Johanna Leggatt

The vein of betrayal

When journalist Kate Legge’s husband of twenty-five years – former Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood – cheated on her with one of her girlfriends, she was discouraged from taking revenge in her most natural of forums: the printed word. Legge, who at the time…

Tales of hustling

Journalist, editor, and publisher, Michael Cannon rose to prominence in print during its golden age of boundless advertising dollars, when those ‘rivers of gold’ paid for high salaries, fully staffed beats, and morning and evening newspaper editions.…

The places Australians should visit, but don't

My name is Johanna, and I have some terrible travel confessions to make. I have never visited Canberra, not even on a school excursion. I’ve never walked around the base of Uluru or explored the Daintree. Western Australia? Never been there either,…

‘Our customers are our shareholders’

Bank Australia CFO Louise O’Brien argues that customer-owned institutions will become the new standard for responsible banking If Bank Australia CFO Louise O’Brien had to nominate one key difference about working at a customer-owned bank, it would be…

Your job doesn’t have to be your passion. Good enough is OK

Many of us try to shoehorn what fulfils us into billable hours. Why can’t we just let work be … work? Of all the unhelpful and saccharine career aphorisms in recent times, surely the most grating is “do what you love, and you will never work a day in…

Good governance is no longer a box-ticking exercise

"Investors are looking for increased transparency and sophisticated risk management post pandemic." – Katelyn Adams CA In brief Katelyn Adams CA advises companies on capital raising, remuneration and employee incentive plans. She says risk management…

5 questions to ask before you change jobs

A change of job can often feel like a momentous decision, and having a sense of doubt is natural. Ask yourself these five questions when mulling over a job change, and make sure you are making the change for the right reasons. By Johanna Leggatt…

Why we should resist the urge to reinvent ourselves after so long in lockdown

At the end of 2020, when Melburnians thought the worst of lockdowns were behind us — LOL! — my partner and I held an end-of-days prepping session with two friends at a taqueria in Brunswick. It started out as a casual summer catch-up, but by the time…

The Art of Delivering Difficult News

Delivering bad news to staff, boards and banks without causing panic or impacting morale is a vital skill set for modern CFOs There is little doubt that it has been a tumultuous year for CFOs, with the pandemic disrupting the balance sheets, plans…

We Need to Change the Image of What a Typical Accountant Looks Like

Wilman-Nyoongar woman Shelley Cable is on an ambitious quest to dramatically boost the low levels of Indigenous people in employment, including in the c-suite CEO of the Minderoo Foundation’s Generation One initiative, Shelley Cable, is often asked…

‘Go Where the Opportunities Take You’

The CFO of global biotech company CSL, Joy Linton, has reached great heights by embracing ambiguity and saying yes to challenges Joy Linton, CFO of CSL Limited, offers refreshingly candid guidance for those aspiring to the c-suite. Among her best…

How to build a high-performance team

Forget KPIs and bonuses. If you want to drive productivity, you need to jettison outdated ideas of what motivates people. In Brief Clear goals and directions can actually allow staff members more freedom and greater work-life balance and flexibility.…

Should the Australian property market be cooled down?

The Australian property market has grown exponentially over the past few decades, defying the global financial crisis (GFC) and now a pandemic. What makes it so resilient, and should steps be taken to cool it down? At a glance At the start of the…

Can we crisis-proof the economy?

Many scientists warn that COVID-19 will not be the last or the worst pandemic of our lifetime. Is there a way to pandemic-proof our economies? Three experts weigh in. Danielle Wood CEO, The Grattan Institute The health of the economy hinges on the…

Can you plan a non-linear career?

Career breaks, redundancies, pandemics and sideways moves - career progression is anything but linear these days. At a glance According to career development professionals, the concept of a linear career path has long been a myth perpetuated by an…

Don’t Expect to Have a Lot of Friends

Sue Tindal has risen through the c-suite ranks through hard graft, a talent for leading, and a commitment to making tough but fair decisions. When banker Sue Tindal returned to New Zealand in 2014, she assumed prospective employers would lap up her…

‘You have a voice, so use it’

CFO trailblazer Sara Watts on the tough reality of NED roles, the challenges facing modern CFOs, and why women often make great leaders When Sara Watts was appointed the group financial controller for IBM Australia and New Zealand, her boss gave her…

How to handle cultural misunderstandings at work

Cultural misunderstandings can limit work productivity, but there are ways for multicultural teams to avoid culture shock. At a glance Even the most forward thinking and diverse organisations can experience culture related…

Why recruiters are looking for transferable skills

As entire industries continue to be hampered by the pandemic - and more highly skilled workers than ever are in urgent need of a new career direction - savvy recruiters are well placed to attract top talent from other sectors. At a glance Job losses…

April 2021, no. 430

Welcome to the April issue! In our cover story, ABR theatre critic Tim Byrne examines the ways in which Australian theatre companies are coping after lockdown and the strategies they are implementing to welcome back audiences. Senior journalist (and…