Creating Synergy Podcast

With over 22 years of global industry experience, Terry Sweeney is recognised as a thought leader in digital health, healthcare innovation through technology and commercialisation. Terry’s industry insights are in regular demand from international governments, healthcare organisations, public forums and media outlets, and he is a strategic advisor to a number of global organisations, including the G20.

He has currently stepped into the Digital Health CRC CEO role, establishing a digital health innovation strategy for Australia. Terry is also a Professor at the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. Previously to where he finds himself today, Terry has established and scaled two major startups, both of which have been acquired by large global multinationals. One of those start-ups was Cúram Software, a social health and care technology business. Based in Ireland, Cúram’s global presence and market leadership led to IBM acquiring the company in 2012.

Terry is particularly effective in identifying and incubating opportunities in new and emerging markets, not least a $1bn+ partnership with China. Terry is the founder of Auxilia, an international digital health advisory at the intersection of healthcare, technology and big data. He helps healthcare, life sciences and human services organisations around the world to solve real-world business problems through the use of technology and data.

In this episode, we deep dive into Terry's journey to understand and analyse his personal motivations, from where he came from and how he got to the position he finds himself in right now. Terry shares the importance of sports in his life, how discipline and work ethic helped him succeed, and how he ended up in the health field by accident.

Terry shares the crucial work he and his team are doing in health that will help to solve a major healthcare problem, empower patients, improve understanding of health risks in individuals and communities, support clinical practice, improve system efficiency and access to quality care and Develop Australia’s future digital health workforce.

He also shares his thoughts on being comfortable with failure and the importance of his family in giving him the confidence to take risks and his final message of "If you don't believe in yourself, no one will".

Where to find Terry Sweeney

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast. 

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us. 

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.

Books  and podcasts mentioned on this episode: 

• So You Think You Know What's Good for You? - The Ultimate Health Guide from Australia's Most Trusted Doctor - By Norman Swan
• Antifragile - Things That Gain from Disorder - By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
• This American Life Podcast

Nicola Lipscombe is a global professional speaker and facilitator who bridges the gap between western science with eastern philosophy and ancient wisdom. She is known for her ability to blend cutting edge research and storytelling into practical and engaging tips her audiences love. 

She is the Creator of HeartWise™ Leadership, Powerful Listening, Powerful Speaking and Friday’s Mindful Moments, and works with leaders who genuinely care about their people first. Her work has recently been featured in Inspiring Workplaces (UK), The Happiness Project (India) and on Side Walk Talk (US). 

With a deep love of learning, she has degrees in Pharmacy, Higher Education, a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and certifications in Neurolinguistic Programming, Management Practices, Training and Assessment, Coaching, Hear With Heart and The Art of (Feminine) Presence. 

A former pharmacist and academic her quest is now one of CONNECTION, AWAKENING and BELONGING. 

More than a speaking professional Nicola is also a poet, a photographer, and a mindfulness practitioner who adores nature, street art and her collection of (op shop) denim jackets! 

She empowers leaders and human change-makers to authentically and powerfully transform themselves from the inside out and positively change the world of work. 

An introvert at heart she seeks deeply meaningful conversations and is truly not interested in your new iPhone and matching AirPods. 

In this episode, we deep dive into Nicola's journey to find, understand and appreciate herself, how she overcame the fear of worrying about what others may think. She also shares her story about her battle against cancer and all the reflections that came from this part of her life, We discuss some tips and tricks on how to be your authentic self, the art of listening and how to become comfortable with silence.

Where to find Nicola Lipscombe

• LinkedIn  

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast. 

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us. 

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn. 

Adam Vonthethoff is the current Chief Operating Officer at Adelaide Oval and works to implement the company strategies, supporting management and staffing teams, external stakeholder engagement, and looking for new business development opportunities and has been working at  Oval for the past 10 or so years. 

Adam has spent all of his 25-year career in hospitality, having worked in hotels and casinos before moving to the Stadium. 

