

The Business Of
AGSM | UNSW Business School
As the pace of organisational change speeds up, a new generation of leaders is emerging who see the world differently. They are finding ways to grapple with complexity and make an impact in an accelerating world. What can we learn from them? In The Business Of, a podcast from UNSW Business School, a diverse group of business leaders from the corporate, start-up, government, and for-purpose sectors share their lived experiences in building businesses that can ‘do well’ and ‘do good’.
Host Dr Juliet Bourke, a UNSW Professor of Practice in the School of Management and Governance, speaks with leaders from a range of industries unpacking the complexities of business of art, sports, AI, climate change and more.
Wherever business practices are shifting UNSW researchers and academics are there, and in The Business Of you also learn about the global forces, competing interests and new trends influencing everyday decisions.
Professor Barney Tan, the Senior Deputy Dean for Impact and Partnerships at the UNSW Business School, will help you make sense of all the moving parts through the latest research at the world’s top universities. He breaks down how that research equips leaders to make better decisions, build better teams and make a real impact.
If you’re curious about the way business works, The Business Of can introduce you to contemporary industry practices and take you inside the minds of leaders as they figure out what’s next.
Find out more -
https://www.unsw.edu.au/business/our-schools/agsm/about-us/the-business-of-podcast
https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/
Host Dr Juliet Bourke, a UNSW Professor of Practice in the School of Management and Governance, speaks with leaders from a range of industries unpacking the complexities of business of art, sports, AI, climate change and more.
Wherever business practices are shifting UNSW researchers and academics are there, and in The Business Of you also learn about the global forces, competing interests and new trends influencing everyday decisions.
Professor Barney Tan, the Senior Deputy Dean for Impact and Partnerships at the UNSW Business School, will help you make sense of all the moving parts through the latest research at the world’s top universities. He breaks down how that research equips leaders to make better decisions, build better teams and make a real impact.
If you’re curious about the way business works, The Business Of can introduce you to contemporary industry practices and take you inside the minds of leaders as they figure out what’s next.
Find out more -
https://www.unsw.edu.au/business/our-schools/agsm/about-us/the-business-of-podcast
https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 18, 2024 • 24min
Psychosocial safety – Creating a healthy and productive workplace
How productive can you be if your working environment is bad for your mental health? Psychosocial hazards at work are often less visible than physical risks but can have a significant impact on employees' mental health and wellbeing and typically arise from the way work is structured, the organisational culture, and relationships within the workplace How can workplaces be better designed to better care for employee well-being and efficiency? Carlo Caponecchia, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UNSW Science and an expert in psychosocial safety at work, breaks down the key elements every organisation should focus on for a safer, more productive environment. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 4, 2024 • 23min
Crisis response – What to do when your business lands in hot water
Tell the truth and tell it fast, especially when faced with a crisis that has the potential to put people – and an organisation’s reputation – at risk. Most businesses have some sort of crisis management plan to enact when threatened with turmoil, but what happens when the best laid plans fail? Sue Cato, one of Australia’s leading crisis experts, has been at the coal face of many of those incidents, guiding an array of companies through their most vulnerable moments. Sue explains the common mistakes leaders get wrong in a crisis, why your CEO isn’t always the best leader in tough times, and why telling the truth – and telling it early – is always the best move. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 21, 2024 • 24min
Balancing act – How successful leaders blend creativity with commercial realities
Would you describe yourself as a right-brained or left-brained thinker? We’ve been conditioned to believe you’re either one or the other. And while we all know a math genius who couldn’t hold a paintbrush if they tried and some creative geniuses who’d be lost in the simplest of spreadsheets, we can all develop both our creative and logical abilities. And in business, having a balance of both is key to great leadership. Alexandra Smart knew this when she co-founded the fashion label Ginger & Smart. Without innovative designs and forward-thinking product development, the brand might not have stood. And, without the business savvy to actually make money, none of those designs would have graced a catwalk or a shopfront. Alexandra shares how this balance of creative and commercial thinking shaped their business strategy and go-to-market plans, and how in her current role as an executive coach she teaches other leaders to get this crucial balance right. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 7, 2024 • 29min
The Business Of Sports Marketing
In today’s attention economy, it’s all about getting and keeping eyeballs on your product or service. How do you capture attention in an increasingly crowded market? And once you have it, how do you convert a casual fan into a die-hard fan? Darren Werner is the Head of Marketing at Kayo Sports, an Australian streaming service that airs live and on-demand programming. He explains how to capture viewer attention by adapting your product to changing consumer habits and leveraging the media platforms fans already love. He’ll also tell you what he learned about promoting the same product across vastly different markets while working with the NBA. +++ The Business Of is a podcast from the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Supporting audio for this episode was sourced from Fox Sports, 11Alive, Netflix and WWE. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 19, 2024 • 22min
Profit and purpose – Balancing short-term imperatives with long-term sustainability goals
