In this episode of Uncommon Ground Talal Yassine sits down with Penny Bingham Hall, one of Australia’s most respected company directors and a former senior executive at Leighton Holdings.

Penny reflects on her childhood, her parents’ migration to Australia, and the values of confidence, education and independence that shaped her. She shares how a background in industrial design unexpectedly led her into construction, infrastructure, strategy and eventually the boardrooms of some of Australia’s largest organisations.

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Episode Running Order

• Penny’s childhood in Hunters Hill and her earliest memories (00:00:51)
  • Her parents’ migration to Australia and family background (00:02:09)
  • Growing up with education, independence and strong parental values (00:04:57)
  • School years, creativity and choosing industrial design (00:07:35)
  • University, work and discovering the value of practical experience (00:15:06)
  • Joining Leighton Holdings and finding her place in construction (00:21:23)
  • Working in strategy, investor relations and corporate affairs (00:27:35)
  • Navigating male-dominated environments and building confidence (00:32:43)
  • Family, marriage and balancing motherhood with senior leadership (00:42:01)
  • Leaving Leighton after 23 years and taking a career pause (00:46:51)
  • Moving into board roles and building a non-executive career (00:51:04)
  • Lessons on networking, sponsorship and getting onto boards (00:52:32)
  • How new directors should listen, learn and understand risk (01:00:32)
  • The challenges of governance, complexity and director responsibility (01:11:11)
  • What comes next for Penny and reflections on career, confidence and kindness (01:17:38)

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In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Talal Yassine sits down with Arthur Sinodinos, former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister John Howard, senior minister, senator, and Australia’s former Ambassador to the United States.

Arthur reflects on his journey from a Greek migrant family in Newcastle to the centre of Australian public life, sharing insights on economic reform, political discipline, leadership, and diplomacy. He discusses the Howard years, the GST, the changing culture of politics, his battle with cancer, and what he learned representing Australia in Washington during the Trump and Biden years.

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Episode Running Order

• Arthur’s childhood in Newcastle and growing up in a Greek migrant family (00:00:50)
• School, university and discovering economics (00:04:57)
• From Treasury to John Howard’s office (00:07:16)
• Working inside government and the road to Chief of Staff (00:10:50)
• The GST, economic reform and the discipline of policy (00:28:28)
• Lessons from politics, government and party leadership (00:47:57)
• His cancer diagnosis and recovery (00:55:15)
• Becoming Australia’s Ambassador to the United States (01:01:32)
• Trump, Biden and representing Australia in Washington (01:03:27)
• AUKUS, diplomacy and the changing strategic world (01:07:18)
• Life lessons, risk-taking and what matters now (01:15:47)

 

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In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Talal Yassine sits down with Adam Liaw, cook, writer, broadcaster and one of Australia’s most respected voices on food and culture.

Adam reflects on his unconventional journey from a high-achieving young lawyer to winning MasterChef Australia, and why that moment didn’t change his life in the way most people expect. Instead, he shares how curiosity, storytelling and a willingness to embrace uncertainty shaped his career across television, publishing and business.

The conversation explores growing up between cultures, the influence of migration and identity, and how food became both a personal anchor and a professional platform. Adam also opens up about work, success and why he challenges the idea that hard work alone leads to fulfilment.

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Episode Running Order

• Childhood in Malaysia and migrating to Australia (00:00:41)
• Family background and growing up between cultures (00:02:03)
• Early schooling, acceleration and finishing school young (00:03:34)
• Living independently and developing resilience as a teenager (00:07:58)
• University life, law and science degrees at a young age (00:14:24)
• The importance of friendships and perspective over academics (00:15:23)
• Learning how to think, not just study (00:18:06)
• Starting a career in law and working in high-pressure environments (00:23:39)
• Moving to Japan and working in-house at Disney (00:25:32)
• Learning language, culture and independence through food (00:36:53)
• Discovering a passion for cooking and cultural identity (00:34:57)
• Applying for MasterChef and taking an unconventional risk (00:31:28)
• The reality of MasterChef and approaching it as a “puzzle” (00:38:34)
• Winning MasterChef and the unexpected aftermath (00:42:48)
• Finding purpose through storytelling and SBS opportunities (00:44:13)
• Building a career in media, publishing and production (00:48:40)
• Lessons on opportunity, failure and resilience (00:49:02)
• Views on work, success and challenging the “hard work” narrative (00:55:26)
• Family, fatherhood and redefining priorities (00:53:30)
• The challenge of saying no and creating space for life (01:01:06)
• Quickfire reflections: identity, misconceptions and personal values (01:02:10)
• Advice to his younger self and what truly matters (01:08:17)

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Captain Mona Shindy is one of the most remarkable modern day Australian leaders — an engineer, trailblazer, and one of the first Muslim women to serve on an Australian warship. 

