StellarCast

During this podcast we are lucky enough to have two inspirational mining engineering graduates who have gone on to build remarkable careers in mining. We hear how Douglas Thompson, an experienced mining executive and Darren Stralow from Northern Star Resources have built their careers in mining. They also shine a light on how rewarding the mining sector can be, provide valuable insights about the industry and how those interested can get their career start. 2:09 - Key Inspirations that led to their mining careers7:23 - Career advice from Darren and Douglas13:43 - Douglas’s Impressive and taking your career to the next level 21:10 - Northern Star Resources share price increase and what it meant for staff careers 26:05 - Diversity at Northern Star Resources38:53 - WASM promoting the industry and success stories from within45:45 - What Thiess looks for in people when recruiting 49:53 - Darren’s passion in creating career pathways into the mining industry56:05 - A message to year 10-12 students considering a mining career 1 hr: A final note from Darren and Douglas about what a career in mining has given them and their familiesKey Inspirations that led to their mining careersDouglas: The inspiration for Douglas was a primary need to get into the industry and to follow in his family’s footsteps. People were also a primary attraction; he has found very passionate and likeminded people whilst in underground mining. Being able to scale and be involved in multiple disciplines was intoxicating to Douglas, and he loved the opportunities. Darren: Mining is about the people, and the people are what make mining a great industry. Being able to work with different people and getting fast feedback was desirable to Darren, making it a great career choice for him. He also loves the practical, dynamic and interactive environment mining brings. Career advice from Darren and DouglasDarren: You don’t work for companies; you work for people. Once you get into the day-to-day life of the job, the people that have the biggest influence on yourself are the people around you. Find people who you can have a great two-way relationship with. You have to deliver for them, and they give back to you by giving you opportunities which is a huge driver for your own development. Douglas: Leadership is a privilege, and it comes with accountability. You must serve others and give context and understanding why the common goal is the right goal which is fulfilling the purpose of being a leader. The best move Douglas has made is through Genesis joining the mining industry, it has offered so much. Being able to work internationally in his career has also been pivotal to his career, where learning from different cultures, seeing how different challenges are solved and learning how others think has been achieved. Douglas’s Impressive growth and taking your career to the next level The three key steps which contributed to Douglas’s career growth – 1. A willingness to follow- understand you work with multiple stakeholders and meet the needs with clear intention and strategies whilst serving the different stakeholders. 2. Have a clear state of mind where your purpose sits with that, think about “what do I bring to the table.” It is also important to be honest with yourself, work hard and find solutions to any problems. 3. There is a little touch of magic, luck and having a great support system behind you to push you into the opportunities you are striving for. Douglas knew what he wanted to achieve both personally and professionally and he made it happen with support around him. You need to sacrifice but also balance your family and personal life whilst doing so. You need to be honest with yourself and look at the return on the investment on your career. Northern Star Resources share price increase and what it meant for staff careers It has been an interesting journey and sometimes you have to pinch yourself. The recapitalisation over 10 years ago was a huge factor, it was a risk, but we received a return. Reflecting on the business, it is important to look at the opportunity – NSR went from a couple of people in an office with an ambition to own mine sites to what it is today.  The success is reliant on the people and NSR has a fundamental philosophy to give career opportunities to those performing well in the business as well. What is really pleasing has been to see the people grow alongside the business over the years. Diversity at Northern Star ResourcesWhen you have a firm development culture, it provides the opportunity to help others move up and attain higher roles. You have an obligation to those below you to backfill where you have come from and being supported by good people is important in a growth organisation. This is huge at Northern Star Resources and something they focus on heavily. WASM promoting the industry and success stories from within (WASM - Western Australian School of Mines)There are great stories everywhere such as small country town boys who have built massive Western Australian companies and forged great mining jobs, through WASM pathways. WASM teaches and inspires high school kids to start careers in mining and supports those students through industry interaction. Joining WASM is like joining a family! What Thiess looks for in people when recruiting The primary factor when recruiting is having people with open minds. This means having the ability to adapt and learn and be open to the ideas that there are other views that you can draw from and environments you can be exposed to. Recruits must have a willingness to be vulnerable, you can only learn from a situation is you fail or there is a shortcoming, it is and important lesson to grow and evolve. Work ethic is also an important, education is a backbone but a willingness to apply yourself and align with the business strategy are strong traits to have. Darren’s passion in creating career pathways into the mining industryFor those based in Western Australia in high school and looking towards getting a job within the mining industry, Northern Star Resources are hosting exciting events targeted towards high school students. This includes students in grades 10 who are keen to get on the pathway to enter the mining industry. 1st Event – Get into Resources – an interactive event at Metropolitan Tafe in Perth over three days at the end of June where attendees will hear from mining companies and find out more through interactive and practical demonstrations. 