Ep 23: Giam Swiegers - Leadership

On this weeks show I am joined by Giam Swiegers. Giam was recently the Global CEO of Aurecon - a global engineering company, with over 7,500 people and a net revenue of over AUD$1B.

Prior to joining Aurecon, Giam was CEO of Deloitte Australia for 12 years, retiring in 2015. During this period the Australian firm grew to a practice of over 650 partners and 6,000 people with a net revenue of over AUD1.0 billion.

Giam is passionate about equality in all forms, and in 2005 he was awarded 'Best CEO for the advancement of women in business' by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. Giam's stewardship of Deloitte Australia led the firm to achieve several industry recognised awards, and in 2013 the AFR named it the accounting firm of the year.

In this interview we discuss Giam's path to leadership from his early days in South Africa, how he navigated the challenges of leading a partnership, and his views on boards and board diversity. We also discuss how he hires leaders - value potential more than experience - and how he brings data and insights into the recruitment process. Lastly we discuss his practical approach to setting vision and how he got through the dark times of leadership.

I have had the privilege of working under Giam's leadership, and consider him the greatest leaders I have ever worked for. I am certain any aspiring leader will take something away from his interview.

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