Arriving in Australia as a young migrant, Mona’s journey is defined by resilience, from the loss of her father at 14, to navigating male-dominated environments, to serving in high-pressure military operations. 

In this episode, Mona shares the realities of life inside the Navy, including the challenges of being one of the first women onboard warships, the complexity of serving during the Iraq War, and the personal cost of leadership in environments where trust, identity and performance are constantly tested. 

She also reflects on her role as an Islamic cultural advisor, the misconceptions around faith and service, and what it truly means to lead with integrity in institutions undergoing change. 

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Episode Running Order 

• Migration to Australia and early life between cultures (00:00:45) 

• Family background and her parents’ journey (00:02:11) 

• Growing up in Sydney and early influences (00:06:37) 

• Losing her father and stepping into responsibility early (00:10:18) 

• School, ambition and choosing engineering (00:17:44) 

• Being one of the few women in a male-dominated field (00:20:22) 

• Joining the Navy and early military training (00:23:14) 

• Life as one of the first women on a warship (00:29:20) 

• Proving herself in a high-pressure environment (00:32:10) 

• Iraq War deployment and ethical complexity (00:49:24) 

• Navigating identity as a Muslim in the Defence Force (00:53:29) 

• Marriage, family and balancing service (00:57:52) 

• Appointed Islamic Cultural Advisor to the Navy (01:02:04) 

• Internal resistance and public scrutiny (01:06:30) 

• The decision to wear the hijab and its impact (01:12:26) 

• Leadership, resilience and carrying the cultural burden (01:16:23) 

• Reflections on service, leadership and legacy (01:20:30+) 

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In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Talal Yassine sits down with Tim Fung, founder of Airtasker, to unpack the real story behind one of Australia’s most recognisable tech platforms. 

From growing up in Sydney and navigating a selective school environment, to landing at Macquarie Bank and ultimately being made redundant, Tim shares how pivotal moments, both planned and unexpected, shaped his entrepreneurial journey. 

This is not a typical startup success story. Tim speaks candidly about self-doubt, false starts, working for free to get close to the right people, and the brutal early challenge of building a marketplace with no users. 

At its core, this conversation is about conviction, resilience, and the long game of what it really takes to build something meaningful when there’s no guarantee it will work. 

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Episode Running Order 

• Childhood memories and early life growing up in Sydney (00:00:03) 

• Family background and Chinese-Australian identity (00:02:54) 

• Growing up in St Ives and early schooling (00:03:43) 

• North Sydney Boys High and competitive academic environment (00:04:36) 

• Early academic struggles and developing discipline (00:16:40) 

• Learning focus, compartmentalisation and work ethic (00:18:52) 

• HSC pressure, achievement and uncertainty after school (00:19:41) 

• University life, hospitality degree and early jobs (00:26:15) 

• First exposure to business and entrepreneurship in hotels (00:27:24) 

• Breaking into Macquarie Bank through persistence (00:29:24) 

• Lessons from investment banking and entrepreneurial culture (00:31:12) 

• Redundancy as a turning point (00:35:24) 

• Treating job hunting as a full-time job (00:37:47) 

• Working for free to gain access and experience (00:38:41) 

• Learning entrepreneurship at Sheik Management (00:40:11) 

• Amaysim and scaling a high-growth startup (00:46:10) 

• Evaluating ideas and lessons from failure (00:53:07) 

• The origin of Airtasker and solving the trust problem (00:54:00) 

• Building Airtasker from scratch (00:56:57) 

• Early challenges of creating a two-sided marketplace (01:00:03) 

• Quickfire questions (01:23:09) 

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From arriving in Australia unable to speak English to becoming one of the youngest mayors in the country, Bilal Hayek’s story is one of resilience, service and deep community connection. 

