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Breakfast with the Boss

September

How a ski-racing telco founder became a fashion CEO

The Iconic’s CEO Jere Calmes’ career has seen him bounce from moguls in Utah to mafioso in Moscow, and now Sydney’s fashion scene.

August

One of the things about running a fully remote company is that you need employees who can motivate themselves, as well as others, says James Chin Moody.

This exec looks for five H’s when hiring people

Sendle co-founder James Chin Moody seeks humble, honest, happy, hungry and high-performing staff. He also has a tip for a performance-enhancing breakfast.

BubbaDesk founder, Lauren Perrett.

Being away from her baby felt wrong. So this exec invented a solution

Lauren Perrett was desperate for a childcare centre alternative when she founded BubbaDesk – a co-working chain that keeps parents close to their babies.

July

Kate Cooper drinks English breakfast tea in the morning - and quips it is cheaper than her husband’s coffee habit.

This CEO’s business card is embedded in her nails

Former banker Kate Cooper is the CEO of the cryptocurrency platform OKX Australia, but is hardly a tech bro.

June

Frank Green founder Ben Young at Clementine in South Melbourne.

This CEO wakes at 5am, but doesn’t get in to work till 10am

Ben Green is the creator of Frank Green, known for its sleek reusable water bottles. He starts his day with his “emotional support dog” Charlie.

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May

Belinda Driscoll.

This female CEO has gender targets for men too

Belinda Driscoll, the local CEO of Kimberly-Clark, whose brands include Kleenex and Huggies, talks workplace diversity and why she’s driving new conversations.

Cathy Sparks, Nike’s head of APAC at the Sydney Swans HQ.

Why this top Nike exec starts her day with a protein coffee

Cathy Sparks, Nike’s vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific and Latin America has learnt to eat a protein-rich breakfast.

April

CEO of the Australian Fashion Council, Jaana Quaintance-Kames, at Valhalla Grind cafe in Glebe.

The CEO who doesn’t look at her phone until she gets to the office

Jaana Quaintance-James, the CEO of the Australian Fashion Council makes it a point to stay away from her phone when walking to and from work, and reading.

Dulani Van den Broek began skateboarding during the pandemic.

How skateboarding helps this director switch off

Dulani Van den Broek, director, engineering and asset management at KPMG in Perth, never misses a skate class, which has taught her that it’s okay to fall.

March

Kirsten Carriol, Lanolips CEO, likes to reduce decision-making as much as possible.

The CEO who calls email the least productive productivity hack

Kirsten Carriol is chief executive of Lanolips, a skincare brand whose hero product is a lip balm that’s now a favourite of Drew Barrymore and Sabrina Carpenter.

Mia Klitsas, Moxie.

Why this CEO saves creative work for after her period

When Mia Klitsas founded Moxie period care 20 years ago, talking about periods was taboo. Now it’s all over TikTok.

February

Why this CEO gave up measuring his sleep

Alex Davison, chief executive of L’Oreal Group in Australia and New Zealand, does a lot to ensure he gets eight hours’ sleep a night, but he doesn’t measure it anymore.

Renee Wootton, director of new market development at LanzaJet: “I originally wanted to become a commercial pilot, and then I realised my passion for business was stronger than my passion to fly.”

Why this exec thinks everyone should enter a bodybuilding competition

Renee Wootton, LanzaJet’s global director of new market development and a 2024 BOSS Young Executive, uses four buckets to organise her busy to-do list.

Kiria McNamara at South of Johnston in Collingwood, Melbourne.

Ask this exec for five minutes, and she’ll probably say ‘no’

Kiria McNamara, director of people and culture at Swisse Wellness and a 2024 BOSS Young Executive, tends to decline impromptu catch-ups.

Gurbaj Pawar at breakfast at BarLume in North Sydney.

Don’t go on holidays to relax, push yourself, says this top exec

Gurbaj Pawar, head of strategy at insurance broking company AUB Group and a 2024 BOSS Young Executive, hikes and plays with his young daughter to stay fit.

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January

Chad Burke, head of online pet speciality retailer Swaggle, says he “killed the PowerPoint culture” to more quickly get to the nub of an issue.

Why this young retail boss ‘killed the PowerPoint culture’

Chad Burke, head of Swaggle, an online pet specialty retailer owned by Coles, cut down on slide decks in meetings to promote better collaboration.

Sinead Booth loves driving her Tesla.

Why this exec allows colleagues to see everything in her diary

Sinead Booth, group manager of decarbonisation delivery at Fortescue Metals, is one of the 2024 BOSS Young Executives. She practises radical transparency when it comes to her calendar.

Booking.com’s Todd Lacey heads to the airport gym on layovers.

This exec has a fix for jet lag that’s been staring you in the face

Booking.com Oceania manager and BOSS Young Executive Todd Lacey says he also swears by two supplements to keep him healthy.

December 2024

CEO of the Central Coast Marriners, Alyssar Narey.

This woman made history when she took over her local A-League club

Alyssar Narey, one of just two women to run a football club in Australia, lays bare the reality of the family juggle, women in sport and the one thing she can’t survive without.

November 2024

Hotel boss Renae Trimble at Bar Tilda for breakfast.

The hotel boss who starts her day at the gym (away from the buffet)

Renae Trimble, CEO of Accor Plus, leans on her teen sport habit to kickstart her morning (but you won’t catch her at the buffet).

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/breakfast-with-the-boss-1mt3