Ep 23: Giam Swiegers - Leadership

On this weeks show I am joined by Giam Swiegers. Giam was recently
the Global CEO of Aurecon - a global engineering company, with over
7,500 people and a net revenue of over AUD$1B. Prior to joining
Aurecon, Giam was CEO of Deloitte Australia for 12 years, retiring
in 2015. During this period the Australian firm grew to a practice
of over 650 partners and 6,000 people with a net revenue of over
AUD1.0 billion. Giam is passionate about equality in all forms, and
in 2005 he was awarded 'Best CEO for the advancement of women in
business' by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace
Agency. Giam's stewardship of Deloitte Australia led the firm to
achieve several industry recognised awards, and in 2013 the AFR
named it the accounting firm of the year. In this interview we
discuss Giam's path to leadership from his early days in South
Africa, how he navigated the challenges of leading a partnership,
and his views on boards and board diversity. We also discuss how he
hires leaders - value potential more than experience - and how he
brings data and insights into the recruitment process. Lastly we
discuss his practical approach to setting vision and how he got
through the dark times of leadership. I have had the privilege of
working under Giam's leadership, and consider him the greatest
leaders I have ever worked for. I am certain any aspiring leader
will take something away from his interview.