2nd Event – Resources Technology Showcase – Hosted at convention centre in the Perth City where all the technological resources within the industry are showcased. Northern Star Resources also fund mining camps, and have done for many years, where they take people to visit the mines and WASM to see the team doing the groundwork. These camps have been successful in the past, and they look forward to funding more in the future, helping those interested in a mining career get their start and the information they are looking for. A message to year 10-12 students considering a mining career Mining is a critical industry and is all about opportunity where there are a massive range of rewarding roles. Every discipline has a mining application and one of the huge benefits is the fast feedback. It is rewarding to get that feedback on your influence on the operations and being rewarded for your efforts. There are opportunities to evolve your career by entering the mining industry and there are no limits.  It is time for those who want to get out there and roll their sleeves up to get involved and make a difference whilst having a rewarding career! Society needs the industry; it has the opportunity and the funding, and it is at a time where those coming into the industry can help shape the world and make change. A final note from Darren and Douglas about what a career in mining has given them and their familiesDarren: Mining has given us everything we have, and the most important thing is not about what it has given us but its about looking back and seeing the achievements and rewards. The people and the friends made from the mining industry has been the most rewarding. Douglas: The tangible assets and experiences you have are the most rewarding and influential. Exposure and life opportunities with the people in the industry has also been a blessing. 

During this episode Stellar’s Managing Director, sits down with Watkins Steel Managing Director, Des Watkins to discuss the business, the culture and the team members within.  They also dive deep into innovation and technology use within the business such as virtual reality and robotics and how they are creating opportunities within these spaces.  Des’s Highlights 1:22 – Growing Watkins Steel 5:24 – Innovation moving forward 8:04 – A family business with passion 9:23 – Proudest moments and achievements 12:10 – Staff retention and long-term opportunities 16:33 – Culture within Watkins Steel 19:56 – A drive to invest in technology 23:32 - Maintaining harmony away from work 25:23 - Client and staff attraction27:25 - Key skills moving forward  Growing Watkins Steel Operating since 1968, Watkins Steel has continued to transform and diversify. Every ten years, the company outgrows their factory space and doubles in size. Due to the competitive nature of the industry, Watkins Steel had to look at ways to offer unique services that created a point of difference to other competitors. Thus, 3D technology and advanced robotics were introduced into Watkin’s construction process.  Innovation moving forward Due to the constant development in technology, Des believes there will be no end goal for Watkins Steel. Showing the sequential construction process using virtual reality will assist with tender submission and even Workplace Health and Safety. Despite having massive implications for the construction industry, robotics will completely transform the steel industry and generate more jobs.  A family business with passion It has been a family-run business for centuries. Des’s passion stems from the various opportunities present in the field. At the rates that the industry is changing, there will be various diversified functions that will change the shape of the construction environment even further and create diverse opportunities.  Proudest moments and achievements There is no particular moment, it is more about the process itself. The construction process along with embracing the staff are amongst some of Des’s proudest achievements. The opportunity for staff to ‘Surprise and Delight’ where they have the platform to suggest different ideas and perspectives is another proud aspect for Watkins Steel.  Staff retention and long-term opportunities  Des strongly believes that you don’t need to be the best in the business, you just have to be above average. If you are able to understand the supply chain, you are able to tap into other evolving markets that provide you with a wealth of opportunities. Continuity in the work and providing staff with the time to invest in their training not only increases retention but also sustains relationships.  Culture within Watkins Steel Agility would be the best way to describe the leadership style. Giving staff ownership over their ability to learn and determine the best study or training to complete for their own benefit is one of the most valuable opportunities to provide. If you are passionate about the work you are doing, you will see the signs of development and embrace the culture of change.   A drive to invest in technology Shaking up the industry is the main point of drive for Des. The Blacksmith industry has gone centuries without any innovation until recent years. The introduction of digital transformation which merges a lot of industries together is inspiring to be apart of and integrate into Watkins Steel.   Maintaining harmony away from work A great release from the busy work environment is physical exercise. Despite a love for running, Des will always find himself back in the office on the weekends. Client and staff attraction The construction and manufacturing industry is transient. Many job seekers are transitioning from one company to another. Building and sustaining relationships with people is fundamental to retaining and attracting the right kind of candidates. There has never been a greater opportunity than there is right now.   Key skills moving forward With the industry carrying through with various technological changes, recruitment and retention of the right staff is vital. As we look towards a digitalised future, adapting technology that enhances robotic and augmented reality along with hiring individuals with skills in animation is something that will be highly considered.  Let’s go on an inspiring journey by listening, learning and taking key actions from our own recruitment experts as well as industry leaders and inspirational individuals.Together, each month, we unpack key actions on how we can all learn from others’ experiences and industry knowledge; unlocking our own transformative change, so that we can all become the best version of ourselves.

