Category: Leadership Q&A

AIM CEO David Pich and Deakin University vice-chancellor Jane den Hollander discuss the different ways leaders make an impact. Jane den Hollander, vice-chancellor of Victoria’s Deakin University, is seizing the future of tertiary education with both hands, with her ambitious plans to transform the institution into the best cloud-based university in the world. The daughter […]

Two decades later, Yothu Yindi manager Alan James’s award for 1993 Northern Territory Manager of the Year is still proudly on show in his office. BY NIGEL ADLAM   Alan James was surprised – and delighted – when he won an Institute of Managers and Leaders Excellence Award in 1993. He was named Northern Territory […]

Lina Ranieri AIMM explains why her job in a public sector agency with 18,000 employees is a perfect fit for a ‘people person’. 1. On the job I’ve been with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) since 2000. I look after things like recruitment, strategy for leadership and culture, and secondments with the private sector. I also […]

“THE KEY IS SELF-CONTROL” John Goddard Director, Better Managers Ego often gets a bad reputation – think of extreme individuals such as Alan Jones, Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian. But I believe that ego, when understood and controlled, is a good thing. The key is self-control. When others see you valuing yourself above the team, […]

John Withers didn’t set out to coach a girls’ rowing team, but like a lot of parents who show an interest in their child’s sport, he was pulled into a vortex. “I went to see my daughter row and the minute someone heard I knew a bit about the sport, I was suddenly no longer on […]

Karen Jacobsen is the voice of millions of GPS units as well as Siri on Australian iPhones. ‘The GPS Girl’ has transitioned from directing drivers on the road to become a motivational speaker helping leaders navigate business and life challenges. By Marina Williams   Leadership matters to Karen Jacobsen. From setting her own goal of […]

Mariam Issa and her family fled Somalia when civil war broke out in 1991, and spent the next seven years in Kenyan refugee camps. A family reunion visa brought them to Australia in 1998 when Issa was pregnant with her fifth child. Early on, life in Melbourne was tough for the Somalian family of seven. […]

The next time you consider squashing an ant, spare a thought for Tanya Latty. An entomologist with a special interest in insect behaviour and ecology, Latty spends the bulk of her days studying how these tiny organisms band together to solve complex problems. A postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sydney, Latty grew up […]

Boyne Smelters Limited, where Joe Rea AFAIM is general manager, is definitely not old-school manufacturing. Forklifts zip efficiently around the expansive site. Slick conveyor belts transport components across a meticulously maintained plant. Rea, the face of Australia’s largest aluminium smelter, moves easily among the workers discussing one of his many passions – for sustainability, recycling, […]

Nick Mellow AFAIM, HR manager at Taylors Wines in South Australia, is a wine lover with a passion for people management. He says he has the perfect job. Nick Mellow explains his career journey for Leadership Matters. On the job I’ve been with Taylors Wines for five years. There are 160 employees across the organisation and about […]