. “Nintex is improving the way people work. By giving our customers and partners the capabilities to easily and rapidly automate processes that could never be automated before. And importantly, to us, ease of use and powerful capabilities are inseparable whereas the common view is that they’re mutually exclusive. Today, our customers have automated more than two million workflows that execute billions of time per year.” At the outset of the Nintex journey as a small firm based in Australia, its mission was very much the same, making information workers more productive by automating the processes they use in their work. “At that time, the content in those processes was becoming more accessible through advances in the internet, intranets and enterprise content management systems, notably SharePoint. This began the rise of broad automation of collaborative, unstructured processes, with help from, but not dependence on IT. “In an extraordinary few years, the velocity of business has been unprecedented through interconnectivity, adoption of SaaS systems, social media, transition to the cloud, and most importantly, far greater intimacy with clients and constituents. “With all these advances comes opportunity and challenge. How do we compete, transform, stay

relevant when it seems that our IT resources are more stressed than ever? “Our perspective is that today’s enterprise must evolve or risk becoming obsolete. The race to digital starts by enterprises first automating their people centric processes by connecting them to any content without limits. That’s what Nintex is all about; delivering the platform for great agility and automation of work, not just data. We’ve been developing all our capabilities with this goal in mind.” There have been many challenges along the way for Nintex in its mission to become a success in the APAC region. John tells us more about the obstacles the firm has faced and how it has sought to overcome them. “We recognize that the APAC region has multiple languages so international language support has been a key component during Nintex product development. We also recognize that the IT landscape offers an incredible breadth of solutions to improve business processes. Nintex’s product team approaches this competitive marketplace with a primary goal – maximizing benefits to the customer, which in many instances takes the form of a collaborative approach to the development of technology solutions. “Nintex leverages the powerful foundation of widely-used platforms like SharePoint, Office365 and Salesforce, among others, to deliver complementary workflow, forms, and mobile app solutions that allow customers to get the most benefits and realize the greatest business efficiencies inside and outside their organizations. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid rate, the ability to leverage capabilities from leading platforms like Azure, Amazon Web Services, and other cloud services is also a key part


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Human-Centric World

Nintex’s approach to product development. Nintex has a proven track record of identifying dominant, growth-oriented applications that are becoming central pieces of their customer’s workday. “The value of Nintex’s platform to customers is evidenced in the company’s strong, sustainable growth in terms of both sales and customers.” The internal culture at the firm is that of hard work, but also fun. “One of our core values is that we’re “committed to the enduring success of our partners and customers.” It means that we need to provide a world-class workflow platform that delivers increasing value over a lifetime of use. “With regards to recruitment, we’re always looking for great talent and have a corporate culture that celebrates individual contributions and team collaboration. We believe every Nintex customer has a better day, a more productive day because of what we do. We make their jobs easier. We make their lives easier. It’s inspiring work, and we’re always looking to add inspired thinkers to our team.” Thinking of the future, John tells us a few key developments for Nintex to ensure its continued success. “Nintex is and will continue to be the workflow and content automation platform that enhances the value of and connects existing systems, content and the people who use them. “The firm keeps critical tenets in mind in all our activities. It’s easy to build powerful software; it’s hard to make powerful software easy. Our success is dependent on the successes of our ecosystem; customers, solution partners and industry partners working together. “Our platform must enable our customers for the future while encompassing and evolving existing investments to the future. Each new Nintex innovation builds on those of the past and enhances prior capabilities.

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“We must integrate the enterprise across its people, processes and content. To do so, we must empower the Line of Business and its relationship with IT.”

Company: Nintex Name: CEO John Burton and APAC Sales VP Brian Walshe Web Address: www.Nintex.com

APAC / March 2017 39


1702AP28

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Elephants and Teams The low rays of the sun pry through the bamboo slats and a green tinge fills my bungalow. Elephants trumpet and the rooster adds to my morning get-up routine. At home, I would pull the sheets over my head, rue last night’s foolish decisions and plead for an hour more before my day starts. Here, I am happily drawn from my bed by the smell of an exotic breakfast drifting up from the kitchen beside the vegetable garden.

Volunteers (ROV). They work in third world countries building classrooms, creches, homes, sanitation blocks, water tanks, greenhouses, vegetable garden etc. Their motto is aspirational but grounded, “You can change the world, one village at a time” and their list of achievements are nothing short of staggering.

Hours from Siem Reap, I am on a self-sustaining sanctuary for elephants rescued from the illegal logging trade. And yes, believe it or not, I am here on a leadership program.

How do they do it? Here, where transport, communication and material supply lines are all unreliable. Add a dash of local corruption, a cup or two of bad roads and unreliable transport and more than a smidge of monsoon weather. You’re probably still asking, how do they do it?

I have ‘stretch’ targets for an upcoming product launch that make my eyes water. I am the ringmaster on a rodeo team from marketing, sales, finance and product charged with developing a roll-out plan that hits those targets. My role is to get this diverse group of large fish from small ponds to swim as a school and not behave like piranhas. So what am I doing here on an elephant sanctuary in the middle of the Cambodian jungle, you not unreasonably ask. I am taking my team on a leadership program with Reach Out

Tom Jowett, the founder of ROV, tells me the key to success is leadership and team-work. I worked with ROV to develop a seven-day program that combines community development with wildlife conservation that will build on the traits that I need the team to have; • Positive leadership; • Open communication; • Work ethic; • A sense of unity and; • A strong culture.

Can I get that in seven days? And, please, please can it really be done without whiteboards, PowerPoint and paper handouts? The leadership program starts off at a crisp pace. A quick and bracing bucket shower in the still cool morning air followed by eggs, coffee and a discussion of the day ahead with Rachel the ROV Team Leader. She has led teams in the high altitude of the Andes, on diving programs in the Gulf of Cambodia, at village schools in Mozambique and on game parks in Africa. She knows about teamwork and leadership. “Real life leadership is totally different to whiteboard leadership”, she explains. “At every morning orientation one member from this group is nominated as the leader for that day. You and I will work from group to group encouraging and showing leadership. Each evening I will debrief that day’s leader.” In a few hours, it will be over 30 degrees and the humidity “sticky”. My “soon to be” team of nine will be on site, full of enthusiasm, with soft hands and no building skills. By Friday afternoon they need to have completed the construction of a house. Reckon we can do it? Mission statement “Great teams have a purpose, something bigger that they aspire to. All soccer teams want to win but the great teams have a purpose. Maybe it’s playing a beautiful game that outwits their opponents. Our team must have a purpose beyond simply constructing a building,” she explains.

40 APAC / March 2017

As my team stumbles out after breakfast I am struck by how unlike a construction crew they look. In extreme heat and humidity in unfamiliar surrounding using skills that few of them possess, they need to become a tight knit and focused team if they are to have any hope of delivering on the goal. Soon after we were off to the building site where a Cambodian family of four nervously await us. The father and mother look young and stressed but they are very welcoming. The children are beautiful, happy and ready to engage at the slightest provocation. Their home was destroyed in a recent storm. Rachel points to the ground underneath a nearby flimsy bamboo bungalow. A few clothes hang from the floorboards. Kindly neighbours allowed the now homeless family to live underneath their house. “If we work hard and we pull together they will have a home. That’s why you came here. If we fall apart and we lose focus they won’t get that home.” No need for a white board presentation or a sign in the foyer, our purpose was just set out with razor sharp clarity. And so, work begins. Logistics Damdin is ROV’s man on the ground. He is simply irrepressible, happy, optimistic and equipped with a smile precisely one mile wide. Earlier he had checked off everything on the site but the tin for the roof was missing. Damdin was onto his phone and sorting out the details.


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Elephants and Teams

Company: Reach Out Volunteers Name: Tom Jowett Email: tjowett@rovolunteers.com Web Address: www.rovolunteers.com Address: 2954 North Campbell, #341, Tucson, Arizona, 85719 Telephone: +1 213 784-1149

K APAC / March 2017 41


,

“Truck has broken down. It will arrive Wednesday. All good,” he explains. We don’t put the roof on until Wednesday morning so we have some flexibility.

“She may not be much use here”, I insisted.

Strategy Every hour we rotate the tasks so no one gets bored. The group in the hot sun moves to a shaded area where the thatch walls are being made. We work hard and there is fun and laughter. A radio appears and soon we are singing and loving the joy of this moment.

“But I have to move her off the project team before I get back”, I blurted out.

I move from group to group working as hard as I can. Apart from a mean talent for Karaoke it is apparent to everyone that I also lack any useful manual skills. But I can encourage and assist and I keep at it until I stumble on Emily from HR who is clearly struggling. Sitting on her own sanding a wooden beam she complained; “They should have told me it was going to be this hot. I would never have come here”. Not quite sure how to deal with it I sit with her sanding the beam. Soon we are chatting and I learn that she suffers from mild anxiety triggered by large groups and unusual situations. HR works for her as so much of the work is one on one or facing a screen. I ask myself the obvious question, “do I really need this issue in my roll-out team?” No point worrying now, I will deal with it later. Human resources The entire family works with us and they are so lovely. I am reminded of something I always forget; people who have the best of everything are not as happy as people who make the best of everything. I have to try to remember that when I get home! By knock-off time we are hot, sweaty and very satisfied with the cleared site. It is uplifting in a way that I cannot describe to you. Later that night during debrief with Rachel I mention my concerns about Emily.

42 APAC / March 2017

“You don’t always get the team you want” Rachel countered.

“Maybe so, but it won’t hurt you to work on getting the best from people regardless of where they start from”, with a common sense that annoyed my rising panic. “We are where we are”, Rachel replied, somewhat enigmatically. “She just needs some leadership. Who are the others that are close to her?” Soon we were sitting on a bamboo floor talking to the three work partners of our anxious volunteer. Rachel reminded them why we were all there and how important it was that everyone pulled together if we were to deliver. She gained their commitment to work closely with our anxious colleague to help her focus on the task we had all come together for. Leadership By Wednesday morning we were halfway there, tired, sore with cuts and bruises and some flagging spirits. Work rotation meant that people developed a diverse set of skills. A few were really proud thatch makers while others had become great at the two-man saw. Three days ago, who would have thought? By late morning the tin had still not arrived. Rachel had rescheduled other activities to keep us progressing but Damdin’s smile was not quite so bright. By lunchtime the sun was beating down and everyone was slumped in the shade. Damdin explained that the truck was unlikely to arrive before three o’clock. “Let’s head down to the dam and have a swim,” came the call from the sales rep at the back of the group.

“Yeah, let’s do that. We can finish the roof tomorrow when the tin is here”, chorused marketing. The dam sounded so inviting. I have laughed, danced and played games with this group for three days now and I am really fond of them. A few hours splashing in the cool water sounds like heaven to me. “If you do the roof tomorrow you will not finish this home. You will leave here with an unfinished project” cautioned Rachel. An unease settled on the building site. Like a herd of thirsty horses that had sniffed water, they were ready to break for the dam. From the side, and tentatively at first, I heard, “I don’t want to go home leaving a half-finished house”. It was Emily from HR sitting with friends. “That’s not why we came here. We won’t get a chance to come back and finish it.” The spell of the moment was broken. I felt a tinge of shame. The urge for the dam subsided. We stayed in the shade until 3.00 o’clock and waited for the tin. Results I won’t ever forget that Friday afternoon. The parents had purchased small coloured scarfs for each of us. We crowded into the little house we had built and sat on the bare floor. Each of us were gifted a scarf from the family. I am not easily moved to tears but I cried. Who wouldn’t? Monday at 8.00am we sit in an air-conditioned office ready for Day One of the project. With smiling faces, positive attitudes and Emily with her scarf in front of her. We have a belief that we will knock those stretch targets to the boundary. There is a power in teams that really can change the world. You just need some leadership.

“Reach Out Volunteers, changing the world one village at a time.” If you need to build a great team quickly and want to enhance your corporate responsibility outlook get in contact with us.


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Elephants and Teams

APAC / March 2017 43


1701AP13

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Delivering Excellence is Key K Raheja Corp offers exquisite residences to adaptive workplaces, skilfully created hotels, and convention centres to exceptional retail destinations. They also deliver aspirational spaces with distinct characteristics and attributes, making each of its offerings inimitable. We learn from Shabbir H. Kanchwala, Senior VP about how the firm operates in the industry. K Raheja Corp has been around for six decades and stands today as one of India’s leading real estate developers. The business is diversified across realty, hospitality, retail and retail development. The company has pioneered the concept of selfcontained residential townships and commercial business districts in the country. The firm is India’s leading developer having the largest green building footprint on PAN India basis. As a responsible developer, K. Raheja Corp understands the importance of client & customer satisfaction by delivering world class buildings either a commercial office space, residence, hospitality or retail space. Hence, the vision of K. Raheja Corp. is to deliver world class buildings to its clients keeping in mind that it should be sustainable & environmentfriendly. Hence, the company has decided & is committed to have their projects as LEED certified Green buildings projects which K. Raheja Corp. is doing voluntarily & makes value addition to clients. K Raheja Corp has a reputation for commitment to quality, sustainability, and determination to continue to deliver to client’s top-notch spaces, which are possible only with the best quality

44 APAC / March 2017

materials. With an experience of over six decades, the company’s diverse extensions, focusing on successful formats and commercial business sets them apart from the others in the industry. K Raheja Corp is also the first Corporate in the realty sector who started branding their verticals because they believed the products needed to speak for themselves. Hence all their commercial properties are branded, Mindspace and Commerzone. Shabbir H. Kanchwala, Senior Vice president give us a brief summary of how the industry is operating at the moment. “The growing need for developing multiple projects across cities has led the real estate developers to invest in centralized processes to the source material and organize workforce and hiring experts in different areas. Keeping in mind the aspect of globalization and the well-informed customers, the developers have accepted the current challenges and are striving towards overcoming them. Better transparency, getting rid of fly by night operators, delay in approval processes and meeting due diligence standards are some of the challenges faced by the sector. “At K Raheja Corp, the prime focus is functionality. Strong emphasis is given to aesthetic

appeal and environmental sustainability. Cost customized solutions and keeping the integrity of the brand name are of great importance as they directly impact the final product and sales.” Staff at the firm play an important role with K Raheja Corp hiring talented and diverse individuals. Shabbir explains more about their approach to hiring staff. “Thorough product knowledge, an aptitude for understanding the market and what the company has to offer to a potential customer is something every employee at K Raheja is well aware and trained for. Delivering excellence is key, and for this, K Raheja provides employees with various performance management tools including Annual Performance Evaluation and Mid-year reviews which help them assess their work. “Hiring the right person, with a positive service mind-set is a hire for value. Being in a very competitive arena, it’s an everyday challenge to find the best candidate for a potential or current vacancy. Sharing the company culture with the potential to grow as an employee is something we share with the candidate. We look for ambitious and craven employees who seek to improve and learn every aspect of the industry with keenness.”

Heading into the future, K Raheja Corp are optimistic and have welcomed 2017 with high expectations. Shabbir explains the firm’s future plans and what developments he foresees in the industry in the near future. “The year 2016 has laid a solid foundation, results of which we hope to see fructify in the year 2017. There are some significant landmark policies that we may see coming into force that will change the dynamics of the realty sector going forward. Sustainability and the construction of environment-friendly projects are fundamentals of K. Raheja Corp. and these will continue in future projects. “We hope that the issues of the much-needed reality reforms namely, ease of doing business and recognition as an industry gathers momentum. The GST, IT Policy, and RERA will congregate to change the way the industry functions leading to more transparency and regulation. This will also result in a better inflow of FDI’s and better prospects for the industry. With sufficient support from the government, the reality market is expected to see good times ahead.”


g Delivering Excellence is Key

Company: K. Raheja Corp. Name: Shabbir H. Kanchwala Email: skanchwala@kraheja.com Web Address: www.krahejacorp.com Address: Raheja Tower, Level 5th, Plot No C-30, ‘G’ Block, Near Bank of Baroda, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai – 400 051 Telephone: +91-22-26564000

K APAC / March 2017 45


1701AP18

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Have Mercy! Kate Bravery is Partner and Global Solutions Leader at Mercer. She talks to us about the firm, it’s strategy and what it hopes to achieve in the coming 12 months.

“Companies the world over are looking to create a sustainable competitive advantage in a rapidly changing world. And in a world where access to markets, captive asset base and technology are quickly becoming hygiene factors, human capital will emerge as the only form of differentiation or strategic advantage. We anticipate that in the era of the individual, the need for organizations to have transparency in their career paths and pay arrangements along with increased flexibility will be critical to their value proposition. Re-designing organizations to be agile and responsive, redesigning talent strategies to match people to jobs and move jobs to people will also increase as talent makes choices on their future, especially in growth economies. Our work in enhancing the health, wealth and careers of this most vital asset will therefore continue to make a difference in the digital future,’’ Kate Bravery says. The firm recently restructured to ensure that every local office is empowered to make decisions that are right for their clients. Mercer has made a concerted effort to build innovation and decision making locally. “This is very exciting for us,” enthuses Kate. “Local consulting is backed up by an international team of

46 APAC / March 2017

experts and we have invested in technology to allow the best thought leadership, consulting tools and collaborators to be in easy reach of any consultant. Our dynamic approach to staffing coupled with real-time access to the entire repository of our intellectual capital has empowered our consultants to deliver best-in-class solutions to our clients regardless of which part of the world they may be based in.” In line with its culture of innovation, Mercer has been quick to bring in the latest technologies to empower its consultants and enhance the customer experience for clients. The firm has made significant investments in automation and upskilling of our own talent. “We have even set-up innovation hubs around the world to undertake development of new innovative technologyenabled solutions using Design Thinking and Rapid Prototyping frameworks. We couple this with being on the pulse of emerging trends and how clients from around the globe are solving this. Mercer Talent Trends has been a resource for consultants and clients alike. We partner with the World Economic Forum among others, to develop global research such as the ‘Future of Jobs’ and what employers and employees need to be doing to prepare for the demands of the future economy. We have a new study coming out on developing a Thriving workforce and this shows real differences in the wants and needs in AsiaPac.”

A strong and dedicated workforce is key in ensuring Mercer’s success, and Kate explains that the rich multitude of perspectives that the firm’s 21,000 colleagues bring to the table is the driving force to differentiating from the competition. “Our culture to investing in developing our people by way of focusing on current and future issues of our clients, and giving our consultants real-time access to the best tools, intellectual capital and technology, allows them to bring the best of Mercer to help our clients. Our teams on the ground are an optimum mix of deep subject-matter experts and consultants with rich local business and functional experience. This enables us to have a dynamic staffing model to best suit the changing needs of our clients across the region.” Mercer makes a difference in the lives of more than 110 million people every day by advancing their health, wealth and careers. The firm is in the business of creating more secure and rewarding futures for clients and their employees — whether it’s designing affordable health

plans, assuring income for retirement or aligning workers with workforce needs. “Using analysis and insights as catalysts for change, we anticipate and understand the individual impact of business decisions, now and in the future. We see people’s current and future needs through a lens of innovation, and our holistic view, specialised expertise, and deep analytical rigor underpin each and every idea and solution we offer. Mercer is uniquely qualified to help organisations design and execute sophisticated workforce strategies, whether it’s for a multinational organisation or a local company attempting to grow within its market. We provide rigorous analytics, and data-driven insights that help organisations make fact-based decisions.” “Mercer’s predictions for the workforce trends influencing the world at work will be out in March 2017 and a new solution set to support building a Thriving workforce will be here May 2017. Watch this space!”

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At Mercer, our motto is Make Tomorrow, Today. In today’s rapidly-changing world, this purpose has never been more important than it is today.

Company: MERCER Name: Kate Bravery Email: Kate.bravery@mercer.com Web Address: www.mercer.com Address: 26f, Central Plaza, Harbour Road, Wan Chai, HK Telephone: +852 98 607 003


1702AP21

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Strong Relationships Norman Draper of PKF Australia gives us an in-depth insight into the firm and how it is faring in the APAC region.

PKFA comprises twelve offices located in every major business market across Australia. It is ranked number nine by size and has more than 700 team members. Norman elaborates on the firm’s areas of specialism and its clientele. “We provide Domestic and International Tax, Audit and Assurance, Corporate Advisory, Wealth Management, Corporate Restructure, Bookkeeping, Outsourcing and Forensic services. “Our clients are predominantly in the Private Sector, High Net Worth families, Not for Profits and Listed Companies.” The firm’s aim is to be the best relationship based Accounting Firm in Australia. Norman states that this will be achieved through its commitment to its values of passion, teamwork, clarity, quality and integrity.

“We are a network that prides itself on establishing strong relationships with our clients. At the commencement of any opportunity we ensure that we understand the client’s needs and then match these with the most appropriate team member that will be able to achieve the outcome. We ensure there is an opportunity to gauge one another’s integrity and compatibility.” PKFA ensures it differentiates itself from the competition with a network built on organic growth of independent firms with a common ethic to develop longterm personal relationships with its clients. “We have managed to retain extensive accessibility by our clients to Partner,” explains Norman. “We have also achieved strong staff retention rates which provide the consistency of relationships and this allows the development of a deep knowledge of our client’s commercial and personal circumstances. This builds trust which is manifested in lifelong relationships”. Norman gives a brief overview of his industry in the APAC region and the challenges it faces. “The evolution of technology has had a profound effect on the industry. With the sophisticated data analysis tools now available we are able to access and interpret information on a grand scale. “These changes have provided a wonderful opportunity for us to provide value added services. The challenge is to meet the ever increasing requirements of our clients as they expand their businesses both nationally and globally.

“We have met this challenge by investing in technology and by becoming involved across the global markets through our extensive international network. “We are extremely fortunate that our network is located in 120 Countries and is represented in every key economic centre in the world. “This means that through collaboration with our international colleagues we are constantly providing and being provided with trends throughout the global market which are then able to be implemented through our Global Intranet training. “In Asia we have established Specialised Groups and a Strategy Committee which meets regularly to discuss emerging developments across Asia.” With regards to the future, both for PKFA and the sector it operates within, Norman has high hopes for continued growth. “PKF has recently appointed an Asian Regional Director who has the important role of providing connectivity with the Asian Market and our 20 plus offices located in the ASPAC region. “This is seen as an important emphasis for our Australian

Network in order to both attract new relationships and to support our clients in the region. “There is no doubt that in order to meet clients’ needs in the future we must continue to invest in technology and to develop specialist expertise. “We must also ensure that we continue to communicate with our clients by offering them relevant value-added opportunities. “Our clients require global reach and solutions and this will only be effectively delivered if there are safe hands to look after them throughout the world. “We are therefore well aware of our commitment to the Asian Market and will continue to invest in the region.” “I think that despite the vast changes that have occurred in the past decade and will continue to evolve, the one attribute that must remain paramount is the maintaining of strong personal relationships between adviser, contacts and clients. “Without that old fashioned element of integrity and reliability we cannot earn the ultimate position of Trusted Adviser.”

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PKF Australia is a full service Professional Services Accountancy Practice which specialises in servicing the middle market.

Company: PKF Australia Name: Norman Draper Position: CEO, PKF Australia Email: ndraper@pkf.com.au Web Address: www.pkf.com.au Address: 12/440 Collins Street Melbourne Australia Telephone: +61 3 9679 2222

APAC / March 2017 47


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Staying Ahead of the Curve Tom Hannemann of Advance Yourself Career Services tells us more about the business and how he stays ahead of the curve.

“I help executives, managers and professionals advance their careers,” explains Tom, giving us an overview of the firm and its core services. “The focus is on developing their professional marketing collateral, which includes their resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, application letters and other documents they need to effectively position themselves for career opportunities. In addition, I help people prepare for interviews to give them an edge by providing them with the tools and techniques they need to present themselves most effectively. “My clients are from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and from several countries in Europe and throughout Asia. Because everything is done using email and Skype, I work with clients wherever they are in the world.

recruitment ask me to help them develop their resumes! “Most people don’t like to ‘brag’ about what they have done. But, your resume is the very place you have a licence to ‘show off’ … a little. I make sure that people’s resumes and LinkedIn Profiles reflect the value they have added and the impact of the contributions they have made.” Tom’s experience ensures that the firm stands out from the competition and provides the best option for clients. “My background includes 10 years as a human resource development professional and 10 years as a consultant working with senior executives across a vast range of sectors and enterprises. I also have an MBA from the University of Melbourne.

The intent of Tom’s business is to help his clients gain an advantage when they pursue career opportunities in competitive markets.

“My background ensures that I have the insight and understanding needed to decode, distil and convey a person’s contributions, expertise and accomplishments in a convincing way. I adopt a clear and direct communication style, avoiding vacuous marketing hype and empty buzz phrases that don’t say anything of value.

“Most people find it difficult to express in writing what they have to offer,” he says. “And this applies to people across the board. Even senior managers in advertising, public relations, human resources and

“I have been told that I have a rare ability to get inside people’s heads. While this might be a bit scary, it certainly helps when it comes to creating documents that clients are confident to call their own.

“I have been in this business full time for more than 16 years.”