During this episode, Shaun McCambridge, Stellar’s Managing Director, sits down with Gary Georgiou, Executive General Manager of Georgiou. We learn how Gary has built a successful Civil Engineering career and gain an insight into Georgiou, a business with a great company culture and pipeline of projects in the works, that he now leads as General Manager.Gary’s Highlights 1:12 - Gary’s journey to study Engineering 2:39 - Career moments to be proud of5:10 - Shifting from engineering to leadership7:31 - Challenging moments faced as a leader10:34 - How to develop strong communication & EQ skills13:16 - Most influential person on his career journey15:50 - The drive for self-development 18:16 - Leadership philosophies20:20 - Switching off outside of work24:01 – Company culture at Georgiou29:16 - Georgiou’s business outlook32:15 - Tips for aspiring engineers or project managers Gary’s journey to study Engineering Without a clear vision Gary was unsure on what he wanted to do when he was in high school, but he knew he liked drawing and building. Through gaining work experience it became clear he didn’t want to spend his days on Excel, but rather doing something he enjoyed. This gave him an idea of what career path he wanted to take.  Career moments to be proud ofAs a project manager it was the rush of delivering a successful project, but now as the General Manager Gary has many project outcomes at different times – which has contributed to the impressive growth on the East Coast over the last five years. Additionally, watching staff succeed and grow with the business and in their personal lives is something Gary loves – some employees have been at Georgiou since they were graduates. Shifting from engineering to leadershipAs many engineers are technical people it is difficult getting into people management, however leadership is learned. Hence through taking ownership of his own career and thinking about the next role and the skills required Gary developed his leadership skills. Through exposure and taking on the responsibilities of delivering more direct reports Gary prepared himself for a management role. When he was still a project manager, he would read the business reports, take notes, and then meet with the CEO, CFO, and pre-contract managers to ask lots of questions. This shows the proactiveness towards his career goals and development. Challenging moments faced as a leaderThe ongoing challenge is keeping staff motivated and employed – Georgiou is not a business that hires and fires, hence they put a lot of effort into making sure they understand staff members’ goals and keep moving the business forward to provide staff with enough opportunity to support growth and encourage culture within the company.  How to develop strong communication & emotional Intelligence skillsGary is an introvert however communication is one of his strengths. Without communication nothing would work, it is about being authentic and asking questions and giving information plays a big part in this. Many engineers are introverts, but Gary is a testament that this does not affect your leadership capabilities, through pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and always being honest and authentic you can evolve into a very impressive communicator. When dealing with clients, ask many questions specifically about what is important to them, and ensure the communication is constant and a clear alignment is there to support the relationship. Most influential person on career journeyMany people have been influential in Gary’s career path where he has learnt many things form these influences, but a standout is Brian Riggall, Ex CEO of Seymour Whyte, who pushed Gary throughout his career, including promoting him from Project Manager to General Manager. Brian has exceptional leadership skills where there is a core focus to treat everyone as equals, respect different views and maintains composure during stressful periods, which is something Gary emanates to this day.  The drive for self-development Gary is self admittedly very competitive. He finds goal setting very important for working towards long term goals; ticking tasks off helps him to be more productive and seek new opportunities. Some of his greatest development has been when he is out of his comfort zone, significantly taking part in the Harvard Business School President Manager’s course with 140 very successful businesspeople from around the world. Leadership philosophies Being authentic is very important to Gary who regularly says, “you can’t fake the genuine care for people and their development.” He also believes that who you surround yourself with helps to shape your career, and acknowledges his success is partly due to the people around him which have succeeded and helped him to grow. Gary places a lot of importance on seeking ideas from different people but also in being decisive. Sometimes you must take a risk to move on, and although it may not be right, employees can see sometimes things don’t go to plan, but it can be worked around. Switching off outside of workGary lives by the moto ‘work smart