Ai Group Podcasts

Business is a human-centred endeavour, and the one thing you can guarantee about people is that they change constantly. So one of the challenges for businesspeople is to keep up-to- date with the shifting needs and attitudes of your customers and stakeholders. In this episode, James and Leanne discuss ways to engage the multiple relationships within your supply chain eco-system, how to get the best from the relationships and how to ensure your ideas and goals are understood, accepted and implemented. In an engaging conversation James and Leanne share stories and anecdotes and seek ways to be better at managing ‘our customers’. Leanne says we need to ask ourselves, our customers and our suppliers: “What is it that they need to achieve, to achieve success? And as a business, if we can align our solutions to that, then we're creating products and services that are very sticky and very desired by that audience.” About Leanne Leanne Farnworth, the Founder of LAMP, brings over 25 years of design and busin

In this episode, we hear a story of Australia, of Australian manufacturing, of innovation and change, of resilience and adaptability. And of the ups and downs of family ownership as the business grows, adapts, and changes from generation to generation. It’s not a sexy business or a sexy range of products. But it’s the story of persistence, resilience and change. It’s the story of Everhard Industries, a 98 year-old business in Geebung, Brisbane, Queensland: an Australian family-owned manufacturer of Drainage, Wastewater and Environmental solutions for residential and commercial applications. Everard has been the long-time market leader in laundry units and sinks for the home. Back in 1926, Everhard pioneered the original concrete laundry tub in Queensland – a key part of homes in the suburbs and in the bush. From this humble beginning, the company has built itself into a modern manufacturer and importer of environmentally conscious materials and sustainable manufacturing techniques. Gina Boyce- Rowe is

To coincide with Anzac Day, this episode unpacks the concerning emerging issue for ex-Defence personnel in your business and your supply chain. The Defence Amendment (Safeguarding Australia’s Military Secrets) Bill 2023 came into law in Australia on the 8th April 2024. The act has two arms: the first impacts ex-Defence personnel and ex-Department of Defence staff, the second affects ‘Australian citizens’. Both carry penalties up to 20 years imprisonment. At face value, the need to safeguard Australian military secrets makes total sense- it’s a no-brainer… but as the episode’s guest explains, the Act has raised concerns in the business community. To many, it looks like it achieved ‘The Law of Unexpected Consequences’. And today’s guest is not only perfect for the task at hand, she’s also a fascinating guest in her own right: Rhiannon Willis is an emerging leader in her field, a highly qualified lawyer. She has a history in procurement and business, and she is extremely knowledgeable in the impacts of this n

Generative AI is here and is a major game-changer for business and supply chains. In this episode, A.I. specialist Dave Phung guides us through the confusing and often challenging task of understanding the opportunities and challenges of AI in the workplace, and in implementing it. Dave tells us what AI can do for your business and how to help staff accept it. He also addresses the elephants in the room and clarifies many of the concerns that currently exist with the new technology. A good episode with lots of chunky nuggets of insights and learning. About Dave Phung: • Dave is the Chief Disruptor at GPTStrategic, where he leads the implementation of Generative AI strategies for clients. With a career spanning over two decades, he has a track record of blending human-centered design with disruptive technology to deliver impactful projects for organizations such as GE, Fidelity Investments, Australian Open, Penfolds Wine, US Golf Association, Sony Playstation, and many others. • Connect with Dave on Linked

Ai Group’s head of National Workplace Relations Policy, Brent Ferguson, speaks to Thomas Oriti on ABC NewsRadio, discussing Ai Group’s submission to the Fair Work Commission on the minimum wage.

Sarah returns to provide clarity to the confusing plethora of announcements coming out of government regarding the Defence Industry. With her usual insightful commentary Sarah explains what’s going on, what is means for business and what we should do next to capture the opportunity. In a wide-ranging and engaging conversation, Sarah explains the many recent announcements and what they provide for businesses: • The review of Australian Navy surface fleet review (Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant review ) • The important (to business) ‘The Defence Industry Development Review’ • The plans for building a very large SovereignDefence Ship Building capability • The challenges of creating sovereign supply chains with truly Australian SMEs • The concerns regarding skills shortage in STEM • The steps businesses should take to get ready for the emerging Defence Industry • And much more. This is a fascinating, important, and timely conversation and one not to be missed.

