Tony Ottaviano, Managing Director & CEO of Liontown Resources
Our special guest for this Episode of Finding the Front is Tony Ottaviano, the Managing Director & CEO of lithium producer Liontown Resources and what an insightful and educational story it is!
Raised in a close Italian family, Tony started as a graduate with a mining job in the Pilbara.
He rose to the senior level management of BHP and shares his deep insights into the iron ore sector including the introduction of Fortescue Metals, the proposed takeover of Rio Tinto by BHP, drilling, leading teams, mines and production.
He made the move from big business to a small lithium company called Liontown Resources after getting a call from Chair Tim Goyder and what a journey this has been. Building a company, securing offtake agreements with Ford, LG and Tesla, construction, challenges of the lithium market, the impact of China: overcapacity, involution, CATL and the recent capital raising including the cornerstone investment of $50m by the National Reconstruction Fund investment.
Tony is passionate and shines through in what really is a fantastic insight with so many takeaways.
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1:17:19
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1:17:19
John Rothwell AO, Founder, former Exec. Chair & Non-Exec. Director of Austal
Our very special guest is John Rothwell AO, the Founder, former Executive Chair and current Independent Non-Executive Director of Australian ship building success story Austal.
John arrived in Australia from the Netherlands around age 10 and didn’t speak English, he left school at age 15 and followed his entrepreneurial spirit that kicked in early.
John worked out early that he loved making things and was good with his hands. He built his first boat at age 13 and wacked a motorcycle engine in it to make it go. Austal was founded in 1988 and the rest is history.
It is now one of Australia’s largest defence exporter and the first ASX listed shipbuilder with a current market cap of more than $2bln and has designed and constructed over 350 vessels for commercial and defence operators in 59 countries worldwide. It has major defence contracts with the US Navy.
John provides a detailed insight into this remarkable story and growing Austal to be the phenomenal company it is today. This story is one that will no doubt be told for many, many years to come.
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1:21:07
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1:21:07
Jake Klein, Executive Chair of Evolution Mining
50th Ep. Gold. China. Leadership. Strategy. Australian Mining’s Challenges. Unfiltered.
Our special guest is one of Australia’s most influential mining leaders, Jake Klein, Executive Chair of Evolution Mining.
In this jam packed Finding the Front 50thepisode Jake provides valuable lessons and observations in gold, China and importantly, the future of Australia's mining sector.
A seriously insightful discussion, Jake opens up on his:
early days in Cape Town and arriving in Australia with $1,000 in his pocket, the major influence of his first job at Macquarie Group,
views on early China and leading the largest foreign gold miner in China Sino Gold to a $2.2B exit,
insights into the founding of Lynas Rare Earths Ltd where he was a long term Non-Exec Director,
his journey over 15 years and the steps to build Evolution into a gold powerhouse - M&A, gold assets (inc. Mt Rawdon, its mine life to now becoming a Pumped Hydro Project for Qld energy), costs, people, gold price and
the challenges facing the future of the Australian mining sector including the major influence of China.
For those who love mining or are involved in the industry, opportunities like this don’t come along often.
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1:28:36
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1:28:36
John Hughes, Founder of John Hughes Group
A Legend Behind the Wheel of Business.
Few names carry weight in the WA Automotive sector like John Hughes. Starting his own business in his early 30s in 1969 and for over 50 years, navigating business cycles, accumulating a stable of new car brands and a huge pre-owned vehicle operation to now having car yards across Perth. John has led from the front the whole way doing what he loves.
This is a timeless episode for all generations and walks of life. From his background and upbringing, to becoming a household name in Perth and beyond, this story is packed with deep insight, energy, and inspiration. The takeaways and life lessons just keep on coming:
Getting a start in the Car industry
Meeting his beautiful wife Margarita
Borrowing the lot to get his first site
The power of loving what you do
What it takes to build and maintain a trusted brand
What it takes to be a best seller - sales and marketing truths from a master
The mindset behind being extraordinary — every single day
Family
This conversation is a rare window into the mind of one of Australia’s most enduring entrepreneurs.
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1:14:25
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1:14:25
Dino Otranto, Chief Executive Officer of Fortescue Metals
New Episode: Finding the Front with Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue Metals (FMG.ASX)
In this rare and candid episode, Dino reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his career—from his early upbringing to leading operations in Mozambique and navigating major challenges in Canada, including a 77-day employee strike and the devastating Brumadinho tailings dam disaster.
Dino opens up about his journey to FMG, his transition into the CEO role, and the values he brings to leadership: transparency, authenticity, and deep respect for the company's legacy. He also acknowledges the powerful influence of Dr Andrew Forrest and the contribution and culture of FMG’s 20,000+ strong team.
This episode goes beyond mining. It explores innovation at the intersection of technology and sustainability, and Fortescue’s vision of producing Green Iron—a bold roadmap that’s redefining the future of iron ore.
A hugely insightful listen with a proud WA leader who is helping lead a global shift.
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Finding the Front is presented to you by Euroz Hartleys, a leading Western Australian financial services business, specialising in the provision of wealth management, stockbroking, corporate finance, institutional sales and targeted research services.
This is a podcast series where we take the time out to get to know the story behind the people who “front” some of Western Australia’s leading companies. We look back at some of the moments in their life and career that shape their journey to being the leader they are today and provide you with some real insights into the way they think and approach things, both in business and in life.
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