not hard,’ and acknowledges that to perform at your best year after year you must be sustainable and demonstrate this to staff. This means first in office and last out is not admirable anymore. When his thoughts aren’t clear he finds taking himself out of the office, switching off the phone and exercising helps to get ideas flowing and distractions eliminated. Company culture at GeorgiouAt Georgiou they are not precious about their roles, Gary explains it’s like a family, you just get in and help wherever you are needed. There is a genuine care for staff, they acknowledge one size doesn’t fit all and work hard to meet different staff needs which Gary finds rewarding and this also assists with staff retention. At Georgiou there is a big focus on working hard, playing hard, hosting many social events, and including team members’ families. Georgiou’s business outlookAs the East Coast continues to grow very strongly, Gary’s focus for Georgiou is ensuring they select the right projects, that suit the business’ strategy and staff development. Currently Georgiou is working on more and more complex and larger jobs, but also smaller jobs which suit young engineers’ growth. As Georgiou is small enough to know individuals’ strengths and weaknesses, they focus on pushing young engineers out of their comfort zone - if you want to advance to Project Manager, we will give you work in an area of your weakness.Tips for aspiring engineers or project managers  Be proactive about your own development - be responsible for yourself Get yourself as much exposure to new opportunities as you can and ask for extra work that is outside of your role and useful for where you see yourself progressing to. As a candidate you are much more attractive when you can display you have gone above and beyond your core job and sought out new learning experiences.  Always ask questions and maintain an open mind – vital for learning new perspectives. Let’s go on an inspiring journey by listening, learning and taking key actions from our own recruitment experts as well as industry leaders and inspirational individuals.Together, each month, we unpack key actions on how we can all learn from others’ experiences and industry knowledge; unlocking our own transformative change, so that we can all become the best version of ourselves.

Let’s go on an inspiring journey by listening, learning and taking key actions from our own recruitment experts as well as industry leaders and inspirational individuals.Together, each month, we unpack key actions on how we can all learn from others’ experiences and industry knowledge; unlocking our own transformative change, so that we can all become the best version of ourselves.During this episode, Shaun McCambridge, Stellar’s Managing Director, sits down with Andrew Boyd, a well-regarded Mining Executive. Andrew has vast experience in the mining and construction sectors, where his qualities of leadership and directorship are highly regarded within the industries. Andrew’s values, attitudes and beliefs connected to the mining, mining services and construction sectors have created success with outstanding outcomes. His managerial traits are centred around well-developed communication skills, passion for the sector and a key understanding of not only the operational aspects of the business, but the corporate perspective. Consequently, these traits have led a plethora of contemporary mining companies to achieve great success. Andrew’s Highlights 5:00 The Three Chapters of Career12:00 Proudest Moments of Career 15:00 Most Challenging Aspects of Career17:30 The Intersection Between EQ and IQ20:00 Importance of Communication in Leadership 22:30 How to Communicate as a Leader 23:05 Impactful Leaders 25:45 Relaxing Away from Work 29:40 Personal Philosophy 31:40 Vision for FutureThe Three Chapters of Career After studying mining engineering at university, Andrew landed a job with MIM as a graduate mining engineer. From here, Andrew went from being a site engineer to an operations manager at Thiess where he was responsible for some of the Thiess’ largest projects in Queensland. In order to advance his career direction, Andrew joined a new venture which built the portfolio of mining service companies through private equity backing. Andrew is now a well-regarded executive in the mining industry.  Proudest Moments of Career Achieving outstanding results with stakeholders is one of Andrew’s main accomplishments. From leading bids to acquiring and listing businesses on the ASX, there was no such thing as overnight success. Most Challenging Aspects of CareerLike any industry, various challenges arise. Aspects such as legal setbacks and the New Acland approvals highlighted some challenges faced. However, these challenges also emphasised the importance of communication and bringing employees along for the journey even when its bad news. The Intersection Between EQ and IQBoth EQ and IQ are fundamental elements to any company. Integrity, energy and intelligence are the three critical factors that sustain feasibility. Importance of Communication in Leadership Self-awareness