The Interview Australia

Steven Wilson AM has spent a lifetime helping shape Queensland business, finance and civic life.Born in Brisbane, Steven studied Commerce and Law at the University of Queensland before beginning his career across law, accounting and financial markets, including formative experience in London with Cazenove.After returning to Queensland in the mid-1980s, Steven joined Wilsons and went on to play a defining role in its evolution from a respected Brisbane stockbroking firm into a broader financial services group with national reach.He later played key roles in the establishment and growth of Hyperion Asset Management and Pinnacle Investment Management — two significant Australian funds management businesses — while also contributing extensively to public and civic life through roles across South Bank Corporation, Telstra, Tourism Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Racing Queensland and the Committee for Brisbane.In this in-depth conversation, Steven reflects on family legacy, early responsibility, leadership through crisis, the evolution of Wilsons, building enduring institutions, backing talented people, Brisbane’s growth, public service, philanthropy and the lessons learned from a lifetime around markets, business and civic leadership.Founder & Host | Rob LangtonThe Interview | Australia’s flagship business program.Proudly produced & distributed exclusively: Ready Media Group.#richlist #ausbiz #wilvest #fundsmanagement #stockbroking

Geoff Wilson AO is one of Australia’s most influential investors, fund managers and advocates for retail shareholders.Founder of Wilson Asset Management, Geoff has spent more than four decades in markets — from his early years at Scottish Amicable and broking through the 1987 crash, to launching Wilson Asset Management in 1997 and building one of Australia’s most recognised listed investment company platforms.In this landmark conversation, Geoff reflects on his unconventional path from Glen Iris, St Kevin’s and La Trobe University into finance; the lessons that shaped his investment philosophy; what makes for enduring excellence in funds management; and why temperament, trust and discipline matter as much as intelligence.We also explore his advocacy for retail investors, Australia’s competitiveness, the major investment themes ahead, the rise of AI in funds management, and the creation of Future Generation — the philanthropic investment model that has now donated more than $100 million to young Australians and their communities.A rare and deeply considered conversation with Geoff Wilson AO on markets, leadership, purpose and legacy.The Interview Australia — Australia’s flagship business program.Subscribe for more in-depth conversations with Australia’s leading founders, investors, business builders and industry pioneers.#ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #billionaire #geoffwilson #theinterviewaustralia #fundsmanagement

Craig Carracher AM is one of the most influential figures in Australian property, investment and purpose-built accommodation.As co-founder of Scape Australia and The Living Company, Craig has helped build one of the country’s most significant residential living platforms — spanning student accommodation, build-to-rent, affordable housing and retirement living.But the story begins well before Scape.From his early career in law, to working inside Consolidated Press Holdings, to identifying the opportunity in student accommodation before it became an institutional asset class in Australia, Craig’s journey is one of conviction, timing, capital, partnership and long-term thinking.In this episode of The Interview Australia, Craig Carracher AM sits down for a wide-ranging conversation on the making of Scape, the rise of purpose-built student accommodation, the future of housing in Australia, the role of institutional capital, and what it takes to build a platform of genuine scale.This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, judgement, risk, resilience, and the discipline required to see an opportunity before the market fully understands it.The Interview AustraliaAustralia’s flagship business interview program.Subscribe for more in-depth conversations with Australia’s leading founders, investors, business builders and industry pioneers.Founder & Host: Rob LangtonProudly produced & distributed exclusively: Ready Media Group.More about The Living Company - https://thelivingcompany.com.au/More about Scape - https://www.scape.com.au/Further information on Ready Media - https://readymedia.com.au/

Self-made billionaire Kerr Neilson is widely regarded as one of the most significant — and original — investors Australia has ever produced. A contrarian thinker with a global perspective, he built not only immense personal wealth, but a legacy that reshaped the culture of investing in Australia.Born in Johannesburg in 1949, Neilson bought his first shares as a teenager, developing an early fascination with markets and the psychology that drives them. He studied commerce at the University of Cape Town before moving to London, where he learned his craft amid the inflation shocks, political turmoil, and market volatility of the 1970s. Those formative years exposed him to uncertainty early — and taught him that opportunity often appears when others are fearful.In 1983, he moved to Australia, where he would eventually leave an indelible mark on the nation’s financial landscape. A decade later, he co-founded Platinum Investment Management, a firm that challenged conventional wisdom and introduced generations of Australian investors to the power of global investing, independent research, and long-term thinking. Under his leadership, Platinum became one of the country’s most respected investment houses.But the story of Kerr Neilson is not simply one of performance, rankings, or fortune. It is a story of temperament. Of independence of mind. Of scepticism toward the crowd and a lifelong belief that price and value are rarely the same thing. While others chased momentum, Neilson searched for mispricing. While markets grew euphoric, he remained measured. While consensus became comfortable, he looked elsewhere.His philosophy was rooted in patience, discipline, and emotional control — qualities far rarer than intelligence in the world of investing. He understood that markets move in cycles, that fear and greed repeat endlessly, and that great opportunities often require the courage to look wrong before eventually being proven right.Across five decades, he has navigated crashes, bubbles, recessions, booms, and profound structural change. Through it all, he built a reputation for thoughtful judgement, calm under pressure, and the quiet courage to stand apart when it matters most.Kerr Neilson’s career is more than a financial success story. It is a masterclass in rational thinking, long-term conviction, and the enduring rewards of seeing the world differently.The Interview Australia: Australia's most watched business series.Founder & Host: Rob LangtonProudly produced & distributed exclusively by: Ready Media GroupMore about Argyle Family Office: https://argylefund.com/Find out about Platinum Asset Management: https://www.platinum.com.au/Learn about Ready Media Group: https://readymedia.com.au/#billionaire #billionaireinterview #billionairemindset #ausbiz #businessinterview #businessaustralia #fundsmanagement #stockbroking #entrepreneurship #investing #business #richlist #platinumassetmanagement #argyle #kerrneilson

In this rare & exclusive profile, we go inside the world of multi-billionaire Sam Kennard, the man behind one of Australia’s largest & most enduring self storage empires.At 21, Sam stepped into a modest family business with just eight centres.By 24, he was running it.Three decades later, that business spans 125+ facilities across Australia & New Zealand, managing tens of thousands of units and a $3 billion+ real estate portfolio.In this conversation, Sam reveals:- The origins and legacy of the Kennard family- His upbringing and early immersion in business- How Kennards Self Storage evolved over three decades into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise- The operational discipline and long-term thinking that fuelled growth- The risks, setbacks, and failures that defined both him & the business- Key lessons in leadership, legacy, and building a company built to lastThis is more than just a business story — it’s a masterclass in strategy, resilience, and thinking long-term.Listen now to discover what it really takes to build a lasting empire.Founder & Host: Rob LangtonProudly produced & distributed exclusively: Ready Media Group.More about Kennards Self Storage: www.kss.com.auLearn more about Ready Media Group: www.readymedia.com.au#samkennard #selfstorage #ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #billionaireinterview #billionairemindset

For more than three decades, self-made billionaire Christian Beck has quietly built one of the most dominant vertical software ecosystems in the legal industry.
 He started in 1992 with LEAP Legal Software, transforming clunky, manual law firm workflows into software that became indispensable. 

