14 minute read
Kate Wood-Foye - Business Illuminate
Illuminate
with KATE WOOD-FOYE
THE GUTS, GRIT AND GROUNDWORK OF REMARKABLE REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURS, INNOVATORS, LEADERS AND GAME CHANGERS.
Les Bailey is a high performing, driven and above all humble leader who has traversed the world of finance etching an impactful career in an evolving banking industry. His dedication to his team and to creating a culture for enabling and encouraging others to shine, is a trademark for the Chief Operating Officer of Regional Australia Bank, who is usually more comfortable behind the lens than in the limelight. Not afraid of risk he helps others back themselves to be their absolute best.
Les, can you share your
journey into finance and to your current role as COO for Regional Australian Bank? Where did it all begin?
My journey was an unconventional one, I first entered the finance industry by joining the Board of Holiday Coast Credit Union. At the time I was the CEO of a small chain of IGA supermarkets and the Board were looking for a younger perspective. After six years on the Board, I resigned to join the business as the Chief Risk Officer. I’ve now spent 16 years in many executive roles including Company Secretary, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Transformation Officer and now the Chief Operating Officer.
LES
B A I L E Y
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, REGIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK.
Your journey in retail led to one of many pinnacle moments as National IGA Store Manager of the Year – you achieved this in your early twenties and it was a sign of things to come. What have been some of the highlights on your professional journey?
Being recognised at a national level was humbling yet energising to help me see what was possible in life. What I’ve learnt over the years however is that how I contribute to the lives of others was far more important to me than what I achieve. I would have to say the most valuable highlights have undoubtedly been when one of my team or colleagues achieved something they previously didn’t think was possible.
How did you traverse the jump from retail into the world of finance and banking?
Like retail, banking is all about people. My roles have been at a strategic level of the business and while that has required a certain degree of technical ability, helping people has always been at the heart of what I do. I believe
Leadership is you can always build not about you, the skills you need to do it’s about those any task, however if you around you and how have a good attitude you can contribute and a person-centric to them being the perspective you can best they can be. achieve anything you set your mind towards.
You have been a mentor for many through your leadership roles with the bank and also with the incredible work you do with youth at Luminosity each year, sharing your expertise to ensure their own journeys into their professional lives or starting their own business are built on a strong financial foundation.
How important were mentors in your journey and what is the most valuable lessons they taught you?
Learning from others is the simplest path to success. If you want to achieve anything, look for someone who has done it before and ask them for advice… you’d be surprised how keen they are to help. I have been fortunate to have many mentors throughout my life, most who wouldn’t even realise it. Whether it is the courage, strength, and determination I learn from my daughters Livia, and Sophia; the patience, practice, and perseverance from my leaders; or valuable skills like managing projects or listening from my colleagues – each mentor has contributed to building my character in some way.
What do you feel are the ingredients to meaningful leadership that drives a positive workplace and outcomes for the business?
Culture is THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of any business, and leaders are the billboard for that culture. Everything we say or do (or don’t say or do) runs deep into the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours of our people. My goal as a leader is to create a great team and to do that, I must be genuine, truly listen, and help create meaningful work for my teams. We need to remember that everyone is going through their version of this thing called life, and it’s not always easy.
How has your leadership style evolved from those early days until now?
Leading people who were much older and more experienced than myself taught me to recognise the difference between being a manager and being a leader – managers manage things, leaders lead people. I’m much more aware that it is my team who really make the magic, so although I’m constantly trying to do this better, I aspire to get out of their road and coach them to be the best they can be.
What is your relationship with risk? How critical has it been to you in your professional and leadership journey?
That’s a funny question to ask a former Chief Risk Officer – let’s say it’s played a central role. Contrary to what your readers might think, my perspective on risk is that is not something to avoid. If we don’t take risk, we’ll never achieve anything in life or business. It’s all about managing the risks you face – the better you understand them, the more informed your decisions will be, and ultimately, that helps you to take more risk safely.