is critical to fostering great communication across all leadership styles. Building relationships with internal stakeholders must be achieved through personal interpretation and must be founded on the basis of understanding what works and does not work for your individual company. How to Communicate as a Leader Seeking feedback from employees and other vital stakeholders within the company, planning the key message and taking the opportunity to diverge from the familiar will reflect on successful communication levels.Impactful Leaders Brian McDonald and Michael Rosengren’s inquisitive and intelligent qualities significantly impacted on the hallmarks of Andrew’s career. Relaxing Away from Work The generalised concept of work-life balance is flawed. It is imperative to find the time and commit to opportunities that reflect your internal passions. Providing context and communicating the ‘why’ allows others to share the journey. Personal Philosophy To be a great leader, you need followers. There are two key elements involved within great leadership. Firstly, leaders must gain and sustain trust with their followers to create a viable relationship. Secondly, articulate that you are going somewhere exciting so that the followers want to be a part of the journey.  Vision for FutureThe lack of awareness on the mining, mining services and construction sector has inspired Andrew to actively advocate and promote the mining industry and the enormous opportunities it presents for people and communities located within these industries.  

During this episode, Shaun McCambridge, Stellar’s Managing Director, sits down with Denise Kaitu, Stellar’s Team Leader for the Australian East Coast Trades and Labour team. Being in the industry since 2015, Denise has a wealth of mining experience; she has delivered diversified workforce solutions including ‘New to Industry’ and ‘Upskilling’ programs when businesses need access to talent during candidate tight markets. These solutions in turn provide job seekers with life changing opportunities to enter the mining industry.  Denise’s Highlights0:26 Demand and Outlook for Operators 1:00 New to Industry Operator projects 2:00 The Process of New to Industry 2:40 Mining Operators & Trades Ideal for New to Industry Projects3:00 Benefits of New to Industry4:40 Upskilling Programs6:00 Success Stories around the Candidates Demand and Outlook for Operators There is a lot of demand for operators in the mining market and not a lot of experience in the market.New to Industry Operator projects With a high demand for experienced candidates her team have developed and delivered an alternative ‘New to Industry’ programs to a handful of clients across multiple sites since 2017.We have coordinated assessment centres where we invite people to come in and do group activities. During these sessions we are able to assess how people work in teams and as individuals including safety exercises. We have also set up recruitment days where people can see if they are the right match to transfer from other industries and fit the site’s culture.The Process of New to Industry During the first couple of weeks they undergo predominantly classroom based courses including an introductory to mining; during this time they can be a passenger in a truck or a assimilator. After 4-6 weeks they are able to drive the truck themselves with another person and shortly after that they are able to drive the truck solo. Mining Operators & Trades Ideal for New to Industry ProjectsSimilar initiatives are also offered on the mining trades side including auto electricians, diesel fitters, high voltage electrician from industrial, lite vehicle, heavy transport, army, marine, and agri sectors.Benefits of New to IndustryNew to Industry programs offer others in their current workforce to upskill that in turn allows more room for truck operators to start; it boosts staff morale with new people and a different set of eyes on things. There are also great cultural upsides and most new to industry candidates are excited to start their career in mining who have longer retention periods.Businesses who have participated have also been able to add diversity to their sites, focusing particularly on females and Aboriginal & Torres strait islanders.Upskilling ProgramsWe have also had interest in upskilling other workers from alternative industries e.g. construction operators and transferring those skills to mine sized machinery. It is a lot quicker compared to New to Industry because they understand the basics of operation; it is more about the upskilling in spacial awareness and getting to know the bigger gear. Success Stories around the Job SeekersThere have been great Job Seeker successes where it has had a major impact including spending more time with family, buying houses and starting families earlier, transferring to civilian life and new employment opportunities are needed to name a few.With the market as tight as what it is and border restrictions etc still in play, upskilling programs can enable businesses to continue to grow as well as be life changing for the candidates.

