The High Flyers Podcast with Vidit Agarwal

Episode #226 of The High Flyers Podcast features Bharat Sundaresan, award-winning cricket commentator, writer and storyteller. Based in Adelaide, he’s covered cricket worldwide for over 18 years and is a regular media voice on shows from ABC Breakfast to The Project. Known for his flamboyant style, Bharat was profiled on ABC’s Australian Story in 2025 and is now also pursuing his lifelong passion for pro wrestling in the ring.In this conversation, Bharat reflects on his unconventional childhood in Mumbai, surviving two drug overdoses and finding his way into journalism after dreams of cricket and heavy metal. He shares a decade with the Indian Express covering Indian cricket, how he honed his craft by listening deeply and building trust, and the gamble of moving to Australia with his wife Isha to start afresh.Our host, Vidit Agarwal and Bharat explore his transition into global cricket commentary, his philosophy on authenticity and belonging, the realities of racism and identity for the Indian diaspora, and the joy he finds in music, flamboyant self-expression and even stepping into the pro-wrestling ring.________This is the third episode in a special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, highlighting the deepening ties between Australia and India across technology, business, media, culture and sport. With nearly one million people of Indian heritage now calling Australia home—the country’s fastest-growing large diaspora—this series brings to light the untold stories of change makers shaping the future of both nations________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more. ________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Telstra, Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus, Tennis Australia etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com________

Episode #225 of The High Flyers Podcast features Andrew Penn, Recent CEO of Telstra (2015–2022) and Group CEO of AXA Asia Pacific. Today, he chairs Visit Victoria, sits on the Coles board, and advises Government on cybersecurity and national security.In this conversation, Andy reflects on dropping out of high school and working two jobs before studying nights and weekends to complete his MBA, moving to Australia with AXA and learning empathy through global cultures, leading Telstra’s $30B transformation and 5G rollout, and building calm leadership under public scrutiny while balancing family life. He shares crucible moments, lessons from Kafka, his rituals for performance reviews and carrying bad news, and life today with art, painting, Spanish lessons and a home in Mexico.+++To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more. ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Telstra, Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus, Tennis Australia etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Episode #224 features Chris Wirasinha, co-founder of Linkby — the Performance PR platform used by 3,800+ brands and 600 publishers, backed by US$15m in funding and growing 100% YoY across the US & UK. Previously, Chris co-founded Pedestrian Group at 21, scaling it to 100 staff, a ~$100m valuation and an exit to Channel Nine.+++To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now” → Find out more about the Law Firm Allens and how they can help your company today at www.allens.com.auIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more. ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Episode #223 features Lisa Sthalekar — 4x World Cup Winner and Inductee into both the ICC and Australian Cricket Halls of Fame, recognised as one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s cricket (the first woman to have scored over 1000 runs and taken 100 wickets). +++This episode is part of a special series in partnership with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations. These episodes highlight the growing ties between Australia and India across tech, business, media, culture, and sport. With around one million people of Indian heritage now in Australia—the fastest growing large diaspora—this series shares the untold stories of change makers shaping both nations’ futures.+++To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more. ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Tim Thomas is the recent CEO of the Centre for Australia-India Relations, the federal body set up by the Australian Government to deepen ties between the two nations across business, technology, education, sport, and culture. With a career spanning senior roles at AXA, Prudential, and KPMG, and lived experience building businesses across India, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, he brings a unique cross-sector and cross-cultural global perspective. +++ To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today! Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.  ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Kelly Vohs is the CEO of SafetyCulture, a globally renowned tech company headquartered in Australia. Valued at approximately $2.5 billion, its platform serves 85,000+ organisations across 180+ countries, including major global brands like Toyota, GE, Coles, Qantas, Schneider Electric, Marriott, John Deere, Sodexo, National Health Service (UK), British Airways, and Transport for London. SafetyCulture empowers frontline teams to raise standards, streamline operations, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement.+++ To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today! Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.  ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Trent Cotchin is Richmond’s three-time premiership captain, 2012 Brownlow Medallist and one of the AFL’s most respected leaders. Across 16 years and 306 games, Trent led the Tigers from decades of struggle into a golden era, lifting the premiership cup in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He shares lessons on resilience, leadership, and balancing elite sport with family—insights he now brings as an author, mentor and commentator. +++ To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today! Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.  ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Episode #219 features Sanjeev Gandhi, Managing Director and CEO of Orica — a Melbourne-headquartered global leader in mining and infrastructure solutions. Sanjeev spent 26 years with BASF, where he held senior positions including Head of Asia Pacific and member of the Global Board of Directors, becoming the first Indian to serve in these roles. He also contributes his expertise through advisory and leadership positions, including as Chair of the Centre for Australia–India Relations (CAIR) CEO Network.+++This episode is part of a special series in partnership with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations. These episodes highlight the growing ties between Australia and India across tech, business, media, culture, and sport. With around one million people of Indian heritage now in Australia—the fastest growing large diaspora—this series shares the untold stories of change makers shaping both nations’ futures.+++To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more. ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Pip & Amy are the co-founders of Springboards -- an AI platform built for agencies, by agency veterans.They are also Husband and wife, ex-agency misfits and self described - accidental founders. From media roles in Sydney to creative gigs in San Francisco, with stints at Twitter, Shopify, and deep dives into Web3. When COVID hit, redundancy and a newborn sent them packing for Noosa, QLD. There, they taught themselves to code and teamed up with co-founder Kieran Browne to build Springboards—an AI tool that helps agencies move faster without losing the craft. Today, it powers some of the world’s top creative teams and recently raised $5M from Blackbird Ventures.+++ To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today! Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.  ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

Elena Verna, a growth advisor to tech startups and current head of growth at Lovable, shares her incredible journey from Russia to America. She discusses her surprising transition from aspiring dance instructor to tech leader, overcoming language barriers thanks to cartoons. Elena highlights her experience at SurveyMonkey and emphasizes the importance of adaptability in career growth. She also dives into Lovable's AI integration strategies, balancing structured goals with employee empowerment to drive innovation and efficiency.