 Then he created InfoTrack, moving beyond software into the invisible rails of property, court, and government systems. Today, under ATI Global, he controls a tightly woven group of businesses that dominate the sector — all while remaining intensely private.
 This conversation isn’t a standard founder story. It’s a rare glimpse into the mind of someone who has built an entire ecosystem, outmanoeuvred competitors for decades, and done so with discipline, patience, and an obsession for embedding value at the core of an industry.
 We discuss the decisions that made LEAP indispensable, the strategic moves that turned InfoTrack into critical infrastructure, and the philosophy that guides him as he builds for the long game — not for headlines or hype.
 This is a masterclass in strategy, vision, and execution — from one of Australia’s most underrated business architects. Host - Rob Langton Production & Distribution - Ready Media Group #ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #christianbeck #infotrack #theinterview #theinterviewau

Chris Lucas stands as one of Australia’s most daring and influential hospitality entrepreneurs — a creator of culture as much as a creator of restaurants. Over the past two decades, he has built a portfolio of iconic venues that consistently reset the benchmark for what dining in Australia can feel like: energetic, design-led, culturally fluent and unapologetically ambitious. As the founder and driving force behind the Lucas Restaurants group, Lucas transformed venues like Chin Chin, Kisumé, Yakimono and Grill Americano into institutions that shape the way people eat, socialise and experience their city. His signature is unmistakable: theatrical concepts, world-class interiors, deep respect for global cuisines, and a relentless focus on service and atmosphere. Lucas is widely regarded as a master of brand-building — each restaurant crafted not just as a place to dine, but as a sensory, high-voltage experience that blends food, music, art, design and cultural storytelling. His influence extends beyond hospitality; he has helped define Melbourne’s identity as one of the world’s great dining capitals while continually pushing the industry forward with scale, innovation and vision. Bold, instinctive and fiercely committed to excellence, Chris Lucas has become a symbol of what modern entrepreneurial hospitality looks like: ambitious, experiential, culturally connected and impossible to ignore. In this exclusive feature profile by Rob Langton & Ready Media Group, Chris takes us on journey inside his World, from what drives his success to how he thinks about his legacy & everything in between. The Interview - Australia's most watched business program, featuring exclusive profiles of the Nation's most successful individuals. Founder & Host - Rob Langton Proudly produced, licensed & distributed by Ready Media Group. Further Information: https://readymedia.com.au/ https://lucascollective.com/ #ausbiz #businessnews #chrislucas #lucascollective #readymediagroup #readymedia #selfmade #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #sydney #melbourne #hospitality

Peter Freedman AM is the self-made billionaire maverick behind one of Australia’s greatest manufacturing success stories. As the Founder and Chairman of RØDE Microphones, he turned a near-bankrupt family electronics business in 1987 into a global powerhouse—now exporting to over 120 countries, manufacturing everything in Sydney, and used by the world’s leading content creators, filmmakers, musicians, and broadcasters. Bold, driven, and obsessively hands-on, Peter is more than a tech entrepreneur—he’s a fierce advocate for Australian manufacturing, design excellence, and innovation on home soil. He famously reverse-engineered his first microphone in 1990, and never looked back—building vertically integrated factories filled with robots, launching revolutionary products like the VideoMic and RØDECaster, and acquiring global brands like Mackie, Lectrosonics, Aphex and SoundField under the Freedman Group. Awarded Member of the Order of Australia in 2016, and named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, Peter is as well known for his philanthropy as he is for his products—donating millions to arts, mental health, and design, including a record-breaking purchase of Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged guitar, which he turned into cultural capital for Australia. Blunt, brilliant, and deeply committed to legacy, he’s said: “I’m not a capitalist. I just love winning.” This is a story of grit, reinvention, and building global greatness—out of a suburban factory in Sydney. Founder & Host | Rob Langton #ausbiz #billionaire #richlist #businessnews #businessaustralia #businessau #rode #peterfreedman #rodemicrophones #theinterviewau #theinterview #readymedia

In this exclusive feature profile, we sit down with one of Australia’s most enduring and visionary entrepreneurs — Malcolm Steinberg. Born and raised in Perth in the 1940s, Malcolm’s entrepreneurial journey began at just 18 years old, when he acquired 21 pinball machines from a relative and began placing them in corner stores, milk bars, and pubs across the city. That humble venture marked the beginning of what would become a pioneering career in the world of interactive entertainment. In 1978, Malcolm launched the first Timezone in downtown Perth — a bold move that would ultimately redefine family entertainment across the Asia-Pacific. Over the decades, Timezone grew from a single arcade into a global entertainment powerhouse, with venues in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Along the way, Malcolm also founded LAI Games, a Perth-based arcade game manufacturer that has produced some of the world’s most iconic and innovative machines — exporting to over 50 countries worldwide. But his legacy doesn’t stop at business. In honour of his grandmother, a Russian immigrant and early inspiration, Malcolm established the Malka Foundation — a philanthropic venture focused on empowering young people and supporting social enterprise across Australia. In this conversation, we explore the full arc of Malcolm’s journey: from his early days in suburban Perth, to building Timezone into a generational brand, to giving back through the Malka Foundation. Along the way, he shares lessons on reinvention, risk, and building businesses that endure. The Interview | Australia's most watched business program. Founder & Host | Rob Langton Produced & distributed exclusively | Ready Media Group. Further Information: https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.lai.com.au/ #ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #malcolmsteinberg #theinterviewaustralia

In this exclusive profile, Michael Dempsey, Founder of Ezidebit shares his remarkable journey in building & scaling his global payments business prior to selling for $305m in 2014. Michael Dempsey is a prominent Australian entrepreneur and investor, best known for founding Ezidebit, a leading payments processing company that revolutionized the way Australian businesses manage electronic transactions. Starting in 1998, Michael leveraged his engineering background to create a scalable platform that rapidly gained traction in the market. Ezidebit grew to become one of the most trusted names in payment solutions, processing billions of dollars annually. In 2014, the company was acquired by Global Payments, marking a significant milestone in Michael’s career. After his success with Ezidebit, Michael shifted his focus to investment through Pipeline Capital, his family office established to target high-growth industries, particularly fintech. With his entrepreneurial expertise and a deep understanding of both technology and business operations, Michael now invests in innovative companies, helping them scale and thrive in competitive markets. Throughout his career, Michael has shown a keen ability to identify market gaps, develop technology-driven solutions, and lead companies to success. His journey from a tech startup founder to a respected investor demonstrates his vision, leadership, and commitment to fostering innovation in the Australian business landscape. Founder & Host - Rob Langton Produced exclusively by Ready Media Group. https://readymedia.com.au/ https://pipecapital.com/ #ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #theinterviewau #readymedia

Today, we are privileged to sit down with Karl Morris, the CEO and Managing Director of Ord Minnett, one of Australia’s leading wealth management and financial services firms. With over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, Karl’s leadership has been pivotal in steering Ord Minnett through significant growth and adaptation in an ever-changing market. A proud Brisbane native, Karl’s career path began with a foundation in business and commerce, earning his degree at Griffith University, before joining Ord Minnett in 1990. Over the years, he has held various leadership roles, including State Manager, Branch Manager, and Executive Chairman, before becoming CEO in 2004. Under Karl’s stewardship, Ord Minnett has maintained its reputation for excellence in client service and strategic growth, all while navigating the evolving landscape of financial technology, market trends, and regulatory changes. In this exclusive feature profile, we’ll explore his journey, the evolution of Ord Minnett, and his insights on the future of financial services.

Joining our program on this episode is self-made billionaire Grant Petty - the founder and CEO of Blackmagic Design, the company behind some of the most game-changing technology in the film, television, and live production industries. From cinema cameras to colour grading software to live switchers, Blackmagic has redefined what’s possible—and who gets access to it. What started in Grant’s garage in Melbourne is now powering everything from Hollywood blockbusters to independent YouTube channels. But more than a tech founder, Grant is a filmmaker at heart—driven by a belief that creativity shouldn’t be held back by cost or complexity. In this conversation, we dive into the early days of Blackmagic, how Grant’s rural upbringing influenced his approach to innovation, and why he’s so obsessed with democratising creativity. Founder & Host - Rob Langton

Our guest on today’s episode is investment legend, Morry Waked - the low profile but high-achieving Founding Principal & Managing Director of Vinva Investment Management. Vinva Investment Management is an independent, global investment firm that specialises in managing active equity strategies across Australian & global equity markets, with a remarkable $25bn of funds under management - in 2024, Magellan acquired a minority equity stake in Vinva for a reported $138.5m. Prior to founding Vinva in 2010, Morry’s career encapsulated a diverse range of positions including Global Head & Chief Investment Officer of Barclays Global Investors – BGI for short - (Global Active Equities), Chief Executive Officer of Barclays Global Investors (Australia & New Zealand), Head of Australian Equities at BGI and Head of Quantitative Research at Rothschild Asset Management. In 2023, Morry was inducted into the Australian Fund Manager Hall of Fame as one of only twenty-two fund managers since its inception. He is a Graduate of Macquarie University, having completed both a Masters degree and a Bachelors degree in Economics, majoring in actuarial science and statistics. In this exclusive feature-length profile, Morry shares his journey, from the son of a taxi driver to the pinnacle of financial markets, along the way charting the challenges he encountered, the opportunities he pursued and the lessons he’s learnt from a lifetime in one of the most competitive industries in the World. Founder & Host - Rob Langton https://readymedia.com.au/ https://vinva.com/

In this exclusive feature profile, Perth businessman, investor & rich-lister Ross Norgard shares his business career - from working as a chartered accountant in the halcyon days that was Western Australia in the 1980's, to the high-achieving deal-maker famed for rescuing and listing hundreds of businesses on the ASX over a four plus decade journey. More recently, Ross was the Founding Chairman of NearMap - a business that was acquired by US private equity in a $1.1bn deal and currently invests privately in a number of mining, property & technology ventures. Founder & Host - Rob Langton https://readymedia.com.au/

An exclusive profile of self-made multi-millionaire & entrepreneur, Rory Vassallo - sharing his extraordinary self-made journey in building one of Australia’s most successful childcare businesses, ultimately culminating in a circa $65m deal to sell 22 centres to G8 Education in 2014 before embarking on a number of private ventures including more recently, taking back management control of fourteen centres. In this fascinating discussion, Rory reflects for the very first time on his background, early endeavours, business career and the fundamentals required for overcoming challenges & chasing long-term success. Founder & Host - Rob Langton Produced by Ready Media Group.