Business is an incredibly powerful force – how do you use it for good? How do you balance ambitious social impact targets with the realities of day-to-day operations? For Adam McCurdie, co-founder of social enterprise ticketing platform Humanitix, creating social impact was the priority from day one. How was he going to change the world? By starting a software company with a difference: one where he and his co-founder have no exit plan, and the profits go to charities around the world. But that’s not the only way to do well and do good. For Tristan Harris, the co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets, social impact evolved from a successful business model. After building a devoted consumer base that wanted more ethically produced products, Tristan realised he could make decisions that were good for the planet – and he could do this much faster than bigger competitors. And for Frances Atkins, the CEO of Givvable, long-term, ‘big picture thinking’ shaped the start up’s purpose. If you want to dive deeper into the business of profit and purpose, listen to previous episodes of The Business Of featuring Adam McCurdie, Tristan Harris and Frances Atkins. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our BusinessThink newsletter and receive business insights and groundbreaking research and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 5, 2024 • 12min
Future skills – The know-how you need for the next era of business
What will you need to know – or know how to do – to succeed in business over the next ten years? A decade ago, the answer would have been to up-skill in tech. According to Lee Hickin, the AI Technology and Policy Lead for Microsoft in Australia, the advances we've seen in the last decade mean that “technology is not this thing that happens as a segment of a business, it’s actually how a business runs today.” And mitigating the risks and impact of climate change is the new frontier. Penny Joseph, the Head of Climate Resilience at electricity distributor Ausgrid, believes more companies will create roles like hers, and explains the unique mix of skills roles like hers require. Behyad Jafari, the CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council, has already seen entire industries updating the priorities of their skills base – he sees a future built on a ‘purple collar workforce,’ and explains what that looks like in the car manufacturing industry. If you want to dive deeper into the skills of the future, listen to previous episodes of The Business Of featuring Lee Hickin, Penny Joseph and Behyad Jafari. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 2024 • 18min
Responsible AI – How your business can steer, not fear, new tech
Artificial intelligence becomes more powerful by the day – which means the dangers that come with it are growing too. If you’re using AI tools in your business, you need to know how to use them safely and responsibly. So where do you start? Dr Catriona Wallace, a world-leading AI expert and Adjunct Professor at AGSM, shares a framework for using AI ethically, and explains why that responsibility falls on the shoulders of leaders and not just tech teams. Stela Solar, Director of the CSIRO’s National Artificial Intelligence Centre, thinks leaders using AI ‘the right way’ are already experiencing a competitive advantage. That includes Dimitry Tran, who owns three healthcare businesses powered by AI. In this episode of The Business Of you’ll learn about how to use AI to get ahead without compromising on safety. If you want to dive deeper into using AI for business, listen to previous episodes of The Business Of featuring Dr Catriona Wallace, Stela Solar and Dimitry Tran. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our BusinessThink newsletter and receive business insights and groundbreaking research and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 10, 2024 • 26min
Back to basics – finance 101 for small to medium enterprises
So, you want to start a business. And no matter how big your ambitions are, chances are you’re going to start small as one of the 99.8% of businesses in Australia that operate as small-to-medium enterprises – or SMEs. Associate Professor Kristle Romero Cortés teaches people how to make confident financial decisions for themselves and their organisations every day at the University of New South Wales School of Banking and Finance. She’s going to help you unpack key concepts as you’re starting with your SME finances. Once you’ve mastered the basics, Interim Dean at the University of New South Wales Business School Professor Frederik Anseel explains how to straddle the line between capable and over-confident in managing the finances of your growing business. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 27, 2024 • 28min
Super power – the Australian superannuation fund making retirement more equitable
Katrina McPhee is in the superannuation industry for the long haul now, but that wasn’t always the case. She’s currently the Chief of Staff at Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, but when she first entered the industry, she wasn’t interested in sticking around in a field not exactly known for its desire to shake things up. But that all changed after a Royal Commission investigated misconduct in the banking, superannuation and finance sectors, and sparked a renewed focus on members and their needs. Kat describes this industry-wide transformation to host Dr Juliet Bourke, and details how Aware Super is combatting the ‘gender retirement gap’ not only for their own members, but also through their advocacy work as one of Australia’s most powerful financial forces. Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School, explains how businesses can harness their moments of reckoning for positive transformation. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 13, 2024 • 27min
Slow success – what this fintech startup can teach you about building trust
Tech start-ups have been the darlings of business media in recent years, and for good reason: new technology is exciting and flashy, and tech entrepreneurs tend to share pithy catchphrases about grinding, hustling, or “moving fast and breaking things.” But what happens when a start-up needs to slow down? In the case of the investment app Pearler, speed was never the ultimate goal. Co-founder Hayden Smith thinks veering away from that traditional startup mentality has been key to building relationships with Pearler customers who now trust the company to manage approximately $1 billion of their money. Hayden explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke how he’s adapted his leadership style to the longer-term finance industry, and how his personal experience has informed the product development at Pearler. Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School, shares a more nuanced way to understand failure when building a new business, and offers some practical strategies for managing – and more importantly, learning from – failure. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.