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Success stories

Today

How crime shows led this young executive to a career in finance

“I’m not a typical accountant”: Casey Tanks’ passion for CSI and weekends spent working in a nightclub led her down an unexpected career path.

Accor’s Chris Purdy says he likes to make his own luck.

How a young exec went from university dropout to dream job in Paris

Academia may not be Chris Purdy’s thing, but the Accor senior vice president has cut out a successful career in hotels, and now he’s off to France.

Yesterday

Hayden Brass

How an introvert’s brand raked in $8m in sales

Hayden Brass knew his humble family business could be more. Now the founder of health and wellness company Zea is a 2025 BOSS Young Executive.

June

Forget 16-hour days. This CEO’s secret is self-regulation

The former CEO of UBank was selected as the overall winner of the Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards for her transformation of a key financial institution. 

May

This week’s AFR podcast 15 Minutes with the Boss with Paul McGrath, chief executive officer of YHA.

This CEO was given a 5pc chance of survival. That was 21 years ago

With his wife pregnant with their third child, YHA Australia chief Paul McGrath was diagnosed with a blood cancer. It taught him a lot about the power of the mind.

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What families with ‘successful’ kids can teach us about parenting

Do successful parents teach their children the skills and traits they need to achieve, or do the kids inherit them? Probably both.

Melinda Petrunoff

Why you should feel uncomfortable in your job 20pc of the time

Melinda Petrunoff, the Australian MD of Pinterest, realised early in her career that being out of her comfort zone drove her to find creative ways to solve problems.

April

Grant Hackett is now a CEO. But his diet is still heavy on protein

The long-distance champion rarely swims these days but uses his successes and failures in the pool to become a better leader and person.

March

Lauren Joyce was promoted to a bigger role at ARN following a leadership course she completed at Harvard University.

What I learnt at Harvard: women leaders sharpen their skills

Recipients of the Maureen Kerridge AM Scholarship, offered by Chief Executive Women, are learning valuable leadership skills at universities abroad.

Jun Bei Liu: How I learnt to speak up

The co-founder and portfolio manager at TenCap never felt she could express her opinion. That changed, although she says she still lives with imposter syndrome.

February

Anthony Seibold

Matt Comyn has a super skill, just ask Anthony Seibold

Manly Sea Eagles head coach Anthony Seibold has forged a close relationship with the Commonwealth Bank CEO. It is a friendship where they learn from each other’s worlds.

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

Why Gurner gave up alcohol – and what he learnt

The property developer and wellness entrepreneur has rarely had a drink for 18 months. He doesn’t like what he sees from people who are imbibing.

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.

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Robin Khuda.

He’s inked a $24b deal but AirTrunk’s Robin Khuda is only getting started

The AirTrunk founder, who shares the Business Person of the Year title, came from nowhere to inking the global deal of the year in nine years. But he’s not done.

Leah Weckert, Coles chief executive,
has been named one AFR Business People of the Year.

Weckert stamps her mark on Coles amid tumultuous year for supermarkets

Leah Weckert, one of the Business People of the Year for 2024, has fared well amid a barrage of criticism from politicians over grocery prices.

SGH’s Ryan Stokes has deleted the “Seven” from the group’s name, reflecting just how small its media business is relative to its mining, infrastructure and construction materials interests.

Ryan Stokes out-works, out-earns rivals to take SGH to new highs

The SGH chief, one of The Australian Financial Review Business People of the Year for 2024, is renowned as one of the hardest-working CEOs in Australian big business.

Canva’s Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have made important changes that should set it up for a big public listing.

Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht take Canva to the next level

The founders were busier than ever before their bumper US listing, nailing some early challenges to propel them onto the Business People of the Year list.

‘Focused, consistent’: How milk bar kids built $30b Chemist Warehouse

Chemist Warehouse founders Mario Verrocchi and Jack and Sam Gance have been named joint Business Person of the Year, alongside AirTrunk’s Robin Khuda.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/success-stories-hwd