48 APAC / March 2017

“I guess the proof of my effectiveness and the value I add is that a high proportion of clients come back to ask me to update their documents and refer colleagues, friends, relatives and even people they don’t particularly like!” Tom runs us through the process and steps he goes through when taking on a new client. “The process starts by obtaining the right kinds and levels of information from clients. In doing this, I adopt the perspective of hiring executives, executive search and recruitment consultants. I delve into a client’s experience to clearly identify the impact and benefits of what they have accomplished and contributed during their careers and the challenges they have faced and overcome. “I call it the “what, so what, how hard?” framework. Many people leave out the “so what” component and rely on the readers of their resumes to deduce the impact and benefits of what they did. I make sure that people tell the readers of their resumes about the issues and problems they had to address to get the results they achieved. Doing so sets them apart from their competitors. “We typically go through two or three drafts to enable clients to provide their input and make sure that their resumes say what they want to say in a tone with

which they are comfortable. The document has to reflect their personality, approach and style.” Recent trends within the industry include the emergence of infographic resumes and video resumes. However, because most people don’t have the necessary expertise, their efforts are often ineffective. “It takes more than the ability to use a camera or navigate a graphics package to communicate why you should be considered for a sought-after role in an organisation which many well qualified people want to join,” explains Tom. “I engage with recruiters, human resources executives and hiring managers to identify changes in their needs, expectations and preferences. I am confident that what I do for my clients is on point because they get interviews, come back to me year after year and recommend other people to me.” Tom has future plans to ensure the firm’s ongoing success. “I am looking to offer webinars on interview preparation because the framework and tools I have developed are universally applicable and can be learned in 90 minutes. This will enable large numbers of people to receive the benefits that can currently only be obtained on one-to-one basis.”


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Staying Ahead of the Curve

Company: Advance Yourself Career Services Name: Tom Hannemann Email: tom@advance-yourself.com.au Web Address: www.advance-yourself.com.au Telephone: +61 409 128 376

K APAC / March 2017 49


1701AP46

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Get Real Jacob Caine, of Caine Real Estate, tells us more about the industry as a whole and how it has changed over the years.

Caine Real Estate is a residential Real Estate Firm providing expert advisory, advocacy, negotiation, and property management services. Whilst its clients represent diverse cultural backgrounds they share a passion for high-end property. Caine Real Estate has operated in the luxury property market of East Melbourne since 2001. In that time the firm has been recognised by multiple industry bodies as a market leader in both sales and property management divisions. Caine Real Estate was named a finalist in 10 categories at the 2015 Australasian Real Estate Results Awards including Boutique Agency, Sales Agent of the Year, Marketing Agency of the Year, Property Management Team of the Year and won the Customer Service Award and Best Marketing Campaign Over $10,000. “Human resources are our firm’s most valuable asset, accordingly our ongoing strategy revolves around protecting, strengthening, and developing the “talent” within our business, as well as

identifying new prospects to join our team,” explains Jacob Caine. “We invest heavily in training our team - not necessarily in “job specific” skills. The broader the education and experiences of our people, the broader their appeal to the wider community. The opportunity to learn and grow within our business, creates an engaging and challenging culture that attracts and retains the best talent.” Jacob expounds on how technology provides great efficiencies within the real estate industry. “Historically time consuming processes can now be completed in a fraction of the time, with greater accuracy and detail. We have an administration support team located in the Philippines that work remotely on our Australian located systems – this would have been unthinkable a decade ago. As a company, we’re constantly assessing and trialling new to market innovations to test their efficacy against existing systems and processes. “In all honesty, the most significant change to the real estate industry in recent

times has been the internet – obviously, that’s old news now. The fundamentals of residential sales and property management haven’t changed at all. Disintermediation is a big concern of the industry at large, and is a genuine threat. Though that threat, as it stands now, doesn’t offer real efficiencies for the “end user”. It merely adds another layer of administration (=cost) which will either be absorbed or passed on.” Jacob’s key attributes that enable him to be such a successful CEO include his uncomplicated nature. “What you see is what you get,” he enthuses. “I have an unwavering faith in people, and firmly believe that when you demonstrate trust and belief in someone they’ll reward you with loyalty and dedication…. people seem to respond to this. “I have two families – the family I come home to at night, and the family I spend every workday with. The people that surround me at home and at work keep me motivated for success. Their successes, their hopes, their ambitions, and their challenges inspire me to persevere and be a positive influence through the good times and the not so good.” However the company’s success has not always been without its challenges, and Jacob tells us more about how he has worked to overcome challenges related to the APAC region. “Educational standards in the Australian Real Estate industry are lamentable. The barriers to entry are far too

50 APAC / March 2017

low, and as a result the pool of talent is significantly diluted by people without the dedication, work ethic, and skillsets to succeed. Competition for quality experienced staff is incredibly high. To overcome this challenge, we’ve adopted an “academy” approach to recruitment and training. We look for people that have proven non-real estate industry experience and life-skills, with a particular set of attributes. We make a long-term commitment to those we identify as highpotential recruits, and invest in their education and development over a two-year period. The end product is a highly skilled and efficient operator.” Within the next five years, Jacob envisions great changes within his role, as well as within the business. “I’m a part owner of the business I run, if I were still responsible for day to day management in five years, I’d consider that a failure on my part. Whilst I’d expect to continue to have input into the strategic direction of the company at a board level, in five years’ time my expectation is to have passed the baton to an exceptional individual with a fresh perspective and ideas about the future of not just the company but the industry. For me personally, I’d love to continuing working in a leadership position with passionate and inspirational people. “We deliver a “service” that has universal appeal, and is very scalable – the expansion of the business to the Eastern seaboard of Australia is the overarching five year goal.”


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Get Real

Company: Caine Real Estate Name: Jacob Caine Web Address: www.caine.com.au Address: 120 Jolimont Rd, East Melbourne Telephone: +61 3 8413 8000

K APAC / March 2017 51


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HSBC’s Drive to Encourage Women Back to the Workplace in India Creating balance in the workplace, and building a diverse and inclusive working environment is not just good for business, it’s simply the right thing to do. Especially at HSBC, where a quarter of a million employees, who speak more than 100 languages, serve customers from around 4,000 offices in 70 countries and territories. Like its employees, HSBC’s customers are hugely diverse, and spread around the world, whether in fast-growing countries with young populations, or in more developed economies with ageing ones. HSBC’s purpose is to connect customers to opportunities and that means employing people who reflect the diversity of the communities HSBC serves. Good for business, good for performance In Asia-Pacific, a 2016 study from McKinsey showed that companies with greater female representation in the boardroom tend to be more profitable1. Yet women still remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions across the region, with just two per cent of female board members in South Korea and Japan, and fewer than nine per cent in Singapore, China and Malaysia. By comparison, the ratio tops forty per cent in Norway, and twenty per cent in the UK2. What is HSBC doing about this? The Bank has publicly stated its aim to achieve greater gender balance, and to increase the number of women in leadership roles. In the UK, HSBC has committed itself to a 50:50 male to female ratio of senior positions within the ring-fenced bank. Kirsty Roth knows all too well the

52 APAC / March 2017

opportunity and the challenge, she leads the Operations function at HSBC, which employs more than 60,000 colleagues in 54 countries and 268 cities. More than two-thirds of those employees are located in HSBC’s 21 Global Service Centres in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Kirsty suggests that, “of course gender balance is just one focus area of diversity and inclusion for us at HSBC, but it’s an important agenda because an inclusive culture helps us to better understand and serve our customers, and also allows us to attract and retain employees from a wider talent pool so that we have a workforce that will help us see things from a broader perspective, and avoid Group-think”. Local diversity initiatives in India Subir Mehra, who heads up Operations for the Global Service Centres and leads more than 45,000 employees worldwide, agrees. He has been working with his leadership team to introduce practical initiatives across the GSCs in India that will help female graduates in to the workplace for the first time, as well as help them stay on once they’ve had a child. Not just that, Subir and his team are targeting women who’ve been absent from the workforce whilst raising a family, and helping them back in to employment.

Focusing on 100 per cent female interns In 2016, Subir introduced an internship programme to enable undergraduates in India to enter the workforce and take up roles in the GSCs in the cities of Kolkata, Vizag, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Of the 130 interns who secured positions, three in four were female. This year, Subir announced plans that the target would be a 100 per cent female intake in 2017.

This is why HSBC doubled maternity leave entitlement from 12 weeks to 24 weeks across the GSCs in India last year, a measure that places the Bank in the top quartile of employers in the industry. In addition, female employees are now able to claim for childcare expenses. A spike in retention figures between the first and second half of 2016 among female employees having children shows this level of support is helping.

This initiative was just part of a wider effort by HSBC to drive gender diversity across its GSCs in India. These efforts were recognised by NASSCOM, the trade association for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in 2016, with the GSC in Kolkata receiving the award for the ‘Highest Percentage of Female Employees in IT/ITES’ for the third consecutive year.

Take Two - helping women return to the workforce But that’s not all. A new programme called ‘Take Two’ has been launched in the GSCs. This is a new internship initiative that targets women professionals with at least six years of work experience, who have taken a break from the workforce. The objective of the programme is

Doubling maternity entitlement in India GSCs A growing number of educated women in urban India are taking career breaks, or removing themselves entirely from the workforce, to become full-time mothers. A recent survey by the Assocham Social Development Foundation found that twenty-five to thirty per cent of women had resigned following the birth of their first child. Providing support for women who are starting families is a big focus area for Subir and his leadership team.

Subir Mehra, Global Head of Operations, GSCs, speaking at the Take Two launch


g HSBC’s Drive to Encourage Women Back to the Workplace in India

to help these women return to the workforce. The 12-week programme will provide a structured, full-time internship program for the successful participants and will help them to plan for potential future careers at HSBC. Subir recognises the importance of choice. “There are many experienced women professionals who leave the workforce for personal reasons and may find it a daunting task to restart their careers. Our carefully designed Take Two programme offers an unique opportunity for these talented women professionals to restart after extended breaks, thus creating supported routes back to work for returners”. Subir is not alone in championing the importance of gender diversity, the Balance Network was set up as a voluntary employee group in HSBC in 2010 to bring colleagues together to talk about the things that make the biggest difference across the Group. It is now the most popular employee group and incorporates the efforts of 33,000 colleagues in six regions. Where people can be at their best Kirsty Roth has worked in a number of international organisations and believes, “a successful working culture is one which welcomes a range of views and opinions, and is comfortable with people who think and express themselves differently.” “After all, an organisation where people are confident to ask questions and raise ideas is more likely to try new things, find great solutions, adapt and innovate - and do better business as a result,” Kirsty says. Global Head of Operations, Kirsty Roth

Company: HSBC Web Address: www.hsbc.com

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1. McKinsey - Why Diversity Matters (2016): http://www. mckinsey.com/businessfunctions/organization/ our-insights/why-diversitymatters 2. Korn Ferry Lack of Progress in Asia Pacific Board Diversity a Cause for Worry (2016): http://www.kornferry. com/press/lack-of-progressin-asia-pacific-boarddiversity-a-cause-for-worry/

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1703AP03

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Risky Business Manage Damage is a risk management advisory firm dedicated to arming businesses with information to assist in business making decisions to value and assess the cost of risk. We invited Founder Jillian Hamilton to provide us with an absorbing insight into this young company and the services it provides.

Established in 2016, Manage Damage is a Risk Management Advisory Firm that focuses on the true cost of risk, working with clients to provide their business with specialist advisors who can drive your efficiency, productivity and profitability. The founder and sole proprietor of Manage Damage, Jillian Hamilton, has been saving organisations millions of dollars in Workers Compensation and associated insurance costs for over a decade. Her proven ability to fine tune and remedy existing risk management strategy for positive outcomes uses pioneering thinking that challenges the status quo. With the launch of Manage Damage, her team offers this insight and expertise to businesses of all sizes in Australia. Jillian is passionate about the bottom line and creating an affordable solution-based approach to all challenges faced in the workplace around risk management, specifically insurance management. Her thinking is driven by the belief that looking outside the box is sometimes the only way, and it is this focus which drives everything Manage Damage does, as she is keen to emphasise. “Here at Manage Damage, we are positioned differently to other OHS and Safety Consultancies as we look at a business and its risk differently. Our business assesses a company’s portfolio via the cost of damage – Zero Cost for Zero HarmTM. We focus on business’ insurance premiums and the values against industry standards. In addition, we know

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by the functions of the premium calculations themselves that injuring workers is the variable of cost. By highlighting the company’s cost against industry averages and the incentives for discounts even further we gain the hearts, minds and pockets of the CEOs and CFOs for business. By viewing risk in this way we gather the CEO and CFO attention, therefore, the right inputs to budget management, actions and results”. “This is quite a different approach and has significant financial outcomes as we have found that all businesses are aiming to make profit. If we talk in true financial terms we are able to gain a relevance in the business and aid the decision making power to reduce loss, increase the bottom line and ultimately stop hurting the workforce along the way.” Based in Woolloongabba (Brisbane, Australia), Manage Damage supports clients around the world, and as Jillian explains, despite the firm’s youth it has already gained an impressive reputation for excellence. “Our service offering encompasses a wide range of sectors, including worker’s compensation cost reduction strategies; insurance liaison and management services; legal liaison and management services; risk management strategic guidance; high level incident emergency response and recovery; strategic business planning; strategic organisational reviews; due diligence reviews and advice during acquisitions; productivity improvement strategic advice; safety in design; think tanks; and mentoring/ business coaching.

“We service clients in NZ, across Australia and we are in the process of working with other companies in the UAE, China and Malaysia as our processes work for all premium functions and calculation methods”. “Whilst our best clients are the ones with the highest premium bills, we are often surprised about how dynamic businesses can be. We often find opportunities for businesses whom thought they were performing at optimums but find further opportunities via reviewing and optimising the current insurance establishment. Sometimes our customers were not aware at all that they were paying too much at all. It is always interesting to us when we ask our clients how they are performing and they think their position is exemplary; but we find some more opportunity for them to reduce their costs.” The firm’s services have never been more in demand: within the wider corporate landscape, insurance costs are rising globally this is due to increased pressures on premiums as society has access to more and more legal advice/action. Legal action and moving a claim from a standard wage, doctors bill with a full recovery back to work to regular legal claims is a new frame of thinking. Whilst Manage Damage acknowledges that the legal system and right to make claim is established for personnel whom have truly been harmed at work, it also acknowledges that in Queensland Australia; it is a fact that almost 50% of claims are for personnel who have a 0 – 5% permanent damage from their incident. This means that

applicants for legal action have a medically assessed percent of damage to the claimant of zero of very close however still insist on taking legal action against their employer and or associated third party. This kind of action drives costs and premium increases for all business not just the companies involved. As such, Manage Damage remains committed to supporting clients and ensuring that they reduce their unnecessary costs through efficient management and independent advice to manage this kind of action as Jillian outlines. “Looking ahead, reduced margins and profits by all business via insurance premium increases will be the key challenges for our clients. Manage Damage are true risk managers, and the business is viewed holistically focusing on due diligence for business (specifically safety, environmental and quality processes) to drive insurance premium relief for employers. Put simply, we can reduce a business’s bottom line costs associated with risk. We offer business advice, service and expertise in an area where there is little incentive for the service providers to reduce your costs due to the billing arrangements for insurance”. “There is a very small number of competitors in this market but ethically we stand independently; we have no ties with any specific Insurance Company or Broker and do not accept commissions for transfer of business from one Insurer or Broker to the other. This ensures clients receive truly impartial advice and support. “Our key differentiator is that we have a system and flow that can assure after you recode, realign


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and receive recoveries from poorly administered insurance: clients can rest assured that the cost reduction mechanism we advise is sustainable.” Ultimately, we believe any professional in a corporate environment must know their numbers and how you can quantify the costs and benefits of their work. Health, safety, environmental, quality (HSEQ) and administrative functions in business must understand and manage budgets and business cases.

Risky Business

achieved in any meeting or call for action. To remedy this, we aim to make HSEQ relevant by allowing these personnel to speak in financial terms”. “The results are astonishing, and include significant cost reductions and reduced damage. As such we are keen to continue working to support our clients through the provision of high-end strategic management for reduced costs and we look forward to working with more clients and supporting them in all their risk management needs as we look towards a bright and exciting future.”

When true dollars are applied, action towards creating a safer workplace is created from new costs allocated to harm sources. In order to explain this, Manage Damage have created an innovative new course which will explore the positive impact an organisation by cost focusing and establishing true costing of harm; the course discusses key elements of this harm accounting model. This is the centre of the firm’s future focus as it seeks to develop this and provide it to a wide range of clients. “Personally, I am passionate about OHS’s/ Risk professionals being able to hold their own at board level, and as such we must be able to talk in financial terms and to have real financial and business acumen. Therefore, we have created a course for professionals called ‘Creating a Financial Relevance’”. “This unique course covers financial aspects for non-financial personnel; creating those parties an immediate financial relevance in business. This helps to enable HSEQ personnel to achieve their own KPIs of reducing harm, through fine tuning and remedying existing risk management strategies, as well as making HSEQ relevant by allowing these personnel to speak in financial terms. “The objective is to empower people to create a financial relevance for HSEQ and Administrative functions in business, which is essential for these personnel to aid and facilitate the platforms to achieve company KPIs of reducing harm.

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“Unfortunately, cost is often not addressed nor understood by the key HSEQ departmental players and hence zero relevance

Company: Manage Damage Website: www.managedamage.com

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Flying High Launched in 2000, TravelEdge has been creating refreshingly innovative travel solutions and amazing journeys for all who work for, and partner with the TravelEdge Group. We speak to Kim Wethmar to find out how they provide innovative solutions for customers.

TravelEdge was founded 17 years ago by Grant Wilson and Sue Hollis who respectively held senior positions within Qantas. They saw an opportunity to set up a corporate travel agency which would focus on customer service and enable them to capture market share quickly. In an established industry with numerous players, many advised them not go into this type of industry, but they believed there was a niche in the market. They launched TravelEdge in 2000 and were soon heavily impacted by the September 11 disaster and the collapse of Ansett, followed shortly after by SARS and other major global events. These events taught Grant and Sue to be economical as a business, continue their investment into company values and culture and to diversify their offering to the market. At the start of 2015, Kim Wethmar took over the leadership of TravelEdge as CEO, with a wealth of knowledge and over 20 years’ travel industry experience. The corporate travel market is a constant challenging one, with many global competitors and ever changing technology. To this end, the TravelEdge Group has diversified and developed complimenting offerings to ensure they provide their customers with a comprehensive array of solutions; 1. TravelEdge Corporate is a respected partner of all things Corporate Travel related. Our approach is

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2.

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Refreshingly Innovative in every aspect of the travel programs we create, ensuring we create complete travel solutions which delight our customers Communico Services creates and delivers collaborative tailored in-house travel management solutions for customers. Business Travel by STA, a joint venture between TravelEdge and STA Travel, provides a premium travel service to the leading Australian Universities, academic and business communities. TravelEdge Holidays are the leisure travel experts, offering exclusive travel deals via a professional and experienced team. Granted Worldwide are the travel prizing and incentive specialists, offering a fullservice, in-house dedicated prizing team. TravelEdge-Events is the most recent addition to the TravelEdge group; merging corporate travel and event management into one comprehensive solution. Providing our customers with a sound return on investment for all their meetings, incentives, conferences and events.

Kim talks to us specifically about the industry. TravelEdge sits in a competitive sector, so they have to ensure they keep up or stay ahead of any emerging developments in the market and in technology.

“The move to a more self-service environment means we are constantly being challenged to demonstrate and deliver added value in each and every interaction we have with our customers. This means we become experts at the aspects which are important, to ensure we remain relevant. As such we are always looking for new ways to make every journey an exceptional experience.

evaluation process and when successful, the implementation of the product. We ensure we constantly evaluate the success of the product to ensure we can enhance or tweak where necessary.” To help maintain the company success, Kim ensures she remains positive and motivated in her role as she explains.

“The APAC region is still relatively fragmented, even though we see more companies looking for ways to consolidate and get a grasp on overall spend and policy compliance. Network partnerships such as the Radius Network are definitely becoming more popular, as customers start appreciating that one single global TMC isn’t necessarily the solution, and that local know-how really matters.

“Personally, I love spending quality time with friends and family and reading lots of books. Professionally, I have the support of a dynamic leadership team and wonderful people within our business, and I receive continual motivation from the business success along the way, whether that be through implementing new technology, winning new customers, receiving wonderful customer feedback, automating manual processes, or watching our people grow and develop.”

“Technology is extremely important. Everything we develop has an end goal which is to enhance our customers experience – so our traveller’s journeys are effortless, making every journey an exceptional experience.

Looking to the future, people will always need to travel to do business and this is where TravelEdge comes in, making every journey an exceptional experience as Kim explains.

“Technology is a key factor within the travel industry from the initial planning of a trip, through to booking and ‘on journey’ management, all the way to expense management. We focus on a product development lifecycle which covers all areas of product development including any staff member or customers being able to put forward innovative ideas, followed by an

“The key focus for me is to continue to grow the TravelEdge Group as well as my team, ensuring our time at TravelEdge is an Amazing Journey. Through constantly developing and enhancing our products and service offering we will achieve our vision which is “To make every journey an exceptional experience”, both internally and externally to our business.


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Company: TravelEdge Name: Kim Wethmar Email: kim.wethmar@traveledge.com.au Web Address: www.traveledge.com.au Address: L 10, 9 – 13 Young Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Telephone: +61 2 9080 1700

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An Insight into the Rare Earth Industry Gavin Lockyer is Managing Director of Arafura Resources. He talks to APAC Insider about the company as well as the industry as a whole. Arafura Resources is a mineral exploration and development company that is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: ARU). Gavin Lockyer explains more about the company, its services and its clientele. “Our focus is on developing mining and mineral processing opportunities in the Northern Territory of Australia,” he begins. “Our headquarters are in Perth with an operations office in Darwin. Our Company directly employs fifteen people, including managerial, technical (geology, metallurgy, engineering), commercial (finance, marketing, accounting), legal and administrative staff. “The company’s clients include its shareholders, potential investors, and local community and government stakeholders in the Northern Territory. Arafura’s shareholders are spread across the globe, with sizeable representation from Asia, Europe and Australia. “The main “service” offered by Arafura is the prospect of attractive financial returns from the development of the Nolans Rare Earths Project in the Northern Territory. Arafura’s overall mission is to become a key global producer of rare earths – and in particular the rare earths Neodymium (Nd) and Praseodymium (Pr) – and

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merchant-grade phosphoric acid from the Nolans Project. NdPr is the foundation of the fastest growing and most valuable application for rare earths – ultra-strong permanent magnets used in the automotive, clean energy, healthcare and consumer electronics sectors. Gavin tells us more about the steps that are being taken to achieve this objective. “During the last ten years we have been progressively reducing the technical, environmental, marketing, financial and regulatory risks associated with developing the project. The project is now in the final phases of technical and economic feasibility, obtaining the regulatory approvals necessary to construct the project, and negotiating product offtake arrangements to underpin project financing.” Gavin provides us with a brief overview of the industry in the APAC region. “The rare earths industry is characterised by a highlyfragmented supply chain with most of the world’s mining, processing and refining capacity in China. Rare earth projects are capital intensive and the development lead time is necessarily lengthy considering their complexity and the fact that each operation has its unique characteristics. “Rare earth prices are at their lowest levels in almost seven

years, and this alone presents challenges in maintaining investor interest in the sector, or in attracting new sources of investment capital. However, the demand for NdPr is set to escalate due to the mass electrification of the auto sector and the growth in clean energy across the world (requiring permanent magnet synchronous motors or generators). At the same time an NdPr supply shortage is highly likely due to underinvestment in new or existing mining and processing capacity. Consequently, NdPr prices are forecast to climb over the next several years, coinciding with our timetable to bring Nolans into production.” Staying ahead of the curve is key in such a fast-paced industry. Gavin elaborates: “We place enormous value on intelligence acquired from information services, market experts, technology providers and active participants in most parts of the rare earths supply chain. To that end, Arafura subscribes to several independent information services (where crossreferencing can help support the Company’s marketing and financing strategy), and maintains active and regular dialogue with a number of industry operatives in Japan, China, the EU, and the USA. “The company also participates, where sensible, in collaborative technical research and development initiatives where it

considers outcomes could deliver a competitive advantage in areas such as processing and refining technology.” Arafura’s culture is one that is founded in achieving a common purpose. “In our case that’s delivering on our objective to become a key global producer of NdPr rare earths,” states Gavin. “Every decision that is made by our people affords consideration of its impact on the commercial prospects of the company and its stakeholders, and the timing of the impact. Innovation is certainly encouraged in our business, but again, is tempered by commercial considerations, timeliness, and the effect on the communities in which we seek to operate. “Resource development, and rare earths development in particular, is a long game, so it’s important that prospective employees demonstrate resilience, commitment and hunger for a challenge, whether that be technical or commercial, in their employment history.” With regards to the future, Gavin foresees 2017 being a defining year for the company. “This is because all elements of our Nolans Project – technical and economic feasibility, government approvals, and securing product sales agreements – are coming together to support our efforts to procure US$680 million in construction funding.


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“Our aim is to position the Company to capitalise on the anticipated rise in NdPr prices by readying Nolans for final execution. By this time next year, I’m confident we will look back with a great deal of satisfaction on our success in this regard.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same”.

Company: Arafura Resources Limited Name: Gavin Lockyer (Managing Director) Email: arafura@arultd.com Web Address: www.arultd.com Address: Level 3, 263 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, WA, 6000. Australia Telephone: +61 8 6210 7666 Twitter: @ARULtd

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“The rare earths business has certainly seen its ups and downs over the past decade, and changes aplenty, but one thing’s for certain: China will continue to dominate the sector in both supply and, increasingly, demand. Some commentators are even forecasting that China will soon be a net importer of certain rare earths – and that includes NdPr. I believe that the sector is entering a new golden phase that will be driven by society’s desire for responsible development, and lifestyle considerations that reduce our impact on the environment. Clean energy and the electrification of the transport sector are just two drivers of increased demand for NdPr in the medium term, and as in the past, we can only imagine what the future holds in the development of new uses for NdPr and other rare earths.”