We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to be joined on today’s episode with Nick Wakim - the self-made Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Lithium, a pure-play developer embarking on a globally significant journey to become one of the World’s largest producers of lithium. Born in Melbourne to parents of Lebanese heritage, Nick’s upbringing saw him move multiple times across the World from an early age, transitioning variously across Papua New Guinea, Lebanon, England & Chicago. Emulating the entrepreneurial pursuits of his father, Nick’s business career has taken him across the World, from securing landmark deals across the Middle East to acting as a corporate advisor, personal investor & macro strategist to individuals, companies & Governments across a range of industries. Prior to launching Phoenix Lithium in 2009, Nick was involved in the establishment of a number of businesses including Vision Financial Group, a business that provided corporate finance & advisory services, Intercorp Group, an organisation that led joint venture & technology transfers and Phoenix Group, a business through which he advised senior ministers of Australia and Saudi Arabia on trade negotiations. Under Nick’s leadership, Phoenix Lithium is today best known for their remarkable pursuit to create North America’s largest lithium project, with their East Brawley project combining an enormous 23,000 acres of surface & mineral rights through which the company projects to be able extract enough lithium to produce in excess of a million electric vehicles per annum. Alongside his professional commitments, Nick established the Wakim Family Office (WFO), a private investment vehicle through which he deploys capital across residential & commercial real estate, technology ventures & horse- breeding. Owing to personal tragedy, Nick also founded the Farid Wakim Foundation in 2023 through which the family channel their philanthropic endeavours. In this rare & exclusive profile, Nick shares his extraordinary journey in both life & business, filmed on-location at his private residence in Melbourne, Australia. Founder & Host | Rob Langton Proudly produced & distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group. Further Information: https://www.phoenixlithium.com/ https://readymedia.com.au/ Subscribe | www.youtube.com/theinterviewau

Joining our series for his first exclusive, in-depth profile is self-made businessman & healthcare entrepreneur Dennis Bastas - Executive Chairman & CEO of DBG Health, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Arrotex Pharmaceuticals and Chairman of burgeoning consumer health enterprise, VidaCorp. In this exclusive interview, Dennis takes us on a journey throughout his remarkable career, from the pivotal moments that led him into the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, to the growth and evolution of DBG Health - along the way, exploring the key lessons, achievements, challenges, and successes that have led him to become one of Australia’s preeminent businesspeople. Founder & Host | Rob Langton Proudly produced & distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group. Further Information: https://readymedia.com.au/ https://dbghealth.com.au/

Joining our program in this exclusive feature profile is Tony Quinn - Founder of Quinn Family Office. A visionary, pioneer & the man with the Midas touch, Tony’s remarkable business success is a journey across three Countries, wherein his innate corporate nous combined with a relentless work ethic has enabled him to scale to the top of a diverse range of industry sectors including fresh pet food, confectionary, motorsport & commercial real estate investment. Though perhaps best known for his early success as the founder & driving force behind global market leader VIP Petfoods, the business he established from the ground up in 1994 before selling a majority stake to Quadrant Private Equity in a $410m transaction in 2015, Tony’s business achievements extend far beyond the VIP deal & incorporate a number of other triumphs; not least of which being the rapid turnaround & re-structuring of the infamous Darrell Lea Confectionary business, a company he acquired in 2012 for $25m before selling six years later in a $200m deal. Alongside his well popularised feats with both VIP & Darrell Lea Confectionary, The culmination of this financial success over a long period of time led to Tony establishing his own private investment vehicle Quinn Family Office (Quinnfinity Group) in 2015, a company through which he channels his considerable resources & expertise to invest in a broad spectrum of domestic and international businesses, commercial property assets throughout the World & venture opportunities. In this rare & exclusive profile produced and distributed by Ready Media Group, Tony Quinn details his extraordinary life, from growing up in a caravan in Aberdeen, Scotland to becoming one of the World’s most successful self-made business owners & investors - this is Tony Quinn, in his own words, filmed in his adopted hometown on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia. Founder & Host - Rob Langton.

Joining our program on this episode is Denis Wagner, Co-Founder & Non Executive Chairman of Wagners and Director of Wagner Corporation. With a family association to Queensland’s Darling Downs region that predates an astonishing one-hundred-and-fifty years, Wagners & Wagner Corporation are unquestionably two of Australia’s largest and most successful businesses, with operations across manufacturing, construction, commercial property, aviation and mining services. Tracing its roots back to 1896 when your great grandfather started business in this region, Wagners was officially established in 1989 as a partnership between Denis, his father Henry & siblings John and Neill Wagner. The firm launched with a single concrete plant, added a second in 1996 and by 2010 was operating 19 concrete plants in fixed locations throughout Queensland in addition to expanding it’s construction materials operations both domestically and globally including in composite fibre technologies, bulk haulage, aggregates & earth-friendly concrete. Over the course of the past three decades, Wagners has solidified its reputation with the firm being selected by blue-chip companies throughout Australia to deliver an enviable list of landmark projects - in 2012, Wagners undertook its own Nation-changing project with the construction of the circa $200m Wellcamp Airport, the first commercial airport to be built in Australia since the 1960’s. In less than two years, construction of Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport was complete, with seventy-five scheduled flights a week including direct cargo flights into Asia - the precinct now also includes Wellcamp Business Park, a 500 hectare estate that incorporates aviation maintenance & training, manufacturing, factory outlets, transport logistics, warehousing & distribution and commodity processing. Across both the listed entity, Wagners, and the private family business, Wagner Corporation, the Wagner Family now employ some 1,100 personnel with revenues exceeding $500m per annum. In this rare and exclusive profile, Denis discusses the family’s long-held ties to Toowoomba, the launch and evolution of both Wagners and Wagner Corporation, the fundamental lessons & skills required for success that he’s learnt across his career & what the next chapter in the remarkable Wagner family story will look like over the years ahead. Host - Rob Langton Proudly produced by Ready Media Group.

Our special guest on this episode is prolific hospitality entrepreneur & commercial property investor, Graham Hardie - Chairman & Founder of Hardie Finance Corporation & principal of Entertainment Enterprises. A stalwart of Perth’s business scene for over four decades, Graham established and led more than thirty venues across the City including renowned names such as Paramount, Arcadia, Underground, Bill’s, Empire Bar, Havana & Tiger Lil’s. Graduating from Wesley College, Graham studied accounting, later attaining his Chartered Accountancy qualification and rising to become a Partner at a leading firm before launching his first hospitality venture, Knightsbridge’s Eagle One Nightclub in 1979. 
 Whilst continuing to pursue his hospitality interests via Entertainment Enterprises, Graham also diversified into commercial property investment, acquiring & developing a number of significant assets across Northbridge, South Perth, Perth City and Lathlain. 

In addition to his commercial property & hospitality interests, Graham has also sat on the board of a number of public and private companies and currently serves as a Non Executive Director of Peel Mining. In the first & only interview of his extensive career, Graham takes us through his background, his professional accounting career, his pivot into hospitality & property and the key lessons he’s learnt in both life & business along the journey.