During this episode, Shaun McCambridge, Stellar’s Managing Director, sits down with Martin Moore, Founder of Your CEO Mentor and former Chief Executive Office of CS Energy. Martin with his daughter Emma have created Your CEO mentor, - a place where leaders learn the things that they don’t teach at business school. He shares all of his hard-earned leadership experience and learning to good use; mentoring leaders around the globe with practical, no bullshit leadership strategies that will catapult their careers and help them create high performing, results-driven, winning teams.  Martin’s Highlights4:00 Martin’s early years5:44 His own Resilience Journey 7:10 Techniques for Resilience9:10 A time of personal resilience building for Martin12:00 Techniques that Martin has used13:55 Leaders during COVID18:05 Creating brain space for leaders20:45 Remote leadership 24:26 Creating/continuing a healthy culture during COVID29:15 Enabling others to meet expectations with all the external factors49:35 What is next for Martin? Martin’s early yearsParents greatly valued education and enrolled him at St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill. After school he went to university to study law, where he found himself in an unstructured environment compared to the highly structured one in his early education. As a result, he took time to regain his balance and go back to the values that he had learnt early on.   His own Resilience Journey Never one to dwell on failure or falling short, he always doubled down even from a very young age. It was always about giving his very personal best and he always seeked to do better than the day before. He realised that one could make big mistakes that weren’t fatal; having no fear from failing is a very important element to being resilient.Techniques for ResilienceThere are a few techniques on how to build personal resilience.  Focusing on Elements one can controlNot getting too caught up in elements that you can’t control and instead spending time on things that you can makes a huge difference; Martin refers to the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey  PerspectiveHaving the perspective on what is going on, no matter how bad the circumstance gets with the pandemic, we will look back 10 years from now and there will be some good learnings and changes.  A time of personal resilience building for MartinMartin experienced personal resilience building about 20 years ago. During this time he experienced a period of sustained pressure; he first moved to QLD, had taken on C-level role, was studying for an Executive MBA; during a hostile takeover and he had to handle all of elements at once.  What he initially thought of doing was to take off one of those elements; however, he wanted to further his career into a more demanding C level role and if couldn’t sustain this, he wouldn’t be able to in the future. Having a reminder that this sustained period of pressure is what future roles would have helped him continue on. At end of it, he had a tremendous amount of confidence knowing that he could step into any situation and handle it.  Techniques that Martin usedHe was in survival mode at times and used 15 minutes to reset.   He also spent time working on hard constraints and then allowed some elements to be more flexible. Leaders during COVIDAt the moment leaderships skills are being put to the test. The key is to look into outputs, not inputs; concentrating on the value and value alone. Leaders need to define and articulate what adds value; companies often lose sight of this. It is the leader’s role to eliminate the non-value items and focus on items that will make a difference. Example: One of the organisations that he worked with had a team that created processes and procedures; the problem was that there was virtually no impact on the outcome; there was a real disconnect. In every team needs to be outcome driven such as the processes/procedures need to reduce time, save money etc.  Creating brain space for leadersMartin refers to “The Leadership Pipeline: How to build the leadership powered company” by Ram Charan, Steve Dotter and Jim NoelLeaders need to have brain space to do their jobs; the below Leadership pipeline book breaks down different levels of businesses and giving each level clarification of what they should be concentrating on. Many leaders/managers are overcompensating and drilling down too deep for their level which takes away from the role that they should be doing.  