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A Rise in the Importance of Content CEO of the Year, Murielle Paviet-Fanolliet of Cash Cow Consulting, talks to us about the firm and what keeps her motivated to ensure ongoing success. Cash Cow Consulting is a boutique marketing and communications company that services leading and emerging organisations in all industries including information technology, professional services and engineering/manufacturing in Asia-Pacific and around the world. Murielle tells us more about the firm and its clientele. “We work with clients such as Infor, Intergraph, McAfee, GHD (not the hair straighteners!), and JCurve to name a few – on B2B and B2C projects spanning corporate communications and integrated marketing campaigns to social media. “One of our specialties is technical content marketing. We transform scientific and technical information into impactful communications that are benefitdriven, on-message and easily understood by the audience.” Founded and operated by Murielle Paviet-Fanolliet in 1995, Cash Cow Consulting is focused on helping its clients create compelling content that delivers quality leads and higher brand equity. “Our unique approach is to work as an extension of our clients’ marketing departments, and add value by providing simple, yet creative solutions that maximise the return on their marketing investment,” explains Murielle. “Our ongoing strategy is based on establishing strong

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partnerships with our clients and delivering client service excellence. We apply a number of best practices to our work. Upfront we assess and plan, continuing with execution, management oversight and leadership. Finally, we believe in measuring the results of our work. As such, we regularly connect with our clients to evolve and optimise our strategy and tactics to ensure valuable outcomes. “Cash Cow Consulting’s key differentiators are our passion, expertise, insight, and a keen sense of urgency. We believe in collaborating closely with our clients – we work with them, not for them – to help them realise their goals. Most importantly, everything we do is focused on generating leads, driving brand awareness and enhancing thought-leadership.” Technology is continuing to change the marketing discipline and that’s not going to stop any time soon. For Cash Cow Consulting, technology is key. “We certainly wouldn’t be immersed in the digital marketing field without it,” states Murielle. “With the changes in data-driven marketing and technology, it’s important to stay abreast of developments. Responsive web design, big data and the Internet of Things are technologies we are increasingly helping our clients leverage to improve the overall consumer experience. “So much has changed in the past decade. The digital transformation that’s taking

place is affecting all industries and businesses. When Cash Cow Consulting first began, the marketing communications we produced for our clients were mostly destined for mass media. For example, we created and managed complex print media, advertising and direct mail campaigns across APAC. As technology evolved and social media platforms were unleashed, the world of marketing communications changed. Most of our work today is created for use across digital and social media platforms, and we’ve moved away from mass communications in favour of tailored and customised communications. “One the biggest changes I’ve seen is the rise in the importance of content. With social media becoming an essential part of modern marketing, there is now a huge focus on both verbal and visual content. As a marketing communications consultancy, we’ve had to change our business model. The work we produce today is shorter, sharper and more targeted. It is also highly visual and includes infographics, particularly when we are promoting technologybased solutions. Case studies and thought-leadership pieces are still a key part of B2B marketing, however they are now optimised for different platforms including print, video, web and social media. “Mostly we’re moving at an extremely fast pace. Campaign plans are shorter and execution is faster and more complex. Yet

the use of business intelligence, predictive analytics and customer relationship management are enabling the realisation of integrated marketing campaigns like never before. “It’s an exciting time to be in business and one that keeps us on our toes!” Murielle keeps herself motivated with new challenges and projects, something she feels adds to her success as CEO. “Our business has grown steadily since inception based on three key principles – agility, perseverance and ambition. “The need to achieve and succeed keeps me motivated. I focus on setting realistic goals and tracking our progress. I also take care of myself with regular exercise and meditation. While I am invested in my business 24/7, I set regular times to unplug and give myself some time to recalibrate. “The cornerstone of my success lies in loving what I do, and getting immense satisfaction from helping our clients achieve an integrated brand voice across all media platforms. My attributes include credibility, expertise, loyalty and a caring nature. I’m a straight shooter, honest, tell it how it is, and am decisive. My unwavering focus is on my clients, and I have a clear vision for the company. I keep a low profile and shun the public spotlight, preferring to be a quiet achiever and let my work speak


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A Rise in the Importance of Content

for itself. I’m an avid reader and try to stay on top of industry and technology trends. Finally, I care about my clients, my people and my business – the personal touch is extremely important to me. I own my failures as much as my successes, and I prefer to pass the credit of my work to my clients.” With regards to the future, Murielle has plans to ensure Cash Cow’s continued growth. “My future aspirations are to continue to grow the business across APAC and deliver ongoing value to my clients. Diversification of services, broader industry collaboration and greater technology adoption are also on the cards.”

Company: Cash Cow Consulting Pty Ltd Name: Murielle Paviet-Fanolliet Email: murielle@cc-consulting.com.au Web Address: www.cc-consulting.com.au Address: Australia Telephone: +61 2 6685 0454 and +61 411 888 440

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Sabina Corporation Limited In January 2017, APAC selected Peter Chen to be the CEO of the year, for Australia. Peter was selected for his tenacity, honesty, perseverance and good corporate governance – with a long track record in managing a listed public company and corporate governance. Sabina Corporation Limited was listed on the Australian Securitas Exchange for 27 years and informed ASX that as from 31st August 2015, Sabina would continue its business operations in Australia as an unlisted public company. This would allow the directors flexibility to re-structure its share capital and activities with minimum of fuss and costs. Mr. Peter Chen, the Founder & CEO, is planning to step down in the near future after 29 years at the helm. The Sabina Group, since its formation in 1978, has been a modest developer in its own right. Most of the concept designs were done by G8 Consultants Pty Ltd (owned 40% by Sabina) for outside clients. Sabina only undertook some of the innovative concepts

and the competed projects in Queensland included the China Trade Centre, RACQ Headquarters, Deakinpoint Apartments (also won HIA Award), Mt Ommaney Hotel Apartments, and Lakes II (100 acre mixed-used development in Townsville). Chen arrived in Australia in 1961 as a young student and completed his accountancy studies in Newcastle during the “White Australia Policy” era. “I remember the going was tough but that did not deter me and I was able to assimilate into the Australian culture fairly quickly”, recalled Chen, “I had to cop a lot of crap from the Aussies when I was just a green horn; but when I became their boss, I gave them heaps in return. It cuts both ways. In the construction industry, you got to be able to take it before you can give it,” said Chen with a smile. “In 1966, I was recruited in Sydney by one of the largest American construction companies in the world to join a small management team to set up their construction operations in the Pacific Island region including PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji. Two years later at the age of 26 I became the CFO & Company Secretary and reported directly to the financial head office in Hawaii. The following year I was relocated from Port Moresby to Melbourne to become the Executive Assistant to the American Senior Vice President.

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The role gave me a fantastic grounding in a very wide range of technical disciplines including engineering services, mining, railway, construction, building and development. “I left Melbourne in1972 to join a Canadian Mining Company. My principal role was to establish a staff housing estate of over 120 houses and also setting up the mine administration office. “I was subsequently headhunted in 1974 to join one of Australia’s largest construction companies and soon rise to become the national development manager. During this period I was responsible for major industrial subdivisions, created an entire residential suburb, and special projects as well as helping to set-up a new building division during the downturn in the property market. The first tender that was won by our small building team, which included two former Westfield executives, was the building tender for the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre at Broadbeach, Gold Coast. “The journey in the property industry has not been easy. There have been many ups and downs. However, the Sabina group has always pulled through during hard times without compromising our reputation and integrity. “Whilst Sabina has not undertaken too many development projects, we have undertaken other entrepreneurial activities as

well such as seafood, brewery, international trade, and provision of advisory services on economic development SME ventures. We enjoyed immensely the diverse range of challenges and the ability to think outside the box; and to create innovative concepts and visions that are not the normal run of the mill types.” Whilst there are highly qualified technical people associated with the Sabina Group, the innovative concepts are all Chen’s visions – some designs were for development by Sabina; others were for outside clients. In 1986, Sabina Group won the tender against international bidders to build a 5-star Hotel for Expo 88. Unfortunately, Sabina could not agree to Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s Government’s terms. The Japanese giant Kumagai Gumi was Chen’s backer. Kumagai Gumi was the catalyst responsible for bringing Australia to the forefront in construction with major iconic buildings throughout Australia. “In my opinion, the late Managing Director of Kumagai Gumi, Mr. Tony Mitani, was the driving force behind all these big projects i.e. Sydney Tunnel, Ski Tube, Casinos, and many major landmark buildings in all capital cities in Australia. When Mr. Mitani first arrived on the local scene in 1981, I was the one that introduced him to the major Australian banks in Sydney. At first the banks didn’t have a clue as to who Kumagai Gumi was, and in fact they laughed at his


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Sabina Corporation Limited

request for 100% project funding. The banks soon changed their tune when they found out the stature of Kumagai Gumi in Japan.” Kumagai Gumi subsequently bankrolled over $8 billion worth of projects via joint ventures with second tier developers in every state. “I believe the Australian property industry is indebted to Tony Mitani for his contribution towards funding and for sponsoring most of the iconic landmark buildings in Australia in the 80s and early 90s.” In early 1990’s, Sabina headed a small consortium and submitted a USD $1.2 billion development proposal on a prime 22-acre city site for the financial centre & stock exchange of almost 1 million square meters of prime buildings in Tianjin City in Northern China. Chen has visited China over 36 times mainly connected with this project. In September 2008, Chen was invited to China and was presented “the Award for Outstanding Chinese Entrepreneur” at the Third Chinese Enterprise Association Summit held in the Great Hall in Beijing. “The development industry is moving into a new era with many new Chinese developers making significant investments in the property market in Australia. They are now major players in Australia and the important factor that these newcomers need to learn is the adoption and practice of corporate governance behaviour and the need to properly abide by rules in the local town planning schemes.” Sabina currently has a few innovative projects in the pipeline including a themed lighthouse hotel, lifestyle village resort, mixed-use development site (30,010m2) at Coomera; and a world-class columbarium planned in Australia.

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“My final task is to find a suitable person to take over as CEO of Sabina and to guide the company into the future; then I will go fishing,” said Chen.

Website: www.worldtradepartnership.com.au/chen Mobile: +61 418 748 588 Email: ceo@sabina.com.au

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Global Expertise, Filipino Heart The President and CEO of Asian Hospital and Medical Centre talks in-depth to APAC Insider about the company, from its humble beginnings to its future aspirations.

History of Asian Hospital and Medical Center Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) is a tertiary hospital accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the world’s most prestigious accrediting body for health care organisations. AHMC is a part of the Metro Pacific Hospital Group, the largest private hospital group in the Philippines managed by the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), the local unit of the First Pacific Group headed by Manuel V. Pangilinan. Opened on May 11, 2002, the hospital with 305-bed capacity stands on a 17,250-square meter campus, carefully planned and specially designed to provide a healing environment, care and comfort, and ensure the safety of its patients, guests and staff. The center has over 1,067 expert doctors from the different specialties who have been trained in top institutions worldwide and more than 400 nurses whose specialisations including hemodialysis for patients requiring routine and intensive care; diagnostic procedures for breast lesions; supportive home care, pain management and palliative medicine; cardiovascular surgery; and intensive care for cardiovascular and neurosurgical patients. Asian Hospital also has over 1,000 highly skilled employees and staff who provide high quality and compassionate patient care.

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Asian Hospital and Medical Center received its first Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission International (JCI) on December 2013 and has recently gained its second accreditation on September 2016. JCI is a United Statesbased international accreditation body which aims to help health care organizations globally deliver the highest quality of patient care services. JCI sets strict standards that ensure patient safety and improve organisational management, facility management and safety, and quality of care. AHMC is strategically located in the Filinvest City in Alabang, Muntinlupa City—only 10 kilometers from the country’s central business district Makati City, a mere 20-minute drive from the International and Domestic airports, and less than a kilometer from the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Nestled in the lush green landscapes of Filinvest City, the hospital is committed to giving patients the highest quality of care and service in a total healing environment. Vision, Mission and Core Values Vision - To be the Center of Global Expertise in caring for the unique needs of its patients and the communities it serves. Mission - To deliver accessible world-class compassionate and integrative healthcare service to every individual. Core Values – Fairness; integrity; teamwork; excellence; respect

Asian Hospital Charities, Inc. Founded in 2005, Asian Hospital Charities shares the hospital’s facilities and medical expertise to less fortunate patients. Asian Hospital doctors and staff, donors and other volunteers work together to: • determine qualified patients through a comprehensive screening process • raise funds for charitable endeavors • coordinate the provision of healthcare to beneficiaries by competent specialists Asian Hospital Charities is committed more than ever to help underprivileged Filipino patients receive specialized healthcare at Asian Hospital and Medical Center. Asian Hospital Charities also strengthens its relationship with the community by bringing forward services such as health education, leadership building and livelihood/ educational assistance for the years to come. Client Service Philosophy Asian Hospital and Medical Center is an institution that delights in providing the best medical practices with a disciplined culture of service. In Asian Hospital, every member of staff and medical professional firmly adhere to transparency and openness to the criticisms our service gets from the patients and their families. Commitment is valued significantly in the institution, we hold ourselves accountable for the results and the quality outcomes the Asian Hospital and Medical Center creates. This institution is a home where people are allowed

to DARE to think differently and celebrate successes as a family – the individuals in this institution might have diverse views and perspectives among things yet agree to work together effectively and delightfully to reach a common goal. Our commitment to provide a better healthcare system is persistently pursued and strived in achieving a quality medical service for the patients and the communities we serve. The APAC Region and its Challenges Changing demographics sustained high birth rate across an improving life expectancy. Asian has full recognition of the increasing demand for reliable, accessible quality healthcare in the South for both the young and the elderly. The hospital industry must equip itself with the ability to manage chronic illness driven by more frequent engagements of the elderly. Asian is focused on strengthening its Geriatric Care service from initial consults all the way to home care, assisted living and hospice care. With a team of highly respected and credentialed professionals across all specialties and disciplines, Asian is fast becoming the primary referral center in the South for such.

Sustained migration to urban centers creating new megacities. Asian’s vision of creating community-based healthcare programs in partnership with smaller hospitals in the South, coupled with our vision of creating a wider network of primary care clinics that can bring the service needed closer to the


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Company: Asian Hospital and Medical Center Email: info@asianhospital.com Web Address: www.asianhospital.com Address: 2205 Civic Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1780 Philippines Telephone: (+632) 771- 9000

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markets we serve. This program will be anchored on a fully digital information system that provides for access to information, diagnosis, and prescribed therapies in real time, anywhere, everywhere in the South. TeleRadiology and telemedicine will be our chief enabler in linking the specialists needed with each patient in the community we serve that will allow Care as needed, Anywhere, Anytime.

Increasing cost of healthcare. The Multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment is already in full implementation at our Asian Cancer Institute (ACI) and this is the foundation of the “collaborative care culture” we continue to spread and strengthen within Asian’s medical community. Asian is leading the industry in breaking the silos and barriers to collaborative care by creating Integrated Practice Units (ACI model) and therefore stopping the fee for service model that makes healthcare service costly and fragmented. Emerging Trends Trends in healthcare and how Asian has leveraged itself in pursuing growth opportunities: a. Increasing demand for chronic care i. Expanding our Step Down care facility (Telemetry-30 beds) ii. Expanding the scope and geographic reach our Palliative, Homecare and Hospice care service. iii. Creation of a sub-acute care facility and ultimately an assisted living community. b. Shift to universal Healthcare i. Asian Hospital’s goal of Better Outcomes at a Lower Cost that delights all patients is the game changer that will make Universal healthcare get implemented successfully and sustainably. c. Sustained migration of welltrained Filipino healthcare professionals to 1st World markets. i. Asian Hospital remains committed to training the best healthcare professionals as we strengthen our rewards and benefits for them by providing a strong commitment to support their

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family’s need for educational, health and housing subsidies. ii. Topped by our firm commitment to support the pursuit of higher learning (Master’s and Doctoral degrees) of our Nurses and staff to make them feel how much we value their service and strong desire to learn and grow with Asian. iii. Asian Hospital is determined to get the MAGNET recognition by 2020 or earlier. We have started our journey this year. Transforming the Quality of Care through Innovations and New Milestones Three (3) new centers were launched: (1) Asian Cancer Institute; (2) Brain Wellness Center; and (3) Pacemaker and Syncope Services.

The Asian Cancer Institute The Asian Hospital and Medical Center, as a leading healthcare organization, envisions an innovative approach for cancer care in the Philippines by creating a world-class, multidisciplinary, and integrative cancer care facility where the cancer patient is totally comforted and cared for. It features a cutting-edge, innovative and evidence-based treatment following a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach, which consists of a group of expert medical and allied cancer specialists. ACI was launched in July 2015. The Asian Cancer Institute is unique among cancer centers in the Philippines and is a “one-stop shop” using the innovative team approach in cancer prevention and management, with access to the most advanced cancer therapy technology. It is manned by a competent group of dedicated oncologists and allied oncology professionals who are recognized experts in their fields. The Asian Cancer Institute is designed to provide the public and patients the following: • State-of-the-art, innovative, and evidence-based treatment by a group of expert medical and allied cancer specialists. • The most advanced Radio Therapy services with its stateof-the-art, image-guided, new TomoDirect™ Tomotherapy HDA-H Series machine system that treats a full spectrum of patients without compromise and

ensures the highest standards of precision and safety. In addition, it has an advanced High Dose Rate capable Brachytherapy system and MX16 Evo CT scans. • Great convenience, fast, and easy access to screening and diagnostic procedures. • Individualized yet comprehensive cancer therapy and management. • Compassionate care where every patient is totally cared for. • A healing environment that comforts and heals the body as well as the spirit. The Institute, with its pursuit of further advancing cancer study and research, has invited top international medical practitioners to share their knowledge and expertise on their respective fields, gaining audiences from consultants and residents in training from DLSU, UST, JRRMH and others. They were: Dr. Mark Daniel Pegram, Professor at the Women’s Cancer Center of Stanford University in California, USA (Breast Cancer Management, July 11); Dr. Mark Kris, Chief of Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA (Best Practices of Thoracic Oncology, July 17); Dr. David Schrump, Head Surgeon of Thoracic Surgery, Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda in Maryland, USA (ImmunoThoracic Oncology & Stephen Solarz International Fellowship Program, November 10); and Dr. Vincent Gregoire, Radiation Oncologist and Director of the Center for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy in Belgium (Tomotherapy Training Workshop on Contouring for Head and Neck Cancers, December 19).

Brain Wellness Center The Brain Wellness Center was launched last November 9, 2015. It is an integrated and patientcentered facility that offers a holistic program for general brain health and various brain disorders (such as Dementia) from prevention to early recognition and management. The Brain Wellness Center caters to clients who worry, as well as patients with impairments. It aims to provide a place to improve brain health, maximize cognitive potentials, decrease the risk of brain disorders and manage brain health problems.

The roster of specialists that comprises the Brain Wellness Center Team includes adult neurologists, neurosurgeons, pediatric neurologists, rehabilitation medicine specialists, physical and occupational therapists, nutritionists, psychologists and psychometricians. They work together seamlessly to give our patients multidisciplinary care tailored-fit to address their unique needs.


g Global Expertise, Filipino Heart

The Memory Wellness Program offers the following services: 1. Memory Screening & Diagnosis 1. Memory Screen Panel 2. Vascular Risk Screening 3. Neurocognitive Screening 4. Neuroimaging 5. Comprehensive Screening Package - All of the above with EEG and follow-up basic Psychological Tests in 6 months 6. Basic Psychological Testing

The Memory Wellness Program This is a program designed to evaluate the patient’s memory function and identify risks of memory decline. The team provides neurocognitive screening, a comprehensive evaluation for patients with cognitive disorders as well as family sessions to educate the patients’ families and caregivers about the appropriate care plan. Memory Wellness Management Package (SOLO or GROUP) • A multi-disciplinary, personcentered, needs-based approach in managing patients with memory loss & dementia. • It will have group & individual sessions addressing different aspects of an individual’s memory & well-being.

Pacemaker and Syncope Services Pacemaker and Syncope Services was formally launched and blessed by our officiating chaplain, Rev. Fr. Alfredo Biong, OSM last November 12, 2015. Arrhythmia Consultation, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) and Pacemaker Interrogation are the forefront of Cardiac Center’s outpatient services under the medical expertise of Dr. Anthony B. King Jr. and his team of Electrophysiologists and Interventionists – Dr. Luigi Segundo, Dr. Paul Quetua, and Dr. Giselle Gervacio.

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Arrhythmia consultation is indicated for patients with presenting symptoms like palpitations, fast and irregular heartbeats, syncope and exercise intolerance while the ICD and Pacemaker Interrogation is done to check the programming of the device and confirm that the battery and wires are functioning appropriately and for how long it will last on the body with an aid of a wand, a communicator device used by the doctor. Adding to this is another breakthrough in non-invasive diagnostic services at the Heart Station. Patients with unexplained fainting spells (syncope) can now avail of the Tilt Table Test. The Tilt Table Test is a medical procedure used to diagnose syncope. Patients with symptoms of dizziness or lightheadedness with or without loss of consciousness are good candidates for this. The patient is strapped to a tilt table lying flat then tilted completely to an angle of 80 degrees to provoke the symptoms. The Staff Nurse will be recording his heart rhythm (ECG), heart rate, blood pressure and symptoms every minute. The procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

JCI Accreditation In the pursuit of gaining the JCIA Gold Seal of Approval® in global healthcare excellence for the second year running, AHMC launches a hospital-wide Quality Improvement program to ensure that it maintains its accreditation, keep up to date with new standards, and uphold expectations of the best possible patient safety and quality of health care it provides. AHMC is the only hospital within the Southern Tagalog region in the Philippines with JCI Accreditation.

MAGNET International Accreditation for Nursing AHMC, in its pursuit of providing the highest quality of medical care and overall treatment experience to the patients it serves, sends delegates to participate in the National MAGNET Conference in October 2015. We envision AHMC to be awarded the Magnet status by the American Nurses

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Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. A MAGNET designation is the ultimate credential for high quality nursing and is the leading source of successful nursing practices and strategies worldwide. The aim is to promote quality in a setting that supports professional practice, identify excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients/residents, and be able to disseminate best practices in nursing services. Full digital electronic medical records In its aim to transcend current healthcare standards in medical records management, AHMC has partnered with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a USbased firm and a global leader in optimizing health engagements and patient care outcomes using information technology. AHMC became a member beginning March 2015. To signify its commitment, AHMC hosted the first HIMSS AsiaPac15 Digital Healthcare Week Philippines PreConference Roadshow last May 27, 2015 with special participation of the DOH headed by USec. Ted Herbosa and other leaders of the Healthcare IT industry. AHMC also participated in the HIMMS Asia-Pacific Conference 2015 held in Singapore on September 4-9. It aims to study current trends and technologies in the areas of information systems in the healthcare industry. To date, AHMC is the only hospital in the Philippines listed as a member of HIMSS. AHMC will also be investing a lot in software and computer facilities towards paperless records, based on the Asia Pacific Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). The IT Department will do staff baselining and strategic planning by training its staff to support this digital revolution. Staff Culture Asian Hospital put focus on staff development and promotion through empowerment programs,

such as: Leadership Learning Series with the CEO, COOLER Talks, Employees’ Recognition Day, physical and spiritual wellness activities, and the likes. The Leadership Learning Series with the CEO, which was adapted from the concept of Brown Bag Learning, is a ‘lunch-and learn’ opportunity wherein different management topics may be discussed. On the other hand, COOLER Talks is a teaching and learning lecture series for all clinical and nonclinical staff interested to improve their leadership skills. COOLER stands for COst effectiveness and Outcomes LEaRning. AHMC delights in developing homegrown talents, thereby fostering loyalty and dedication of service to our most cherished mission of providing quality healthcare. The Future Being able to address the changing needs of the customers is an important factor in every business organization’s growth and sustainability. In the Philippines, the number of Filipinos who are burdened by non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and stroke are growing exponentially. In response to this, AHMC identified four service areas that need immediate strengthening: Heart and Vascular, Brain Wellness, Asian Cancer Institute, and Lifestyle Medicine. AHMC plans to reinforce the current offerings of the Heart and Vascular and Lifestyle Medicine departments; increase and enhance the programs of the Brain Wellness Center; and promote the services of Asian Cancer Institute by building on its pool of experts and investing on state-of-the-art machines and equipment. Furthermore, AHMC plans to streamline the way it delivers real value-based healthcare through the formation of 3 more institutes after the official launch of the Asian Cancer Institute. These are: Cardio Vascular Institute, Neurosciences Institute, and Lifestyle Wellness Institute. Combined with strategies to expand patient base, AHMC is set to see sustainable growth in the next several years.

Patient-centered care In pursuing the commitment to provide a positive difference to healthcare outcomes, AHMC integrates patient centered practices that can result to patient and client satisfaction. a. Getting to know the patient or client as a person. Asian Hospital’s healthcare professionals build relationship not only with the other clinical professionals, but most significantly with the patients. The aim is to know the patient beyond their diagnosis. b. Sharing the power of responsibility. Asian Hospital values each patient, thus respecting their preferences. c. Accessibility and flexibility. Through being sensitive to the values, preferences, and expressed needs of the patients, Asian Hospital answers the patients’ and clients’ individual need. Providing them the accurate and complete information in a manner that they can understand also contributes to their choices about their care. d. Coordination and integration. Providing an effective and quality healthcare is impossible without the solidarity and joint effort of the healthcare professionals and the service providers who work nonstop to maximize patient outcomes. Teamwork is most valued and implemented in Asian Hospital to give the patients a positive healthcare experience. e. Environment. Asian Hospital enables the staff to be patient centered through being a venue that has a healthy physical, cultural, and organizational environment.