Joining our program on this episode is prolific entrepreneur Jamie Pherous - Founder & Managing Director of Corporate Travel Management. Launched in 1994 as a start-up with just two personnel, Corporate Travel Management (CTM) has since grown to become one of Australia’s largest home-grown business success stories. As of May 2024, the firm boasts a market capitalisation in excess of $2.2bn, revenues exceeding $500m per year and some 3,000 staff stationed across the World including in Europe, North America & Asia. In this exclusive interview, Jamie unpacks his background, the launch and evolution of CTM, the fundamentals required for delivering sustained success & the opportunities and challenges he’s encountered across a corporate career spanning more than three decades. Proudly produced and distributed exclusively by Ready Media Group. Hosted by Rob Langton.

Joining our series on this episode is special guest Charlie Bass, Founder of Bass Group & renowned businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. For more than five decades, Charlie has been an instrumental figure in corporate Australia, playing a leading role in the establishment and success of companies in a diverse range of sectors, including mining, resources development, technology & entrepreneurial research. Born in Reading Pennsylvania, Charlie was raised in Florida to entrepreneurial parents, with his father a small business owner who frequently moved the family in pursuit of new opportunities including to Toronto, wherein Charlie later completed his secondary school education. With a passion for the outdoors from a young age, Charlie enrolled in university studies in geology, mining and later mineral processing, completing undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, culminating in a Scholarship to complete a master’s degree at Queens University in Ontario. Following two years working in the US with mining firm Amax Inc, Charlie re-located to Australia in 1978 and began working on Amax’s Mount Newman Iron Ore project, later establishing a software mining company known as MeTech in 1980. Alongside fellow Western Australian business identity, Tony Poli, Charlie Co-Founded Eagle Mining Corporation in 1992, a business that grew throughout the course of the 90’s and fast became one of the most successful local exploration firms, before being acquired five years later in 1997 in a c. $250m deal. Three years later in 2000, the pair combined again to establish Aquila Resources Limited, an ASX-listed business initially focused on gold exploration but that later transitioned into other resources including coal, manganese & iron ore. In 2014, Aquila Resources was acquired in a c. $1.4bn deal between Baosteel-Aurizon, enabling Charlie to pursue a number of external interests and pursuits in the technology, internet & venture capital sectors. Charlie is also the Founder and Managing Director of Eagle Mountain Mining (EM2), a copper focussed exploration and development company which he established in 2017 with the core objective of becoming a low emission producer to supply the rapidly growing green energy market. In 2006, he launched the Bass Family Foundation, a charity vehicle purposely designed to provide education for disadvantaged children (particularly in remote area’s) as well as to provide resources & support to indigenous programs throughout Western Australia. Charlie is also the Founder of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Research and Innovation (CERI), an organisation established in 2015 and which is primarily funded by the Bass Family Foundation to provide targeted programs, grants, events and resources to power the entrepreneurial pursuits and business ideas of future generations of Western Australians. To-date, CERI has raised over $7.5m in funds to support more than 600 aspiring entrepreneurs. Charlie was also named 2024 Senior Western Australian of the Year and invests privately through his family office, Bass Group. Our exclusive interview with Charlie Bass explores his background, his transition from the US to Australia, the key pillars of his success, fundamentals he’s learnt from a lifetime in business and what he regards as his key achievements in a remarkable five-decade long career. Host - Rob Langton | Ready Media Group The Interview - Australia's most watched business series.

Joining our program on this episode in what is a unique & exclusive profile is Dan White - a 4th generation, executive member of the venerable White family real estate dynasty who currently serves as Managing Director of Ray White Group & Chairman of White & Partners. Established in 1902, the Ray White Group is Australia’s largest & most successful real estate agency business, encompassing some twelve thousand plus members working across over a thousand agency offices throughout Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong & the Middle East. Now it’s fourth generation of family leadership, Dan White was appointed Managing Director of the Ray White Group in 2015 wherein he leads the businesses diverse global operations, managing turnover that exceeds $35bn per annum, as well as serving as Founder & Chairman of the family’s private investment office, Ray White Capital, a business he established in 2001.

 In this exclusive interview, Dan discusses the remarkable journey & success behind the Ray White Group, his personal career trajectory & learnings from his time at Arthur Anderson and Macquarie Bank, the opportunities and challenges involved in running a 12,000 person international business and the importance of legacy in maintaining the sustainability of the Ray White Group business for its future custodians. Founder & Host - Rob Langton https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.raywhite.com/people/dan-white

Joining our program on this episode is prolific developer, agricultural investor & businessman Gerard O’Brien - Founder & Director of Silverleaf Investments, a privately held commercial real estate investment company. For over three decades, Gerard has been an instrumental figure across Western Australia’s real estate & business communities, playing an integral role particularly throughout Fremantle wherein his award-winning retail, commercial and residential projects have significantly added too & boosted the appeal of the City.

 Alongside his development / re-development projects in Fremantle, Gerard also has extensive commercial holdings throughout Perth & Hobart in addition to a number of private farming interests. In this exclusive profile, Gerard walks us through his background, his approach to real estate investment & development, how the Cities of Fremantle, Perth and Hobart have evolved over recent decades & the types of opportunities he sees on the horizon for sophisticated investors. Founder & Host - Rob Langton Proudly produced & distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group. https://readymedia.com.au/

Joining our series for an exclusive feature profile is Jack Hutchinson - Director & Board Member of Australia's oldest & most successful privately-owned construction firm, Hutchinson Builders. Established in 1912, Hutchinson Builders is one of Australia's preeminent construction firms, having completed a remarkable 7,500 projects with an end value in excess of $35bn. Jack is a qualified quantity surveyor and a licenced builder. He holds an MBA from the London Business School and a Bachelor of Property (QS & CM) from Bond University. Before being appointed as a Director in 2022, Jack worked across various project and operational roles within Hutchies, as well as within other property, construction, and financial firms in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Proudly produced by Ready Media Group. https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.hutchinsonbuilders.com.au/

Joining our series for an exclusive & in-depth profile on this episode is highly regarded businessman & entrepreneur, John Rothwell AO - Non-Executive Chair, Founding Director & the driving force behind Austal, the World’s largest aluminium shipbuilding company. Having established Austal in Perth, Western Australia in 1988 with no more than five employees & $200,000 in cash, John has grown the company over the past three decades into a global maritime behemoth with over 4,300 personnel delivering over 350 world-class vessels as well as technological solutions for military, commercial and civilian applications - including for the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Customs, Government of Saudi Arabia & Euroferrys to name a few. With a customer base that spreads across more than one-hundred operators in fifty-nine Countries, Austal has become one of the most successful businesses in Australian corporate history, with an order book in excess of $2bn per annum, operations spread across seven shipyards in five countries and a share register that includes blue-chip institutional & private companies including BlackRock, Tattarang Ventures, UniSuper, Vanguard & Pendal. As Founding Director of Austal, John has led the business in various capacities throughout its thirty-six-year history including as Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman and since 2008, Non-Executive Chairman. Prior to launching Austal, John founded a small structural engineering company which later became a leisure craft business known as Star Boats in 1972, a company that upended traditional boat-building practices by utilising aluminium rather than fibreglass for its lightweight hulls and which he grew for over a decade before selling to Christopher Skase backed Precision Marine (now Quintex Corporation) in 1984. On a personal level, John migrated aged ten with his family from Holland in 1954 and completed three years of primary / secondary school before entering the workforce at fifteen - over the course of the following eight or so years, he held a number of roles working in steel fabrication, welding, transport & land clearing. In a highly decorated career, John been the recipient of a number of awards including Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2004, Australian Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 2002, Western Australia Citizen of the Year in 1999. In this exclusive interview, John walks us through his remarkable career, the evolution of Austal over the course of more than three decades, the opportunities & challenges in running a global manufacturing business from Australia and the fundamentals required to achieve sustained success in both business and life. Produced, licensed & distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group. Host - Rob Langton Further information: https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.austal.com/ #ausbiz #businessnews #austal #australia #perth