In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Bilal reflects on his migration journey from Lebanon, the challenges of adapting to a new country, and the teachers and mentors who shaped his path. He shares how an unplanned career in youth work led him into politics, and what it really means to represent one of Australia’s most diverse communities. 

The conversation also explores the realities of local government, the pressures of public office, and the importance of standing up to racism and division with leadership grounded in respect, inclusion and action. 

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Episode Running Order 

• Early memories in Lebanon and childhood influences (00:52) 

• Migration to Australia at 11 and adapting without English (01:55) 

• Family background, education and growing up between cultures (04:02) 

• Understanding the contrast between life in Lebanon and Australia (11:32) 

• The challenges of starting over and facing racism in school (14:42) 

• The role of teachers and school experiences in shaping his path (18:09) 

• Wanting to become a tradie vs pressure to pursue formal education (23:07) 

• Starting a karate dojo and early leadership experiences (24:28) 

• Marriage at 20, fatherhood and financial pressures (27:10) 

• Living with parents and the importance of culture and family (28:20) 

• Early career in youth work and finding purpose through service (31:49) 

• Joining PCYC and working with young people for a decade (32:50) 

• Accidental entry into politics and joining the Labor Party (34:23) 

• Running for council and becoming Deputy Mayor, then Mayor (36:33) 

• Leading one of Australia’s largest and most diverse LGAs (38:04) 

• Understanding local government systems and community expectations (39:09) 

• The realities of being on the frontline of government (43:03) 

• Balancing community needs, limited resources and public expectations (44:31) 

• Lakemba Nights, controversy and responding to public criticism (46:52) 

• Addressing racism, hate speech and political division (49:56) 

• Leadership philosophy: unity, respect and inclusion over politics (52:24) 

• The pressure of public office and staying grounded (54:55) 

• What’s next: politics, youth work and staying open to opportunity (57:42) 

• Major developments shaping Canterbury-Bankstown’s future (01:00:34) 

• Quick-fire: chocolate, misconceptions and life lessons (01:02:23) 

 

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In this powerful episode of Uncommon Ground, Professor Talal Yassine sits down with Shaun Christie-David, a social enterprise leader, restaurateur, and the founder of Colombo Social, Kabul Social, Kyiv Social, and the Plate It Forward Foundation.

From his humble beginnings in Western Sydney to launching some of Australia's most socially impactful dining venues, Shaun is reshaping what hospitality means. His mission? Use food as a force for good, creating jobs for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds, and delivering over 750,000 meals to those in need.

Shaun’s story is equal parts rage and resilience, from enduring racism in the corporate world to building businesses that fight injustice and feed hope. He opens up about his Sri Lankan roots, his parents’ migrant struggles, and why migrant women, ex-offenders, and people from disadvantaged communities deserve more than charity, they deserve opportunity.

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Episode Running Order

•  Intro — who is Shaun Christie-David and why his story matters (00:00)
  • Childhood in Fairfield & memories of early mischief and innocence (01:05)
  • Family dynamics — growing up the youngest of three Sri Lankan brothers (02:07)
  • School years — selective school entry, avoiding trouble & chasing opportunity (03:32)
  • Parents’ migration from Sri Lanka & sacrifices for a better life (04:57)
  • Dad’s career shift — from engineer to mobile mechanic in Australia (06:36)
  • Life at Holsworthy Ag High — navigating identity in elite academic spaces (08:39)
  • The turning point — how one teacher changed Shaun’s path (13:25)
  • University life — failing subjects, partying, and discovering purpose (16:54)
  • Why finance? — the Martin Place moment & chasing the suit-and-tie dream (17:41)
  • Early career in finance — process automation & questioning the status quo (20:29)
  • Experiencing casual racism in corporate Australia — from “Tamil Tiger” to “wrong side of the bridge” (28:16)
  • The call that changed everything — leaving finance after an Obama slur (34:04)
  • The ex-girlfriend’s mum story — racism in the home & drawing hard lines (40:07)
  • Returning to Sri Lanka — realizing his privilege & finding a new mission (48:04)
  • Founding Colombo Social — creating fusion food & a social impact model (51:47)
  • Why food? — the universal language that brings people together (53:29)
  • COVID pivot — launching Plate It Forward & 750,000+ donated meals (55:24)
  • Food insecurity in Australia — now worse than during the pandemic (56:42)
  • How the model works — restaurants, catering, and the Plate It Forward Foundation (58:06)
  • Funding the movement — 95% of donations from Shaun’s hospitality businesses (59:09)
  • The workforce model — 85% of staff from marginalized communities (1:01:45)
  • Launchpad — helping migrant women start their own food businesses (1:09:20)
  • Can Shaun cook? — decoding flavor without being a chef (1:06:01)
  • The future — endowment models, sustainability & replicating community care (1:11:32)
  • Quick-fire questions — misconceptions, guilty pleasures & defining conversations (1:13:53)
  • Closing reflections & outro (1:15:30)