His career kicked off when he was 17  years working at the Lakes Resort in various departments, then as Food and Beverage Manager for roughly three years each at some of the big names, being Hotel Adelaide, Stamford Grand, SKYCITY Casino, Outrigger – Fiji and the CROWN Perth. 

Adam is a born and bred Adelaide man, a father, a huge port Adelaide power fan, lover of golf and is proud of his MBA and AICD qualifications. 

In this episode, we deep dive into Adam's career journey to his current position as COO, the perks and challenges of his work, how the oval managed the ongoing covid situation, specifically focusing on communication, on the staff and customer experience and all the plans and challenges for the future.

Where to find Adam Vonthethoff 

• LinkedIn  

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast. 

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us. 

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn. 

Books and Podcast mentioned on this episode: 

• PODCAST - Undisruptable by Ian Whitworth
• 12 Rules for Life - Antidote to Chaos - By Jordan B. Peterson

Vincent Tarzia is the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services of South Australia, appointed in July 2020. He was elected to the South Australian Parliament as the Member for Hartley in 2014 and 2018. 

Since entering politics, Vincent has been the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Start-ups, and Shadow Cabinet Parliamentary Secretary. 

In May 2018, he was elected as the 35th Speaker of the House of Assembly, the youngest Speaker in South Australia's history, serving until he was appointed Minister. 

Vincent is passionate about his local area, the eastern suburbs of Adelaide, where he has lived his whole life. He attended St Joseph's School Payneham and then Rostrevor College, where he was Head Prefect and Dux of the College. He has been active in many local community and sporting groups, including Neighbourhood Watch, the Campbelltown Rotary Club, Norwood Football Club and Payneham RSL. 

He went to Adelaide University and completed a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Law, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Before politics, Vincent worked in the financial, legal and commercial sectors and served as a Councillor for the City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters in 2010. 

Vincent has a genuine interest in his local community and is passionate about making South Australia more lively and prosperous. He wants real action to relieve the cost of living pressures, create more local jobs, deliver better frontline services and provide opportunities to get ahead. 

In this episode, we deep dive into Vincent's journey and passion for the community, why he entered this world of Politics, his main driver and purpose, how he manages his work-life balance, what his day as a politician looks like, and all the challenges he has faced since entering politics. 

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and check us out on synergyiq.com.au.

Where to find Vincent Tarzia 

• LinkedIn  
• Website https://www.vincenttarzia.com.au/ 
• Phone: (08) 8365 1341 
• Email: [email protected] 

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast. 

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us. 

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn. 

Books mentioned on this episode: 

• Think and Grow Rich - The Original Classic - By Napoleon Hill 
• Determination, Dedication and Duty by Anthony L Wege

Rebecca currently holds the position of CEO of Civil Contractors Federation SA and an Executive Director of Civil Apprenticeships and Careers Ltd. Rebecca had worked in the civil, commercial building and construction industries for over 22 years, project managing in various roles before she fulfilled her entrepreneurship streak by starting her own consultancy company an operated it for 10 plus years.

Rebecca's early projects played an integral part in the Olympic Dam Expansion Project, Southern Expressway Project (when it was one way), and the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, all of which fostered her love of the infrastructure industry.

Rebecca is a single mother of  Shelby, 8, Harrison 10 and Busta, the dog; in her day was an ultramarathon runner where she could run 100kms in 19hours, and she loved to jump out of planes and climb rock faces too.

She was a latchkey kid who grew up in an ex Housing Trust home in Christie Downs. Her continued work with apprenticeships and building trade pathways supports her love of talking to young people, parents, the community and schools about the amazing career and life-changing opportunities Construction can provide.  Her life, her family and her career are a testament to it.

In this episode, we deep dive into Rebecca's life from her childhood where she faced some really confronting challenges, to living a life battling an autoimmune disease, to starting her own businesses, to having only 10 days off after giving birth to her children, to becoming the CEO of the Civil Contractors Federation SA.

This episode is an impactful one with essential dialogue. Rebecca's message on how she faced and overcame many adversities is an inspiration to us all.