Joining our series for a rare and exclusive interview on this episode are Mick Power AM & Scott Power - the father-son pair behind one of Australia’s largest and most successful privately owned urban development & construction firms, the BMD Group. Established in 1979, the BMD Group has grown exponentially throughout the course of more than four decades - from humble beginnings in Brisbane to a leading National business that now boasts an international footprint, encompassing 2000 team members, revenues exceeding $2bn per annum and over fourteen offices positioned strategically across Australia. Though it’s early foundations concentrated largely around providing engineering services on a smaller-scale in the residential subdivision space, the BMD Group has evolved and expanded rapidly, with the firm now incorporating five distinct business divisions, including BMD Constructions, BMD Urban, Empower Engineers & Project Managers, JMac Constructions and Urbex - the sum total of which combine to provide their public, institutional and private clients a full-service offering across the property development, engineering design, transport infrastructure, civil construction and project management sectors. A family business at its core, BMD was established five decades ago as a partnership between Mick Power, his wife Denise, his brother in law Bevin and sister Beverly, and whilst Mick & Denise acquired the remaining shares in the business from Bevin and Beverly twelve-months after launching, the firm’s unwavering commitment to its people remains evident through its emphasis on ‘family’ as a fundamental value within its operating model. Mick Power AM has served as the company’s Founder & Group Board Chairman for more than forty years - he commenced his career aged 19 with Leighton Contractors in 1969 as their first cadet, working on major infrastructure and mining projects as Manager of Central Queensland before steadily rising through the firm to eventually become the Area Manager of the Gold Coast region. Following a decade with Leighton and combined with the firm’s move away from smaller scale (sub-$200k) contracts, Mick saw an opportunity to launch his own business, BMD, and utilising a $12,000 superannuation payment from Leighton, began undertaking lower-priced residential subdivision work with Hooker Rex (now known as Fraser Property Group), completing infrastructure and civil works across a number of residential subdivision projects. In his current role as Group Board Chairman, Mick provides high-level oversight & guidance to the Board of Directors and across the BMD business whilst also having pursued a number of other interests, including 27 years as a Board Member of the South Bank Corporation, Board Member of the Brisbane Lions Football Club, Honorary Ambassador to the City of Brisbane, accreditations by Engineers Australia, Surf Life Saving Foundation Vice Patron, BMD Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club Patron, Wynnum Golf Club Patron, Honorary Lifetime PGA Membership and Wynnum Manly Leagues Club Patron. Following in his father’s footsteps, Scott Power currently serves as the BMD’s Group Chief Executive Officer, a role he has held since November 2020 following a career of nearly three decades with the company. Scott is a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology, having completed a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng., Hons.) as well as a graduate of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, having completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. In addition to leading BMD through its next phase of growth, Scott is a Board Member of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia as well as a Board Member of Australian Owned Contractors. Proudly produced by Ready Media Group.

Joining our program on this episode to share what is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most remarkable self-made business success stories is Billionaire Trevor Lee, Founder & Principal of Australian Country Choice Group- the largest & most successful, privately-owned, vertically integrated beef processing company in Australia. In this rare & exclusive profile of one of Australia’s most successful yet private businessman, Trevor charts his incredibly journey, from being told his academic future was limited whilst a student at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar School, to working the harsh lands of Queensland’s rugged, remote environments, ultimately culminating in the decision to follow his instincts & launch his own a business - a business which has changed not just an industry, but a Nation too, all the while cementing his legacy & the legacy of future generations of the Lee Family for decades to come.

Joining our series on this episode is prominent company director & corporate advisor, Tony Howarth AO. Tony’s extensive five-decade plus career has taken in the heights of Australia’s financial and banking sectors, including high-profile roles leading renowned organisations Challenge Bank & Hartleys as Chief Executive Officer as well as Chairman positions with Altina Energy and Home Building Society. He has also held a number of board positions including as a Non Executive Director of WesFarmers (2007 - 2019), Deputy Chair of the Bank of Queensland (2007 - 2010), Non Executive Director of private investment vehicle AWB and Non Executive Director and Chair of St John of God Health Care. Across a broad portfolio of current roles, Tony serves as a Board Member of Coventry Group, BWP Trust, Viburnum Funds and Altina Energy. Born in Bathurst, Tony left school in year 10 and joined the local bank branch, studying an accounting degree at Tafe whilst working his way up through the ranks including to General Manager of Community Banking at the State Bank of New South Wales (managing 300 branches) as well as gaining experience in retail & commercial banking in Sydney, London and New York. In 1991, Tony moved to Perth and was appointed Chief General Manager and later, Chief Executive Officer of Challenge Bank, a period which saw him leading the bank through a strong re-build before it was acquired by Westpac four years later in 1995. Since that time, Tony has been a trusted sounding board for both public and private organisations and has built an enviable profile across Perth’s business community. Tony served on the University of Western Australia Senate for 12 years, and was an inaugural Chairman of the University Club and was a key driver in the creation of the UWA Business School where he led the Fund Raising and served as Deputy Chair for over a decade. Tony ‘s community involvement included Chairman of Western Australian Rugby Union; inaugural Chairman of the Committee for Perth; President of both the Western Australian and Australian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the International Chamber of Commerce of Australia. https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.viburnumfunds.com.au/tony-howarth/

A rare and exclusive interview with legendary Perth businessman, John Hughes - Founder & Chief Executive Officer of John Hughes Group. • Founded 1969 • $500m revenue per annum • 540 staff • 2,500 cars sold per month Exclusively presented by Ready Media Group. Host - Rob Langton

Joining our series on this episode is Co-Founder & Managing Director of ACFS Port Logistics, Arthur Tzaneros. Alongside his father Terry, Arthur launched ACFS in 2005, growing the business over the course of the past two decades to become Australia’s largest private owned container logistics operator. With National operations across transport, warehousing and freight logistics, ACFS has some 1,500 personnel working across company-owned facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane & Auckland, providing a diverse range of services to its blue-chip customers including Bunnings, Coles, Nestle, Kmart & Super Retail Group. Arthur was born in Sydney & attended The Scots College, graduating in 1995 before working across the logistics sector in New South Wales including as General Manager, NSW for Smith Brothers Trade & Transport and NSW Landside Logistics Manager for P&O Transport Australia. In this exclusive interview, Arthur shares the extraordinary journey of ACFS, the opportunities & challenges he’s encountered throughout his business career & the key learnings that have driven his success.

In a rare & exclusive profile, Founder of Costa Asset Management & high-profile member of the revered Costa Family dynasty, Robert Costa joins our series on this episode to discuss his diverse professional career which extends across wholesaling, retail, commercial property investment & philanthropy. The son of Sicilian migrants who commenced their grocery business with the purchase & evolution of Geelong’s Covent Garden in the mid 1930’s (originally established in 1888), Robert was born in Geelong and attended St Mary’s Primary School & later, Lovely Bank’s Chanel College. Upon graduation, he joined the family’s rapidly expanding Costa Group fresh produce business in the 1970’s alongside his brothers Frank & Anthony, with the company rising to become Australia’s largest horticultural and fresh produce supplier over the course of the next four decades. Following more than thirty years in a variety of management positions within Costa Group that focussed predominantly on managing the firm’s asset base & liquidity position, Robert launched a new venture, Costa Asset Management, in 2011 alongside his brother Anthony. Today, Costa Asset Management (CAM) functions primarily as an investment office with a diverse portfolio of assets across fixed income, private equity, venture capital, commercial property investment, property development & international real estate. In addition to Costa AM, Robert & the late Anthony Costa jointly founded their philanthropic enterprise, The Anthony Costa Foundation in 2011 which seeks to make a positive impact in the communities in which the family operates in through providing grants, strategic advisory & resources to a range of causes including homelessness, food insecurity, opportunity in education and mental health. Outside of his corporate interests, Robert has also variously held a number of professional roles including Mayor of Geelong West, Chair of Monash & RMIT University’s Global Reconciliation bodies, Chair of the Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund, Director of the Geelong Performing Arts Centre Trust & Life Governor of the Barwon Health Foundation. In this exclusive, in-depth interview, Robert shares the insights & achievements behind his distinguished four-decade plus career as well as the fundamentals involved to achieve sustained success in both business & life. Produced and distributed exclusively by Ready Media Group. Host - Rob Langton https://readymedia.com.au/

