Ilana Esterrich’s Post

Long time no Ask a Partner post! A few weeks back, I had a chat with Sean Schmidt about his career pathway and views on #leadership. He is one of our Partners in #TechAdvisory from the Melbourne office and focuses on Tech Strategy. 👉 Swipe for some great insights and career advice. 🗨 If you are interested in working with a motivated team to address some of the most complex digital challenges of today, reach out to Sean or myself with any questions. #WeareTechAdvisory #JoinTechAdvisory #Togetherforbetter #AskAPartner #KPMG #TechStrategy #Consulting *Views expressed are my own

Lessons from one of Australia’s most successful CEOs, Laurence Baynham… 👏🇦🇺 In transitioning out of Data#3 on 1 March - handing over the baton to Brad Colledge - Laurence has called time on 29 years of company service… almost 10 of those at the apex 🏔️✅ For the record, his financial achievements as CEO are outstanding. During his tenure… 🤝 revenue has increased from $800M to $2.6B ⬆️ 💵 profit has increased by 500% ⬆️ 📈 market capitalisation has increased tenfold from $100M to $1B ⬆️ 👨🏾👩 headcount has increased from 800 to 1,400 ⬆️ Laurence sat down with James Henderson to evaluate three decades of high-performance… #InspiredKnowledge

As part of our End of Financial Year celebrations, the CFO Boardroom community got together for their End of Financial Year event which included the CFO Boardroom Community Awards. One of the things that makes this community special is the character of our CFOs. They are deeply committed to: - growing their businesses in partnership with their CEO - their teams - their professional and personal growth - their own sense of purpose and drive. Above all, however, they are good humans! Which is why after the establishment of the CFO Boardroom in 2020, it's such a privilege to celebrate them. Congratulations to this year's award recipients who have inspired the community through: - measurably improved key financial metrics such as margins, return on working capital, - improved ROI visibility from enhance investment decisions - increased staff engagement and their commercial acumen - enhanced Board confidence and certainty Once again we have had members in our community be identified as their CEO's successor and even appointed into the top job! Please join me in congratulating our 2024 CFO Boardroom Community Award recipients: 🏆 CEO of Eve Health and CHARLI.Health , Lindsay Hutchinson 🏆 CFO of Thrive PR + Communications, Carol Qiu 🏆 CFO of Bisley & Company Pty Ltd, Yas Mendis 🏆 CFO of Metrics Credit Partners, Cathy Valentine 🏆 CFO of ACH Group, Adam Green 🏆 CFO of CAPE Dunstans, Amanda Alderton If you want to be a part of this impactful CFO Boardroom community and next year’s celebrations and awards, comment “Yes” and we’ll reach out to you. #cfos #cfoleadership #cfoboardroom #cfosnapshot #cfoofthefuture #meaningmatters #resultsbeyondthenumbers #successwithoutlimits #value #ceos #officeofthecfo #powerfulexecutivepresence #impact #leadership

Our latest research reveals that 40% of all global CEOs stepped into the role directly from one of these three roles: head of division, COO, or CFO. Explore more insights and analysis about what it takes to reach the CEO role: https://bit.ly/3PAFcPl. #leadership #ceos #routetothetop #boards #ceojourney

Our latest research reveals that 40% of all global CEOs stepped into the role directly from one of these three roles: head of division, COO, or CFO. Explore more insights and analysis about what it takes to reach the CEO role: https://bit.ly/3PAFcPl. #leadership #ceos #routetothetop #boards #ceojourney

Creating a business that stands the test of time requires more than a good product or service. For private businesses aiming to build evergreen success, several key principles must be prioritized. 🌲 Vision and Values: A clear, compelling vision coupled with strong core values sets the foundation. These guide decision-making, align teams, and attract like-minded stakeholders. Cox Enterprises, for example, has committed to its values consistently for over 125 years, demonstrating the power of enduring principles (see link below). 🏫 Learning from History: Being a student of the company's history is essential, especially for NextGen leaders. Understanding the decisions and values of past family decision-makers provides valuable insights and a sense of continuity, helping guide future choices. We cover 6 more principles in the latest issue of the Governance Insights Newsletter, so subscribe today to see them all! https://lnkd.in/ebCmAqNE 🎙 Listen to our incredibly insightful conversation on Building Evergreen Success with Cox Enterprises CFO Dallas Clement here: https://lnkd.in/ehukVh7Q

Please join me for our 2nd annual panel discussion with executive leaders across sectors as we explore “Pioneering Paths to the C-Suite”. It is sure to be a great discussion.