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and check us out on synergyiq.com.au.

Where to find  Rebecca Pickering

• LinkedIn 

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast.

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.

Books mentioned on this episode:

• Can't Hurt Me - Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds - By David Goggins
• HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strategy - Harvard Business Review Must Reads - By Harvard Business Review
• Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - By Susan Cain
• The Art of War - By Sun Tzu, Lionel Giles
• Mindset - The New Psychology of Success - By: Carol S. Dweck PhD
• Matthew Reilly

 Special Episode

in the last Australian HR Institute (AHRI) SA State Conference, we had the opportunity to interview some of the attendees discussing all things the Future of Work.

Listen to Daniel Franco interviewing 13 wonderful attendees of the event and was able to pick their brains on their thoughts about the future of work. Their responses were far and wide with some really great perspectives with the common theme that the future work will be all about the people. 

Michelle Holland,  Executive  Director of Synergy IQ also gives us a quick recap of the day. 

• 1:40 min - Michelle Holland recap of the day 
• 12:41 min - Melissa Ciplys, Head of People and Culture at Shoal Group
• 16:05 min - Vy Collins, Senior Director People and Culture at Renewal SA
• 18:20 min - Natalie Morris, Director at People and Performance
• 20:15 min - Hayley Lokan, Organisational Psychologist and Director at ISC Consulting Group
• 22:22 min - Sally Woolford, Business Director at MWAH
• 24:41 min - Lesley Marchioro, General Manager of People and Culture at Sage
• 27:27 min - Govert Mellink, Consulting Partner at PwC Australia.
• 31:25 min - Michelle Holland, Executive Director at Synergy IQ
• 36:56 min - Chris Wood, General Manager People, Performance & Culture at Adelaide Football Club
• 40:45 min - Susan Sadler, Director and Founder at Red Wagon Workplace Solutions and President of SA AHRI
• 45:36 min - Andrea Sumner, Employee Relations & Negotiation Specialist at Red Wagon Workplace Solutions
• 49:13 min - Fiona McAllister, Associate Senior Consultant at SynErgy IQ
• 52:23 min - Lauren Lang, Senior Manager, People Consulting at PwC Australia
• 56:18 min - Philip Mayes, Managing Director and Founder at Mighty Kingdom

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast.

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.   

Andy Keough grew up in Sydney, and always had a dream to serve his country. After finishing high school, he decided to join the Royal Australian Navy where he served for  two decades and built and illustrious career, which included the commanding of two Collins Class submarines and an exchange with the US Navy Submarine Force in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In 2006, he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross Award (CSC) for leadership in a recent deployment. 

In 2007, Andy decided to try his hand at corporate life, where today he finds himself as the Managing Director of the defence and security company Saab Australia. He was previously Chief Executive of Defence SA and held many senior management roles in ASC.  

Further to his Directorship duties at SAAB Australia, Andy is an Adjunct Professor with the University of South Australia,  Chair of the Australian Industry Group (AiG) Defence Council, Co-Chair of the University of Adelaide Defence Advisory Board,  Board member of the Training & Skills Commission  and Board member of  SACE 

In this episode, Andy was kind enough to share his journey and experiences of his career, from joining the Navy, to the experience Being a submarine commander, to the transition to corporate life. We discuss the culture of the navy, his thoughts on leadership, and how important it is to  have the ability to self-reflect. 

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and check us out on synergyiq.com.au.   

Where to find  Andy Keough

• LinkedIn

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast.  

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.  

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.   

Books mentioned on this episode:  

• Troublemakers - Silicon Valley's Coming of Age - By Leslie Berlin
• Good to Great - Why Some Companies Make the Leap... And Others Don't - By Jim Collins

Erin Faehrmann is the Chief Executive of Youth Opportunities and a leading speaker on personal leadership and coaching to help our inner superhero shine. Her experience spans from the utilities  & public industries to the youth, education and the not-for-profit sectors.  