Joining our program on this episode is prolific Western Australian entrepreneur & company director, Michael Malone - Founder of iiNet, the homegrown Australian success story he built to become the Nation’s second largest listed ISP with over 2,000 personnel, over 1m customers & $1bn in annual revenue prior to its sale in 2015 in a circa $1.5bn deal. In this rare & exclusive interview, Michael details his extraordinary personal & professional successes, the journey of iiNet, his unique philosophy and approach to business, the evolution in Western Australia’s start-up scene and what he considers his most seminal achievements. Presented exclusively by Ready Media Group. Host - Rob Langton

Joining our series for an exclusive profile is Kevin Maloney, Founder & Chairman of family office investment firm, Tulla Group. Born in Sydney in the late 1940’s to parents Joseph, a retired army major who upon discharge, went into the hotel business and Florence Maloney, Kevin was one of eight siblings whose early exposure to business was formed through his parent’s acquisition and management of the Zetland Hotel as well as their interests in horse-racing, a passion which continues to be prevalent throughout his life today. From humble beginnings in Sydney’s western suburbs, Kevin left school at age fifteen and began working as a clerk at ANZ, progressing through the firm to become the youngest person in its history to be appointed to a management role. During this time, Kevin’s thirst for hard work and his ambitious nature began to take shape, working full time at ANZ whilst also juggling roles three other part-time roles including as a poke machine attendant at the South Sydney Junior Leagues Club, a bookies clerk, and a taxi driver. Following a two-decade career with ANZ, Kevin left the firm and became a Founding Executive Director and the inaugural Chief Executive of Elders Resources Finance in 1986, a business which provided capital to finance resource projects across the World to the tune of more than $4bn in the gold, oil, gas, forestry, and silver industries. In the early 1990’s, Kevin established Tulla Group, a private investment vehicle to direct a number of ventures including diverse forays into jewellery, retail apparel, copper mining and building materials. By 1996, Kevin foresaw a unique opportunity to provide high-quality accommodation services to mining sites across Australia, launching MAC Services Group, a business which specialised in prefabricated buildings and constructed villages for mining communities via its seed asset in Queensland’s Moranbah. Over the course of the decade, MAC Services Group grew to encompass over 3,300 rooms across five villages, with revenues exceeding $69m per annum, ultimately culminating in the decision to float the business on the stock exchange in April of 2007. Under Kevin and his son Mark’s leadership, MAC Services continued to expand throughout Australia post public listing, with new villages opened in Western Australia whilst rooms under management exceeded 5,000 for the first time. In December of 2010, MAC Services (The MAC) was acquired by Oil States International Inc in a $689m deal, with investors receiving four times their money back in just three years whilst sowing the seeds for Tulla Group’s next chapter as a family office. Tulla Group is today one of Australia’s most successful and diversified family offices, with investments across mining and resources, technology, racehorse breeding, property & venture capital. Our discussion with Kevin charts his background, his early business successes and challenges, the extraordinary rise of MAC Services, his key career achievements, and the investment focus of his family office. Produced, licensed & distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group Host - Rob Langton The Interview | Australia's flagship business series.

Our special guest on this episode is highly-respected corporate advisor and doyen of Western Australia’s business community, Mr. John Poynton AO. In a diverse career that encapsulates a range of industry sectors including investment banking, corporate advisory, stockbroking and private investment, John has been an instrumental figure for over four decades, establishing an enviable track-record as a strong deal-maker and confidant to leading organisations from throughout Australia. https://readymedia.com.au/

Joining our series for a rare and exclusive profile is special guest, billionaire Shesh Ghale - Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of MIT Group, renowned property developer & global philanthropist. In an extraordinary tale of success defined by resilience, adaptation and hard-work, Shesh has risen from a childhood spent in the rugged mountains of Nepal in the early 1960’s through to an early education in the Former USSR of Ukraine, ultimately culminating in the decision to re-locate to Australia in 1990 and embarking on a career-defining pursuit into the educational and property investment industries. Following his high school education in Nepal, Shesh moved to Ukraine and studies a Bachelor / Master of Civil Engineering at Kharkiv National University on a Government Scholarship, graduating in 1986 before returning to Nepal to work as a project engineer in the Government’s transport department. Seeking greater access to career opportunities, Shesh then moved to Australia in 1990 and embarked on further study, enrolling in a Master of Business Administration degree at Victoria University graduating in 1994 - his wife, Jamuna Gurung followed and re-located to Australia in 1991. Having experienced first hand the quality of education offered through the university system in Western countries, Shesh identified an opportunity to provide world-class study pathways largely targeted toward international students in Melbourne, therein establishing the Melbourne Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1996 alongside Jamuna. Over the course of the past twenty-five years, Shesh & Jamuna have grown MIT into one of Australia’s most successful private tertiary education institutions, with purpose-built campuses in both Melbourne & Sydney and a cohort of over four-thousand students per annum. Capitalising on their natural entrepreneurial institution, the pair began investing in commercial property in the early 2000’s, successfully acquiring and divesting of multiple assets across Melbourne’s CBD including Tomasetti House, The Argus Building, Sir Charles Hotham Building, 386 - 412 William Street, 388 Lonsdale Street and 154 - 158 Sussex Street in Sydney’s CBD amongst others. In addition to his extensive domestic property interests, Shesh also has a number of investments globally including Sheraton Kathmandu Nepal held through his family office, The Ghale Group - he has also donated his time and considerable resources to a number of philanthropic and community-based organisations. Our exclusive interview with Shesh Ghale explores his background, his passion for education, his deal-making in the commercial property sector and the key ingredients that have enabled him to become one of Australia’s most successful individuals. Host - Rob Langton Producer - Ready Media Group

Our guest on this episode is highly respected businessman, corporate advisor and private investor, Mark Barnaba AM. A trusted advisor in both public and private-sector capacities, Mark’s career extends across a range of institutions wherein his diverse experiences in management consulting & investment banking have been a valuable commodity for organisations for more than three decades. 

 Mark enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Western Australia, graduating with High Distinction (winning the JA Wood University Medal) in 1985 before enrolling in an MBA at the revered Harvard Business School where he graduated with the highest distinction. After recognising Mark’s remarkable academic achievements, business heavyweight and legendary Australian figure Alan Bond employed him as an executive assistant, wherein he worked directly with Alan and his Bond Corporation for a period of two years. In the early 1990’s, Mark joined McKinsey & Company and worked across the firm’s operations for a period of five years including in its London, Johannesburg, and Sydney offices. 

 Following his return to Perth, he co-founded banking & advisory firm Poynton & Partners alongside John Poynton in 1996, with their pair (alongside others) simultaneously launching a subsidiary known as GEM Consulting. 

 Alongside the growth of Poynton & Partners throughout the late 1990’s, GEM Consulting became Perth’s leading corporate advisory and financial services business having been intricately involved in major transactions including across the mining, technology, resources, and commercial property sectors. Under the stewardship of Mark & John, GEM Consulting was acquired by AST Group South Africa in 2001 in a $44m deal. In 2004, Mark Co-Founded Azure Capital, an independently owned, specialist advisory firm he led as Co-Executive Chair for seven years prior to selling his stake in 2010. Mark served as the Inaugural Chairman of the University of Western Australia Business School Board for a period of eighteen years (2002 - 2020) and was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University in 2012.

 In 2012, Mark was appointed Chairman of Macquarie Group Western Australia, Chairman & Global Head, Resources Group & Chairman, Corporate & Asset Finance of Macquarie Group by then Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Moore AO - positions he held for a period of six years until 2017.
 Since 2010, Mark has served as a Non-Executive Director of Fortescue Metals Group Limited in addition to Lead Independent Director (2014) and Deputy Chair (2017). In August 2017, Mark was appointed to the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and currently Chairs the Reserve Bank Board Audit Committee. Mark has also variously been Chairman of Western Power, Edge Employment, Alinta Infrastructure Holdings, the Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia. He is also a Senior Advisor of EY Oceania, Chairman of the Investment Committee for HBF and Chairman of Greatland Coal. He also holds an extensive number of other positions including as Chair of GLX, Chair of the Investments Committee at HBF. Senior Advisor of EY Oceania, Senior Advisor of Appian Capital Advisory and Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia. Our exclusive interview with Mark unpacks his diverse career journey, from successfully launching his own ventures, to working with some of Australia’s largest and most revered institutions, he openly shares the fundamentals required to achieve success as well as the crucial lessons he’s learnt from more than three decades in business. Proudly produced and distributed exclusively by Ready Media Group.