KPMG's Board Leadership Centre shared an interesting perspective yesterday on the strategic imperative of age balanced boards. As someone who’s recently transitioned from an executive career to the other side of the boardroom table I’m often asked whether I have another “CEO role in me”. Truth is, I didn’t decide on a portfolio career because I was slowing down and retiring (as some of my friends joke) - more so because I wanted to use my energy and experience in a different way to the benefit of a broader range of businesses. I really love the variety and diversity that comes with working across a portfolio. At a time when companies face unprecedented disruption and uncertainty – wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, trade and geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, persistent inflation and higher interest rates, technology and business model disruption, elevated cybersecurity risk, climate risk, and more – the importance of diversity in the boardroom can not be overlooked. Of course gender, ethnicity and geographical representation have rightfully garnered attention, but there is an open question as to whether the transformative power of age diversity has been overlooked. According to Spencer Stuart’s UK Board Index: - The average age of NEDs has crept back up to around sixty years old.  - Only 43 FTSE100 companies have chairs and/or non-executive directors under 50 (55 individuals).  - And for the S&P100, the statistics are even more bleak with only 25 companies having chairs and/or non-executive directors under 50 (37 individuals). Why does it matter? Highlights from the summary indicate an age-balanced board can offer unique advantages by striking the right balance between: - Innovative and creative thinking versus experiential wisdom - New ways of working versus tried-and-tested leading practices - Technological prowess versus an experience-based sense of judgement - Adventurous versus measured conservatism - Agility versus stability Link here to read more: https://lnkd.in/e3wxNcyK #boardroom #nonexecutive #chair #agediversity #representation 

Whether we realize it or not, a lot of us are constantly covering (downplaying parts of our identity) in the workplace. Personally, I recognize many times in my career when I covered and recent events have only further made me confront this reality. How does covering manifest itself and impact trust? How can we assess its very real effects? What can organizations and leaders do in the face of this challenge? I am looking forward to discussing these questions with Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law's Kenji Yoshino and my colleague, partner and Executive Director of Deloitte's DEI Institute Joanne Stephane.   The discussion is taking place tomorrow, October 17 at 11AM EST as part of Deloitte Dbriefs. Click below to register!  #Uncovering #DEIInstitute #Leadership #DEI #Workplacewellbeing #EnterpriseTrust

It is always exciting to see great people get recognized for their contributions and last week Latino Leaders Magazine presented my friend Michael Montelongo with its 2024 Maestro Award for Leadership. Michael was the CFO and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and has enjoyed distinguished careers in the military, government, business, and academia. Several years ago, Michael joined me for an interview on my leadership blog. He shared his inspiring "Angels Along the Way" story and advice on a wide range of topics. "'Angels Along the Way' is my attempt to trace the not-so-straight-line journey I took, as you say, from New York City’s Lower East Side to the Pentagon on 9/11 to the boards I now serve," Michael told me. "In doing so, it’s my tribute to the many people, I call them angels – my parents, relatives, teachers, friends, colleagues and mentors – who played significant roles in shaping my thinking about life, faith, career, and leadership to help me make informed and prudent choices." "Getting from 'there to here' is a classic 'only in America' story about prevailing beyond one’s inherited circumstances – made possible by these many angels." No one achieves anything substantial alone. Every one of us needs as much help as we can get. Our success is a byproduct of not only our own individual effort but of the support we receive. When you appreciate the importance of having "angels" in your life, instead of merely seeking out people who can support you, ask yourself: How can I be an "angel" to others? "One way everyone can be an 'angel' to someone else and have measurable impact is to serve others," Michael told me. There is no better time than now to ask ourselves: Who can I serve and how?