For Love & Money Carolyn Butler- Madden

Win-win-win…at scale.
That is the message behind Episode 63 of the For Love & Money podcast, featuring Geoff Wilson AO, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Wilson Asset Management and Founder of Future Generation and Caroline Gurney, Chief Executive Officer of Future Generation.
Geoff has over 42 years’ direct experience in investment markets having held a variety of senior investment roles in Australia, the UK and the US. He founded Wilson Asset Management in 1997 and created Australia’s first listed philanthropic wealth creation vehicles, Future Generation Investment Company Limited and Future Generation Global Investment Company Limited
Caroline has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector focused on marketing, corporate affairs and corporate social responsibility. She has held senior roles at UBS and Citibank and has worked in London, across Asia-Pacific and Australia during her career. She is a member of Ascham School Council and the Centennial Park and Moore Park Foundation, an ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), a director of Our Watch, an organisation focused on preventing violence against women and children and set up and was a director of the UBS Australia Foundation. Caroline has also previously served as a director of Future Generation Australia and as a Council Member of Chief Executive Women, and is currently an active member.
The Future Generation companies are Australia’s first listed investment companies to deliver investment and social returns. Shareholders pay zero management performance fees for access to leading pro bono Australian and global fund managers. This allows the Future Generation companies to donate 1% of assets each year to Australian not-for-profits.
Future Generation Australia (ASX: FGX) provides investors with diversified exposure to Australian equities while supporting children and youth at risk. Future Generation Global (ASX: FGG) provides investors with diversified international equities exposure while supporting not-for-profits promoting wellbeing and preventing mental ill-health in young Australians.
Geoff and Caroline share the story of the creation of Future Generation and how the model behind it works, delivering value for all stakeholders. They highlight the eye-watering scale of the impact that this model and organisation has created – $75.8 million donated so far, with a 2030 goal to increase their philanthropy to $130 million
The win-win-win?
❤️ Shareholders win, with exposure to leading fund managers without paying management or performance fees.
❤️ Social impact partners win, with a stream of annual investments.
❤️ Fund managers win, with a unique opportunity to make a positive difference to Australia’s future generations.
 
CONNECT WITH FUTURE GENERATION
Future Generation's Website
Caroline Gurney's LinkedIn
Future Generation Founder and Director, Geoff Wilson AO’s X/Twitter
Future Generation's Linkedin page
 
 

Tim Stubbs, founding Director of WolfPeak, a strategy and environment consultancy, joins us on this episode of "For Love & Money." Tim would much rather be surfing than working, but with bills to pay, he and co-founder Steve Fermio set up WolfPeak to grow a profitable company doing work they believe in. WolfPeak is committed to doing good.


With his training as an environmental engineer and being a people person, Tim naturally focuses on the intersection of environment, engineering, and people, exploring how these elements can come together to improve our world.


The theme of today’s episode is “Starting Point.” Tim challenges the traditional approach of prioritising business and economic growth, which often forces environmental and human considerations to fit around these priorities. Instead, he invites us to consider an alternate perspective: understanding the constraints of human beings and the environment as the natural starting points and then asking how business can fit into that. How would our behaviours and actions change if these were our starting points?


This conversation with Tim was thought-provoking, drawing on his diverse knowledge sources. My hope is that this interview might open new perspectives for you as it did for me.


In our discussion, Tim shares his views on the traditional business approach that prioritises economic growth at the expense of environmental and human needs. He argues for a perspective shift, suggesting we start by understanding the constraints of humans and the environment, and then figure out how business can fit within these limits.


He discusses the valuable lessons from Aboriginal culture, where contribution is valued over material wealth, and highlights how understanding interconnection is crucial for grasping the implications of our actions. Tim shares a personal project idea for his children’s school, illustrating the long history of Aboriginal occupation in Australia compared to European settlement, underscoring the depth of knowledge we could gain from Australia's First Nations people.