Remote leadership Prior and during COVID leaders are still managing people and to do this successfully you need to provide the following framework: 1)     Clear Expectations2)     How they are tracking based on those expectations3)     What their future holdsUsually, you can rely on the micro conversations to further clarify or obtain feedback but COVID has challenged the relationships that rely on this; if you have completed the three above elements it enables flowing leadership conversations. Creating/continuing a healthy culture during COVIDCOVID has added the complexity of different circumstances for each individual e.g. working from home environmentsIt is about making people aware of the following elements: -        The company’s why and linking the purpose -        What creates value for the company as a whole-        What is the strategy in the long term-        What are tactics the we will use  -        What the company needs from you todayEvery layer of a business then communicates the above but it can potentially change the message from the top, down; so it is really important that one sets the expectation on oneself and check-ins to see how others interpret that day to day. Enabling others to meet expectations with all the external factorsIt comes to down to understanding humans.If we have open conversations with people and finding a bridge between their personal circumstances and what the organisation needs It is ultimately a give and take relationship. Making the decision to pursue your purposeAbout 14 years ago he realised that what he was put on this planet to do was not what he was doing; he knew that he wanted to have a big impact on people.  He realised that every time that he has stepped out and moved towards a goal that he put everything towards, it worked out. If he goes hard and puts everything that he knew about being successful that it would work; he believes that everyone is like this and that it is fear that holds people back. During his last years at CS Energy, he wanted to have a go and take a risk on what he wanted to do. He was working with Rachael Vickery, a high-performance coach, she helped him map out what drove him. He didn’t want to leave anything in the tank and to boldly go after what he wanted.  Most constraints are artificial and stops them from doing what they could do. These commitments are constraints and by suspending them it enables people to unravel the possibilities. During this process, personally he took the time to test the market and see if he could make an impact in the highly competitive leadership development. Going out there confidently and testing the market for 6-12months; the worst that could happen is that he looks to find his next job in 12 months’ time.  Martin comments that he was always happy doing his C level roles, giving that period a 8-8.5 out of 10 of happiness; however 20% of his was a daily grind; the level of satisfaction now from “Your CEO mentor” work is 11 out of 10 as it is the 80% of what he loved in his C-level role that he is doing 100% of the time.  Martin’s mistakesAs the old saying goes “you never fail as you are always learning” and Martin finds that his is true. He believes that in every failure that there is something you can take out of it to move forward.  1.     Not respecting how much his parents had invested in his education and dropping out of university but only from that perspective as this decision but him on his own path.2.     During is his first C-level role one of his team made a multimillion-dollar mistake; although the stakeholders wanted the team member to lose his job, Martin viewed the failure as a mistake that the person wouldn’t make again and would be at a competitors advantage if he were to go an work for them. “Good judgement comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgement” Will Rogers 3.     One of the most common mistakes as a leader that he has also made is giving too much rope to a person when they didn’t have the maturity or capability to do it.  When you give it to the right people it works like a charm but at the wrong time it makes you look like an idiot and them look like they don’t know what they were doing. You need to have the right balance between support and freedom; e.g. accountability, empowerment and how close you need to stick to them. “Trust but verify” Ronald Raegan The key is to understand where they are and asking people earlier if things aren’t 100%; understanding the inputs early is crucial if you can’t see the outputs.  What is next for Martin? Leadership beyond the theory course Leadership Beyond the Theory course which starts in March 2021, and the No Bullsh!t Leadership book which will be published in the US on 31st August 2021. Ultimately Martin loves barriers as it shows him that he is on the right path; it is just the matter of getting over the barriers where many others would turn-around. Your CEO Mentor No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast 

During this episode, Shaun McCambridge, Stellar’s Managing Director, sits down with Warren Crowther, General Manager of JF Hull Holdings. We delve into how Warren has built a successful Civil Engineering career and gain an insight into JF Hull Holdings, a business that he now leads as General Manager.  