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Meet the CEO

This Month

Lisa Annese has spent most of her career advocating for women and minority groups.

Job appointments have never been purely merit-based: CEW chief

If we give too much air time to DEI’s detractors, people may begin to believe such programs are unwarranted, says Chief Executive Women CEO Lisa Annese.

This CEO gave up ultra-processed food. Here’s what happened

Ingenia’s John Carfi says he likes feeling hungry, and so chooses to fast from dinner “until whenever it is I choose to eat”.

February

Guy Chalkley has been running Endeavour Energy for nearly five years.

He survived an aneurysm. Now this CEO is making the most of every day

Guy Chalkley, the chief executive of Endeavour Energy, was back on the job within 24 hours of having a craniotomy but insists work is his “fun place”.

Beer sales have slumped. Here’s what Asahi’s CEO is doing about it

Beer consumption is a third lower than it was 20 years ago, prompting Asahi Beverages’ first female CEO to take the company beyond the amber nectar.

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.

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Scott Hartley features on this week’s episode of 15 minutes with the Boss podcast.

This CEO was made redundant at 49. Now he runs a $3b company

When Scott Hartley was let go from NAB in his late 40s it came as a shock. But he used the experience to forge a different career path.

January

The brave career move that helped propel Matt Comyn to the top of CBA

The CEO of Australia’s biggest bank reveals pivotal moments in his career – and how much sleep he likes to get.

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.

Australian Museum chief executive Kim McKay.

Why this CEO reckons networking is ‘BS’

For Australian Museum boss Kim McKay, work and life are about having meaningful conversations. Social media chit-chat doesn’t cut it.

Staff got a nine-day fortnight, but still waste time on one thing

Grant Thornton CEO Greg Keith doesn’t like to see staff, who work a nine-day fortnight, wasting time waiting for everyone to get their coffee before they go back to the office.

November 2024

IAG CEO Nick Hawkins.

How IAG boss Nick Hawkins weathered the perfect storm

In the past four years, the CEO of the $20b insurance giant has battled both cyclonic conditions and swirling regulators and politicians.

Why being good at your job isn’t enough to get a promotion

Brighter Super CEO Kate Farrar reveals the secrets to getting a promotion, what she does at 4am and what she learnt from failing at an investment bank. 

Cicada boss Sally Ann Williams.

A top CEO reveals what you shouldn’t do in a job interview

Cicada Innovations chief Sally-Ann Williams discusses tips when trying to advance your career, and the thing she does every morning to make better decisions.

Grant Wilckens presides over G’Day Group, a holiday parks company that owns $2 billion of property and is the largest provider of regional accommodation in the country.

This former investment banker now runs a $2b caravan park business

Grant Wilckens spent his early career raising capital for clients. Now he’s the CEO of the holiday parks company he founded, G’Day Group.

Paul Scurrah.

The mantra that keeps this CEO ahead of the game

Former Virgin CEO Paul Scurrah reveals how he avoids distractions, what he has learnt from the collapse of two airlines and why he doesn’t eat until midday.

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Why retail was the Bunnings MD’s third career choice, and why he stayed

Michael Schneider found doing the thing he was passionate about helped make his career much more worthwhile than seeing it as a job with a fortnightly pay.

October 2024

Richard Evans

This CEO gave up drinking 10 years ago, and never looked back

Why Australian Chamber Orchestra boss Richard Evans swapped alcohol for walking and a cup of tea.

September 2024

Former David Jones boss on the ideal time to quit as CEO

Paul Zahra, the former chief executive of David Jones, says, as a general rule, there is a minimum and maximum amount of time the leader should be in the role.

The Walt Disney Company’s managing director ANZ, Kylie Watson-Wheeler, is also president of AFL club the Western Bulldogs.

Disney chief goes retro for AFL finals to reel in streaming rivals

Disney’s Australian boss Kylie Watson-Wheeler is bringing her AFL obsession into her day job as the US giant takes on the dominant players in the local streaming wars.

What this CEO learnt from Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar

Culture Amp chief Didier Elzinga met the Atlassian duo at an awards function years ago, and got an insight into scalable business models.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/meet-the-ceo-1mt4