Tim talks about the risks of greenwashing and purpose-washing by businesses, advocating for thorough understanding of business impacts to build credibility and foster innovation. We discuss the growth of impact-driven startups as examples of how businesses can drive societal improvement.


Introducing WolfPeak, Tim describes their work with government and corporate clients, and their involvement in Aboriginal projects, such as the Eden Land Council’s Bundian Way walking track. He shares an inspiring story about an ancient hunting ritual involving collaboration with Killer Whales, emphasising the value of cultural learnings.


Throughout the interview, Tim reflects on cultural evolution, drawing insights from his Aboriginal friend Les and David Sloan Wilson’s book "This View of Life." He encourages an open mindset to let opportunities find you, rather than actively seeking your starting point.


Tim concludes by sharing a story about walking through the Argyll Cut with a group of natural resource scientists, highlighting the fascinating history that can be read in the rockface. He hopes listeners take the time to reflect and perhaps adjust their perspective a little.


 


Connect with Tim


Wolf Peak website


Tim Stubbs Linkedin profile
 

Paloma Rose Garcia is the owner of Paloma hair salon in Paddington.
I first heard about Paloma over a year ago, after reading a Guardian article on the workshops that she runs. In collaboration with climate experts, she trains hairdressers on how to have conversations about the facts on climate change, helping clients who want information on what meaningful climate action they can take.
Paloma has become known as Australian hairdressing’s climate influencer, using her voice and connection as a hairdresser; her power, to educate clients for change and supporting other hairdressers with the knowledge to do the same. “A Brush With Climate” is what the program is known as.
I think you’re going to love this episode (apart from the audio quality – I’m so sorry – rookie error I forgot my microphone). But please bear with it because this episode deserves to be heard all the way through.
If you don’t fall in love with Paloma at the end of this interview, I think I might have to check your heart for signs of life. She recognises her power and the power of her business to create important meaningful change. And she uses it, doing it in such a beautiful way.
During our interview Paloma elaborates on how her journey from awareness to action unfolded. She shares how they train hairdressers to find easy ways to introduce climate to the conversation. She identifies with clarity exactly who their target audience is for these conversations and she highlights the impact of this initiative on the business as well as her personal growth.
You'll hear how Paloma transformed her business into a platform for high quality hair makeovers AND heightened environmental consciousness and social change work.
Paloma speaks with strength and pride about the power that hairdressers have and the trust and confidence instilled in them by their clients. She treats that trust with respect, ensuring that the conversations her hairdressers have about climate action are only undertaken with clients who are interested in engaging.  Her passion for social issues beyond climate, bubble up during our conversation. Her orientation for action over talk makes her a natural leader.
Discussing the essence of businesses thriving with heart-driven choices, we discover the magnetic effect of such management on like-minded customers. Our conversation highlights how this approach builds robust patron loyalty and fosters an ever-expanding client base.
Delving deeper, we discuss the role businesses play in customers' lives outside the expected commercial transaction. Brands become an important part of clients' lives by playing a role on social issues that they care about. We also highlight the instrumental role businesses play in community events, promoting healthy discourse and societal changes.
She shares her hottest tip for taking climate action: understanding ethical banking and/or superannuation but being gentle on yourself and doing what you can do at this moment.
Join The Movement
Climate Checklist (Link At Bottom Of Page)
marketforces.org
Connect With Paloma
Paloma Website
On Instagram