How integral is your team to delivering on the RAB Mission?
The Operations team is the engine room of the bank. This amazing group of people run everything from the core-banking system, to processing payments (Cards, OSKO, Direct Entry and Chequing), ensuring loans settle on time, protecting customers from fraud and financial crime, and assisting them with financial hardship. It’s best to describe them as like the inside of a Swiss watch, you may not see what they do, but inside everyone is working in precision to make sure everything works like… well… clockwork!
What has been your biggest challenge in your own business journey?
Dealing with change is one of the most challenging aspects in both life and business. This is particularly difficult when you have no control or influence over it. I believe acceptance and belief in your own abilities are key to adapting well to any change. Let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can. “Control the controllables”.
How important is physical fitness and connection to family in being able to lead from the front and give your best?
Leaders need to be focused, clear-minded, and able to make consistently reliable decisions. To do this well you need to have balance, and these are both critical to that. My most cherished moments are those spent with the people I love. A walk on the beach, playing Monopoly or watching a movie are great ways my family keep me grounded and I try to train 5-6 days a week. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realise that this is not to make my body look a certain way, but more importantly to keep healthy and to feel good about what it is capable of. We all take that for granted.
What advice would you give someone launching into a new career in a leadership role?
Leadership is not about you, it’s about those around you and how you can contribute to them being the best they can be. Many people think that it’s the title that makes you a leader. But here’s the secret – it’s not! People follow leaders they trust, leaders who inspire them to be better, and who help them achieve that. Learn as much as you can about helping others and put your heart and soul into genuinely doing that.
NAOMI
FRASER
Hi Naomi. You are new to Port Macquarie, can you introduce yourself to us and what you do?
My name is Naomi Fraser, previously Naomi Hanks when I was a kid living in Port! I work as a Senior Wealth Adviser for Canaccord Genuity Financial Limited, a global investment firm headquartered in Canada with 7 offices across Australia. My primary focus is providing wealth management advice to high-networth professionals and retirees. My job involves designing and managing investment portfolios for retail and wholesale investors, SMSFs, Family Trusts, Not for Profits (NFPs) and Charities. As part of this role, I help my clients work towards and meet their personal wealth goals, taking the stress out of finding the best path to financial freedom. I am currently expanding Canaccord Genuity’s offering to the Mid North Coast.
How did you get started in your chosen industry?
I’ve always had an interest in finance, so when I left boarding school, I went on to study a Bachelor of Economics at Sydney University. I worked in several jobs and industries while living in London in my early 20s. On return to Sydney, I took a job at CBA, where Financial Planners were my clients, and I was tasked with selling them Margin Lending products. This role gave me a huge insight into what it was to be a Financial Planner, and I knew it would be a good fit for my skills and personality. I started studying post-grad on the side, before landing a job as an Adviser at Macquarie Bank. The next 17 years went by in a whirlwind – I learnt a huge amount about investing and managing client’s wealth, while developing a passion for helping others achieve their goals. I now work as a Senior Wealth Manager at Canaccord Genuity and continue to feel lucky to have the opportunity to work with so many lovely clients.
What was it that attracted you to come to Port Macquarie?
We first moved to Port when I was just 4 years old, and I completed my early schooling at Hastings Primary. In my teens I went off to Sydney for Boarding School, and it took me 26 years until I realised I wanted to move back!
During Covid, like many people, my husband and I began to question everything. Being able to work from home, we made a snap decision to try something new, and 7 weeks later we were unpacking into our new house! We told the kids it was a 2-year experiment, but there is no doubt Port is our home now.
What changes have you seen in your industry over the last 5 years and how can you help our readers understand the changes?
The financial planning industry has undergone enormous changes over the past few years. Advisers are now required to undertake a much higher level of study before joining or continuing in the industry. This has really raised the bar for those providing financial advice and perhaps discouraged some of those who may have been giving the industry a bad name. If you are looking for an Adviser, I would always suggest confirming they are fully qualified and up to date with the most recent training.