Our special guest on this episode is Rod Jones - Co-Founder of global education provider Navitas & Executive Chairman of Hoperidge Capital. Unquestionably one of Perth's leading business figures for more than three decades, Rod's remarkable career has scaled the heights of the education industry, initially through the launch of IBT Education and the Perth Institute of Business Technology. In the 1990's, the business was renamed Navitas and launched globally into the UK, Europe, Canada and the US, before listing on the ASX for $1 per share in 2004 and with a market capitalisation of $350m. By day’s end, the share price had more than doubled to $2.40, valuing the business in excess of $800m. Fast forward over the next decade and Rod led the business as Chief Executive Officer for some twenty-four years until 2018, navigating multiple economic and political cycles including constant changes in policy & direction both domestically and internationally. In 2019, BGH Capital engineered one of the largest ever buyouts by an Australian private equity firm, acquiring Navitas and taking the company private in a $2.3bn enterprise deal, with shares ultimately valued at $5.825. Utilising his expertise and financial resources, Rod now overseas his family office, Hoperidge Capital, a private investment vehicle with diversified holdings across the property, education, technology, medical innovation and energy sectors. The Interview - Australia's flagship business series. Host - Rob Langton Produced & distributed exclusively by Ready Media Group. Further Information: https://www.navitas.com/ https://hoperidge.com.au/ https://readymedia.com.au/

Our guest on this episode is prolific Adelaide investor and developer, Anthony Lenzi, Managing Director of Thirteen Commercial. Thirteen Commercial is a dynamic construction and development company, founded by Adelaide entrepreneur Anthony Lenzi, who has more than eighteen years experience developing small and large scale properties across Adelaide. Headquartered in Flinders Park, Thirteen Commercial is spearheading several high profile industrial and commercial developments, throughout the Adelaide CBD and inner west.

Our special guest on this episode is globally respected business leader, Nicholas Moore AO. In a remarkable corporate career that extends across more than three decades, Nicholas has established a formidable track record of success, predicated on an innate ability to recognise opportunity across investment markets well ahead of the curve. Having been appointed in the depths of the Global Financial Crisis, Nicholas transformed the Macquarie Group business as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director over the course of the ensuing decade (2008 - 2018) - de-risking the business model through strategic acquisition, global expansion into funds management & infrastructure investment, and an emphasis on annuity-style income. In unquestionably one of the firm’s most defining decades across it’s storied fifty-year history, Nicholas ushered in a new era for Macquarie Group - building upon the firm’s unique risk management framework and celebrated bottom- up approach to the identification of opportunity and employee empowerment, he steered the organisation’s presence on a global stage, perhaps most distinctly illustrated via the lifting of the firm’s international income by 67 percent, a portfolio of assets under management that exceeded $550bn, a revenue base through which 70% of income was derived offshore and a 300 percent increase in shareholder returns - an extraordinary legacy of success. Following a thirty-three year career at Macquarie Group, including close to eleven years as CEO, Nicholas stepped down in 2018 and began focusing on a number of projects and ventures that presented him with new opportunity to contribute his considerable skillset & expertise across both public and professional life. In November 2022, Nicholas was appointed by the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, to the role of Special Envoy for South-East Asia to deepen economic engagement with Australia’s neighbours across the Asia-Pacific region. Nicholas currently holds several significant chairmanships and directorships, including Chairman of Willow Technology Corporation, Screen Australia, The Centre for Independent Studies, The Smith Family and the National Catholic Education Commission. He is also a member of the NSW Business School Advisory Council and an Honorary Doctorate in Business from the University of New South Wales. Previously, he served as the Chairman of PCYC NSW for a period of over a decade (2002 - 2015) as well as the Sydney Opera House Trust (2015 - 2020).

Nicholas is a confidant and valued sounding board for Prime Ministers, Premiers, and business leaders across Australia, having been engaged to provide strategic advice across M&A, corporate finance, receivership and banking matters. He is also the Chairman & Founder of the Moore Family Office, his private investment vehicle. In a rare and exclusive profile, Nicholas discusses his incredible journey, from re-shaping a global financial powerhouse with over 15,000 employee’s across the World, to leading some of Australia’s most important philanthropic organisations - sharing the key lessons for success, and life, along the way.

Our special guest on this episode is Terry Snow AM - Executive Chairman of Capital Airport Group, Co-Founder & Chair of the Snow Foundation & Owner of Willinga Park.
 Terry’s journey in both business & in life is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most remarkable & enduring - born in Canberra in 1943 to a family with a rich heritage and attachment to the ACT that dates back over two generations to his grandfather E.R Snow, the proprietor of the region’s first general store known as ‘Snows’, Terry has established a formidable career over the past sixty years that has changed the landscape for generations to come. 
 Following graduation from Canberra Grammar School in 1961, Terry re-located to Melbourne and enrolled in an accountancy degree, later practising as a certified accountant in Canberra before finding the monotony of the profession limiting as compared with his love of dealing with people. 
 In the 1970’s, a career change led him to real estate, a profession far more suited to his engaging personality and a field in which he excelled at over the course of a number of years. Utilising the skills he’d learnt from this period of his life, he then turned his hand to property development, initially through the development of small industrial projects before later building larger office assets through Capital Property Trust (CPT) - a vehicle established alongside his brother George that followed in the footsteps of their father’s business, Capital Property Group. 
 Throughout the course of the 1980’s and early 1990’s & under the stewardship of Terry & George, Capital Property Trust grew to become the largest non-government owner of property in the ACT, incorporating over eleven assets, underpinned predominantly by long-term leases from Government tenants.
 The burgeoning success of CPT seeded the establishment of the Snow Foundation in 1991 with an initial $1m contribution, a philanthropic organisation that over the past three decades has assisted over four-hundred-and-fifty organisations through over $68m in disbursements - a division of the family’s diverse interests that remains one of its cornerstones. 
 By 1996, Terry & George had grown Capital Property Trust into a business with over $530m of funds under management, laying the foundations for Mirvac to acquire a majority stake in a circa $70m deal, a transaction that enabled the pair to move away from the challenges that surround listed company ownership. 
 Utilising the proceeds from the sale of CPT, Terry purchased Canberra Airport from the Federal Government in May of 1998 in a $65m transaction - a deal that has gone down in Australian corporate history as one of the most astute, with his private company Capital Airport Group transforming the site through more than $1bn of investment from sheep paddocks to an integrated accommodation, industrial, office, business park and aerotropolis precinct now valued in excess of $3.0bn. 
 Alongside the remarkable growth of Canberra Airport over the past two-decades, Capital Property Group has undertaken a number of other precinct-defining projects including Constitution Place, Civic and the mixed-use Denman Prospect development to name a few - additionally, the group has also supported several early-stage firms through the strategic deployment of capital. 
 In 2002 and spurned on by a long-held family association with the area, Terry began amassing landholdings in Bawley Point to create a 2300-acre equestrian parkland now known as Willinga Park - arguably the World’s finest equestrian precinct that also encompasses commercial farming, conferencing, training, and restaurant facilities. 
 Our exclusive interview with Terry Snow AM explores his background, the evolution of Capital Property Group, his passion for philanthropy, the key drivers for success in both life and business and how both the Snow Foundation and Capital Airport Group are embarking on their next stage of growth.

An exclusive interview with Mark Couter - financial services specialist & Chief Executive Officer of diversified family office, Vitocco Enterprises.

Joining our series for a rare & exclusive interview are special guests, Johnny and Markus Kahlbetzer - members of one of Australia’s most remarkable and enduring business dynasty’s. Our exclusive discussion delves into the family’s legacy, the major successes & challenges they’ve encountered along the journey, analysis of key deals and transactions across their respective businesses and the sectors & industries within which they see opportunities for investment in the years to come. The Interview - Australia's Flagship Business Series. Proudly produced, licensed & distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group. Further information: https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.twynam.com/ https://bridgelane.com.au/

Our special guest on this episode is billionaire Arnold Vitocco - Founder & Managing Director of diversified family office Vitocco Enterprises. Vitocco Enterprises is one of Australia’s most successful family-run private corporations, with a pedigree dating back some seventy years and a portfolio of assets that encompasses holdings across the property development, real estate investment, retail, agriculture and food and beverage sectors.