Danielle Owen-Whitford founded start up Pioneera in 2018 to improve our mental health by tackling the crippling issue of workplace burnout and improving “positive” productivity. 
Pioneera's purpose is to unleash everyone's potential to be happier, healthier and more productive at work.
In this episode we explore the transformational role of artificial intelligence (AI) in preventing workplace burnout. Danielle narrates her inspiring journey, explaining how her personal experience with burnout led to the creation of Pioneera, a platform using AI to foster positive mental health and safe workplace atmospheres.
Their world-first solution uses artificial intelligence informed by evidence-based psychology, to identify signs of burnout and provide tech-assisted early intervention. Ahead of it’s time, Pioneera's award-winning solution is now the only product in the market that can provide real-time mental health data to meet new safety regulations and ESG reporting requirements and is gaining strong interest across both large and small Australian businesses. Pioneera's app won the social impact category of the 2022 Australian Good design awards and was recognised as a World Changing idea by Fast Company in 2021. 
Productivity in the modern workplace and the delicate balance between efficiency and wellness are explored in-depth in this interview, providing listeners with valuable insights on these critical issues.
Our conversation highlights the disturbing prevalence of 'toxic productivity' and the need for systemic changes in the way productivity is measured. We explore the corrosive effects of a relentless drive for efficiency on both work quality and employee mental health. Danielle provides a fresh perspective on combating workplace stress, focusing on the value of 'positive productivity' -- a productivity paradigm that prioritises mental clarity and wellness over sheer output.
Our discussion further examines the innovative role of Pioneera in promoting systemic change. By using data and AI, Pioneera not only detects signs of burnout but also encourages organisations to change outdated productivity measures and create healthier workplaces. Discover more about Indie, the groundbreaking app designed to provide real-time, data-driven feedback to individuals and teams. Tune into this insightful conversation to understand the necessity of reassessing productivity measures and embrace systemic change for the mental well-being of employees and society as a whole.
The conversation also sheds light on trust-building, risk-management, and fostering productive workplaces through technology. Gain valuable knowledge about organisational dynamics management, especially during challenging times. This episode is a must-listen for employers, leaders, and individuals interested in enhancing workplace safety and productivity. The inspiring journey of Pioneera, from a personal hardship story to a game-changer in workplace environments, leaves listeners with an impactful realisation about the immeasurable potential of AI in transforming workplace cultures.
GET A FREE HEALTH CHECK FOR YOUR ORGANISATION
Danielle is offering a free health check to assess where your organisation is and where you want it to be. To claim your free health check, email Danielle with Free Health Check in the subject line.
Connect with Danielle
On Linkedin
Pioneera website
 
 

Desmond Campbell is a proud Gurindji and Alawa-Ngalakan man from the Northern Territory and is the CEO of Welcome to Country with a background in consulting, social policy and Government services. Desmond joined Welcome to Country to continue to build a platform that is First Nations led and operated, contributing to economic independence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and by sharing the world's oldest continuous living cultures and languages by First Nations people on their terms and cultural integrity. 
Our yarn starts with Desmond sharing his own identity and the proud legacy of his family which flows through his blood. It weaves through to his role at Welcome to Country, why this organisation exists and how it serves its stakeholders. And it ends with a powerful and emotional vision for the future.
For those of us who believe we should be proud and fiercely protective of the oldest living civilisation in the world, through this interview, Desmond opens a door which he invites us to walk through.
Highlights:
Desmond shares his family background including his legacies from both his mother’s and father’s side. He highlights on his father's side his relationship to Vincent Lingiari, his Great Grandfather, who Paul Kelly’s song “From Little Things Big Things Grow”  is about; and his mother's Uncle who was awarded a Member of the British Empire Medal for, amongst other things, diagnosing leprosy in Aboriginal people throughout the Northern Territory
We talk about the importance of identity and Desmond shares his approach to leadership and his mission to carry forward his cultural legacy through his role at Welcome to Country
He shares his view on leading with emotion despite being told that it might not be appropriate and we discuss the human value of emotion in leadership
Desmond takes us through some of his childhood experiences which made him feel like a second class citizen, but contrasts this with his deepening curiosity and pride as he started learning about the history and legacy of his mob
He talks about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have always led events to connect language and culture and connect to our past so we can move forward together. By acknowledging our traumatic past and walking forward together
Desmond describes himself as a “walking billboard”, sharing a couple of stories about being approached at the pub by two different non-Indigenous people separately to talk about things related to his Aboriginal identity. He explains that while he doesn't mind it, there is an emotional cost to him of engaging, which is why he offers some advice to non-indigenous people who might want to ask questions of or discuss relevant issues with an Aboriginal person 
Desmond introduces what Welcome to Country is all about and its purpose – to support greater economic independence for First Nations entrepreneurs, sharing the language and culture with the world on their terms
He shares what Welcome to Country has achieved so far since launching in 2019 during the bushfires and leading into the pandemic
He tells us about Welcome to Country’s new location in Glebe and his vision for what the space will enable as a vibrant cultural hub, including a shop. He highlights the Open Day that is planned (dates tbc will be shared)
Desmond explains the challenge of balancing cultural integrity with the need to educate those organisations that want to be connected with Welcome to Country and more widely with Aboriginal culture
Desmond’s dream: he shares his vision of what he’d love Welcome to Country to look like in 5 years time, but he also shares what he’d love our world to look like in that time. 
Desmond closes the episode by sharing what Australians who voted YES in the referendum on the Voice can do to continue to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Connect with Desmond and Welcome To Country
Desmond on Linkedin
Welcome To Country on Link