Responding to the aging population and how to meet their healthcare needs. The aging population increases the level of care required by patients and has been both a challenge and opportunity to the health care institutions. Asian Hospital recognizes the increasing demand for reliable, accessible, and quality healthcare for both the young and the elderly through equipping itself with the ability to manage chronic illness driven by more frequent engagements of the elderly.


g Global Expertise, Filipino Heart

Going fully digital in accessing medical records. Asian Hospital partners with Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) towards full digital electronic medical records, since March 2015. HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not for profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT). AHMC became a member beginning March 2015. AHMC will also be investing a lot in software and computer facilities towards paperless records, based on the Asia Pacific Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Asian Hospital is also being accredited by HIMSS in aiming for stage 7 – an environment where paper charts are no longer used – in EMRAM. The IT Department will do staff baselining and strategic planning by training its staff to support this digital revolution. The Award Being recognized as one of the top health care firms in the region of Asia Pacific is indeed a privilege and honor for us in the institution. Asian Hospital and Medical Center is truly grateful to have been known and acknowledged as a healthcare venue that provides excellent and delightful client service – from the efforts of the untiring, unique dedication, and relevant expertise shared by our staff and medical professionals. This award is a testament of our commitment to deliver compassionate care through conquering higher goals in creating a safe and effective healthcare environment.

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1702AP15

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Power the World Alexander Lenz is President of Conergy APAC. He speaks to us about the firm, its mission and future aspirations.

Conergy is one of the world’s largest downstream solar companies — specialising in the development, design, finance, build and long-term asset management of commercial, industrial and utility-scale solar power systems. Founded in 1998, the company has pioneered the expansion of solar globally and has built over 1.5 GW across six continents. Alexander Lenz tells us more about the firm and its overall mission “to harness the sun, preserve the planet and power the world.” “Solar Photovoltaics is at the center of Conergy’s business,” he begins. “We develop, build and operate commercial and utility-scale solar farms. By its very nature, solar PV is a low carbon energy generation technology that doesn’t produce harmful greenhouse gases. By promoting the use of solar energy and supporting our clients to realise their plans for a solar system, we are able to harness

the power of the sun to produce electricity while contributing to the preservation of the planet.” With over 18 years of experience in the solar photovoltaics industry, which includes a storied history of manufacturing all of the key solar components from modules, mounting structures and inverters in Germany, Conergy has evolved into one of the world’s largest downstream solar companies specializing in the development, design, finance, build and long-term asset management of commercial, industrial and utility-scale solar power systems. This are just a few of the attributes which sets the firm aside from competitors. “Our solar manufacturing roots and 18-year global track record has ingrained in the company extensive technical expertise and capabilities which cannot be easily replicated,” states Alexander. “We have one of the industry’s most advanced and complete portfolio of solar services and solutions which means that Conergy is uniquely equipped to help investors meet and maximize

their asset investment targets by providing well-designed, highly efficient solar installations that are built with the latest solar technologies that observe leading quality standards. “Our deep understanding of our customers’ businesses and our uncompromising focus on quality, cost optimisation and discipline in implementing best practice processes in our global and local delivery centers have enabled us to build for our customers commercially successful solar plants that not only operate with high efficiencies and power availability but also generate the highest possible yields. Key members of the firm regularly attend conferences, exhibitions, speak to customers, suppliers and partners, and attend dialogues with industry groups. They also join solar associations to keep updated with new and emerging technologies and trends. “Aside from our regional office, we have local offices and employ local staff which means that our teams have extensive networks which allows us to keep abreast with market developments. “We are not afraid to tackle new emerging technologies. When energy storage was still very new in the market, Conergy appointed a dedicated team to become specialists on storage. This initiative allowed us to develop the competency for storage within the company and this was instrumental in helping us develop one of the first and largest utility-scale solar + storage plants in APAC.”

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Alexander tells us that Conergy runs on a relatively flat organisation structure which ensures that it is always fast and nimble. “Instead of just reacting to changes around us, we anticipate market developments and make decisions fast and well,” he embellishes. “Our employees are highly experienced and well-trained individuals in their specialised areas, be it in development, financial modelling, EPC, operations & maintenance, engineering or supply chain, just to name a few. These coupled with strong empowerment, and excellent inter and intra department collaborations, allow us to address the needs of our customers. Our willingness to engage with our clients closely and continuously, whether seasoned or new to the industry, brings about great satisfaction for our customers and more importantly translates into business success and profitability for them. “At Conergy, we look for innovative and entrepreneurial employees who are highly qualified in their respective areas of expertise, share our vision for a greener planet as well as our passion for solar energy. Conergy is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. “We believe that Conergy’s success rests on the achievements, high level of commitment and enthusiasm of our employees. We offer exceptional career opportunities and provide a stimulating and inclusive work environment focused on work-life balance. We have an excellent track


g Power the World

record and our engaging and approachable management staff bring confidence and often make the difference in attracting highly competent and excellent calibre to our organisation. These candidates do not only look for personal financial growth, but personal development and the opportunity to work with a seasoned leader in the industry.” With regards to the future of the industry, Alexander foresees certain developments. “We will see the emergence of Storage Systems, especially on a utility scale – we already have one project under construction but expect a lot more in the next few years.

“Our customers’ business models are changing and converging. For instance, traditional utilityscale players are doing more distributed commercial and community solar businesses while more solar players are increasingly in the finance business rather than the outright power generation business. “We adapt to these changes by constantly building on the capabilities of our team – organising training for them or else hiring subject matter experts and integrating them into our teams.”

“We would still be in the solar business many years from now – but the mix of our revenue streams will most likely differ by then. Potentially more revenues will come from our Project Development instead of our EPC business and our market focus will expectedly change from the Philippines/Thailand/Japan/ Australia to include other Asian/ APAC countries. Besides just the traditional solar PV farms, we will most likely also be working on more solar-hybrid plants and solar+storage plants.”

And what does he foresee for the future of Conergy?

Company: Conergy Asia & ME Name: Alexander Lenz – President, Conergy APAC Email: apac.info@conergy.com Web Address: asia.conergy.com

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1701AP26

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Making It Easy NowInfinity is a progressive and dynamic cloud based documentation platform solution with features enabling rapid company formation with ASIC, corporate compliance tools and legal document templates. The solution is used by accounting, financial adviser and super administration firms. The offerings help users with corporate compliance – administration and fee management, SMSF compliance, document management and data integrity with its integration with ASIC, xero, Microsoft Dynamics, salesforce.com, Class, electronic signatures - DocuSign, plus more. Award-winning CEO, Amreeta Abbott tells us more about NowInfinity, the type of work it does and its clientele. “NowInfinity is the solution that all accountants, financial advisers and SMSF Specialists have been waiting for,” she begins. “NowInfinty is the nucleus of pre and post entity set-up and management of the documents associated with them. NowInfinity is completely cloudbased and collaborates with the best in the industry providing an innovative and integrated platform for its members. Continuously challenging the norms in the account financial industry is what we are all about. If the rest of the world is benefiting from the technology boom, why shouldn’t financial advisors and accountants too?!”

She elaborates more on the businesses ongoing strategy. “We are very much a feature and feedback driven company, one that is always moving and forever evolving, no boundaries and no limitations. Our first year had me chanting, “Collaborate to Create” working with other cloud based platforms to bolster up the offering and powerful integrations enabled our Member firms to become much more efficient & profitable. I’m continuing to look for pain points in the accounting and financial services industry with the aim to resolve through the use of strong skills in technology. If they have any pain point, I will ensure NowInfinity seeks to relieve it.” There are key principles which Amreeta adheres to in order to develop NowInfinity effectively. “I have kept an open mind throughout the entire existence of NowInfinity and we have certainly not tried to simply replicate – no-one wants a mediocre solution,” she states. “I have always believed in NowInfinity and believed we should always set our path and not chase that of a similar provide with this approach we were never limited

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nor restricted in what we could bring to the table. More often than not clients are wanting the same and in time they will strive for something new and fresh to continue to grow their business and offer more solutions to the their clients. “Another key principle that I adhere to is “no problems, just solutions’ keeping that at the forefront of your mind you pride yourself of be that solution provider.” Being an award-winning CEO is not without its challenges, and Amreeta tells us what she believes her best attributes are and what motivates her. “I live and breathe my business, and forever in search of ways to better the industry we are in. My determination and drive is something that very few people have, I simply don’t take no for an answer. “My business is my brain child, it is what keeps me going and what keeps me motivated. There are days when it is hard and I am away from my family a lot of the time which is sometimes very difficult. What keeps me motivated is hearing the feedback from my members

about what NowInfinity is doing for them, the money and time it is saving them. I also love leading and being a part of such a wonderful and diverse team all around the globe.” The progression and development of technology in any industry is a must. Amreeta explains how important technology is to her industry. “NowInfinity itself is a tech-based company so I think my support for it is pretty self-explanatory. The way that NowInfinity and all other kinds of technology has enabled accountants, financial advisers, SMSF specialist and other in the industry to completely cut their internal costs, cutting the costs for their clients, increasing their efficiency and therefore focusing on larger and progressive projects is what has and continues to grow the financial industry. It is so important for people within the industry to recognise the use of technology and how this can benefit them. If they do not, their competitors will and they will find that they simply cannot compete with the efficiency. The possibilities are endless and technology solutions will continue to reduce and even completely remove pain points for the industry.”


g Making it Easy

Amreeta has huge aspirations for herself and the progression of NowInfinity. “Pioneering is the plan,” she says. “I’m a visionary and I can’t see that changing now or in five years’ time. There is still so much needed in our industry and as long as I can visualise the way forward then I will build it. “I’m a lover of travel and with the expansion across international waters this will see me continue on this journey. “One of my aspirations was to expand NowInfinity internationally, we can’t deny the benefits of Nowinfinity in other countries. I would like to think that in five years I am traveling the world and presenting NowInfinity to anyone in need of our services. We have already set up an office in New Zealand so we have big plans ahead for going international and I cannot wait to see where this takes us!”

Company: Nowinfinity Name: Amreeta Abbott Email: marketing@nowinfinity.com.au Web Address: www.nowinfinity.com.au Address: Level 3, 26 Marine Parade Southport 4215 QLD Telephone: 07 5554 5398

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1701AP39

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Up For the Challenge Egan Associates has gained a reputation for being the go-to company to answer complex pay challenges that few other advisory firms have the experience, skills or ability to approach with confidence. Founder John Egan has spent decades in pay consulting, including leading the ANZ division of an international consulting group and serving as the national president of the Institute of Management Consultants. He has also contributed to talent development in the industry via engagement with the Business School at the University of Sydney. His long-standing experience and network has contributed to Egan Associates’ success, as has the strength of his remuneration database and experienced team. When asked what a pay consultant does, many companies might think of salary comparisons, market benchmarks and pay rises. For some, annual bonus and equity plan design will also come to mind. Yet while conducting executive remuneration reviews and assisting with the design of incentive plans is a core part of Egan Associates’ business, there are many other areas where the boutique consultant assists clients. The variety of work undertaken throughout the course of a year is broad and the complexity of the issues eyepopping. “Clients are generally surprised at the breadth of projects in which we’ve been involved when they raise a matter of concern. Often they discover we’ve addressed similar challenges in a number of settings. They find this incredibly valuable,” John Egan said.

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A major part of the business is undertaking reviews of Non-Executive Directors’ remuneration. This is not a simple matter of comparing retainer fees between organisations. It also involves consideration of the increased workload devolved to Board Committees, the restructuring of Board Committees and the variable workloads across Committees. Advice might also examine whether differential rewards are appropriate for Directors that live outside the host exchange country and whether payments in such a situation are made in a common or multiple currencies. Egan Associates must also consider whether Directors are involved in equitybased programs, either as a replacement for or in addition to their Board fees. Following increased transparency requirements and the introduction of a shareholder vote on whether executive remuneration is reasonable, clients often engage Egan Associates to assist in describing and defending remuneration structures. “Even if an award makes perfect sense given the company’s situation, if shareholders don’t understand the Board’s reasoning behind the award, they will vote against it,” Egan said. Egan Associates has helped companies to explain the reasoning behind termination benefits, sign-on arrangements as well as the level and structure of both annual and long term incentives where organisations

had experienced significant growth or a decline in their market value and earnings. When engaging new talent particularly in the C-suite, companies call upon Egan Associates to work with executive search companies in structuring reward which would be attractive to the necessary talent yet also be acceptable and easily understood in disclosures to the ASX or NZX. “In certain industries where the talent market is global, arriving at the right offer to the ideal executive can be pivotal to the hire,” Egan said. In working across organisational reward issues in the APAC region, the team is called upon to consider local terms and conditions and differential taxing arrangements to arrive at equitable outcomes for staff working in different countries. This involves considering the necessary level of alignment with the parent organisation’s pay structure and position classifications. It also involves advising companies on how to adjust global short or long term incentive plans to account for regional challenges including taxation, or account for a lack of participation among regional executives. When companies are preparing for listing, primarily on the ASX or NZX markets, Egan Associates works with the company’s legal advisers, tax advisers and current owners (such as private equity, a family, an investment bank or fund) to guide the organisation in the adoption of market acceptable

reward structures that will often differ from those in place while the company was privately held. Egan Associates also assists with disclosure requirements. “Companies can be overwhelmed by the scrutiny on remuneration when they list. It’s important to hit the market with the right settings,” Egan said. When executives or shareholders are engaged in court disputes, Egan Associates has acted as an expert witness – for example where a group of shareholders dispute executive remuneration that has had a negative impact on their dividends or where there has been a marital breakup and the valuation of assets will significantly impact on outcomes. Government entities call on Egan Associates for advice on the levels of remuneration for Principal Office Holders and Statutory appointees within the policy and administrative arms of government. Government Boards or government-owned corporate entities also seek Egan Associates’ advice when the necessity of attracting and retaining top talent override the principles applied within the administrative and policy arms of government. This has often involved developing submissions for review by government and/or Ministers. Each of these engagements is different, requiring a broad range of specialist knowledge. Egan Associates has developed an extensive library of information to enable its clients to be at the forefront of remuneration thinking.


g Up For the Challenge

Drawing on this knowledge and John Egan’s expertise, the company is currently preparing to launch a cloud service under the brand Workforce and Governance where companies can quickly generate employee data and match it to market intelligence. “We intend to be part of the future of pay and governance advice, a future I see as increasingly involving online solutions to improve productivity and provide companies with the necessary intelligence to make the right decisions,” Egan said. The cloud software will operate parallel to Egan Associates’ consulting practice rather than replacing it. “There will always be demand for tailored recommendations on remuneration structures,” Egan said. “While data analysis from online tools is informative and powerful, it cannot compare to in-depth analysis of a situation by a subject matter expert.” Indeed, it concerns John Egan that many Boards are not receiving remuneration recommendations from pay consultants, instead simply requesting market data and reaching remuneration decisions without tailored advice. “In many cases this circumstance may reflect the unwillingness of advisors to accept accountability for their work,” Egan states, adding that Egan Associates has absolute confidence in its expertise and is always prepared to provide a remuneration recommendation.

Company: Egan Associates Name: John Egan Email: mail@eganrem.com Web Address: https://eganassociates.com.au/ Address: Level 3, 22 Darley Road, Manly NSW 2095 Telephone: (02) 9225 3225

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Clients can also feel secure in the knowledge that as an independent specialist advisor, Egan Associates does not provide primary advice on tax or legal matters. Given the confidential information Egan Associates has access to, it is also not involved in executive search and therefore avoids potential conflicts of interest. “Our return clients respect that we “tell it like it is” and don’t try to tailor our advice to meet unrealistic expectations,” Egan said.

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Every Connection Counts Gary Reichenberg, CEO of CT Connections Travel Group, speaks to us about what the company has done to become the success that it is today.

CT Connections Travel Group incorporates four business units. The first is CT Connections which provides end to end delivery of complex and sophisticated travel and logistical movements for larger market corporates, typically those who spend more than $2million per annum on air travel. CEO Gary Reichenberg told us how their expertise has helped clients. “We have a high level of expertise around end to end booking tools, mobile applications, portal access to reporting, duty of care, after hours service and expense reconciliations, to name a few. The second business unit is Executive Edge Travel, which provides boutique, high touch, customised travel solutions for SME corporates - those who typically spend less than $1million on travel - as well as high-end luxury leisure travel for discerning travellers. Executive Edge is Virtuoso accredited, which is invitation only, and provides additional benefits for our travellers including upgrades at hotels, spa credits, late checkout, early check-in. “Totem Group is the company’s specialist conference, incentive, event and group travel division. Last but not least, The Departure Lounge is our media hub (launching this year), designed to promote our suppliers as well as our customers, further

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developing our motto of ‘every connection counts’, which will add value to our suppliers and customers alike by directly promoting their products and services through our dynamic travel media hub. This will work in two ways – one is direct to our customers, the other is through a public facing online travel magazine. “We liaise with a broad range of customers across several industries including pharmaceutical and health care, professional services, mining and infrastructure, agriculture, not for profit, and sporting associations with the AFL, various rugby clubs, Table Tennis Australia and many other sporting codes including PGA Australia. Our academic portfolio includes Swinburne and RMIT Universities.” CT Connections Travel Group has big plans as outlined in their business strategy. Gary expands on this. “Our goal is to have $250 million turnover by 2020. Our strategy to get us there is to continue to segment our customers according to industry channels and leverage relationships – every connection counts, every moment counts, every journey counts, every event counts. These mottos for our respective brands drive our progression forward and define our intentions. We also intend to leverage CEO and CFO level

customers so we can book their additional business of personal and family trips so that they can enjoy the many privileges we can offer including Virtuoso and our preferential treatment of clients via our preferred luxury hotel partnerships including Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and other high profile brands. “As a company we focus on three primary attributes: our people, our processes and our technology. We provide an equal weighting across these three categories as opposed to some of our competitors. Part of our strategy always involves answering one question: “What is our relevance to our customer and how can we continue to add value at every interaction?” It seems that in today’s business climate, data is more critical than ever. In our industry, we have a disproportionate amount of data on our clients’ buying and travel behaviours which gives us great insight into how we develop and design our future strategy.” Gary’s dedication and hard work has helped him reach the top of his field, and certain key attributes have helped shape his success. “I’m definitely a positive glass half full type of person. I’m very energetic and a firm believer in having a clear work-life balance. This mentality is promoted to all my staff. We also provide a huge amount of in-house and external training to all our various staff

members which allows everyone to develop. “I would say empathy is an extremely important skill I possess, particularly in our industry which requires a high degree of service and customer interaction. I also believe that having a very clear road map and strategy which everyone feels a part of is a key component to success. Ultimately a nononsense, mature organisation where we live and breathe our values creates a more enjoyable working environment for everyone. You certainly can’t please everyone all the time; however, I encourage an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking openly. As long as our team is aligned with our values, I think we have a greater chance of success.” Gary concludes by telling us how he thinks the industry has changed and how this has affected business in the current economic climate. “I think our industry has changed, as many have, in light of the new technology disruption that has happened in the marketplace. In addition to that I think one of our greatest challenges is the continual advent of new technologies being deployed online aggregators, online travel agents and so on - and how you continue to remain relevant to your customer. There has certainly been a proliferation


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of new technologies, some of them promise to deliver all these benefits, and yet many do not. We also work in a complex industry with advance purchase airline tickets, hotel accommodation which can be non-refundable, etc. Trying to find the right balance for your customer where non-refundable travel is less desirable given the nature of their bookings and the itinerary changes that are often needed. Airbnb is another new challenge, as are the likes of Uber.�

Company: CT Connections Travel Group Name: Gary Reichenberg Email: gary.reichenberg@ctconnections.com.au Web Address: www.ctconnections.com.au Address: 69 Kooyong Rd, Caulfield North, Vic, 3161 Telephone: (03) 8527 4000

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Leading The Way Linkage provides clients with leadership consulting, assessment and development services, senior team effectiveness intervention, executive coaching, developing entrepreneurial thinking and innovation, advancing women leaders and building inclusive cultures services. We invited Dr Colin Pitt, Managing Partner to chat to us about the firm. Linkage has provided leadership development insights, learning and strategy to organizations looking to strengthen their leaders, more effectively engage their teams, and build cultures of employee engagement that achieve and exceed organizational objectives. Since 1988, Linkage have worked with more than one million leaders and managers from around the globe. Among their clients and partners are Fortune 1000 organizations and leaders, start-up companies, non-profit organizations and academic institutions. Colin tells us more about what the firm offers. “We deliver tailored leadership development solutions using proven models, methodologies and action learning approaches.

Our approach is to provide services onsite, however as also an industry thought leader we provide a number of critical public development institutes to help organizations plan, act and transform their organization’s human capital to create real results and lasting impact. We pride ourselves on our team, our clients, and our focus on their success. “Our global leadership development efforts have supported a broad range of industries, from automotive to retail, medical, mining, financial services, travel, and everything in between. Flexible and customizable, our content is available in a variety of configurations, including openenrolment sessions, on-site training opportunities, or as part of a larger customized development curriculum.

“Our diverse and expansive team of world-class consultants, facilitators and faculty include former executives, leaders across all levels and industries, educators, consultants, and more. In this way we strengthen our content, our clients, and our cumulative results.” When first approaching a client, Linkage ensures it goes through a dedicated process with the clients’ needs as a top priority. “With over 25 years in global leadership development and training, many of our products, services and public Institutes are award winning and recognized throughout the industry. To achieve this standard, we have a number of key guiding principles in our process and approaches to leadership development and reinvention. “First, we will deliver only well researched and proven content and methodologies ‒ including facilitation techniques, agile learning solutions, thought leader content, and adult learning principles that work. Second, we will take a multifaceted approach for our clients – we are dedicated to creating world-class, integrated and customized solutions that include diagnosis, strategy formation, assessment, metrics, training and development, coaching, application resources and tools. Third, we will deliver the best outcome for our clients ‒ through creating strategic content partnerships with the best thought leaders in the world to ensure we are at the cutting-

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edge of our field. Finally, we will constantly reinvigorate and innovate our programs, services, and solutions.” “Leadership development continues to be an evolving ‘practice’. Leaders and managers in Asia Pacific must keep up with the latest research specifically where it is clear and proven. However, in Asia Pacific there is also a need to get the most fundamental leader and managerial practices inplace – embedded and working effectively. “We believe that the leaders who will be most successful in the future in Asia Pacific will not be those who react to the latest human resource ‘fad’ but rather systematically executes the fundamental people, management and leadership practices across their organization. Asia Pacific requires leaders who can align and articulate a future direction with discrete goals, coach and mobilize their employees and rapidly accelerate their value, create a productive and inclusive work environment, stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset and develop robustness and an ability to be resilient to constant change. “However, there will be evolving critical challenges that leaders and managers will be confronted with in Asia Pacific over the next few years. These include improving and optimizing the diverse workforces, hiring employees with a more ‘global mindset’, leveraging cultural


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and country nuances for the advantage of people and organizations, integrating western and eastern values and leadership practices and increasing women leadership. (Note: removed last point) “For our leadership company, these issues have had a pronounced impact on our defined leadership practice areas and has ‘forced’ us to adjust our approach, our content and be more client centric and service oriented. We believe that Linkage is well equipped with expert consultants, outstanding products and exceptional service to assist clients address any of the above practices or challenges.”

Leading The Way

their leadership development effort, the leadership assessment and coaching each delegate receives as a part of GILD Asia and the learning team, where each delegate is allocated at least five sessions, so that they can learn from other delegates and discuss how to embed and applying their learning to their organization”

Looking to the future, Colin tells us what he is excited about in the Asia Pacific region in 2017. “I am extremely excited to announce we will bring to Singapore the Global Institute for Leadership Development -GILD ASIA 2017 - in July this year. This award winning conference is conducted over five days and we expect to have between 400500 participants. What makes this conference unique is the world class ‘faculty’ of speakers and presenters that very few conferences can match, the number of organizations who bring along teams as a part of

Company: Linkage Name: Dr Colin Pitt, Managing Partner, Asia Pacific Email: colin.pitt@linkageanz.com.au Web Address: www.linkageanz.com.au Address: Level 40, 100 Miller Street, North Tower, North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia Telephone: +61 412 510 038

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Cloud Transforming Businesses Offis performs IT transformations, cloud migrations, and multi-cloud managed services, enabling their clients to leverage best-of-breed cloud technologies to disrupt or defend against would-be disruptors, delivering vital benefits, including innovation, agility, speed to market, cost optimisation, and automation. Offis is an Australianowned leading IT and cloud services provider which has been servicing the APAC region for 20 years. We spoke to Franck Demoiseau to find out more about their ongoing strategy and their process in developing their company. “Research including our own CIO Cloud survey shows that the world is multi-cloud; the RightScale 2016 State of the Cloud survey shows companies leveraging 3 public clouds and 3 private clouds on average. Whilst most IT service providers have either aligned themselves with one public cloud or recommended their own private cloud, Offis has been busy servicing the important demand for experienced multi-cloud advisory, training and implementation services, supporting companies’ best interests and achieving desired outcomes - avoiding cloud vendor lock-in, achieving true agility, taming complexity, improving security, lowering TCO, etc. “When implemented properly, cloud is truly transformational, however, realising the ongoing benefits of cloud can be challenging, particularly in a multi-cloud context, requiring abstraction above underlying clouds, deep unbiased knowledge, and proven expertise, which is what differentiates Offis

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from other service providers. Offis works with the major public vendors and manages workloads in 10 different clouds worldwide, including our own ISO 27001 accredited data centre. Over the years, we have become leaders in abstraction technologies, integrated management, orchestration, security and governance across private/ public clouds and company data centres. “Our ethos is to provide our clients with market-leading independent thought leadership, innovation, best-of-breed technologies, futureproof designs, and proven delivery to help them thrive. Furthermore, we are unique in wanting our clients to retain complete control over what we design and build, avoiding cloud vendor lockin by abstracting above any underlying cloud(s), using open technologies, futureproofing their investment, and offering the ongoing option to train their staff to manage this themselves or outsource to us.” The APAC region is a vast heterogeneous region with many sub-markets at varying cloud maturity levels, creating some challenges. Franck explains these challenges and how he thinks the industry has changed since the formation of the business. “The companies in each market are looking for genuine

transformational innovation, enablement, agility, speed to market, cost optimisation, automation benefits that cloud brings, and they are increasingly moving towards using multiple clouds. So demand for Offis’ expertise and solutions will continue to increase. As a CEO, growth, while important, must also be managed carefully. “Cloud has moved on significantly, having evolved from a hosting destination that provided basic IaaS and OPEX vs CAPEX benefits at the expense of creating cloud vendor lock-in, to an abstraction layer above multiple cloud providers, underpinning a flourishing array of current and future transformational benefits: including innovation (accessing current/future technologies across clouds such as IoT, Big Data, and AI), agility, cost optimisation, automation and speed to market. “Unfortunately, there is a real skills and knowledge shortage, making it expensive, difficult and risky for companies to resource projects exclusively with internal personnel. This has created an opportunity for an IT service provider like Offis: with vast experience across the whole gamut of cloud and cloud abstraction solutions, playing a vital independent advisory role, with proven delivery capability and client focus.”

