Success and More Interesting Stuff

• Dr Philip Lowe: Interest rates alone can’t conquer Australia’s cost of living crisis

  Australia is obsessed with interest rates like no other country, and it is distracting us from tackling more pressing challenges, like productivity, that would have a greater impact on the cost of living crisis facing many Australians. That's the view of former Reserve Bank Governor Dr. Philip Lowe, who spent 43 years working at the RBA, including 7 years in the top job from 2016 to 2023. Dr Lowe believes the current policy settings from the RBA are suitably restrictive with risks remaining and the battle to tame inflation hasn't been won. Lowering interest rates may ease some of the pain households are feeling, but it isn't the silver bullet many perceive it to be. In this episode of Success and More Interesting Stuff, Dr Lowe discusses the lessons through his RBA journey and shares his thoughts on some of the pressing economic issues of 2025. 

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• Inside Chris Corrigan's fierce battle to reform the Australian waterfront

  Chris Corrigan has had his fingerprints all over corporate Australia for more than 50 years now. The boy from Bowral joined stockbroking firm Ord Minnett in the late 1960s to get the ball rolling. When Ords formed a joint venture with US fund manager Bankers Trust in the early '70s, Corrigan jumped in boots and all. He saw an opportunity to derail the establishment life insurance companies that dominated the Australian landscape. A disruptive force, Corrigan steered BT Australia to the top of the mountain before he started to get restless for his next adventure. Leaving BT in the late '80s, he formed his own investment vehicle, Jamison Equity, picking off opportunities as they arose. During the 1990s, a chance to buy into port operator Patrick Stevedores arose. Stevedoring had been a tough business in Australia, hamstrung by militant unions. Corrigan thought he would give it a go, and before long it was his sole focus. The election of the Howard government in 1996 was the green light he needed to challenge the Maritime Union of Australia front on. He restructured the business and went about removing union workers. A decision by the High Court forced the MUA to the trade table, and a significant agreement was struck that improved Australia's container movements forever. The battle was on the front page every day, and Corrigan took a major personal hit, but eventually got his way. In this episode of Success and More Interesting Stuff, Corrigan shares the story behind the growth of an Australian investment powerhouse and his fierce battle to reform the Australian waterfront.

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• Success and More Interesting Stuff is back in 2025

  Success and More Interesting Stuff is back in 2025 with new episodes being released on the first Tuesday of each month. We're excited for the year ahead and would love for you to subscribe to the podcast.

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• How Joe Aston went from the back page to bestseller

  Welcome to the final episode of Success and More Interesting Stuff for 2024. In this episode, we’re closing out the year with a guest who knows how to deliver a knockout punch. Joe Aston spent 12 years as co-writer of the AFR’s Rear Window column, transforming it from a finance industry gossip page into a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred must-read. With a sharp wit and a fearless approach, Aston took on everyone from prime ministers and billionaires to untouchable institutions. In October 2023, Aston signed off from Rear Window with a bang, exposing Qantas and its CEO Alan Joyce for their conduct during the COVID pandemic. But Aston didn’t stop there. Instead of taking a break, he penned the bestseller The Chairman’s Lounge, a deep dive into how Qantas fell from national sweetheart to corporate villain.   Before journalism, Aston cut his teeth in politics, working with Joe Hockey and Liberal Party icon Bruce Baird. He also spent time inside the walls of Qantas, gaining firsthand insights that would shape his future career. It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss as we wrap up an incredible year. I hope you enjoy this podcast and I look forward to bringing you more episodes of Success and More Interesting Stuff in 2025.

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• Inside Barry Irvin's fight for Bega and his life

  Bega Cheese turned 125 this year. It started as the Bega Co-operative Creamery Company in 1999, and for over a century, things were pretty quiet. That all changed in 2000 when a young dairy farmer, Barry Irvin, took the reins as chairman. From then on, it’s been a whirlwind of growth and transformation. In 2011, Irvin took Bega to the Australian stock market, and under his leadership, the company made several key acquisitions. Today, Bega isn’t just a dairy business. It’s a major player in Australian food, owning brands like Vegemite, Peanut Butter, Dare Milk, and Yo Plait. Now, Bega has a market cap of around $1.6 billion. But Barry Irvin’s story is about more than business success. He’s faced significant personal challenges too. His son, Matthew, was born with profound autism. Irvin became a key figure in Giant Steps, a nonprofit supporting children with autism. In 2019, Irvin faced his own health battle, being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Despite a tough fight, he beat the disease and returned to lead Bega once again. In this episode of the Success and More Interesting Stuff podcast, I chat with Barry Irvin about his journey, both personal and professional. It’s a story of resilience, leadership, and the determination to succeed.

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