Spill the biz

In this podcast Angus explains how he flipped 7-Eleven’s traditional hierarchy to a highly-accountable, agile structure.

The Cheesecake Shop is an iconic Aussie brand that started out as a family-owned cake shop, back in 1991, and recently celebrated the opening of its 200th Australian store.

Scott Bush has led the brand for the past nine months, after an impressive 20+ years in a variety of roles at Domino’s. In this podcast we talk about what has informed his leadership, the importance of customer experience, and how he plans to accelerate the growth and development of this niche business.

Scott talks about the family-focus that’s at the heart of The Cheesecake Shop and the mission to bring the brand closer to more Australians, opening 15 to 20 stores a year.

From a brand refresh to bringing more theatre to the stores, Scott reveals there are exciting times ahead for this much-loved retail chain.

Former mechanic turned corporate leader Steve Grossrieder heads up Jax Tyres & Auto, taking the business into the shiny new world of electric vehicles and sustainable initiatives through the Future Fit program.

Customer experience is at the heart of the revamped, renamed and revitalised vehicle service chain.

Over the past three years Steve has been named a CX Leader of the Year, and the overall business awarded for the Best CX Transformation and the Best Customer Experience.

In this podcast Steve, managing director and CEO, reveals how important CX is to the success of the business, what leadership looks like, and how to adapt to the market.

What does it take for a brand to keep trading for 100 years? The US mobile tool retailer Snap-on Tools operates in a niche marketplace and has been trading in Australia for 35 years. And for 31 of those years Ajit Ponnambalam has been part of the business. So what’s the secret to its success? 

Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses is an iconic, heritage chain of bakeries that now boasts over 85 stores across Victoria with a strong focus on profitability.

Steve was appointed CEO of Plarre Foods Group in July 2012. He’s a fourth generation Aussie retailer and the leader of a business that has now navigated two World Wars, two pandemics, The Great Depression and his own multi-generational family challenges. 

After overseeing the buyout of the Ferguson family in 2012 he has helped rebuild the family brand to become an award-winning, sustainable business.

Steve is also a bit of a muso, with a spoof version of a Mary Poppins song going viral and getting more than one million views during lockdown.

In this podcast Steve reveals what drives him in business, how he balances heritage with innovation, and why sustainability is part of the plan.

Stuart Cook is the former CEO of Zambrero - an international Mexican Quick Service Restaurant chain. He joined the business almost accidentally, and left six years later having built the business to a revenue upwards of $100 million.

Now he is collaborating with his wife Samantha on an exciting, plant-based fast food option, Flave, that has launched in Sydney and has mega global ambitions.

In this podcast we talk about what it’s like to step into CEO shoes at just 23 years of age, why he has such an interest in not-for-profit organisations, and lessons learned on the journey so far.

Rich Goodman shifted his focus from agriculture to retail very early on in his career, and the shift has paid off. Now heading up the cafe chains Jamaica Blue and Muffin Break he has honed his skills at retailers like David Jones and Heinemann.

In this conversation he shares his insights into retail, why he loves it, how to make the most of a career in retail, and what it’s like to take on leadership of Aussie household name brands. 

Rich is big on the “cadence of change” and discusses some of the big topics of today -sustainability, profitability and collaboration. And he gives us a sneak preview of strategy plans for the café chains.

Sonia Shwabsky’s trip to Nicaragua changed her life. The corporate executive turned franchisee embraced massive change and challenges, and discovered a fresh way to look at business, and life.

Her story is one of serendipity, not least in the common interests shared with the Penfold family which owns Kwik Kopy Australia. 

Today Sonia heads up the Australian print business and brings all her experiences to bear on her leadership style.

Some fear of failure is essential for success in business, suggests Jake Bromwich, who heads up mortgage broking firm RAMS. In this podcast he shares brilliant tips for entrepreneurs and business executives. He talks about innovation, adversity, crisis management and what makes for success.