My guest is a woman after my own heart. Aga Bajer is obsessed with the opportunity to create thriving cultures by understanding what it is that people need to do their best work. 
Aga wears many hats as the driving force behind CultureBrained®, where she steers the ship as both founder and CEO. Beyond leading her company, Aga is an author and a captivating keynote speaker, known for sharing insights that resonate deeply with her audience. She's the voice and brain behind the CultureLab podcast, where she dives into the intricacies of organisational culture, and has built a vibrant community for culture leaders around these conversations. Her impactful contributions, books and thought leadership in her field have earned her a spot as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices of 2024, marking her as a must-follow for those interested in the world of company culture and leadership.
I absolutely loved our conversation. Aga challenges some of the ‘truths’ that we as a society seem to have accepted with very little rigour. She shares the insights she has uncovered through her research as well as her own experience. For Aga, her work is personal and this shines through our interview. The need for people to feel a sense of belonging is the central theme of this episode and Aga also shares with us what it takes to help foster a sense of belonging in organisations.
Interview highlights:
Aga shares and expands on her insights on the 3 things people need to do their best work – fun, meaning and belonging
She shares her fascinating career journey from starting an ice cream factory aged 22 to later joining large consulting businesses, in a quest to understanding how to build an environment where people can thrive.
Her fascination and obsession with understanding the impact of environment on people and their ability to do great work and to thrive.
She introduces her consultancy CultureBrained® and it’s “crazy dream”, a mission to make work synonymous with fun, meaning and belonging.
Aga explains CultureBrained’s approach:
Codify culture
Embed and activate it
Evolve culture

She shares that a big part of this is focused on creating a community of practitioners, a creative space for heads of people and culture, CEOs, CMOs, all finding new better ways of cultivating healthy cultures
We talk about the Fireside Chats that Aga hosts for her members – a small, deep, intimate format. She confesses that, as a business owner, this can be quite terrifying to run this kind of format, when the rest of the world seems to be pulling in the other direction of big, mass, scaled.
Our discussion moves to Dunbar’s number – Robin Dunbar’s theory that the maximum number of people we can manage to be ‘friends with’ is 150 people – and how this inspired Aga in how she manages her CultureBrained community
Aga shares the story of how she came to be writing her book, which originally started as an exploration of the concepts of fun, meaning and belonging, but eventually moved to single-mindedly explore the topic of belonging 
She shares a fascinating insight into scientific research which reveals that belonging is actually the Number 1 human need (in conflict with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)
Aga takes us on a deeper dive into the topic of belonging and why she is so personally invested in exploring and understanding it. She talks about her personal experiences as well as what she has observed in organisations and teams
She explains the three things we need to generate Belonging, providing deep insight on what it takes, including being valued as well as creating value
The strong link between belonging and organisational performance, which is backed up by scientific research
The cost of “Unbelonging” and the benefits of Belonging
Aga’s ambition for the next five years towards a more regenerative society and what that could look like for business
 
Connect with Aga and CultureBrained
The Culture Lab Insider Newsletter
Aga on Linkedin 
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