When you aren’t working hard and helping your clients, what do you get up to?
We have two sons (7 and 8) and a daughter (4), along with a crazy beagle and a hyperactive kitten. Our house is busy, crazy and fun! As I work full time, weekends are really important to us, and we spend most of the time doing things together as a family. You will often find us exercising (my other obsession!), trying to surf, fishing or cycling together.
What is your one piece of advice that you give your clients that you yourself live by?
It’s that old cliché – if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. It’s all very nice to assume you ‘want’ or ‘need’ certain things – but if you don’t have a solid plan in place, it is hard to make these dreams come true. I admit I am a bit obsessed with making goals – but if I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be suited to my job!
How can our readers get in touch with you?
I would love to speak with anyone interested in discussing how I may help achieve their personal financial freedom. My best contact is nfraser@cgf.com or 0424 617 541.
Thanks Naomi.
COMMUNITY TIMBER
PARTNERSHIPS
Forestry Corporation NSW (FCNSW) and the Wauchope Show Society (WSS) have been working in partnership to upgrade facilities at the Wauchope Showground with donated timber through the Community Timber Partnerships program. We chat with Leah Moncrieff (FCNSW) and Neil Coombes (WSS) about the project.
Leah, where did the timber come from?
The timber was donated through our Community Timber Partnerships program. This program, between Forestry Corporation and Pentarch Forestry, was created to distribute local North Coast timbers water damaged by the 2017 floods. When we heard about the grandstands being built at the Wauchope Showgrounds, we approached the Show Society to see if we could help and provide beautiful hardwood timber for the seating.
Neil, tell us about the grandstands and did the timber donation help?
Our old timber grandstands were about 70 years old and in an extremely poor condition, with wood rot setting in, and were in dire need of replacing. We were given limited funds via Government grants so the donation of all of the timber for the seating by the Forestry Corporation of NSW saved us tens of thousands of dollars allowing the grant monies to stretch much further.
Leah, are there any other timber partnerships in the area?
We’ve donated timber to over fifteen local community groups in the area under this program. We’ve donated to local schools, sporting clubs, museums, and local gardens. It has been great to see this timber, that was grown and processed on the North Coast, reused in such a positive way supporting groups that do so much for the community. Timber is such a great building product, the only major building product that helps tackle climate change. Even after water damage, it’s been able to be reused and still looks beautiful. Over the past five years we’ve seen buildings repaired, bridges built for mountain bikes, new walkways, and shelters in gardens and now, these grandstands.
Neil, what do you think about the finished grandstands?
The Wauchope Show Society are thrilled with the completed grandstands, and we constantly receive positive feedback from users of the grounds. The much larger seating capacity will be fantastic for large future events in the community, enabling Wauchope to perhaps host bigger and better events in the Hastings area in the future.
Leah, what was the best part about being involved with this partnership?
We were fortunate that the Show Society made space available for signage in their new grandstands. Our new signs showcase some of the highlights of our local state forests including Swans Crossing camping and
The much larger picnic area in Kerewong seating capacity will be fantastic for State Forest, Wild Bull and The Bluff camping areas in Mt Boss large future events in State Forest, and Old the community, Bottlebutt Walking Track enabling Wauchope to in Burrawan State Forest, perhaps host bigger highlighting a wide girth and better events in tree over 200 years old. the Hastings area in We encourage people to the future. visit our beautiful state forest visitor areas where you can camp for free, take your dog and listen to nature. It’s important to know that besides unique visitor experience, our native forests are managed for timber production under the most sustainable production system in the world. Forests and timber are renewable resources, and the most greenhouse-friendly production industry! Wood is a fantastic natural product, it’s just lovely to be around, and looks great wherever it’s featured.
Thanks Guys.