As a kid from humble beginnings, Erin has a passion for working with young people facing complex challenges. She is known for her refreshing approach to encouraging purposeful play in our organisations and our lives to boost happiness and connection.

In this episode,  Erin shares her career journey until she became CEO at Youth Opportunities. Daniel and Erin discuss how young people face more complex challenges in today's world than we ever did, that prevention is best when it comes to wellbeing & mental health, and how important it is to learn to lead OURSELVES well.

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and check us out on synergyiq.com.au.   

Where to find Erin Faehrmann

• LinkedIn

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast.  

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.  

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.   

Books mentioned on this episode:  

• Atomic Habits - An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones -  By James Clear
• The Laws of Human Nature - By Robert Greene
• Burnout - The secret to solving the stress cycle - By: Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski
• Becoming Better Grownups - Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly - By Brad Montague
• Limitless - Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life - By Jim Kwik

Videos mentioned on this episode:

• Brené Brown on Empathy
• Privilege/Class/Social Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race

Susan Stewart, also known as Sue is an out of the box thinker, a strategy, business transformation and change management specialist having championed major projects in multinational professional services, government and private organisations, including global design firms Aurecon, Woods Bagot, Hood Sweeny and Unispace, Ernst & Young and also Chaired the Change Connect Group for 7 years.

Sue is an accomplished and confident leader, driving the implementation of a range of projects across America, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, which have included: global strategic planning, new international market expansion, mergers and acquisitions, cultural transformation, knowledge management strategy, business development strategy, technology system implementations and organisational restructures. 

As a young honours graduate, Sue’s “It’s A Wonderful Life Moment” came when she bogged a tractor in a wheat field and realised that the world would be a better place if she no longer worked in research. Luckily a Big Four firm adopted her and for the next decade she absorbed best practice in strategy, organisational development, change, communication and knowledge and immersed herself in the explosion of mobility and digital. And along the way, she completed a Post Grad in Communications, Master of Arts and has scribbled her thoughts in papers and presented her experiences at national and international conferences. 

Although well-credentialed, Sue is most proud of her family, her ability to make the most out of left-overs, her innate and irrelevant knowledge of film and her love of making Spotify playlists. 

Talking about the playlist, in this episode,  Sue shared her journey and experiences through a  playlist of four iconic pieces of music,  which we deep dive into during the podcast and all things about Strategy, Culture and Change management.

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and check us out on synergyiq.com.au.   

Where to find Susan Stewart

• LinkedIn

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast.  

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.  

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.   

Books mentioned on this episode:  

• Change by Design, Revised and Updated  - How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation - By: Tim Brown
• The Tipping Point - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - By: Malcolm Gladwell

Jamie Getgood is the Founder & CEO of Getgood Consulting and an Ambassador of The People Shift. Jamie specialises in Senior HR Leadership, employee redundancy and workforce transition, organisation restructure and rebuilding company culture. He bagged the Australian Leader of the Year award in 2017, as well as multiple accolades & nominations from lead leadership bodies, after contributing to the workforce transition in GM Holden.

Following Holden’s closure, Jamie became an international key speaker specialising in Industrial Relations, Leadership and Employee Engagement and currently manages his own business called Getgood Consulting.

In this episode, Jamie shares his career journey in GM Holden. He also shares key messages, such as the value of building relationships with employees, how people-focused leadership can radically change the organisation's culture, how important is to "Treat people with dignity and respect" even in the hardest of times and lastly and how "We drastically impact our employees' lives", so is the time to be more human, more compassionate and more empathetic.

If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and check us out on synergyiq.com.au.  

Where to find Jamie Getgood 

• LinkedIn 
• The People Shift
• Email:  [email protected]

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (@synergyiq) and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing and sharing this podcast. 

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us. 

Say hello to our host Daniel on LinkedIn.  

Books mentioned on this episode: 

• Drive - Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - By Daniel H. Pink
• The Advantage - Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business - By Patrick M Lencioni, Geoff Ables
• Multipliers, Revised And Updated - How The Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter - 
  By Liz Wiseman