Innovation is a fascinating and often misunderstood concept when it comes to business and business operations, but not for today’s guest, innovation specialist David Martin. Host James Scotland gets into an engaging and enjoyable deep dive with David on what innovation means for business and what businesses need to do to thrive through innovation. The two address the good parts and the challenges of business innovation, and what it means for the future of business. It’s a rare opportunity to go deep into the issue with an excellent communicator and experienced operator in the sector. Among many issues, the two discuss: - What is innovation? - Is R&D the same as innovation? - The exciting options of the semiconductor industry - Is Australia good at innovation? - What does innovation mean for boards of directors, and for managers? - What are the ‘emerging industries’? - How do businesses become innovative? - What is leadership at the speed of leadership? - Innovation in asset management or in soft assets?

Leann Webb is widely regarded the undisputed pioneer of the bid management industry in Australia. With over 20 years in the industry, Lean has a deep expertise in managing bid responses for major and mega project bids, particularly in the construction, infrastructure, transport, and defence sectors. She also helps small-to-medium sized enterprises to successfully respond to bids and tenders. In conversation with host James Scotland Leanne shares the secret to successful bidding and tendering. She also shares the pitfalls and common mistakes. The market is slowing in Australia and most businesses are experiencing softening demand and sales. This is a timely conversation and one not to be missed.

This is the final episode of ‘What on Earth...’ for now. Over the summer break we did a strategic review and we’ve decided to take a break for now- we’ve covered the key issues many times and a short break will give provide an opportunity for the issues to develop before we re-analyse. The good news is the monthly ‘What on Earth….’ will be replaced by a new monthly podcast addressing the broad issues of Industry Development and Industry Policy. Stay tuned. In this last episode, Paul is unavailable so James and Tennant look at the year ahead in the transition to the post carbon Australia. • Tennant gives a detailed review of the UN Climate Conference in Dubai, what he learnt by attending and what it means for Australai. • The two discuss the Federal Government plans for a Climate Related Final Disclosure reporting process. • The proposal for Fuel Efficiency Standard for Australia and National Emission Targets. • And much more. It’s a fascinating episode and well worth the listen. Thank you for your ongo

Brand is business; business is brand’ with David Schloeffel, Chief Enabling Officer, Brandness. In this insightful episode, David talks about using the company brand to build resilience into the business. “Brand is your biggest asset and it’s critical to the success of any business, regardless of size”, he tells host James Scotland. In this fascinating conversation, David reveals: • why a brand is essential to operations and supply lines; • how the expectations and performance level on B2B (business-to-business) companies have changed as a result of our experiences with B2C (business-to-consumer) companies; • why it’s important to ensure brand management is across the whole business and isn’t just a boardroom strategy; • how to carry out a brand analysis that includes customers, suppliers and staff and • how to transform from being product-based to brand-based — and why it’s important.  Find out more about David on LinkedIn.

In this first episode of 2024 James speaks with his colleague at Ai Group, the Director of Research and Economics Dr Jeff Wilson. In a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, James and Jeff talk through the lessons from last year and the current economic trends framing the year ahead. They then discuss the findings of the recently released report ‘Australian Industry Outlook 2024’. This annual report is an analysis and summary of the opinions of what is ahead in 2024 according to 300 business leaders in Australia. The official release of the report says: After three years of pandemic-induced disruptions and volatility, Australian industry enjoyed much more stable conditions in 2023. But as business leaders look out into the new year, they have real worries about uncertainty and stagnation in 2024. This year, more than 300 senior leaders from across Australia responded to our eleventh annual Industry Expectations Survey. The report, due for release on 22 January, is a must-read resource to understand

Louise McGrath has been working in international trade for decades and now represents Ai Group and Australian industry at global industry meetings around the world. In this engaging conversation James and Louise share humorous stories and insights into the keys to effective cross-cultural communication in business, supply chains and international meetings. Louise also share her thoughts on the current state of international trade and what it means for Australian business. Industry topics discussed include: • The current effectiveness of Free Trade Agreement’s • The implications for Australian business with the USA Inflation Reduction Act • Insights into international trade meetings • The future of digital trade documents. The two have a lively discussion on international communication including • The impact of the power differential • The importance of words vs intent in communications • An understanding of socials norms and being positive • And much more. James and Louise are clearly good at communicati

For this last episode of the year James chats with Kerryn Fewster, the CEO of Change 2020 about the year that’s been, the year ahead and the leadership issues of both: the two dissect multiple questions like: What have we learnt? what has changed? What do we need to do to prepare for the year ahead?. They investigate the generational change underway in the workplace, the impact of Work from Home, A.I. and other new ways of collaborating and achieving. And they discuss how to holiday, how to rest, rest, recover and rebu ng episode on Leadership, Rest and Reset. It’s a lovely chat to finish another great year of engaging chats and conversations. ild. It’s a fascinati Spoiler Alert

In this episode- that last of 2023, the three amigos review the big issues of the last month, the upcoming events of note in the transition, and they review the year that was. Lots of things are discussed, including the upcoming Global Climate Change meeting in Dubai, the possibility of a Carbon Border Adjustment Tax for Australia and other countries, and much more. Another fascinating conversation, well worth a listen.