Our special guest is rich-lister Andrew Abercrombie, Chair & Founding Director of Humm Group and revered businessman, investor & philanthropist. Born in Sydney in 1957, Andrew re-located to Melbourne at an early age and before long, his entrepreneurial qualities were on display, establishing five paper rounds as a teenager before turning his hand to trading motorbikes, cars and eventually residential real estate. Following graduation from Scotch College, Andrew’s initial interest was in the field of medicine before a fortuitous change in circumstances coupled with his prior exposure to business led to him enrolling in an economics degree at LaTrobe University, graduating in 1976 before continuing his educational pursuits via a Master of Law degree at Monash University (1980). Andrew then completed his articles at Garrick Grey & Co specialising in tax-planning and property trusts, ultimately establishing the foundations upon which he launched, alongside several others, his own legal firm in 1982 that focused on taxation, film-finance deals & the representation of clients across the entertainment industry including Cold Chisel and INXS. Despite the early success the firm had over the course of the mid-1980’s, Andrew’s waning interest in the law culminated in a desire to explore other career options, and at age 30, he enrolled and was ultimately accepted into the ultra-competitive MBA course offered by IWD Switzerland, graduating in 1988. After a brief stint in New York and in the shadows of a deteriorating global economic environment, Andrew returned to Australia and by 1990, identified opportunities to unlock value in companies that were either facing bankruptcy or were in liquidation. One of those opportunities was a small leasing business that through a successful turnaround strategy implemented by Andrew during the course of the nineties and early two-thousands, grew to become listed on the stock exchange by 2006 and is now known as FlexiGroup. Our exclusive feature interview with Andrew charts his journey across both his business and personal life, unpacking the key deals and lessons that have inspired his success. Host - Rob Langton Produced & distributed exclusively via - Ready Media Group https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.shophumm.com/humm-group/ #businessnews #businessinterview #meettheceo #ausbiz

Our special guest on this episode is Danny Gilbert AM - Co-Founder & Managing Partner of revered corporate law firm, Gilbert + Tobin. In a rare and exclusive interview, Danny walks us through his extraordinary career, from practising law in regional New South Wales in the early part of his life, to moving to Sydney and launching his own firm alongside Tony Tobin in 1988. From humble beginnings, Gilbert + Tobin is now one of Australia's most successful and prestigious legal firms, consistently ranked in the top three legal institutions in the Country with over 950 staff specialising in a diverse field of areas. Proudly licensed, produced and distributed exclusively via Ready Media Group. For further information, visit: https://readymedia.com.au/ https://www.gtlaw.com.au/

Joining our series for his first ever in-depth interview is special guest - Jeff Chapman AM, Founder & Chairman of Bangarra Family Office & Bennelong Funds Management. As one of Australia’s most successful business & philanthropic figures, Jeff’s remarkable career and influence extends across a diverse range of industries, including professional sports, media production, property development, funds management & global equities. Born in the New South Wales town of Glen Innes in 1948, Jeff moved to Melbourne and attended Carey Grammar, wherein his sporting prowess was quickly recognised by his peers and culminated in him being appointed the school’s Football Captain. Upon graduation, Jeff signed with the Hawthorn Football Club for one season before transferring to the Melbourne Football Club in 1966. At the conclusion of his professional sporting career, Jeff transitioned into business, founding Sportsworld Media Group, an integrated production house that developed television programs, live broadcast events & magazines in 1991 before expanding the firm in Britain where it listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1998. Following the sale of his stakes in the business upon it’s listing, and again two years later, Jeff launched his investment vehicle Bennelong Group in 2000 with a mandate of investing in businesses and operating real estate across England, the Middle East & Australia. Over the ensuing two decades, Bennelong Group established itself as one of the Country’s most prolific investors, deploying capital across a range of sectors and industries including golf courses, commercial real estate projects and equities. Launched in 2002 as a division of Bennelong Group, Jeff launched Bennelong Funds Management, a global investment company that partners with boutique asset managers across the World and that now has in excess of $15bn of assets under management across ten boutiques and six offices. Jeff is also a highly respected philanthropist via the Bennelong Foundation in which his share of the profits from Bennelong Funds Management are channelled into a range of charitable causes in both Australia and the UK, with over fifty projects and seven-hundred grants distributed with an end value of in excess of $15m. Through the Bangarra Family Office, Jeff manages his extensive investment interests including in Crown Golf, Bennelong Funds Management & his commercial property holdings. Our exclusive discussion explores Jeff’s background, his professional football career, the rise of Sportsworld Media Group, his diversification into real estate and the significant rise and success of his global funds management house. Proudly licensed, produced & distributed exclusively by Ready Media Group. Host - Rob Langton Further information; https://readymedia.com.au/ https://bangarragroup.com/ https://www.bennelongfunds.com/

Our special guest on this episode is Michael Streicker, President of New York Headquartered, Global Investment powerhouse Sentinel Real Estate Corporation. 

Founded in 1969, Sentinel is a highly-respected, independently-owned real estate investment management firm with a portfolio of assets valued in excess of $13.5bn (AUD) and managed on behalf of over a hundred domestic & international clients. For over fifty years, the firm has built an enviable reputation for delivering outstanding results to it’s investor base, drawn from the knowledge & expertise of more than seven-hundred-and-fifty industry specialists who manage some 27,500 apartment units & over 5 million square feet of commercial real estate spread across three continents including North America, Europe & Australia. The business is renowned as a global leader in the multi-family / BTR sector, establishing it’s maiden investment in 1976 and cementing it’s expertise through involvement in over six-hundred multi-family communities comprising some 154,000 units. Closer to home, Sentinel’s operations in Australia have increased substantially since it first begun laying the foundations in 2011, becoming the first group to have a fully operational BTR community known as Element 27, which was successfully launched in Perth in Spring 2019. Since then, the business has expanded rapidly, with construction underway on a 172-apartment project in Victoria & the recent acquisition of a proposed 300-apartment project in Queensland forming part of it’s broader $1.5bn BTR fund in Australia. With regard to his professional life, Michael is the President of Sentinel Real Estate Corporation and sits on the firm’s Executive Committee & Investment Committee’s - he is a Graduate of both Princeton University (AB Degree) and the Columbia Business School (MBA). Our discussion with Michael explores the origins & evolution of the Sentinel Real Estate Corporation business, it’s expansion into international markets including Australia, the fundamentals for successful multi-family / BTR development & his long-term outlook for both the Australian and US commercial property markets.

Our special guest on this episode is Billionaire Mr. Robert Millner, Chairman of publicly listed, diversified investment group, Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Unquestionably one of Australia’s oldest & most successful integrated businesses, Washington H. Soul Pattinson’s roots date back to Sydney in 1872 prior to becoming incorporated & listed on the stock exchange in 1903. Through considered, long-term & strategic decision-making implemented throughout the course of its history by multiple generations of family leadership, Soul Patt’s has remarkably delivered a dividend to its shareholders, every year, for over one-hundred-and-twenty years - cementing its reputation in Australian corporate history & reinforcing its $10bn plus market capitalisation. WHSP’s existing portfolio includes varied interests across the telecommunications, financial services, pharmaceutical, property, private equity & energy industries to name a few, with substantial stakes in key businesses including TPG Telecom, Brickworks Limited, New Hope Group, Apex Healthcare & Pitt Capital Partners. On a personal level, Robert was born in Sydney (Beecroft) in 1950 before enrolling at Newington College, a boarding school in Sydney’s Inner South-West he attended from the age of eight until his graduation in 1968. Over the course of the next fifteen or so years, Robert worked briefly as a stockbroker for a period of two years, before returning to his father Tom’s family farm in Cowra and spending the next thirteen or so years working the land prior to joining the family business, Soul Patt’s as a director in 1984 - a business he has been intimately involved in through a number of Board positions ever since. Our exclusive feature profile of Robert unpacks his upbringing, the evolution of the Washington H. Soul Pattinson business, his investment philosophy, the macro-trends that drive markets & the fundamentals required for sustainable success on both a personal & professional level.

As a follow-on to our profile of Charles Goode AC and the Flagstaff Partners business in 2022, we’re fortunate to have the opportunity to again be joined by Charles on today’s episode, albeit in an environment that features vastly different political, geo-political and economic overlays than twelve months ago.