Talking about his personal career, Franck discusses what keeps him motivated as well as outlining how his experience has helped him to become an award winning CEO. “I pride myself on being innovative, providing thought leadership, and knowing what is coming around the corner, which keeps me interested and motivated. In today’s world, with the pace of change at dizzying heights, I see this as an absolute necessity. It is essential to stay abreast of new technologies and emerging business models. CEOs and companies that rest on their laurels, even for a short while, run the risk of being disrupted by more innovative nimble competitors. “Having had significant directorship and C-level experience across Technology, Operations and Finance, in large and small companies across multiple industries and continents, I embrace change and can draw on wide and deep experience across disciplines, markets and organisational structures. I see myself as a strategic thinker and am intent on communicating my vision, both internally and externally. I see entrepreneurship and measured risk-taking as part and parcel of doing business in today’s world, and believe that avoiding risks at all costs is inherently very risky and thus self-defeating. Last but not least, being passionate about


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technology and having a strong technical background is a real advantage.” Looking to the future, Franck discusses where he sees Offis in five years’ time. “We may expand to other regions as we are getting interest. Also, our positioning as thought leader in the industry means that we are always testing new technologies. Whilst not at liberty to reveal more at this stage, I can say that this will continue to take us in very exciting directions.”

Company: Offis Multi-Cloud Services Name: Franck Demoiseau Email: franck.demoiseau@offis.com.au Web Address: www.offis.com.au Address: 55 Pyrmont Bridge Road, Pyrmont, NSW 2009 Australia Telephone: +61 1300 977 623

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Strive for Better Things St Joseph’s College, in Hunters Hill, Sydney, is one of Australia’s leading secondary boarding and day schools for boys. Founded by the Marist Brothers in 1881, St Joseph’s College, or Joeys as it is also known, is renowned for its outstanding academic, cultural and sporting achievements and links to the local and international community and rural Australia. It has a student population of almost 1,100 students who are enrolled as day boys, weekly boarders or full boarders. The college offers a broad education that draws faith, culture and life into harmony. It provides boys with the opportunity and support to strive for academic excellence and achieve their full potential in all they do. St Joseph’s endeavours to instil in boys both the capability and the desire to make a valuable contribution to the world and students are regularly involved in a range of social justice initiatives. The college motto, Strive for Better Things, is at the heart of the unique Joeys experience. The St Joseph’s College community celebrates learning, recognises achievement and rewards those who continually strive to do their best. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE St Joseph’s College welcomes international students and students whose parents are Australian citizens currently living and working overseas. As one of Australia’s largest and most highly respected boys’ boarding schools, St Joseph’s is a particularly popular option for Australian ex-pat families wishing to educate their sons in Australia. Each year the college hosts a number of international events, allowing prospective families to meet the Headmaster and find out about the opportunities available for their sons.

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FROM THE HEADMASTER, MR ROSS TARLINTON: “It is important to encourage our young people along their journey of learning and growth, so they are compelled use their talents in the service of others. We endeavour to help them develop their skills, along with a strong sense of compassion and justice, so they will make a positive difference to their community, their nation and their world. Our Catholic faith values, and our Marist spirit, underpin everything we do and set us apart from other places.” “The students are at the heart of everything we do at St Joseph’s. We are here to help boys, entrusted to us by their families, to find genuine fulfilment, happiness and security in their lives. Our support and encouragement goes far beyond the time students leave us at graduation. As a college community we take great joy and strength from our ongoing relationship with our Old Boys and their families. We maintain regular contact with Old Boys and past families and each year we host a number of events, both in Australia and internationally, which allow us to catch up and strengthen the relationships with our Old Boys, meet with current families living overseas, and introduce new families to the opportunities available at Joeys.” Ross Tarlinton Headmaster ACADEMIC Academic excellence is an ever-present goal for both the staff and students of St Joseph’s College. This excellence is consistently achieved through a curriculum that is both rich in diversity and broad in its depth of study, with the support and guidance of highly qualified, professional teaching staff. St Joseph’s prides itself on being a non-academically selective school where students of a wide range of abilities are given opportunities to

challenge themselves and achieve their full potential. Academic diversity is clearly evident in the variety of subjects and courses on offer at each stage of schooling. After enrolling in the mandatory subjects for each year level, boys in Years 9-12 choose from a broad range of electives to complete their pattern of study. Boys also take part in outdoor education at the college’s outdoor education campus, Colo. The college curriculum is tailored to ensure each individual student has the opportunity and encouragement to achieve. Gifted and talented students undertake challenging and stimulating extension programs and students with special learning needs receive extra learning support and attention. All students at St Joseph’s College have their own MacBook as part of the 1:1 Learning Program. These MacBooks are utilised across all subject areas and, combined with the college’s intranet and the guidance of the college’s teachers, allow for engaging and highly personalised learning experiences. St Joseph’s also offers students in Years 11 and 12 the opportunity to undertake Vocational Education courses. Upon successful completion of these courses the student receives formal vocational qualifications under the Australia Qualifications Framework (AQF), which fasttracks their future tertiary studies and, ultimately, gives them a head start to their chosen career. As a boarding school, one particular strength of the college’s daily teaching is the close supervision of regular evening study. This is available to boarders and day students who stay after hours. Each student is provided with frequent study time as well as assistance by the study-supervisor. Students also have access to the Brother Liguori

Resources Centre and tuition or special support when needed. Regular study hours, including time during the weekend, ensures students have ample opportunity to complete homework and assignments and study effectively. All teaching staff at St Joseph’s are qualified and highly professional educators who are dedicated to continuing the college’s longstanding tradition of academic excellence. Staff undertake regular professional development to stay up-to-date with the latest in education practice and theory. SPORT AND COCURRICULAR Sport St Joseph’s College prides itself on providing students with a well-rounded, balanced education, focussing on boys’ academic, physical, social, spiritual and recreation needs. The college’s broad range of sport and co-curricular activities caters for a wide range of talents and interests and adds great enjoyment to students’ school life. All boys at St Joseph’s participate in the college’s comprehensive sport and co-curricular program. St Joseph’s was a founding member of the Athletic Association of Great Public Schools (AAGPS) and participates in the AAGPS sporting competitions of NSW. Most sports are contested among the nine member schools and boys have the opportunity to represent the college at their own level of expertise. St Joseph’s offers a variety of sports and sporting competitions throughout the year. All students participate in a summer sport and a winter sport of their choice and benefit from working with the college’s experienced coaches as well as a comprehensive strength and conditioning program. Sports offered at the college include AFL, athletics, cricket, cross country, equestrian,


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football, golf, rugby, rowing, snow sport, swimming, surf lifesaving, tennis and water polo. Co-curricular Students at St Joseph’s have numerous opportunities to develop their debating, oratory and performing arts talents and interests. Performing arts at the college is vibrant and innovative, adding great richness and energy to the community. The Music and Drama Departments share a passionate commitment to not only engaging the boys in a range of experiences and developing their talents, but also instilling in them a life-long appreciation for the arts and providing them with a balanced, well rounded education. The college hosts regular showcase evenings, competitions and a number of productions each year. This year the college’s major production is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. BOARDING AT ST JOSEPH’S Joeys is a leader in boys’ boarding education, with 136 years of experience and a student population that is 50 per cent boarding. The college’s residential facilities are well equipped, comfortable and modern. Each Year 12 boarder has his own comfortable study-bedroom, with access to shared relaxation and recreation areas. The Year 12 bedrooms, bathrooms and boarding area recently underwent a complete refurbishment in and provide students with functional spaces for living and studying. Borders in Years 9, 10 and 11 live in purpose-built residential blocks. Junior boarders (Years 7-8) live in the boarding areas of the main building, which were fully refurbished in 2014. A 24-hour, seven days a week, on-site health centre provides a professional health service to the students. College doctors are available for consultation with boarding students each weekday morning.

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All student meals at St Joseph’s College are assessed by Food and Nutrition Australia (FNA) to ensure they provide the recommended serves of the core food groups. Food is both delicious and nutritionally sound and students with special dietary requirements can be catered for.

Company: ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE Website: www.joeys.org Email: sjc@joeys.org Address: Hunters Hill, Sydney Australia Facebook: www.facebook.com/StJosephsCollegeHuntersHill

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Embracing Change Stefan Hicks talks to APAC Insider about what it means to be CEO of such a large and prestigious firm in the APAC region. Ensurance was started as a General Insurance Brokerage in 1990 in Perth, Western Australia. Maturing, the company set up national headquarters in Sydney in 2003. Listing on the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) in 2015 and opening its first international office in London in 2016. It is now the parent company to a number of entities in the following sections; brokers (retail), underwriting agencies (wholesale) and an IT company that develops all of our innovated bespoke IT solutions. The company has been designed, and built infrastructure to manage future strategies in the areas of; • To capitalize on the digital disruption and flux of change in the short to medium term within insurance industry, • Increase distribution, by providing non-industry companies to sell insurance, fast and easy without the need of investing in costly infrastructure. • To provide the consumer with an insurance purchase model that meets their needs and demands. Including but not limited to, user experience satisfaction, online robo advice, decision making sensitivity, and new bespoke products. • Increasing margins by focusing on cost of acquisition and cost of maintenance. This includes increasing revenue but more importantly decreasing costs, particularly compliance costs. The company is now experiencing an exciting and challenging phase of exporting

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and expanding globally its significant disrupting capabilities. Stefan Hicks goes into further detail about the work the firm undertakes and the type of clients it serves. “Ensurance through its subsidiaries has been operating for over 25 years,” he begins. “As founder of the business over this period the role has literally encompassed everything from janitor to IT manager to international board meetings. Now as head of an organisation I have the ultimate responsibility to all stakeholders and shareholders. It could be the weight and complexity of these responsibilities that prohibit a majority of people even attempting a job as CEO. The types of people I work with on a daily basis is varied and the associated range of issues being dealt with, is dispersed. “The clients that I now speak and liaise with have changed dramatically over the years as the business matures. In the initial years my clients were small direct consumers of general insurance who required policies. Today my role involves managing; Internal heads of departments for results and strategy; Company Boards for governance and compliance; Insurers and Whitelablers (Clients) for products and new business; and Stockbrokers and Capital Markets for market support.” Stefan explains in detail the key principles behind his tried-andtested approach which has led him to develop the company so successfully. “I find employing complementary people that bring different and

required skills to the team enables problems to be solved faster and more comprehensively should and when they arise. “I encourage internal robust discussions. It is extremely healthy for the business. If the team has passion for the company/industry/ or strategy it needs to be harnessed into positive vigorous discussions. Too many people and businesses can take alternative thoughts or ideas personally as an affront to their leadership. Kept professional, connecting the team’s differences in thoughts, processes and decision making can only be a good outcome for the business. “I embrace change. The most constant aspect in the mechanics of business is change. It occurs with or without your participation. You will need to go through periods of reinventing yourself and the business to remain a competitor. As a successful CEO, you need to remain open, dynamic, fluid, flexible and embrace change. “Concentration is important. The role of CEO demands that one of the key attributes that is essential is concentration. Not just for long periods of time, but more importantly you need to ignore the noise. The information that requires processing is becoming louder by the day. A successful CEO can sift the noise from the vital information in order to make timely and correct decisions. “I place robust infrastructure in place for standards, quality, compliance, and trust in the people to execute their roles. This will enable you to focus more on the market/game and where profit can be made.

“I also think like a customer and not a supplier. What exactly do your customers want, how, when, where and lastly why. By fully understanding what it is to be a customer of your company, can only lead to improvement.” Stefan states that, in his experience as a CEO there are a number of key attributes that considerably assist in performing successfully. “I believe the following are essential to performing this role over a long period of time; • Expect delays, headwinds, dead ends, split decisions and obstacles. These issues are a constant over the long term. In order to successfully problem solve all issues that arise requires the ability to look at problems from a multitude of angles, however above all it requires patience. When fires pop up in the business, or something arises that threatens existing or future operations, and it will, you need to address the issues with patience and a level head. Don’t dance around the issue, however address and solve it straight on. Recognition of problems is a great place to start improving your business, and in itself can be 50% of the solution. • As mentioned earlier, high competence in sifting the noise from the relevant data/ information. As CEO you need precise, condensed and above all accurate information in order to make correct decisions. Currently due to digital expansion, we are being constantly bombarded with information and data. Sifting through of what’s relevant and accurate is essential.


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Company: Ensurance Ltd Name: Stefan Hicks Email: shicks@ensurance.com.au Web Address: www.ensurance.com.au Address: PO Box 523, Milsons Point, Sydney NSW 1565 Australia Telephone: +61 414 310 044

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Listening. Many CEO’s think that by being a leader that they have to talk all the time and show leadership. One of the key attributes for a successful CEO is their ability to listen. Listen to staff, core team members, stakeholders and above all your clients. Good Timing. Knowing when to attack or aggressively hit markets and competitors, when to defend and consolidate or knowing when to become passive and quiet. This is a very difficult skill to teach. Its more intuition and ‘gut’ feelings on how to play the game of business. However, it is essential to know what to do and when to be successful. Education – always be educating yourself into areas that require it. Consistently strengthen weak skills or knowledge deficiencies.

“Strengthen valued, experienced and profitable relationships with selective stakeholders.” Motivation can be a concern to a CEO. Here Stefan tells us just a few of the things which keep him going. “It is difficult to find consistent motivation internally and from team members,” he says. “Remaining positive is necessary to remaining a successful leader, and this must be able to be self-generated and in isolation to your career. In order to achieve this position the following areas need to be addressed;

Treat the work as a game. Learn its rules and how to play, and then simply work hard on improving how you play the game. Snakes and Ladders would be the most similar board game to business (sometimes one step forward and two steps back). Take time out. Business can be so fast paced and unrelenting that places a CEO in danger of weariness and burnout. Taking time out for exercise, hobbies and any other interests is imperative to be successful. Life balance is not an option but a necessity. Family first – always. Replace your role every 3 years. Always be working to replace yourself and your role every 3 years with either process automation or another qualified individual(s). Without this discipline it will be difficult to grow yourself and the business. In addition, this strategy brings its own motivation, as you replace the unlikable parts of your job.”

And some of the areas he finds challenging within the APAC region. “For my position as CEO of Ensurance, within the insurance industry, I have found the following challenges to be the largest; • Whereas the Asia and Pacific region has the population and numbers, this does not equal the number of people who purchase

insurance in other parts of the world. Around the globe insurance is an established mature market in areas of large population centers, example, Europe, US etc. Purchasing insurance outside of Australia is still an industry in its infancy. This is now growing, particularly in China, as the middle class grows. In addition, the number of competitors are the same, competing over the smaller number policy holders. Trusting in partnerships is difficult. Within Australia you have Crown Law that enforces contracts and agreements. Outside of Australia, within Asia and the Pacific, using domestic law can be problematic, which hugely undermines the ability and motivation of seeking capable and authentic partners. Outside of Australia, expanding out into the regions immature insurance market is extremely difficult without the need for heavy investment into the associated infrastructure. This includes, systems, quality assurance, skill sets, experience, ongoing compliance, oversight and management.”

Stefan has seen a number of distinct changes in the insurance industry over the last 30 years, with the most dynamic changes occurring in the last 3-5 years and continuing to alter the industry going forward in the short to long term. “Navigating and taking advantage of the opportunities presented with fluctuations can be game-changers for a company. It can allow the business to elevate itself in a way that is impossible by not embracing or recognising the transformation. The following have been the most prominent; • Consumer purchasing habits. Consumers now purchase a widget (any widget) considerably different than even say 5 years ago. The use of digital distribution mediums has had a massive

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impact on consumers purchasing habits. They will now most likely research extensively using digital mediums, and is rapidly moving to a comfort zone of actually purchasing over the internet. As a business, you must embrace digital capabilities to reach your existing or new clients, or in the reduction of internal costs. Margins are being more and more squeezed. Due to the GFC there has been a massive global shift in capital monies into insurance seeking stable growth and profit. This has resulted in additional competition, lower prices and a reduction of collected premiums. This in turn has placed massive downward pressure on margins and profits on businesses across the board, that still operate on aging and inflexible infrastructures. It is also important to recognise what has not changed over this period, and that is mainly the reliance on strategic partnerships and stakeholders.”

With regards to the future, Stefan has great aspirations for the firm and his role. “As CEO it is easy to live in the ‘now’ as the role fluctuates between dealing with the micro and occasionally in the macro. It is important to look further down the road and see what lies ahead for your industry and company. I would like to see the following; • Success for the company and its shareholders. Effectively executing existing goals and strategies. It will have extended its global reach and sales. • Obtaining more life balance, spending more time with the family. • Continuing to enjoy the role and having fun – which will continue to motivate me. There should be more focus on ‘the road’ instead of the destination. • Continuing to be a global industry leader in driving dynamic change into an old and stale industry.”


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A Global Phenomenon Michelle Doherty talks to APAC Insider about the beauty industry within the APAC region, and what skills she possesses to ensure her ongoing success as an award-winning CEO.

“I am the CEO and co-owner of Alpha-H, a global leader in corrective and preventative skincare,” begins Michelle. “Alpha-H creates revolutionary cosmeceutical formulations, which help bridge the gap between the beauty counter and invasive treatments. Committed to achieving clinical results with minimal effort and zero downtime, integrity and scientific development sets Alpha-H apart from other brands, which offer a band-aid rather than a solution for specific skin concerns. To achieve fast effective results Alpha-H use a concentrated and balanced combination of potent cosmeceutical and natural ingredients, which are supported with scientific evidence, pH adjustment and efficacy studies.

giants Sephora and Marks & Spencer. “We manufacture onsite at our headquarters on the Gold Coast in Australia where we can take advantage of the unique biodiversity of local scientifically validated ingredients and also closely monitor the quality, consistency and standard of each formulation.

“As CEO, I spend most of my time expanding the Alpha-H product range both in Australia and overseas, collaborating and working closely with TV networks, international distributers and professional beauty salons. The most rewarding part of my role is having the opportunity to meet with people whose life has been changed through using Alpha-H products.

“Ultimately our strategy is to put people first,” she states. “We like to connect in meaningful ways with our consumers, engaging with them and understanding them. By building brand love we are building a tribe and culture that people want to be a part of.

“Our customers are loyal to Alpha-H because we are accountable for our products and ingredients, deliver on the promise of a healthy functioning skin and are socially conscious.” The company is proudly Australian-owned and operated, and stocked in over 25 countries including prestige clinics, exclusive day spas, and cosmetic

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“Our exponential growth over the last few years has seen our global presence significantly increase and therefore our ongoing strategy must be flexible to allow for different markets, cultures, and communications.” Michelle explains that the core principles and values behind the brand are honesty, relevance, quality, high percentages of active ingredients and skincare solutions.

“We have also taken a flexible approach to developing the company over the years. Adapting our business model from a bricks and mortar to TV and online with the rise of e-commerce, has changed how we connect with our customers with social media and e-marketing accounting for a huge part of our marketing strategy. This has contributed to our increased international presence and helped us create the cult global following that is symbolic of our brand. Alpha-H has gone from strength to

strength while still retaining its unique quirky personality and that’s what resonates with our audience.” Michelle believes her number one key strength is dedication and commitment to building relationships with all stakeholders of Alpha-H, from customers to stockists and employees. “Trust and integrity is key to our ongoing success. “I would like to think my ongoing guidance and business acumen is paramount to the daily operation of Alpha-H. On an international platform, I represent the brand as the key spokesperson for Alpha-H and I actively pursue affiliations between myself and key industry professionals to ensure we identify new trends and shifts in the market. “Creating brand experience is integral for both consumers and staff alike. We have built our reputation through our staffs’ commitment of striving to provide the highest level of service and customer care. This is a reflection on our long-standing team of staff members and strong relations with our business partners.” With regards to the beauty business in the APAC region, Michelle has witnessed many changes. “I am pleased to say that people are becoming more aware of and moving away from brands that test on animals. I am also happy that China is making changes to their policies to support this move. “Sustainability and packaging are also areas, which are

undergoing change. People are supporting ‘green’ and ‘earth-friendly’ brands/products that have minimal impact on the environment; therefore brands are becoming more socially responsible with their formulations, manufacturing and packaging. Consumers are savvy; they are doing their research before purchasing, so brands, which have minimum impact on the environment, will be favoured. “The antipollution movement is also huge, particularly in Asian countries. Consumers are becoming more aware of the damage that’s caused by urban pollution and environmental aggressors and showing more interest in purchasing products, which counteract this. With increased consumer demand, this year we will be launching an anti-pollution mist which will be popular in the APAC region.” As a successful and innovative CEO, Michelle has big plans for the brand with regards to the future. “I envision expanding the brand further globally so that our products are accessible to everyone and anyone wanting to obtain clinical results from the comfort of their own home. We are also planning a custom built manufacturing facility to cope with increasing demand so that’s very exciting and a marker of how far we have come as a brand. “We will continue to closely monitor every one of our formulations to ensure we are always breaking new ground in cosmetic advancements.


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“Our latest project – Vitamin Profiling – will be ongoing. Topical vitamins have never been more relevant with lifestyle factors and environmental aggressors compounding the biological ageing process; prompting us to create our Vitamin Profiling Collection. We will continue to look at the role topical vitamins play in treating the skin.” Company: Alpha-H Name: Michelle Doherty Email: admin@alpha-h.com Web Address: www.alpha-h.com Address: PO BOX 905, Oxenford, QLD 4210, Australia Telephone: 1800 659 777 or 07 55 294 866

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Education, Education, Education Karyn Lisignoli talks to us about the core values which underpin the services that Nyoongar Wellbeing & Sports provides. Nyoongar Wellbeing & Sports (NWS) is an Aboriginal Corporation and registered health promotion charity working to build health and wellbeing in the Aboriginal community residing in Nyoongar country. This is an area of over 300,000 square kilometres, covering Perth and surrounding regions, which is home to half of the West Australian Aboriginal population. The majority of NWS’s programs target children and young people, although it also provides services for adults. Approximately 80% of its participants are Aboriginal. Karyn Lisignoli tells us a little more about the charity and the services it offers to the community. “NWS provides a variety of different programs in both school and community settings,” she begins. “These programs nearly all involve physical activity, whilst most also include personal and cultural development activities and are designed to build physical and emotional health and wellbeing, as well as a sense of personal responsibility and empowerment. All our programs are delivered in partnership with others and also work to improve educational outcomes; improve behaviour; and build resilience and drive in the community. “To illustrate, our schools program, the Young Achievers Club, works intensively in six primary schools, where we deliver a variety of sessions from three to five times per week at each school, including a homework club in one location.

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It has shown outstanding results in improving school attendance, behaviour, academic achievement, as well as building cultural pride, confidence and self-esteem. “In our community programs area, feedback from both participants and agencies indicate we are achieving positive outcomes such as increased social skills and inclusion, improved health and wellbeing, and a decrease in anti-social behaviour.” NWS is a civic sector organisation, or not-for-profit, which presents its own unique challenges as its largest trading partner is government and its competitors are not just other Aboriginal charities, but essentially every charity/NFP in Australia. “A major focus for us is diversifying our funding sources; increasing our profile in the corporate sector in order to attract sponsorships and financial partnerships; and continuing to develop new programs in partnership with new stakeholders to address more social issues and concerns, such as building mental health to address the despair and suicide within the Aboriginal community. “We have a very strong and evidence-based operational model, which always aims to build physical health within a culturally appropriate framework, whilst also addressing other issues such as school attendance, incarceration rates, and violence and so on. The health statistics for the Australian

Aboriginals is so dire in comparison to other populations that it the single most important issue to address. Health is the fundamental foundation for wellbeing and success in all areas of life.” The organisation is extremely values-based and its approach to developing its programs and services is a combination of research and evidence, coupled with experience and community feedback. “It is vitally important in any social change area, that the target group is actively involved in driving the changes they want and need in order to succeed,” explains Karyn. “This however, needs to be developed within frameworks from research that reveals which interventions and changes actually make an impact. Sadly within the community sector many programs are counter-intuitive in that what often seems to not likely to work, actually has the biggest impact.” In dealing with a cultural group, such as Aboriginal Australians it is even more important that the group knowledge, culture and customs play a strong role in program delivery. Karyn states that the wisdom of the community needs to be a strong driver in developing and delivering programs, which is why the firm is an Aboriginal Corporation, with 80% Aboriginal staff. By her own admittance, Karyn is naturally a very motivated and optimistic person. This, coupled with her physical, mental and spiritual health, are the

key attributes to keeping her motivated for success. “I am a strong and passionate believer that life is an ongoing journey of growth and development and that our role is to give back – to utilise our strengths and resources for the benefit of all. A favourite quote that reflects my life belief is …. “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world and you impoverish yourself if you forget that errand” - Woodrow Wilson” The single most important tool to address poverty, despair and disadvantage is education and employment – this is consistent all over the world. Karyn tells us what she foresees moving forward for the organisation. “We have achieved such extraordinary success in our Schools program we have applied to double our funding to deliver this in an additional six schools. The cost for this program equates to about $2,000 per Aboriginal student annually, whilst the cost of incarcerating a child costs in excess of $200,000 per year, so not only is it achieving extraordinary success it is extremely cost-effective. “There is actually no limit to the number of schools we could work in, so we expect to continue expanding this with additional government funding and then philanthropic and corporate funding as well.”