Supply Chain Infrastructure in Australia is a big issue for ‘Supply Circles’ listeners so its good to speak with the renowned Michael Kilgariff on what is happening, and why. Michael is a senior executive in this sector with over two decades of high level experience. He’s been the National Director Energy Infrastructure Policy & Government Affairs for Energy Networks Association, he was the Managing Director of the Australian Logistics Councils for 9 years and he recently finished a successful 5 year stint as the CEO of Roads Australia. So he’s the perfect person to ask about Australian supply chain infrastructure. Host James Scotland and Michael are old friends and both are very experienced. In this episode they have a relaxed yet insightful and entertaining chat about the current state of, and the future of: Australian port operations, airports, highways and roads. The broader picture of supply chain infrastructure. They discuss the implications of the recent High Court decision to strike down the plan

In this episode host James Scotland dives headfirst into the story of what Electric Vehicles will mean for your business. It’s a story of the sustainable supply chains of the future. A story of change, of current confusion, of coming regulations for business. It’s a story of digitalisation, of disruption, and of course, the decarbonisation of your business. Most of all, it’s a way of seeing new ‘smart’ vehicles in a new light. To help me unpack the supply chain story of Electric Vehicles and your business, James is joined by Ross De Rango, the head of energy and infrastructure at the Electric Vehicles council of Australia. Together they unpack the issue from many sides including… • Why Electric Vehicles (EVS)? Are they really better than Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs)? • How do EVs compare to ICEs in terms of overall costs, running and operating costs, value for money, impact on th e environment? • While EVs take the fun out of driving? • What about range anxiety of EVs? It is a real thing’ • Will b

Another busy month in the transition, and there’s a lot to discuss. This month the three amigos consider: - Will the transition deadline result in inflation in decarbonise resources? - The structure of future electricity grids and the role of microgrids in providing electricity. - The High Court’s decision to reject Victoria’s EV tax and what it means for all cars not just EVs. - The new $2billion Hydrogen Headstart program - And so much more…. Another informative and insightful discussion from the team- well worth a listen.

Today’s guest is not a bot… he’s a real person with a lot of knowledge of bots. And Artificial Intelligence. And Automation. And so much more. Matt explains how he discovered AI and went on to make it, and automation, his chosen career path. He says Artificial Intelligence and its huge potential for improved efficiency is his favourite topic and this is evident in this conversation with show host James Scotland. In a wide ranging and fascinating conversation, James and Matt discuss how business managers should approach A.I., automation and much more. • What is A.I. and what is generative Artificial Intelligence? • Why is there an inherent bias in AI and Chat GPT and how do businesses overcome it? • How does AI and Blockchain work together? • How employees and A.I. will work together, to create improved efficiency. • What is the future of work when we factor in generative AI, automation and blockchain? • What business operators should do today to start implementing A.I expertise. • Why A.I. will provide

Host James Scotland ask John Grimes for the keys to creating sustainable businesses in todays economy. John mounts a strong argument for moving your business to electric power via solar and batteries. He explains the numbers and the opportunities for business owners – this is an episode full of exciting insights and business ‘nuggets’ James and John discuss electrification of business, of vehicles and of society, and they have a look at business opportunities in the infrastructure build of the transition. John also explains his view of the new economics of renewables, of power storage and of government support: It adds up to a great opportunity for business improvement. Other issues discussed in this wide ranging discussion include • The electrification of China • Opportunities from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act • What is Smart Energy • Is nuclear an option? • Australia’s unique role and opportunity in renewable energy systems • And much more. Find out more about John and the Smart Energy Council

In this month’s ‘What on Earth...’ James, Tennant and Paul again examine the ‘issues of the day for the last month’ as we in Australia and globally transition to the post-carbon emissions business environment. The podcast asks ‘What on Earth’…. is going at a policy, economy, global and at the enterprise level as we race to Net Zero carbon requirements for our businesses and for the economy. Topics covered this month include: • China’s apparent new and emerging economic growth strategy, and what it might mean for Australia and for the transition, • The need to diversify our economy, especially as we and the world transition away from carbon-based fuel and export products, • Why business is pushing back in the U.K. and elsewhere as politicians get skittish about carbon targets and/or are faced with changes brought about by political concerns and geo-politics (delaying just add cost and politician pain down the line) • What’s happening with Australian energy, petrol and electricity prices and possible cost