15 Minutes with the Boss

When Sharon Pickering’s husband died, she realised she needed to choose where she directed her energy and focus on what mattered to her.
After years of being a dedicated scholar, the academic made a decision that would set her on a path to becoming the vice chancellor of Monash University.
On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with the university boss to find out how a new role shifted Pickering’s career to one of leadership.
Further reading:
‘I’d lost my identity.’ How this exec recovered from redundancy
A new coach, hypnotist and Hollywood movie helped Allison Rossiter tackle one of her biggest fears. Now, the Novartis president shares how they can help you too.
Meet the researchers tackling big problems
Combining knowledge and expertise across disciplines is the new face of successful research in the university sector.
The move this MD calls ‘extremely hard, but I’ve never looked back’
T2 Tea managing director Christelle Young finds that by cutting out reading, writing and talking first thing in the morning, it sets up her day in the right way.
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Procter & Gamble’s Australian chief executive, Neal Reed, has been with the global manufacturer for 30 years.
The company behind household brands such as Pampers nappies, Gillette razors and Pantene and Head & Shoulders shampoos has long been committed to finding and developing top talent.
But as the CEO has discovered, the strategy presents a temptation to push high performers too hard.
On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten finds out how this P&G boss learnt he was overburdening senior leaders.
Further reading:
Why this CEO gets his advice from the 20-somethings in the office
As Gen Z swells to a third of the workforce, P&G’s Australia-New Zealand CEO Neal Reed says reverse mentorship keeps him connected, skilled up and relevant.
‘I didn’t realise how far gone I was’: How this CEO survived burnout
Jess Saxby, chief executive of Banjo’s Bakery Cafes, couldn’t stop. She was always chasing the next thing. Until she couldn’t any more.
‘Do you have five?’: This CEO’s trick for managing staff requests
Stefan Leitl, vice president for Australia and New Zealand at Cisco, has to juggle family with fitting into the working hours of the US. Here’s how he does it.
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He’s one of Australia’s most influential chefs and restaurateurs.
But when Neil Perry was faced with the closure of his restaurant, Song Bird, he realised he’d broken his most important rule.
“You've always got to be prepared to walk away," Perry says.
On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten finds out what went wrong with the Double Bay restaurant, and what he’s learnt as the culinary giant prepares to open Pizzeria Spotto.
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Praveena Raman, the head of Motorola in Australia and New Zealand, is a self-described yes person.
At the start of her career as an engineer, the “say yes to everything” mindset opened doors to pivotal opportunities that would set her on the path to becoming an executive.
But a crucial piece of advice also made the smartphone boss realise the importance of saying no.
On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with the country head of the eighth-largest smartphone manufacturer globally to find out why she decided to shift her mindset.
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One of Anubha Sahasrabuddhe’s proudest moments was getting Chinese consumers to drink Coca-Cola – and lots of it.
Earlier in her career, Sahasrabuddhe, now the chief executive of brewing giant Lion, was asked to go to China in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics and take on the competition, Pepsi.
Sahasrabuddhe’s stint was a success, but there were also failures. The experience led the chief executive to adopt a strategy she says the tech industry has mastered.
On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with the boss of Australia’s second biggest brewing company to find out how past mistakes have shaped future wins.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.