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Company: Nyoongar Wellbeing & Sports Aboriginal Corporation Name: Karyn Lisignoli Email: karyn@nyoongarsports.com.au Web Address: www.nyoongarsports.com.au Address: 7/168 Guildford Road, Maylands Western Australia 6051 Telephone: + 61 (0) 8 9272 3189

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All that Glitters is Gold Kim Sutton, award-winning CEO of not for profit organisation, Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, tells us more about the sector and what working in a different country taught her.

Gold Coast Hospital Foundation (The Foundation) is a notfor-profit organisation responsible to the Queensland Office of Health Statutory Agencies that exists to support sick and injured patients suffering distress and hardship. With a motto of Help. Care. Save this dynamic organisation assists patients in receiving care at nearly forty local public hospitals, and community health services, as well as advancing clinical treatment for better patient outcomes through education and research. The organisation is the official charity for the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service. It aims to add value to existing government health budgets, as well as deliver projects that would not otherwise be funded – projects that improve the patient experience, and that of their family and friends, by reducing stress and anxiety, minimising wait, treatment and hospital stay times and improving the efficiency and approach of care models. To support patients and families suffering emotional distress and financial hardship, the Foundation provides the Cancer Patient Transport Service and the Trauma Support Program. For Gold Coast Health hospitals and community health clinics, the Foundation provides specialised medical equipment; health staff specialist training through education workshops; allied health and nursing and midwifery scholarships; community health programs; and improvement of facilities. With a focus on reducing distress for children in hospital the Foundation has

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also made comprehensive music therapy and life therapy services possible. Kim Sutton, CEO of The Foundation, originates from Australia but she has also lived and managed not for profit organisations in the UK for 13 years. “Having returned from living in a country with triple Australia’s population, the scale and scope of business opportunities was greater - clients, donors and employees with vast experience in specialist income streams were much easier to secure. Philanthropy, and its history and its implementation through fundraising is also somewhat different. Coming back to Australia and leading a regional organisation has allowed me to be much more creative in my approach to securing revenue, overcoming challenges and employing staff. Australia and the Gold Coast offer opportunities to be really entrepreneurial.” Kim, at her own admittance, has limitless amounts of energy and the determination to see her organisation succeed. Two key attributes which she believes have helped make her an awardwinning CEO. “I love what I do and gain so much satisfaction each time I walk through the hospital and see patients in need that we are helping – babies, children and adults who are seriously injured or unwell,” she enthuses. “My approach is very strategic and solution focused – I stay calm during any storm – focusing on what can be done to solve problems quickly and keep stakeholders happy. I am happy

to get hands on and do anything that I would ask my team to do, I have done myself and am happy to do when resources are tight.” Not for profit organisations rely on fundraising for income, so having a CEO that understands and values the fundraising team and the complicated nature of fundraising methodology and finances is key. “Many fundraising teams complain that their executive team and Board don’t understand or support what they are doing. I have personally raised millions of dollars and pounds for UK and Australian charities in my roles with charities such as Action for Children, Oxfam Australia and Gold Coast Hospital Foundation and am only one in ninety Australian fundraising professionals that hold a the CFRE globally recognised certification in fundraising excellence. Having a CEO that loves and deeply understands fundraising and philanthropy is extremely beneficial to my team and organisation.” Technologically is incredibly important in Kim’s industry, however she explains that it is often hard to secure, implement and maintain for not for profit organisations that need to justify every penny spent. “We also work in a time where the young people entering the work force expect to have access to technologically as good as, if not better, than what they use at home. Everyone is used to instant access to information and if the workplace can’t provide the same, employees quickly become frustrated.”

Since joining the Foundation Kim has worked with the team to implement a number of technology solutions, such as secure online giving and banking, a contact management system and is currently working to introduce a new system to automate the firm’s service delivery and grant making services. She is also looking at new disrupter technologies about to be introduced to the Australian fundraising market and encourages her team to be at the front of the queue when new opportunities are offered. If you wait to see how they work out for those that try them first, by the time you get on board it will be old news and the opportunity may have been missed. Taking risks presents an opportunity for grander successes! “These technologies save time and money, making us more effective and efficient,” explains Kim. “By capturing information about customers, their likes, dislikes and preferences and our conversations with them, more accurately, they also allow us to have more meaningful conversations with customers and supporters – I think people expect this now. Using it effectively is always the challenge. And it’s about having good processes and policies and reinforcing these regularly – it has to be a team culture and commitment. I like to recruit team that enjoy technology – that want to be well organised and process orientated!” With regards to the future of The Foundation, Kim lets us into a few forthcoming plans which she hopes to see come to fruition. “When I took over this


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organisation at the end of 2012 it was nearly twenty years old but had just 1.6FTE employees, low brand recognition, no sale-able products and was turning over an average of $800,000 per year. I have completely overhauled it, implemented new systems, structures and procedures, revenue streams and am growing a dynamic and passionate team and programs. “In five years I want to see this organisation turning over at least $5m per year… not merely for the sake of raising more money but for the sake of delivering more meaningful services to children and adults who are injured and unwell.

“We will secure significant major gift and commercial income – ensuring a good, steady and stable mix of philanthropic and commercial revenue.” Kim was recently won a 2017 Scholarship with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and is currently studying, the AICD Company Director’s Course, Australia’s benchmark Directors program. She is a firm advocate for the need for not-forprofit organisations to champion sound business strategy, management and governance processes.

Company: Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Name: Kim Sutton Email: kim@gchfoundation.org.au Web Address: gchfoundation.org.au Address: 1 Hospital Boulevard Southport 4215 Telephone: +61 7 5594 6986

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Finger on the Pulse Stephen Becsi OAM, CEO of Pulse, tells us more about culture cultivation and what the future holds for the firm. Pulse Australasia/ UK is the first organisation globally to develop and implement a CULTURETECH© platform. This CULTURETECH© Platform has been designed to intentionally design, change, measure and monitor an organisation’s cultural state through the development of a systems engineered psychological approach. Implementation of this CULTURETECH© Platform will enable organisations of all sizes to quantifiably understand the current state of their culture through the provision of Net Culture Scores, enabling boards and executives to effectively govern and monitor company culture. The methodology is designed to include every individual in the organisation on the basis that all staff work collectively together to achieve shared and common organisational goals. Currently Pulse has already ‘Pulsed’ over 50,000 people and captured 1.2 billion data points, across Australasia and the UK. This CULTURETECH© Platform model is infinitely scalable and can be simultaneously implemented across multiple geographies through to small team based organisations. Pulse works with boards, CEO’s and senior management teams in tier 1 companies, public and private, government and notfor-profit organisations across Australasia and the UK. The Pulse Methodology creates the link between the strategic direction of a

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company, the behaviour and personal accountability of every employee to focus on collective achievement which measurably increases business performance. The Pulse strategy is underpinned by its vision to become: “The global leader in culture transformation by linking individual accountability to organisational performance.” Stephen Becsi OAM, CEO of Pulse, tells us more about this strategy for success. “Our strategy is to develop a fully automated CULTURETECH© Platform which will hold a full range of unique pulse programs aimed at addressing company culture and leadership which will successfully deliver widescale, low-cost solutions to SME’s, large private, public and NFP organisations. In addition, global benchmarking of cultures measured through Net Culture Scores (NCS) and Leadership performance measured through Net Leadership Scores (NLS) will enable boards and executives to effectively govern and monitor culture and leadership performance on an ongoing basis. “Currently Pulse has successfully implemented the Pulse Program to clients in Australasia and the UK. It is expected that with the launch of the fully automated CULTURETECH© Platform in the first half of 2017, that growth will increase by over 300% due to the scalable automated nature of the Platform effectively being able to reach all corners of the globe providing culture and leadership solutions to all size and industry type organisations.

“It is anticipated that the US will also become a significant market for Pulse Global in 2018.” Recently, Stephen was awarded the Order of Australia for services to Aged Care, the prestigious accolade of “most influential Leader in Aged Care” and a finalist for CEO of the Year – Australasia, but he explains that being a successful CEO isn’t always as easy as he makes it appear, especially in the APAC region. “The greatest challenge I think has been to bring a new product to market when human beings are inclined to want to keep with what they have always done even though it has not and is not working for them. The challenge has been to deliver to market a new product that has very little risk attached for potential customers to trial when you are a start-up that does not have significant Global Brand. If the product is marketed and can be proven to have incredible ROI attached, it will not be believed. If the price point comes in too high, the risk to trial is elevated. The challenge is to bring to market a solution that addresses a common pain point for business in a way that makes it easy for potential customers to trial. “Secondly it is understanding the Asia-Pacific region and the incredible culture diversifications and the way business operates across all of the Asia Pacific regions. I would not recommend a one approach fits all but rather look to work with partners that understand the diversification of the Asia-Pacific region.”

Stephen possesses certain key attributes that help make him an award-winning CEO, such as knowing that success is very much a team effort and remaining focussed on the end goal. He embellishes on what keeps him motivated. “At Pulse we work collectively together and focus on achieving shared and common goals. It is much easier to stay focussed and motivated when you are a member of a team who are all working together to achieve the same collective goals. It provides a sense of shared belongingness for us all. This approach is similar to when I was a naval officer, it is all about team, all of us being accountable and responsible, all playing our part. Not one of us wants to let the team down and instead we all remain focussed and motivated together. We are all excited by the opportunities that are opening up for Pulse and each and every one of us have played an integral part (like a jigsaw puzzle) that has enabled us to achieve what we have to date.” It seems that the sky is the limit for Stephen and the team at Pulse, and he foresees the CULTURETECH© Platform becoming a huge success. “It is important because we need to highlight personal accountability and responsibility in the workplace to intentionally develop healthy tangible productive workplace cultures. Pulse through the CULTURETECH© Platform can do this and I am highly motivated to see this Platform become a global success.


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Finger on the Pulse

“I would like to think that the Pulse methodology is being applied in all continents with a significant number of organisations. As the entitlement syndrome is reduced and collective achievement successfully implemented a significant number of people and organisations improve their personal quality of life and missions achieved. I would like to speak on the global circuit as one of the world’s leading experts on Culture transformation and strategy execution.”

Company: Pulse Australasia Name: Stephen Becsi OAM Email: sbecsi@pulseaustralasia.com Web Address: www.pulseaustralasia.com Address: Level 36, Gateway Tower, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 417 183 864

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From Humble Beginnings Steve Bevington of CHL explains in depth the challenges faced in the sustainable housing space and how the firm has sought to overcome these. Community Housing Limited (CHL) is a not for profit unlisted public company which owns seven subsidiaries; two of which operate in Australia and the remaining five in Chile, India, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Timor Leste. The CHL group of companies develops and provides affordable housing to those most in need and those who find it challenging to secure long term housing in the market. Steve Bevington who heads up the company tells us a little more about the firm and the services it offers. “In some places we work there are inadequate levels of employment which reduce the capacity of people to meet necessary housing payments and therefore we also run training programs, often in the construction or housing maintenance industries, which provide a source of ongoing employment. This further enhances the ability of households to ensure the sustainability of their housing. Further to this some communities are not always sufficiently cohesive to provide a stable place to live safely and sustainably so in these communities we create programs to assist in greater community cohesion.” The business was incorporated in 1993 in Victoria, Australia where it grew over its first

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ten years to provide around 600 affordable rental houses designed, constructed and managed by 38 staff across Victoria, with annual turnover of $8 million and a surplus (profit) of $0.5 million. Since then CHL has steadily expanded its business to be operational in all six States with more than 6,000 affordable rental houses across Australia, around 200 staff (174 EFT) with some 300 employees working in Chile and Timor Leste to construct housing. And is now well recognised as one of the largest community housing providers in the country. In the last financial year the company’s turnover was $80 million with an annual surplus of $10 million demonstrating that the organisation has grown exponentially in the past 12 years and continues to gather pace as it seeks to meet the housing needs of those dislocated in the market across four regions of the world. Steve elaborates on the approach taken to develop the company effectively and ensure its success. “The company operates through strong, transparent governance principles and is regulated by a range of Australian and international corporate, government and not for profit regulators. As such it offers firm platform to gather partners together to deliver housing to the less well off. CHL has

always developed housing through partnering with other organisations focussed on meeting peoples’ housing needs whether these are governments, housing developers, financiers or fellow community organisations. CHL has more than 300 ongoing partnerships across Australia and overseas which have survived over the years to continue this shared goal. “Other core principles are that CHL as the parent company is a not for profit social enterprise which seeks to develop housing which is good quality but at a lower cost than the market. It generates modest surpluses (profits) which are not distributed to shareholders but reinvested in generating more housing for those in need. This housing is of good quality, well located and priced at a level where housing payments for lower income people are no more than 30% of household income. Whilst CHL does not distribute its profits to shareholders, it will partner with private developers and financiers which have a mandate to generate profit as long as that partnership is able to create a lower cost of housing to the end consumer. “CHL is able to generate good quality housing at a cost lower than market by exploring and utilising new construction technology which delivers housing more cheaply and quickly than via traditional means; opens up avenues by which people who have been unable to secure credit or government subsidies are able to do so; and source land and

provide tenure approaches which reduce the investment necessary to develop housing.” Steve himself is from humble beginnings and he tells us that from early adulthood he lived in insecure housing and was even homeless at times. The overall impact this had on Steve is what motivates him and keeps him positive in order to achieve success. “It taught me that access to good quality, long term housing priced to one’s ability to pay was essential for one’s life development,” he states. “If I am able to be instrumental in providing this to more people who otherwise don’t have it then I remain motivated and positive. Luckily CHL’s development has encouraged me to believe that it has an increasing capacity to meet these goals.” Steve tells us that, when the company first began, there were very few effective providers of any note in Australia. However, the industry has seen monumental changes over the years. “CHL has taken its responsibility as a sector leader seriously and sought to collaborate and support the growth of industry associations at state and national levels. This has created a strong, vibrant, diverse and competitive community housing sector which has been able to reverse the decline of affordable housing in the country which was evident during the 1990s and 2000s.


g From Humble Beginnings

CHL is not only proud of its own growth and ability to meet the housing needs of low income people but also of the other community housing organisations which are also developing their capacity to do the same. As CHL develops overseas it also seeks to work to collaborate to assist housing providers to develop elsewhere.” When the company first began services outside Australia, its principal challenge was that it started out in Timor Leste which, at the time, was the world’s newest country and had the majority of its citizens living through subsistence farming. This brought up many challenges for the firm. “At the time the country had a minimal budget made up of two thirds donor funded aid and while it has grown, its public funds still are insufficient to assist to meet the housing needs of its citizens. At the same time the country is only now passing property and land law and this delay has limited the capacity of private enterprise to meet the housing challenge. CHL has responded to this challenge by focussing on skilling up a workforce to generate housing and now has an effective house building program in the south of the country.” Looking at the future of the industry in the APAC region, Steve foresees plenty of opportunity for other countries to develop housing for lower income people in a similar way.

Name: Steve Bevington Web Address: www.chl.org.au

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“The Asia Pacific region has a great variation amongst its countries, from those which have taken the necessary steps to plan an overall housing policy to meet the needs of all their citizens such as Singapore to those which are just starting on the journey to formulate a housing strategy. I think there are real opportunities for countries such as India and Indonesia to fully develop housing for all their citizens which responds to their economic and cultural needs. I also think the creation of wide ranging housing construction programs will assist in driving their overall economic growth and wealth.”

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A Trusted Advisor Rebecca Wilson talks to APAC Insider about WE Buchan and how the business operates.

Headed up by CEO Rebecca Wilson, an employee of WE Buchan for over 16 years herself, the agency has expertise in corporate communications, investor relations, consumer and stakeholder management with a focus on the innovative industries with specialist teams working in health, technology, consumer brands, digital and financial and professional services. More recently, the agency has been investing significantly in its technology and digital expertise. “We have always had an eye on the future and developing client campaigns that are disruptive and challenge the status quo as a way of differentiating brands in what is a cluttered communications environment,” says Rebecca. “Now we are combining traditional and digital strategies to bring campaigns to life through meaningful brand engagement and exposure.” This has proven to be a very successful strategy for the firm. In the last 12 months alone WE Buchan has been named Agency of the Year by the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA), awarded for its healthcare work with NovoNordisk by the International Association of Business

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Communicators (IABC) with a Gold Quill and a Bronze Quill, and has been shortlisted for PR Agency of the Year for the coveted Mumbrella CommsCon awards. “We have created a business environment that is agile and allows us to pivot and capitalise on new trends and opportunities for our clients and our employees. More than just communication experts, we are industry experts, intimately understanding the sectors that our clients operate in. “We’ve also worked hard to empower our employees to make decisions, be creative, and take chances, even if they don’t always work out. In my opinion, this is essential to creating a workforce that loves what they do. At the end of the day, we are only as good as our people and while we are serious about delivering outcomes and results, we also have a genuine passion for what we do and have fun along the way.” In April last year, independent global communication group WE Communications acquired a majority stake in the agency, expanding an eight-year long partnership. “The deepening of our relationship with WE is very exciting for us,” Rebecca says. “We now have the scale to meet global challenges, and combine this with our localised expertise. For our employees, the partnership means that we can remain competitive within the industry, attract the best talent and offer them greater career opportunities including more

training, access to best practice tools and analytics, and crossborder career development.” Rebecca, or “Beck” as she is fondly known by her employees and peers, possesses many important attributes which she believes have helped make her the success she is today. “Tenacity has been a cornerstone of my career,” she enthuses. “Working hard and approaching advice from the basis of the broader business context leads to communication professionals naturally becoming a trusted advisor and mentor to clients and employees alike. And in my opinion, being solutionsorientated secures an influential position in the boardroom.” “As a consultant who has worked with hundreds of companies, including some who have been WE Buchan clients for 30 years, it’s so personally and professionally satisfying to see how our input shapes elements of that business. Having influence over many companies, but more importantly, being trusted by a company with their brand and reputation is an extraordinary privilege.

“Finally, the power of choice is an extraordinary motivator for me. Consulting is exciting but it’s also relentless. Knowing that you have a choice to create change is a great way of recalibrating when feeling flat or overwhelmed.” Over the next five years, Rebecca hopes to see exponential growth for the company. “As we continue to embed ourselves in the WE global network, we have an opportunity to accelerate our global positioning and play a greater role in the leadership of the network. This is a great opportunity for me and for the Australian team. “I’m not one to plan too far into the future, especially when opportunities continue to present daily. The powerful role serendipity can play in shaping the future has kept my career interesting. I would like to see more communication business professionals with roles on Boards, and will look to pursue that opportunity for myself at the right time.”

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The recently awarded Communication Large Agency of the Year, WE Buchan is one of Australia’s leading integrated communication agencies. With offices in Melbourne and Sydney, WE Buchan has provided exceptional communications services in the Australian market for more than 30 years.

Company: WE Buchan Name: Rebecca Wilson Email: rwilson@buchanwe.com.au Web Address: www.buchanwe.com.au


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Staying Ahead of the Game Denise Hamblin is Research Director at Colmar Brunton. She tells APAC insider more about the firm and its secrets to success.

“Our purpose is to help clients create better products for consumers across the Asia Pacific region. We know that better products directly lead to direct sales and that repeat sales that lead to success.” Denise tells us what it is that differentiates Colmar Brunton from competitors and marks it out as the best possible option for clients. “We trade in valuable ideas, in areas of expertise and in predicting the future rather than

branded solutions. We have a large team of researchers, some with over two decades of consumer research experience and all available to contribute to projects of value. “To stay ahead of the game, we use thinking tools to understand trends in social sentiment globally. This tells us how brands should represent themselves, what tone communications should take, and what type of products should be on offer in order to align with the sentiment and needs of the target market. Once this is established, we use our expertise in sensory research and bundle testing to optimise a product offer for the target market, utilising against global benchmarks to predict the ultimate level of success.” Denise provides us with a current view of the FMCG market research industry in the APAC region and explains further the challenges that this sector has to face. “The local challenge for FMCG is competitiveness at a retail level and a lack of investment in real innovation rather than a churn of line extensions at the retailers’ demand. Investment has shifted away from domestic innovation towards export markets; however, often entry to a new market is executed poorly with FMCG companies attempting to sell their current products in a different market without the appropriate level of research or optimisation first. This can damage a brand’s reputation

before it has had a good chance for traction.”

how she foresees the industry evolving.

The team at Colmar Brunton is well trained to think globally, something which stands the firm in good stead to be able to offer the best possible service to its clients.

“Colmar Brunton will continue to grow in the future, helping create better products both domestically and globally. We will continue to be thought leaders in the trend predictor space via our Millennium Monitor, gathering qualitative and quantitative data on social sentiment globally. We will present on sensory-based insights at Pangborn Sensory Symposium and on Trends and Techniques in upcoming ESOMAR conferences. We will assist in Government-led goals around successful exports in addition to domestic success.

“We travel regularly for research and have developed an understanding of the idiosyncrasies of each AP market,” says Denise. “We have a well-established network of global partners who assist us in the gathering of insight. We are flexible and prioritise a high level of tailored client service. We have an excellent track record of generating success for our clients in domestic as well as new markets. “We often attract staff through our travel, through conference presentations, through client relationships or through the graduate and intern programs that we offer.” Denise gives us an insight into the future of the firm as well as

“As technology develops and insight commoditises we will continue adopting ways to streamline our approach; however, we will continue to prioritise great service and expertise that leads to client success. We will continue to stay abreast of Retail trends and the multiple pressure points for our clients as well as opportunity areas across AP markets.”

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Colmar Brunton is one of Australia’s largest market research agencies and is a specialist in FMCG across the Asia Pacific region. Denise Hamblin gives us a more in-depth overview of the firm. “We have over 25 years of experience across all forms of research and consulting and we tailor our approach and analysis to meet the exact requirements of our clients,” she begins. “Our team is made up of world leaders in insight strategy, sensory science, marketing science and qualitative techniques and quantitative analysis. Our specialty is in optimising FMCG brands, packs, concepts and products for export across Asia Pacific and specifically in understanding differences in palate preferences, usage and attitudes globally. We also have an extensive normative database that provides category-specific benchmarks for markets across the globe.

Company: Colmar Brunton Australia Name: Denise Hamblin, Research Director Email: denise.hamblin@colmarbrunton.com Web Address: www.colmarbrunton.com Address: 1-4 Layfield Street, South Melbourne, VIC 3205, Australia Telephone: +64 3 8640 5200

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Quality Integrated Solutions elitesco is a Hong Kong based translation and financial company, founded and operated by professional linguists. Through a combination of having a passionate attention to details and an understanding of their clients’ business needs and goals, elitesco is committed to provide integrated solutions to accommodate their client’s business objectives. We invited Jacqueline Ng to tell us more about the work elitesco Communication Limited do. Their capability to provide quality integrated communication solutions to the sales targets, which are potential and listed companies on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, sets them as a preferred vendor for clients demanding such services. “The development of our industry is directly linked to the business development objectives of HKEX (stock code: 00388). Hence the industry is well driven and being supported by favourable policies published by the Central Government of Mainland China as well as the Hong Kong SAR government.” elitesco Communication Limited upholds a high level of service that they provide for their clients. How they ensure that is being met, is by having staff who share those same beliefs, as Jacqueline explains. “Our clients are satisfied with the services we offer. Hence why we have stable orders flowing into the company from time to time. “Staff is the most valuable asset to the success of our firm, this is because we are 100% labour intensive. Technology does not play a significant part as the literal products in both English and Chinese require manual editing from time to time.”

100 APAC / March 2017

As for potential challenges that lie ahead in 2017, Jacqueline notes on the ones that may affect both the firm and the wider industry in which she works as part of. “The macro economic environment has always been the most significant factor affecting the development of the industry, so do our firm. Given Brexit and Donald Trump becoming the President of United States, it is widely anticipated that there may be a lot of changes ahead in 2017 that may shuffle the macro economic environment.” Looking ahead, Jacqueline reflects on the accomplishments that they have already achieved and highlights what the future holds for elitesco Communication Limited.

“Working from the basis of successes we have achieved during the past years; we are diversifying into medical and health communication industry. We currently have a joint venture that was formed by the owner of elitesco, called Stay Healthy Group Limited. “Stay Healthy offers a Corporate Wellness Program that is designed to achieve significant returns such as; improved job performance and greater productivity and improved employee relation and morale leading to a more supportive and harmonious work place from shared wellness missions. Its aim is achieving a sustainable integrative wellbeing for people at work through the implementation of their programmes.”