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In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Talal Yassine sits down with Andrew Robb, former Trade and Investment Minister and one of the most influential political strategists of his generation for a rare and deeply personal conversation.

Andrew reflects on his journey from a childhood on dairy farms as one of nine children, to helping deregulate Australia’s economy and negotiating major trade deals across Asia. He also speaks candidly about living with a daily bipolar condition he hid for decades, explaining how adrenaline, crisis and high-pressure roles became his coping mechanism.

From the “unlosable” 1993 election and the Hawke–Keating economic reforms, to multiculturalism, controversy over his post-politics China work, and the emerging promise of psychedelics for mental health, Andrew offers an unfiltered look at leadership as it’s lived, not performed.

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Episode Running Order

• Intro — who is Andrew Robb & why this story matters (00:00)
• Childhood on sheep & dairy farms, first memories (01:07)
• One of nine kids: big family, responsibility & a happy farm life (02:39)
• Parents’ sacrifice & the family’s deep commitment to education (06:03)
• Moving to Melbourne, migrant suburb life & “shh, your father’s asleep” (09:01)
• Faith, family tree & a 97-year-old mother with 90+ descendants (11:04)
• The first signs of mental illness: violent teachers, fear & Year 7–8 trauma (13:42)
• Daily bipolar: waking depressed, “not a morning person” and acting through it (16:24)
• Discovering adrenaline as a coping mechanism & thriving in crises (18:36)
• The fork in the road: turning down Harvard for the National Farmers Federation (20:00)
• Deregulating Australia: floating the dollar, free trade & dismantling old systems (22:50)
• From NFF to federal director: class, power and “knowing your place” (26:50)
• The Hewson years: Fightback!, the “800-page political suicide note” & the unlosable election (36:31)
• Hawke, Keating, Howard & Costello — how tension at the top can still serve the country (43:05)
• Life after the machine: Packer years, big data & building a marketing powerhouse (44:33)
• Inside the 1996 campaign: targeting 33 marginals, data, ads & swing voters (47:03)
• Immigration & multicultural affairs: detention centres and what loyalty really looks like (50:36)
• Loving two countries: Italians, Indians at the MCG & Chinese-Australian identity (53:09)
• English tests, women’s independence & stopping grandmothers being locked out of family life (57:26)
• Returning to mental health: mornings of sadness, walking hard and five pills a day (01:00:15)
• Why psychedelics might change everything for PTSD & depression (01:06:44)
• The China controversy: Darwin Port myths, post-politics work & being labelled “treasonous” (01:10:17)
• Horses, polocrosse & a final reflection on guilt, family and legacy (01:15:57)
• Closing thoughts & Uncommon Ground sign-off (01:17:05)

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In this episode of Uncommon Ground, Talal sits down with OzHarvest Founder and social entrepreneur Ronni Kahn to explore the personal journey behind one of Australia’s most impactful purpose-led organisations.

From growing up in apartheid-era South Africa to living on a kibbutz in Israel, Ronni reflects on the formative experiences that shaped her understanding of inequality, community and responsibility. She shares how a successful events business in Sydney ultimately led to a life-changing moment, witnessing thousands of kilograms of perfectly good food being thrown away, and the decision to redirect her life toward rescuing surplus food to feed those in need.

Ronni discusses the risks of walking away from commercial success, the courage required to challenge entrenched systems, and how OzHarvest has grown from a simple act of giving into a national movement spanning food rescue, education and social innovation.