Warren’s Highlights1:15 Warren’s journey to becoming a Civil Engineer3:11 JF Hull the company 6:05 The team & culture7:50 Leaders of JF Hull10:00 Warren’s own career and strategies14:30 Career transitioning17:00 Vision moving forward19:15 Warren’s personal drivers21:20 Future of civil engineering24:20 Warren’s downtime26:20 Elevator pitch of JF Hull Warren’s journey to becoming a Civil Engineer From a very early age, Warren wanted to become an engineer and went on to complete a Civil Engineering degree. However, it wasn’t until building a bridge in Cape York 3 years after university that it all came together. During this project he had the responsibility of leading a high performing team where he saw it come to life and was able to leave something behind; it was a game changing moment for him. JF Hull the company Started in 1977 started by John Hull; from his own home and the workshop in the garage. He was. Always focussed on looking after people and engineering excellence was a driver for him. These really were the values that the business derived from. Ever since John started the business there was a focus on integrity and our commitment to customers and partners. The key is that we always put focus on the long-term view, not the short-term; reality is that there is still a commercial element but our approach is long-term; where it is best to take a hit short team rather than damage the partnerships down the track; by doing this, in time you do get a competitive advantage in the market but you must continually come back to it. The team & cultureWe have many longstanding team members with some 10,20,30+ years of service.Over the years people have really enjoyed the leadership of John Hull, Founder & Chairman and Bruce Graham, Executive Director; they have built a lot of staff loyalty. The leaders of JF HullTogether, both John Hull and Graham have been the driving force behind the business.As highlighted previously, John focussed on people relationships and engineering solutions; Bruce in contrast is the key person on how to run an efficient and competitive contracting business; different but similar in how they are both very strategic and take risks.  Together with two younger long-term employees and myself in the executive board team. Warren’s own career and strategiesWarren has always had senior people within and outside the civil engineering field that he has been inspired by; those who maintained their integrity, principles and character; people who had the reputation that his “handshake is as good as a contract” and that is few and far between in the competitive civil engineering sector.Career transitioningAfter working at a Tier One company for 15 years on big projects with high profiles, he realised that even though there were great leaders within the company, he wasn’t the same as them. What I perceived as my strengths; others saw it as a weakness. After 1 year at JF Hull, Warren appreciates being trusted by clients and partners; that the trust is there in the market already. He also enjoys the concentration of highly skilled people as well as working with systems and processes that is based on the KISS principle and that there is a real laser focus on finding the smartest engineering solutions.Vision moving forwardConsolidate the place that the business has in the market already, which is to be the leading structural specialist in Queensland. Many people ask Warren if the plan is to grow the business; to this, Warren answers yes and no. If the opportunity is there, then yes but if it isn’t then definitely not; he doesn’t want to be caught in the race to the bottom.Warren’s personal driversHis motivation completing an MBA was to differentiate himself from his peers that he was competing against for promotions. Ultimately, he doesn’t feel like it accelerated him but he did learn a lot from the studies; for him, when he compared to what he learnt on the job it was probably minor. He is a firm believer that what you get out of an MBA is what you put in and he most probably didn’t put enough in with competing family and work priorities.Future of Civil EngineeringIn the short-term situation with COVID, where many people faced economic and health impacts, the reality is that Governments’ during a recession highlight the civil engineering sector as a winner with announcements of projects and initiatives; so there is a very bright and exciting future. In the long-term there will always be a need for engineering even with emerging technologies such as AI. Apart from the continuing need, the sector itself is embracing diversity, and technology; enabling it to move with the times. Warren’s downtimeWarren loves road and mountain biking as well as reading. Best book at the moment is Milkman by Anna Burns; Set in North Belfast, a book with resilience, family and enabled him to reflect on how well we have it now. Elevator pitch of JF Hull The business takes practical common sense with specialised tech know how that produces the magical dust; this brings us as business the opportunity for us to work on the most exciting projects with the best partners and clients in Queensland.Our reason for being is looking after people; and this enables us to provide great career opportunities in an exciting environment. 

Let’s go on an inspiring journey by listening, learning and taking key actions from our own recruitment experts as well as industry leaders and inspirational individuals. Our Stellar team have helped nearly 23,000 people embark on life changing career opportunities and helped over 3,300 businesses reach their growth goals.   Together, each month, we will unpack key actions on how we can all learn from others’ experiences and industry knowledge; unlocking our own transformative change, so that we can all become the best version of ourselves.   This podcast aligns with when Robbie McIlraith & Shaun McCambridge, cofounded the company their mission was to help and nurture others to reach and exceed their potential. For trusted recruitment and career advice, contact Stellar today.