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elitesco Communication Limited is engaged in production of literal materials for potential and listed companies on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited for compliance purposes. 9 years ago, elitesco Communication Limited was set up, and today they are solely based in Hong Kong. Working within a dynamic and innovative industry, an usual operation for them is to be primarily engaged in the translation of financial and legal documents from English and Chinese, and vice versa for such purposes.

Contact: Jacqueline Ng Contact Email: jacquelineng@elitesco.com.hk Company: elitesco Communication Limited 1518 Metro Centre 1, 32 Lam Hing St, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong 85294447686 Web Address: www.elitesco.com.hk


1702AP14

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Take Risks, Continue to Invest Eirik Bakke of Evolis speaks to APAC Insider about current trends in the industry and how the company fares in the APAC region. / performance / price ratio to customize badges on plastic cards from simple applications such as club cards to badges used for the most complex and secure applications, such as bank cards or government documents.

“Our channel network, consisting of specialized card printer distributors, has been built-up over the last 16 years as a 100% indirect business. We also work with system integrators around the world who integrate our machines in tailor-made systems for large scale projects in the identification, security, transportation, government, banking or retail sector. Our solutions range from entry level card printers distributed via IT Office channels, midsegment products to tailor-made upgradable machines that can integrate, if required, advanced encoding technologies, lamination, holograms and many more security features.

Eirik explains how Evolis differentiates itself from the competition and marks itself out as the best possible option for clients.

“Over the last few years, we started to diversify our product portfolio with digital signature pads, specific software included in our printers, accessories and services such as warranty extensions, customized training and integration services. We are currently in the process of launching business solutions that address specific business sectors such as food retail, banking, etc.” The firm’s overall missions is to enable users in different markets to have access to the best quality

“We are an independent manufacturing company based in France focusing 100% on the niche market of identification solutions,” states Eirik. “Our open systems are designed to be integrated into various different IT systems of system integrators. Our main competitors are large American groups that also work in other businesses and propose packaged all-in-one systems. Our industrial flexibility to adapt our solutions to customer needs in record time is widely recognized. Our range consists of products that can be upgraded depending on the evolution of a project. More generally spoken, our solutions stand out through an extremely high printing quality and technical reliability as well as constant innovations through our designs, the software suite or the expandability of our printers.” Security has become an important issue for a lot of regions especially the Middle East and Asia. Increasing rates of mobility and migration of the population underscore the need for secure credentials to enable

proper identification. “Globally, governments and corporations continue to look for enhanced security features of their official ID documents which will hence require product and service providers to constantly develop new technologies and features. Therefore, we believe that there will be a growing demand for increasingly sophisticated and more secured access control solutions in the coming years. “We also see a lot of new trends and new regulations in our market that we are currently exploring, such as price tags for the food retail sector or selfservice terminals in the education and banking sector.” As a relatively small player, Evolis has the industrial flexibility to react rapidly to new trends and stay ahead of the curve. “We know that only ongoing innovations allow a company to remain at the top,” Eirik says. “That’s why, for example, from 2010 onwards, we completely reviewed our product strategy and developed solutions that met all the needs that could exist in the market. And we don’t stop there; we are currently in the process of developing new technologies and solutions to address new market needs.” With regards to the future, Eirik tells us what he/she expects

to see, both in terms of the company and the industry. “The products that we are currently developing will address new needs that have been identified. We take risks; we continue to invest. The next years will be marked by product launches, new banking and government projects, and the deployment of our diversification strategy notably with the release of the price tag solution for the retail sector, and investment in our entry level product Badgy distributed through the IT Office channel and the development of the market for payment cards. We will give ourselves the means to expand upon new opportunities! “With the current and future capabilities of smart phone and wearables, we observe an increased trend towards digitalization of mobile credentials. However, we think that for most applications mobile credentials will, for several reasons, be complementary, and not replace existing physical badges and cards. “The trend towards mobile credentials creates several challenges for the various players in the industry. However, it also brings along a world full of new opportunities as well as an avenue of diversification from traditional security solutions.”

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Evolis is the world leader for plastic card personalisation and printing systems. Eirik tells us more about the firm and its services and products.

Company: Evolis Asia Pte Ltd Email: evolisasia@evolis.com Web Address: www.evolis.com Address: 10 Toh Guan Road, #09-01, Singapore 608838 Telephone: 6862 4618

APAC / March 2017 101


1703AP06

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Global Workspace Solutions 30 years ago, Servcorp decided that interaction between South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand was going to increase and that business would need flexible office space solutions that would allow them to operate seamlessly from Hobart to Tokyo and across the globe through Hong Kong, London, Paris, New York, Chicago and LA. With an already established Serviced Office business in Australia, Servcorp was the first business operation centre to go international. Opening the first Serviced office in Singapore then onto Bangkok, Malaysia, Indonesia and across Japan. With 155 locations now across the globe, Servcorp is recognised as the world’s best in Serviced Offices, Virtual Offices and Coworking space. Our operation expands across 22 countries and all 55 major trading cities across the world including New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Servcorp continues to pioneer Your address in New York

and now also operates in all major cities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Lebanon. Servcorp is welcomed by building owners, cities and countries as it is a nursery for international branch offices and entrepreneurs. Startups take either a Serviced Office or Virtual Office with no long term leases. Small businesses have been shown within working in a serviced office rather than shackling business in a long term lease with long term commitments so you cannot grow or shrink your business. Traditional space locks substantial amounts of critical seed capital.

Not only is Servcorp a home for entrepreneurs, but of the world’s top 1,000 corporations, no less than 500 have used Servcorp as a branch office or to start a new market. Microsoft and Dell expand through South East Asia and with new offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Tehran and Istanbul. Growing market places are where real return on investment is achieved. Servcorp is a real success story that allows companies of all sizes access to the Asia markets with a knowledgeable multi-lingual team in every location. In some of these markets you need to be a tourist. Whether it’s

sitting on the Mediterranean in Beirut, an office in Tehran looking to the 4,000m high alps (which are twice the height of the French alps) or driving across to Abu Dhabi or Dubai or by the Persian gulf, there is a fabulous Servcorp Office in almost every location. Servcorp makes it possible for you not just to enjoy some of the world’s finest holiday destinations but with real ease you can really grow your business to be a small multi-national corporation. Finding and training a local and multi-lingual team is normally difficult and time consuming but Servcorp is competently managed by a 90% lady team that shows highly defined IT features and solutions – a must for a company that wants to succeed in the region. In every location, besides the fully trained multi-lingual secretarial and management teams, we also have IT resources all fully trained to help. In this industry, the 100 strong IT team is famous and thanks to them, every client is just one extension away from the other 35,000 clients. They add real value and give every Servcorp client that competitive edge. It is so vital to be in a business environment that has been built as managed workspace with your local business telephone besides

102 APAC / March 2017


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your new market telephone. For example, if you’re a Sydney based company operating in Singapore, you can make local calls to Sydney and local calls to Singapore-no roaming, just local call rates. More importantly, every other Servcorp client is one extension away and if you decide to expand and your first stop is Singapore, you can speak to like-minded imagineeers by simply dialing one extension. A client directory exists so if you are looking for a lawyer, SEO, PR or an IT Expert in any city across the globe, chances are you will find them.

Global Workspace Solutions

Access to this community costs only US$50 a month which allows you to collaborate with other members, book space and list your business on the Servcorp directory. Every Servcorp client has automatically become a member.

Your address in Hong Kong

If you aim for international success, Servcorp helps those dreams become a reality. Business should be for fun as well as for profit. Serviced offices, Virtual Offices or Coworking space, Servcorp leads the pack.

Your listing makes you accessible to all other businesses. It’s a simple way to grow your business, it’s free and every client is part of the community.

Company: Servcorp Web Address: www.servcorp.com.au

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1702AP24

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A New Way of Thinking Tracey Penington of Gordian Global Solutions tells us more about herself and the firm.

Tracey has extensive experience both national and international working with start-ups and SMEs through to large corporate clients, both public and private sector. She has addressed audiences worldwide on innovation and business transformation and is often sought after as a keynote speaker. Tracey established her first business Gordian Global Solutions (Gordian) in 2009. From an initial start-up, the Gordian team have leveraged their ability to cut through complexity and ambiguity to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions for clients. This has supported the business to grow and scale through their reputation of experienced transformation specialists that deliver. Gordian work with a range of clientele both national (Australia) and International across both the Public and Private sector. The business now offers a wide range of services, specifically focused around supporting Innovation and Transformation. These include:• Transformation Strategy, Design and Delivery • Capability Building in Innovation • Organisational Change Management

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• • • •

Human Resource Management and Culture Transformation Organisational Development Operations Management and Risk Management Organisational Efficiency

Tracey’s focus and mission statement is a new way of thinking, to create a new way of being. She says she has always liked working on the things that people say “You can’t fix, it’s always been like that”. She loves creating new models and systems, whether that is for a business, community or a Country, her view is that it is the same principle “it’s all about how you think about and approach the problem/solution”. This stemmed from her years of setting up or fixing up new organisational models and systems for banks. Her belief is that we need to look differently at the way we consider and face problems, and that perception then helps create and innovate new solutions. Tracey has since completed a number of papers and a recent eBook on Quantum Intellect – A new way of thinking, to help practitioners and business think differently about the way they solve problems in today’s world. Since setting up Gordian in 2009, Tracey has also established a number of other businesses that now focus on supporting the broader community. Ripple Energetics (www. rippleenergetics.com) is a leading edge program that is used in the Corporate market and now being looked at for use in Schools and Universities, along with their Quantum Intellect (www. quantumintellect.com) program. The Change Space (www. thechangespace.net) is focussed

on supporting anyone involved in ‘Change’ as well as the business sector with the constant change that is happening through workplaces today. The Innovator Lab (www.theinnovatorlab. com) is focussed on helping Entrepreneurs, Start-ups and Small Business in helping them bring their ideas to life. Their new Innovation education program (which incorporates Quantum Intellect) is also being considered by a number of countries as a new part of curriculums for schools and Universities. Tracey is also in the process of establishing The Gordian Foundation which will work closely with Government, Corporate Institutions and Philanthropy, focussing on introducing new innovative thinking to create new models and systems for current and future generations. There is also a major focus on many of communities long held problems and issues, such as Homelessness and Health and Wellbeing. Some of the areas they are currently working on include:• Medical Health and Artificial Intelligence

• • • • • • •

Biotechnology and Energetic & Informational Medicine Indigenous Programs Homelessness and Integrated Community Programs Horticulture, Viticulture and Botanic Research Building and Construction – new Systems and Models Global Banking and Payment Systems Metadata Systems and Business Application

As part of Tracey’s values around giving back to the community she continues to work with Government on issues such as Homelessness and how to think differently, leveraging social innovation to tackle many of today’s major challenges. She also continues her work with entrepreneurs, small business and start-ups to innovate, trouble shoot and scale. In 2012 Tracey was awarded the Medical Order of the Knights Hospitallers for her work within the Community. Tracey continues to lead a number of ‘leading edge’ research and development programs, to tackle current and future global issues.

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Tracey is a Transformation Specialist, Futurist and Entrepreneur as well as having spent a large amount of her career as a trouble-shooter for corporate business. Her clients have included major banks, financial institutions, and government agencies along with numerous other sectors.

Name: Tracey Penington Company: Gordian Global Solutions Web: www.gordianglobalsolutions.com Email: info@gordianglobalsolutions.com


1701AP34

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Disability in the APAC Region Award-winning CEO, Ingrid Airlie of I Am Here, A Place To Be Me, talks to APAC Insider about the company and how it came to fruition.

“We have a modern centrallylocated house in the beautiful Hunter Valley region situated close to beaches, the lake and the Hunter Vineyards. Our focus is to give people with disabilities a great lifestyle. I keep focussed on the future, I like to be one step ahead working on the business more than in it. I have a great executive team and staff who thrive on making this house a home away from home - they are all captains of their specialty.” Ingrid tells us about the industry she specialises in and how it has changed over the years. “The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has affected the disability industry per se, however we decided to move with it not against it and we have rebranded, focussed on our core business and economies of scale featuring our personalised care model. The NDIS, whilst fractious in its implementation, has meant

the disability sector had to take an inward look at itself. We look forward to the improved learnings currently taking place within the NDIS and for this we are grateful. Perhaps the new NDIS CEO will have a positive impact.” The Motivating the Workforce is an interesting one, as Ingrid explains. “This decade will see more recognition of people with a disability. The Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022 will accelerate realisation of these rights. It is believed that there are an estimated 650 million people with disabilities in the APAC region – the majority of them poor, disadvantaged and discriminated against.” Technology has come on in leaps and bounds since the inception of the company, and Ingrid embellishes on just how important technology is within the disability sector. “Technology and systems are highly important to help us inform and audit all aspects of the business,” she states. “We need to turn to technology to reduce overheads and increase efficiencies. We can demonstrate its effectiveness when we can use the information to our advantage to continually improve our care and service. We always want to provide optimum care.”

she possess which have helped lead to her success, and also what keeps her motivated to continue to be a high achiever.

Ingrid has high hopes for the future, both in her position as CEO and with regards to the company too.

“I am a change agent so the great challenge is taking people on your journey. There is a need for more change agents in the disability sector. Representing a fair go for people with a disability is important. I always aim for fairness, a “win-win” for all and continual evaluation to keep improving. Reluctantly, I see my attributes as curious, tenacious, creative, fair and kind.

“I see myself replicating our model of care in an expansion of our service with new purpose built facilities. This personcentred care model together with trained and caring staff is worth bottling. I would also like to have some board appointments, something I’m starting to work towards now.

“Acquired Brain Injury is life changing. I’m motivated by the people we care for, their everyday struggle with their disability keeps me focussed on the next frontier for them. I’m humbled by the interaction between the people we care for and our staff - Inspiration is everywhere here, it keeps me focussed on the next level. Our success is related to the people we care for – if they are happy and living a full life, we are successful.”

“For the company, there are two dream projects in the nottoo-distant-future. The first is a new facility for children with a disability including autism (government and private sector funded). And, a ranch-style home in the Hunter Valley featuring accommodation for young people who would usually need to be cared for in an aged care facility. Young people should never live in aged care facilities because there is nowhere else for them to go.”

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Ingrid Airlie tells us more about the firm and the rationale behind it. “We are a small not-for-profit organisation, a quiet achiever in the disability sector for more than 20 years. Founded by two mothers whose sons suffered brain injuries in sporting and road accidents, we provide specialist respite for children, adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury, however recent expansion sees us now care for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Company: I Am Here, A place to be me. Name: Ingrid Airlie Email: manager@iamhere.org.au Web Address: www.iamhere.org.au Address: 18 Isabella Close Elermore Vale Telephone: 4965 8111

Being an award-winning CEO is not without its challenges, and Ingrid tells us the key attributes

APAC / March 2017 105


1701AP32

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Secure Surroundings Simon Auston of Reddawn Australia talks to APAC Insider about the firm and its ongoing strategy for success. Reddawn is a niche provider of security services in markets where its clients value customer service and guest experience. This includes theme parks, places of public interest, festivals and events. Simon elaborates about the business and its ongoing strategy. “Our business is really simple,” he states. “We take time to understand what our clients need, find the best people for each environment, train them to operate within that environment, to deliver great guest experiences and to respond to threats if they occur. Then we look after them so they stick around. If we have the best people we have happy customers. We also look out for ways to help our clients grow.

“Their growth will supplement ours. “With regards to the approach we take to develop the company successfully, I will just say that good people are hard to find and even harder to keep, surround yourself with the right people and things will come together. Every business has its challenges you just have to trust your chosen path and stick to it, business is a marathon not a sprint to the finish. “Technology permeates everything we do now. We like to think we are early adopters and our tech provides tools that take a lot of the guesswork out of what we do. From complex tools to model how crowds behave, through to audit and compliance tools and then simple technology like mobile phones – it has changed the way we operate.”

The industry in the Asia-Pacific region has a heavy compliance burden and is, at times, consumed by red-tape. “Outside of that, variations in the AU$ tend to create some cycles in the event market which we have had to adapt to by finding new markets,” comments Simon. “The compliance burden has increased, which has added significantly to our overhead and reduced the pool of labour we have had available. We’ve responded by implementing technology to assist and enhancing our training to attract better candidates. “In the APAC region the threat of terror is one that can’t be overlooked. It is an unfortunate element of society that has led us to develop our team to respond to a range of threats that, five years ago, we were laughed at by clients when we included them in our risk assessments. As a business, it has created opportunity, however we’d much prefer a world where these threats didn’t exist.”

Simon tells us what makes him tick and keeps him motivated to ensure his continuing success as CEO. “I really enjoy it and we work with some great people that always find ways to inspire me. It’s easy to stay motivated when the people you surround yourself with share a similar philosophy. “You have to be honest with yourself and accept the challenges head on to ensure the stability of the company.” With future aspirations for increased growth, Simon tells us where he hopes to be with Reddawn in the next five years. “Reddawn Australia has invested into a range of companies ranging from RTOs to Music Festivals, Restaurants and Sponsors Activations which I’m sure will keep me busy. “We want Reddawn to continue to grow and be a market leader in training, education and providing personnel where guest experience is as important as being able to maintain a safe, secure environment and respond to any threats presented.”

K Company: Reddawn Australia Pty Ltd Name: Simon Auston Email: simon@reddawn.com.au Web Address: www.reddawn.com.au Address: PO Box 6084 Malabar NSW 2036 Telephone: 1800 REDDAWN

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AB160033

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How It’s Cement to Be More than 40 years of Environmental Care and Sustainability.

Indocement is registered as a member of the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI), a global effort under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which was formed in 2002 and consists of 26 large cement producers who operate in more than 100 countries, who believe in the existence of strong business issues to achieve sustainable development.

Indocement is part of the HeidelbergCement Group, a global market leader in aggregates and a prominent player in the fields of cement, concrete, and other downstream activities, making it one of the world’s leading integrated manufacturers of building materials. To date, Indocement employs approximately 7,000 personnel. After more than forty years of work, Indocement has positioned itself as an admirable cement company. This achievement does not count if it has not managed to provide benefits to the local communities surrounding its operational areas. With the success of the commissioning of its new

plant (Plant 14), which located in Citeureup Factory, by the end of October 2016, today, Indocement operates 13 plants, with total production capacity of 25 million tons cement per year. Ten plants are located in Citeureup Factory, Bogor, West Java; two plants in Palimanan Factory, Cirebon, West Java and one plant in Tarjun Factory, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan. The Citeureup Factory is one of the largest integrated cement plant complexes in the world. Plant 14 is built on a state-ofart and the latest technology in the world to ensure that we could produce by using the most efficient energy, most sophisticated emission system

and environment-friendly facility as well. Moreover, Plant 14 is equipped with high efficiency bag filters for kiln and cooler gases with clean gas content that meet the highest international standard. Plant 14 is designed to utilize alternative fuels and materials. This is in line with Indocement’s commitment for the environment, which is proved by the achievement of several awards, such as: GOLD PROPER, Green Company Awards and Indocement also the first company who obtained the Certified Emission Reduction (CER). For more than four decades, Indocement has continued to develop its business and has stepped forward to contribute to the development of Indonesia. More than forty years, Indocement has had the trust of the people of Indonesia and has worked for the nation. In harmony with the development in Indonesia, Indocement will continue its efforts to create and promote a healthy and sustainable business growth, while still remaining “Strong and Reliable” in developing the nation.

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Indocement is a pioneer in the field of the cement industry applying the state of art cement manufacturing technology to produce high quality, sturdy and environmentally friendly cement.

Name: Evy Sidy Email: evy.sidy@indocement.co.id Web Address: www.indocement.co.id Address: Wisma Indocement, Level 13, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 70-71, Jakarta, 12910, Indonesia Telephone: +6221 251 2121 ext. 2817

APAC / March 2017 107


1702AP03

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A Ray of Sunshine Chris Connors tells APAC Insider about the NSW sugar industry within the APAC region and shares his success stories, including being named as APAC CEO of the Year. Sunshine Sugar is the retail brand for the NSW Sugar Industry and is the only 100% Australian-owned sugar growing, milling and refining producer. Chris Connors goes more in-depth about the company. “We operate as a partnership between the grower-owned NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative Limited and the Australian familyowned agribusiness Manildra Group, each holding a 50% share. “Today, we have a turnover in excess of $200m, employ over 600 direct and 500 indirect staff and have a grower base of over 500 farmers. Our growers can produce up to 2.4 million tonnes of sugar cane each year. We have a refinery production capacity of 250,000mt and direct raw production capacity of 30,000mt. “We manufacture private label sugar for some of Australia’s major retailers as well as our own Sunshine Sugar label that is sold through independent grocery stores. We sell refined and raw sugar to over 300 different customers across all types of food and beverage manufacturing, in quantities ranging from 1kg bags to bulk tankers and trucks. We also sell a food grade molasses to various food manufacturers and processors, and a mill molasses to primary producers. “The sugar milling process is a very efficient one, with virtually no waste product. Dried sugar

108 APAC / March 2017

cane fibre (bagasse) is used to fuel our boilers and the residual cane juice (filter mud) is supplied back to growers as a soil conditioner.”

with respect and believe a mutual respect in the workforce goes a long way to establishing and maintaining a strong culture of sustained performance.”

When it comes to developing the company effectively, Chris has a personal philosophy. “Honesty and communication are the two most important characteristics of a person in any situation. These traits I learned early in my career from mining sector mentor Stan Hudspith. Stan was only small in stature, but he was highly respected - when he spoke everybody listened.

Until well into the twentieth century, growing and milling sugar cane was a very manual and labour intensive operation. It was the Australians that led the way in development of innovations such as mechanised harvesting and loading, bulk handling and automation of cane receivables.

“I believe this approach aligns well to the Corporate Credentials we have developed through our cultural engagement team: ‘Uniquely setting standards in sugar - we are in the business of growing, producing and selling sugar, setting standards and protecting our growers and our community.’” As well as this philosophy, Chris possesses certain attributes which he feels have been key in his success as CEO. “As my earlier mentor taught me, honesty and communication are important behaviours for a leader. Add to this a lot of hard work and a track record of career achievements and the foundations are laid for a successful CEO. “Throughout my time as a leader I have also made the deliberate decision to surround myself with good people – people that are competent, passionate and driven. I entrust these people

Today, every business whether large or small is seeking out opportunities to reduce costs and improve productivity and the potential that technology offers is ongoing. “In our milling and refining business we are focussed on ‘sweating our manufacturing assets’ and enhancing performance throughout the supply chain,” explains Chris. “For example, we have a justin-time supply program that has been in place for some years that optimises the hauling of cane to the mill with the minimum number of trucks. “Our growers are not strangers to harnessing technology either as many already utilise GPS precision guidance systems to reduce soil disruption, save time and reduce fuel usage. GPS Autosteer is also becoming popular as farmers can tap into the base stations we have installed at each Mill and achieve greater accuracy in row placement and alignment.

“Research and development is also key to our industry, and we have been active in developing and delivering new plant varieties with targeted disease resistance and weather resilience.” With regards to future aspirations, Chris has ambitions both as a CEO and for the company as a whole. “My goal is to lead a diversified business that is delivering not only a stronger income stream but also giving opportunities for our team to participate in the many new processes that we will introduce. I want to guide the business through this exciting time. “Our future aspirations are already in train through the diversification of our product range and income streams. This is supported by the cultural program that ensures we have a vibrant and skilled workforce in place. “Our work is also focussed on ensuring a strong grower base and crop production area through our Agricultural Services program and cane land retention initiatives. “Having been a part of life in northern New South Wales for more than one hundred years, Sunshine Sugar is passionate about continuing to provide our local communities with employment opportunities, growth and prosperity.”


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A Ray of Sunshine

Company: Sunshine Sugar Web Address: sunshinesugar.com.au

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1701AP47

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Support & Peace of Mind Julian Simpkins, CEO of Olivet Aged Care, talks to APAC Insider about the company and the services it offers.

We’ve been providing these services since the mid 1960’s from the same location and are entrenched in the community fabric and familiar to a large portion of the local population because of our ongoing interaction with the community and our connection with the infrastructure that supports care for elderly people. Our goals of serving the community have remained unchanged since our service was formed. It was started with the expectation of bringing skills in aged care to a landscape that depended significantly on religious and charitable organisation and who focused on delivering services within the budget allowed by the funding body (i.e. public funding). However, for better or worse the Government of the day has recognised that the elderly must now pay a larger proportion toward the cost of their care so that now the role of the “industry” is expanding to create an improved service for the elderly and marketing a range of aged care products to suit lifestyle and budget. It is at the same time,

110 APAC / March 2017

an exciting period where we can produce a variety of lifestyle packages over and above the essential care which is the core of our service. We are emerging from a solely “not for profit”, public funded aged care service into part of a competitive market and the impact on our business structure as well as our philosophy is going to be challenging. Ultimately, we aim to develop the organisation to meet the challenges of a changing business environment and produce a successful service that acknowledges our core values and continues to be financially sustainable without compromising any of those values that motivated us to enter the aged care sector in the first place; to deliver care with compassion, kindness and respect and that we project these values to each other as well as our clients. These ideals are worthless if carers don’t have the resources to deliver a quality service that we aspire to. Human resource is the most important part of our service delivery: Retaining Staff: Retaining experienced staff who have a shared commitment to the care of older people and who enjoy their working environment is a major priority. Our culture and ideals are transmitted to our clients through our staff and we endeavour to let these people know how valued they are and how their dedication is recognised by the clients and the community.