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Episode Running Order

• Intro: Ronni Kahn, OzHarvest and the fight against food waste (00:03)
  • First memories: childhood in Johannesburg with two older sisters (01:29)
  • Her father’s accident and the lesson of resilience (03:30)
  • Growing up during apartheid and witnessing inequality (06:50)
  • Family values, activism and early exposure to social justice (08:14)
  • Jewish identity, youth movements and community discipline (11:06)
  • Schooling at King David and living in a liberal bubble (11:45)
  • The impact of losing “Flory” — her childhood carer (17:25)
  • Leaving South Africa at 17 to study in Israel (18:48)
  • Culture shock, independence and life on a kibbutz (19:15)
  • 10 years in a socialist commune: values vs individuality (21:23)
  • Moving to Haifa and building a successful florist business (26:52)
  • Political changes in Israel and deciding to leave (28:22)
  • Choosing Australia: familiarity without overt apartheid (29:13)
  • Starting over with $10,000 and building an events company (30:21)
  • The Star City pitch and scaling a creative business (31:34)
  • The moment that changed everything: thousands of kilos of wasted food (32:44)
  • Midnight at Matthew Talbot Hostel — the OzHarvest spark (33:10)
  • Closing the events business to pursue purpose full-time (34:24)
  • Risk, naivety and the entrepreneurial leap of faith (37:02)
  • OzHarvest today: beyond food rescue to education (38:36)
  • Feast, NEST and Nourish — empowering the next generation (39:44)
  • OzHarvest Ventures: social enterprise in action (42:22)
  • Conscious Drink & partnering with Indigenous business (43:47)
  • Founder to CEO transition and scaling impact (45:21)
  • The Hunger Solutions Lab and ending hunger in Australia (46:39)
  • Quickfire: misconceptions, essentials and advice to her younger self (48:03)
  • The conversation that shaped her purpose: “go out and feed people” (49:11)
  • Closing reflections & outro (49:44)
  
  

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From homelessness to hope, from law school dropout to CEO of a purpose-driven disability services organisation, this is the extraordinary journey of Yasser Zaki, Global CEO of TLC Disability Services.

In this powerful episode of Uncommon Ground, hosted by Professor Talal Yassine, Yasser opens up about his early life in Egypt, migrating alone to Australia, and experiencing homelessness at just 24. But it's what came after, a life-changing encounter with a stranger on a train, and a shift from corporate sales into disability support, that shaped his purpose-led path.

From building a company with just $500 and no network, to leading one of Australia's most innovative NDIS service providers, Yasser shares the lessons of leadership, empathy, and why “a ship without goodness sinks.”

Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about resilience, service, and creating real change in vulnerable communities.

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Episode Running Order

• Intro — who is Yasser Zaki and why his story matters (00:00)
• Childhood in Egypt & early memories of injustice and speaking up (01:05)
• Family life: a judge for a father, a lawyer for a mother & private-school years (03:14)
• Choosing law… failing… and being forced into engineering (05:21)
• Studying in Dubai at University of Wollongong (06:02)
• Opening a tourism business in Egypt while studying (07:53)
• Visiting Australia for the first time — and choosing it as a new life path (09:07)
• Arriving in Australia alone at 24 — and three weeks of homelessness (11:17)
• Getting his first job at Nick Scali — the “bad Christian” moment (12:10)
• Sales hustles, manipulation from colleagues & becoming #1 in the company (18:40)
• Discovering the power of helping others — meeting Margaret on the train (24:13)
• Leaving corporate life to become a disability support worker (26:24)
• “A ship without goodness sinks” — the advice that changed everything (28:59)
• Studying hard: diplomas, a master’s, a PhD — building real expertise (29:56)
• Working in government (DAC / ATAC) & early NDIS transition years (32:13)
• Leaving government for the private sector & founding Tender Loving Care (36:39)
• Building TLC with $500, networks and trust — leading by agility (41:42)
• What TLC actually does: jobs, education, health & housing (44:07)
• The NDIS: what works, what doesn’t & why it matters (45:25)
• The coffee company — employing people with disability in a coffee culture (48:05)
• The TLC Foundation: endowment model & COVID pivot to food manufacturing (50:11)
• Lessons from the journey: resilience, purpose & “one hand can’t clap” (54:44)
• Leadership philosophy: hiring great people and letting them lead (57:44)
• Quick-fire questions: misconceptions, guilty pleasures & role models (1:00:47)
• Closing reflections & outro (1:04:08)

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