Training & Education: We expect to see selfimprovement within the organisation and education is an opportunity to enhance skills and qualifications. We work with a formal education provider who can teach skills that will improve the knowledgebase of and quality of care within our workforce but within the industry. Up to date equipment and facilities: A major goal in our development is to design our accommodation to suit what we believe are conducive to delivering relevant healthcare in an environment that could pass as an hotel. The new buildings we are planning will incorporate the standards that the new generation of elderly expect and the most up to date features for carers to carry out their work. Our goals over the next five years are the replacement and upgrading of our building stocks through construction of new residential accommodation and bring existing structures into the 21st century in both design and technology. There are so many

applications for IT in managing business communication to meet regulatory obligations and medical record management. But this is just the beginning with on line medical consultations between the client and specialists or General Practitioners becoming routine. The new generation of clients are expecting IT to be part of their lives and our task is to tailor the technology to suit their needs. We will have the flexibility to customise care and lifestyle to the individual. We will expand on this site to a size that will give us the most efficient operation but we are not in the business of expansion to multiple sites or facilities. This is an established boutique aged care business that is comfortable with its own character and culture. There is a big demand for aged care accommodation which will increase at a rate well into mid-century so our challenge will be to meet the needs of those people at an affordable price.

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Olivet is a service providing care to the elderly and infirm. The benefit of the service is twofold as it also relieves stress experienced by family of trying to provide the care themselves and we aim, where possible, to promote an independent lifestyle to the people who live with us. Olivet is a home for around 140 people living in community units and centralised accommodation serviced by 24hr nursing care.

Name: Julian Simpkins, CEO Company: Christadelphian Welfare Association (Vic) Inc. Olivet Aged Care Address: Ringwood, Victoria


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Developing Staff for Ongoing Success Paul Clark, Managing Partner, Advisory APAC of EY Advisory talks to APAC Insider about the internal culture at the firm and how it seeks to develop its staff for ongoing success.

EY Advisory works with clients — from strategy through execution — to help them design better outcomes and realize longlasting results. The firm’s overall mission is to continually seek better ways of working. Clark explains: “We collaborate with clients to help them solve their complex industry issues and capitalise on opportunities to grow, optimise and protect their businesses. Our collaborative approach, combined with our global connectivity and understanding of industry issues, inspires us to ask better questions, design better answers and realize longlasting results.” When it comes to differentiating itself from the competition, EY

Advisory ensures it is always has the best option for its clients. “With a diverse team of more than 40,000 global consultants, we team globally to co-create more innovative answers with our clients. The unique global mindset and ongoing collaboration culture between EY consultants and our client’s results in a better working business.” EY Advisory works across five Regions: ASEAN, FSO (Financial Services Organisation), Greater China, Korea and Oceania, this throws up certain challenges, as Clark elaborates: “The acceleration of change and the scale of disruption from data, digital technologies, globalisation and other forces means organisations have to evolve to survive. We help organisations to be better business innovators, so great ideas become better business outcomes and adapting, differentiating and making better decisions excels businesses.” To navigate the disruptive forces shaping the 21st century and stay ahead of emerging developments, EY provides research, insights and advice as part of the Beacon Institute to inspire and amplify the growing movement of purpose-led businesses. “This community of business leaders, board members and academics focuses on helping organisation

create long-term value,” says Clark. “We also bring together early adopters and leading thinkers as a mean to drive real change in the working world.” The internal culture at EY Advisory ensures all staff are well-equipped to provide the best possible services they can to clients. “A distinctive culture starts with its people and at EY we win based on great people,” states Clark. “We create long lasting relationships built on trust and living our core values – respect, teaming, integrity, enthusiasm and doing the right thing. Whenever a team mate joins, however long they stay, the exceptional experience of EY will last a lifetime.

this platform to allow someone to do good, grow and succeed quickly is a valuable experience. EY is committed to attracting great people by developing future leaders by creating a best in class recruiting experience through initiatives such as global internship programs and international assignments. We also execute EYU, an internal tool to increase focus on coaching alongside formal coaching. And we believe in building and delivering a ‘workplace of the future’ through effective technology, innovative space design and more flexible, output-focused culture that empowers people to deliver exceptional client service.”

“The global workforce is changing. Today people are attracted to organizations because they want to be part of something special. Providing

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EY Advisory believes a better working world means helping clients solve big, complex industry issues and capitalize on opportunities to grow, optimize and protect their businesses. EY works with C-suite and functional leaders of Fortune 100 multinationals to disruptive innovators and emerging market and small to medium sized enterprises. EY Asia -Pacific Advisory has 13 sub-service lines working across 16 sectors, helping clients operate more efficiently and effectively no matter what their industry.

Company: EY Name: Paul Clark, Managing Partner, Advisory APAC Address: 200 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000 Australia Telephone: +61 29248 5713

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Tristar Medical Group: A Leading Light in Medical Services Tristar Medical Group is a proactive and progressive management group which specialises in providing high quality, accessible, multidisciplinary, integrated health care to regional and rural communities. We interviewed Founder and CEO Dr Khaled El-Sheikh to find out more.

“As a qualified doctor from Egypt, I moved to Australia in 1995 when I began the process of requalification in order to practice medicine in this country. During this time, I observed that primary care, particularly in rural areas outside of the main cities, was severely deficient, and this was causing a lot of time, money and pain to patients whose problems often remained unsolved, causing them to have to pay even more to visit a better facility in the nearest city. “Also, the local community was suffering because of this. As a Doctor who was retraining in order to work in Australia I had to work outside of the metropolitan areas for a number of years as part of my training, and I saw first-hand the problems which people were facing in these areas. While I was working in the rural areas I studied the system and found the way through which would ensure that I was able to better support patients in these rural communities.

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“Once I qualified I used this knowledge to build the Tristar Medical Group. When I created the main approach, it was easy to grow and succeed through the group’s focus on quality service and helping doctors to support their patients.” This innovative focus on rural communities has led the firm to the success it enjoys today, and the group now comprises of 54 medical centres across the country, as Khaled explains. “Tristar Medical Group comprises of a vast network of clinics based across Australia, which includes specialist centres, a mental health unit and clinics dedicated to pre-employment medicals. Tristar has also pioneered a number of important initiatives including training and support for all medical staff with specialised programs designed specifically for International Medical Graduates. Tristar also offers patients the convenience of being able to visit any one of the Tristar clinics and have their medical records available. “In addition, our clinics are predominately bulk billing, unlike most other clinics. Tristar offers traditional family medicine and gives patients the ability to make an appointment with their choice of a doctor.” In order to make a real difference to market, Khaled and the team at Tristar have had to work

hard to turn the clinics they work with around, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of emerging developments in the medical market and are as efficient and effective as possible. Looking ahead, Khaled believes that the firm’s future will be founded in technology, as the digitalisation of the medical industry offers many exciting opportunities to better support patients, particularly those living in rural communities who currently do not have access to the same quality of medical equipment and resources. “Ultimately, we are living in the digital world now, and doctors are always interested in new ways to improve their treatment and better care for their patients. It took years and years to get medical professionals in rural Australia to embrace these changes, however, and

it took a lot of hard work just to get medical records and observations computerised. “It is my belief that medical services in this country are not using the technology we have now to their best advantage, and as such we have a long way to go before we can see the full impact of the digitalisation of the medical industry, but I believe that we can achieve this through hard work and commitment. We want to reach the stage where we can support a patient, wherever they are, through their treatment, ensuring that we use the doctor’s time and knowledge efficiently to ensure that they can treat patients remotely. This will support those based in rural, isolated areas especially, and we look forward to implementing the exciting developments in communication, diagnostics and records management.”

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Tristar Medical Group was established to ensure that high quality, accessible and affordable medical services would always be available to regional and rural communities. From those humble beginnings, the Tristar Medical Group has gone on to establish a network of outstanding clinics, as Khaled outlines as he discusses how the group came into being.

Company: Tristar Medical Group Address: Level 1, 87-89 Langtree Avenue, Mildura VIC 3500 Phone: +61 3 5022 5800 Website: www.tristarmedicalgroup.com.au


AB160039

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Building Business Phincon (Phintraco Consulting), a company member of Phintraco Group, is an Information Technology (IT) consulting and services company. Established in 2008, they focus on providing customers with all spectrums of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions and Middleware solutions. Phincon talk to us about their firm.

Based in Singapore for the APAC market, we have served over 50 customers, ranging from medium to large companies,

local and multi-national companies, both in Indonesia and the overseas market. Our customers mainly focus on the financial, telecommunication and e-commerce industries. We believe our relationship with customer is a long time relationship and we believe when we build their business, we also build ours. Our challenge back to our status as Indonesian consultants, they always start with underestimate, but we keep work under many big accounts to prove it. As an Indonesia Consultant, we have the ability, competitive market price and are focused on CRM

and Middleware solution, by being focused, we can build a better consultant.

consultants’ skill, so we do not depend on the solutions but the customer’s business instead.

Our value is SPICE (Strong Teamwork, Professionalism, Integrity, Constant Initiative, Exceeding Customer Expectation). The world is changing and IT business has also changed a lot along the way. Here in Indonesia, we are just starting to shift from on-premise solution into on-Cloud solution. We have seen that the changes will happen and started to build cloud business two years ago. By having a heads up, it gives us more benefits, and our company focuses on developing our

We have several future plans for Phincon. With the start of our Cloud Solution Product (Talents), we want to build more Cloud Solution Products in the future, to become a Digital Consultant that help our customers to make their business go digital, and explore the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence to build the bridging solution to the current situations. We hope by winning this award, this can pave the way for us to go in to the Asia Pacific Region for our business.

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PT Phincon is proud to be an Indonesian consultant with vision to take our business onwards and not only be the preferred business partner for CRM and Middleware solutions in Indonesia, but to expand further into the Asia Pacific area. We want to take our customers, employees and stakeholders on that journey with us and work together to build a mutually beneficial partnership with all of you.

Company: PT. Phincon Name: Arifa Email: arifa@phintraco.com Web Address: www.phincon.com Address: The East Tower 12th Floor, Jl. Dr. Ide Agung Gde Agung Kav. E. 3. 2 No. 1, Kawasan Mega Kuningan – Jakarta 12950, Indonesia. Telephone: 021 - 25556178

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1703AP13

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Cost Effective 360 Degree Feedback Surveys MultiRater Surveys is a fully customisable online people analytics provider that assists organisations of all sizes and from all sectors to maximise employee engagement and performance which also results in increased customer service levels. We recently spoke to the founder of MultiRater Surveys, Mark Purbrick, and asked him to tell us more about the company. “The original survey platform was developed in 2010 which provided us with the ability to customise 360 degree leadership surveys for our clients”. However in late 2014, Mark and his team believed that the future of people analytics would require a survey platform that empowered HR and management teams to maximise leadership potential at all levels within an organisation, not just at the executive level. “We also believed that to facilitate the required increase in employee and customer engagement levels the cost would have to be justifiable and affordable”. Over the last two years, MultiRater Surveys has developed and upgraded the original survey platform to achieve this goal. The result is one of the most advanced cloud based survey platforms available. It has become apparent that the key focus in HR today is to become more relevant to the C-Suite, and to do so HR professionals must embrace disruption and innovation and solve business problems, not HR problems. In response Mark states “In order for HR Professionals to solve business problems they need tangible measurements and hard data. People analytics are going to be one of the most important tools for HR professionals and management teams in the future and MultiRater Surveys delivers

114 APAC / March 2017

this outcome in a highly cost effective way”. Mark explains to us why MultiRater Surveys was created. “Due to the high cost of 360 degree surveys, leadership development was only ever offered to executive team. This meant all the other people managers were missing out on vital leadership development and support. We wanted to bring leadership development to all people managers, not just the executives”. “Our main goal is for all managers and supervisors to truly benefit from leadership development, not just executive management. We also want to ensure that all employees receive regular feedback about their attitude and performance and that they are able to provide regular feedback to management.” It appears that MultiRater Surveys provides clients with a low cost unlimited usage, subscription based and functionally rich employee and customer survey platform, but what do clients most value about this platform? “The customer feedback we get reinforces that they love the ability to easily develop and customise their 180 performance reviews, 360 degree leadership development, employee engagement and customer pulse surveys”.

It is important that a business has qualities that make them distinct from their competitors. When asked about whether customisation and automatic reporting functionalities are the major factors that makes MultiRater Surveys different, Mark responds, “I believe the reporting capability and the ability to easily customise survey content such as questions, competency groups, survey scales and email notifications is certainly a competitive advantage, but our other features should not be overlooked. These include confidentiality of respondent data, open link technology and incorporation of the three NPS scores (leadership, employee & customer) to name just a few”. We have three distinct competitor types: 1. The first are consultancies that provide leadership development services. These organisations use non-customisable surveys, charge excessive fees for these surveys and then double down with high cost consulting charges. This virtually ensures that only the senior executives receive leadership development, totally ignoring the development needs of all the people managers at other levels within the organisation. 2. The second are survey providers that keep control of the development,

implementation and reporting and charge accordingly. The more customisation you want the more you pay, plus you generally pay a reasonably high cost for each survey conducted, which once again restricts the development of managers and supervisors at lower levels within the organisation. 3. The third competitor type is the large survey houses like Survey Monkey. There is no doubt that Survey Monkey is a very powerful survey platform but it certainly does not protect the confidentiality of respondents (because the survey creator can access all respondent responses), it does not provide finished and professional reports (it just provides the data) and it is deficient when it comes to 180 and 360 degree surveys. We have made it really easy for anyone to test drive our survey platform. Simply go to www. MultiraterSurveys.com and take advantage of the 14 Day Free Trial (no payment details required) As for what surveys can be developed by MultiRater Surveys, Mark highlights what the company can offer. “We are always developing new template surveys, our current range includes: • 180° Performance Review Survey


g Cost Effective 360 Degree Feedback Surveys

• • • • • • • • • •

180° Customer Service Development Survey 180° Sales Skills Development Survey 360° Leadership Development Surveys 360° Customer Service Capability Survey 360° Sales Capability Survey Employee Engagement/ Attitude Survey Client Pulse Survey Company Board Evaluation Survey Franchisee Feedback Survey Monthly One-On-One Employee Review Survey [APRIL RELEASE]

“Whether you are an HR professional, business owner, executive manager or a people capital consultant, MultiRater Surveys provides you with the platform to maximise your people capital investment” As for the company’s strongest asset, their staff, Mark discusses the importance of having such a strong team and looks ahead to what the future holds for MultiRater Surveys. Expanding the company and building up a strong portfolio are just a few of the plans that lie ahead for the company. “We consider ourselves to be a people capital innovation company, therefore our team are our greatest asset and we expect everyone to make decisions, take risks and try new things. We certainly don’t get it right all the time, however we strongly believe that a wrong decision is infinitely better than no decision. Moving forward, we are continuously working on new template surveys to add to our portfolio and are always asking our clients for their views on what we should be developing, one such example is a survey that examines “Employee Potential”. Other exciting areas we are working on include the provision of increased HR professional peer support”.

Contact: Mark Purbrick Email: Mark@MultiRaterSurveys.com Company: MultiRater Surveys (part of the Peoplogica Group) Level 15, 275 Alfred Street, North Sydney, NSW, 2060 Australia Telephone: +61 (02) 9936 9000 Web Address: www.MultiraterSurveys.com

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Shaping Brands Brand360 was established in 2007 to develop the best ways for clients to harness and build their brand, which is the most valuable asset of any business. We invited Julia Koh, Executive Director to speak to us about how they help firms shape brands.

“We are a brand and marketing consultancy that helps multinational corporations and innovative local businesses build their brand through a relevant differentiated experience for their target audience,” says Julia. “We utilise deep market insights to drive our proprietary strategy methodology in order to develop a sustainable brand advantage. This is communicated through brand design and marketing activities so that the brand consistently delivers a relevant brand experience.”

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Brand360 helps multinational corporations and forward thinking businesses develop sharp and clear brand strategies as the basis for effective and compelling marketing activities. Julia describes the firms mission and what they are doing to benefit clients. “Our purpose is to help brands grow with substance. Too often, businesses come up to me with products and services that do not provide any additional value to customers. They would then have to cut prices as one of the ways to maintain sales. And that’s painful for the industry.

“So we’re really driven to help brands establish differentiation and offer more value to their target market in every part of their brand. From concept to design to communication, we want brands to have purpose and value implemented well. We view clients as partners, and indeed many of our clients stay with us for the longer term. We want to ensure there is a good fit, that we can work well together to effect impactful strategies.” In order to differentiate themselves from competitors in the market, Brand360 ensures it has the right experience to succeed as Julia explains. “We have considerable expertise in brand building for generational businesses. Often, these businesses are growing into their second or third generations, and the challenge is aligning business objectives, their heritage and core values together. We understand how to incorporate these values into brand design and experiences. We are also well versed with

MNC work culture, with key members of the agency having MNC experience themselves.” One important aspect of the business is the staff. Julia describes how the team culture at Brand360 is vital to their achievements. Much like our clients, we also work as a family. We recognise people for both their individual and team efforts. I firmly believe that engaged employees do better work and contribute positively to team culture so we try to be supportive and nurturing. Ultimately, Brand360 is on the right path to continued success. Julia outlines the firms plans for the near future. “We are looking to conduct more brand strategy, positioning and go-to-market workshops for fast growing businesses to chart their business direction and marketing plans. This will help us reach a wider range of businesses in the region.”

K Company: Brand 360 Degree Sdn Bhd Name: Julia Koh Email: julia@brand360.com.my Web Address: www.brand360.com.my Address: 1st floor, 15 Jalan Tembaga SD 5/2, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Telephone: 03 6272 3299

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1701AP40

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Optimal Patient Care Bruce Hall, CEO of QNS, talks about the sector and how it fares within the APAC region.

Bruce Hall tells us more about the company and its mission. “The practice began in 1996 as a solo practice and gradually expanded,” he says. “The guiding principal has always been based upon service delivery. The challenge of any group is finding like-minded colleagues with whom to work. I am very fortunate to have Richard Laherty and Rumal Jayalath to work with. I hold them both in the highest regard as they are highly trained and talented neurosurgeons who have much to offer. “Our mission statement is “QNS aims to combine neurosurgical excellence and cutting edge technology to provide optimal patient care in all aspects of intracranial and spine surgery”. The most important components are holistic patient care, highly developed neurosurgical expertise with a commitment to ongoing training and utilizing trusted technological advances to achieve best practice.” Bruce is passionate about ongoing progress in neurosurgery in order to continually improve patient outcomes. He tells us more about his background. “I have trained several generations of neurosurgeons, actively pursue research interests and am a board member on the council of the Royal Australasian College

of Surgeons. I am fortunate to have had many opportunities to be part of pioneering work in neurosurgery in Queensland, most recently with the use of intraoperative CT scanning technology at Greenslopes Private Hospital, and the Gamma Knife unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital. It is this collegiate atmosphere in the various spheres of work in QNS, PAH, RACS which I enjoy. “I have a background of extensive links within the Asia-Pacific region. I was a Rotary exchange student to Japan in high school. I enjoyed it so much I returned on a Queensland University Medical School exchange and took the opportunity to further my language studies. I have family links with both Thailand and Taiwan. I have been vice president of the Asian Neurosurgical Society and I have been able to travel throughout many parts of the Asia-Pacific region giving lectures, mentoring and teaching in areas of need. Australia has a small population with a very high level of neurosurgical expertise. Having language and cultural exposure has made it easier to communicate effectively with colleagues in the Asia-Pacific region and understand how we can work together to achieve mutual goals.” There are certain key attributes which Bruce posseses, which he believes have helped lead to his success as an award-winning CEO. “I have a commitment to excellence in all aspects of neurosurgery, ongoing professional development and mentoring,” he states. “I work in both public and private neurosurgery. The various positions I hold have provided me

with the framework to understand the business environment we work in from local, national and global perspectives.” Bruce embellishes on how working within the APAC region affects the sector, and what changes he has seen over the years. “Australia is geographically within the APAC region. We have long established links at all levels with many key players in the region. We regularly participate in both professional dialogue at meetings and more directly via research exchanges. It is culturally extremely diverse, and this presents both challenges and great opportunities. “There have been many changes within the industry. When I commenced my neurosurgical career it was usual to be in solo specialist practice. Stereotaxy was an exciting area just beginning to be expanded to increase the scope of its relevance. MRI scanners were in their infancy. There is a constant pressure to change and evolve to meet the needs of the field. “The rapid pace of technological advancement has necessitated many changes, and required careful professional judgement and prudence in applying

these advances. With instant communication and information widely available to patients, it is even more critical that we assess new modalities of treatment rigorously to ensure we make the best choices from all of the options available. The rate of development in key areas such as stereotaxy, intraoperative scanning and the increasingly sophisticated and accurate engagement of radiosurgery are quietly revolutionizing my field. It is exciting to be part of the development of the application of these advances in my field. In my roles leading hospital departments and as part of the college, I also have the opportunity to participate in decision making relating to the relevant guidelines to ensure optimization of these new tools.” With regards to the future, Bruce foresees QNS continuing to function well and expanding with the recruitment of more top quality neurosurgeons to retain its position as a market leader. “I hope to be fostering stronger links via research, teaching and other collaborative endeavours with our APAC colleagues. “I would like to see QNS expand its scope steadily, continuing to grow with like-minded colleagues.”

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Queensland Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery is private neurosurgery group comprising a small group of world class specialists committed to providing the highest quality of neurosurgical care in a context of holistic medical treatment. QNS neurosurgeons assess and manage patients with complex conditions of the brain, spine and peripheral nervous system.

Company: Queensland Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery Name: Bruce Hall Email: admin@qns.com.au Web Address: www.qns.com.au Address: Suite 325 Ramsay Specialist Centre, Newdegate Street, Greenslopes Qld 4120 Australia Telephone: +61 7 3421 6000

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The Best in the Business As CEO of a successful recruitment agency based in the APAC region, Paul Barbaro talks to us in depth about the firm and his leadership skills.

Clients range from large multinationals, to family owned businesses and IPA provides services in all states of Australia. It finds people permanent roles, and places temporary staff into assignments ranging from one day to its longest temps who have worked with the firm for more than 10 years. IPA’s strategy is simple, as Paul Barbaro, the firm’s CEO, explains. “Everything we do, we do to enhance the lives of people,” he begins. “Our strategy is to produce exceptional results for people in pursuing the jobs of their choice. “Our strategic value is to have operations which are easily accessible to both clients and candidates, and to attach ourselves to local communities. We believe the value of business is to be community leaders, and our sponsorships include local sporting clubs, community groups and other services which impact positively the communities in which we operate.” From the off-set, Paul set a clear strategy for the business, based on financial and operational growth targets being clearly communicated to staff. “I sought input from every area to ensure

118 APAC / March 2017

the plan reflects what staff want and need and not just what I believe is best for the business,” states Paul. “I have underpinned this with a clear plan for each manager to ensure they are meeting their personal, professional and financial objectives. My plan was simple, find and retain the best talent, nurture and train people, promote internally where possible, provide support and training, and the results will look after themselves. “The business is 43% better than the previous year in profit and continues to grow using these principles.” As a successful CEO, and indeed the winner of the CEO of the Year – Australia in the Labour Hire category, Paul has come up against challenges over the years. “The biggest hurdle was my own self-doubting,” he embellishes. “I don’t care what anyone says, being conscious of your weaknesses is a great strength, but ensuring they don’t dominate your thinking can be difficult. Controlling my “inner voice” was initially very hard. “Being a CEO can be a lonely job, I was once told “success has many fathers and failure is an orphan” and being able to deal with the highs and push the credit to staff, whilst absorbing the lows and staying positive was a challenge. “Owning my credibility and ensuring I provided context about what I was doing to staff so they

believed in me was challenging. There is a healthy level of scepticism about leaders, and trying to “win” over staff initially proved a challenge I wasn’t expecting. Gone are the days when a title provides credibility, you need to earn it and this means leading with conviction, and giving people a reason to believe in you.”

relate corporate success back to what it means to the people who are delivering the results. I truly believe in delivering shareholder value, but I believe it will only be achieved if people get to live more financially successful lives, and do things with their families because they are meeting their financial and professional objectives through the work they do.”

By his own self-admittance, Paul possesses the rare attributes of courage, discipline, empathy and presence – and it is these qualities which have helped make him the formidable leader he is today.

It is clear that these attributes will stand Paul in good stead for the future, as he envisions change as well as seeing himself in a mentoring role.

“I also don’t take myself too seriously and love a laugh at my own expense,” he grins. “I think humour and personality is lacking in a lot of Australian workplaces, which is one reason we have such high levels of disengagement and lack of productivity. “When it’s all said and done, noone really cares about corporate success unless it benefits them personally so I always try and

“I’d like to be mentoring young managers who want to become CEOs. I don’t believe you should be a CEO for more than five years in any one company. I intend on handing over the reins to someone new who will create a new legacy and give people a new vision to believe in. “If I am a success, I will be able to look at other CEOs and know I have contributed in some part to their success. I think leaders have a responsibility to create new leaders.”

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IPA is a labour hire company providing permanent and temporary work solutions for clients in all sectors. The firm has operations throughout Australia and more than 2000 employees.

Company: IPA Personnel Services Pty Ltd Name: Paul Barbaro Email: paul.barbaro@ipa.com.au Web Address: www.ipa.com.au Address: Level 4, 271 Collins Street Melbourne Telephone: +61 400 232 181


Maroba is home to a vibrant community of people who are young at heart and

enjoyingb life! Contact us now to arrange to come and visit us. Simply call 02 4935 0300 or go to www.maroba.com.au

Maroba

Contact us now to arrange to come and visit us. Simply call 02 4935 0300 or email us at enquiries@maroba.com.au


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