What I learned in business (that didn't kill me!)

Retail is changing faster than ever. But are today's retailers really growing—or have they simply been riding a wave of inflation?

James H Stewart sits down with Paul Martin, Global Retail Growth Leader and Partner at AlixPartners, one of the world's leading advisory firms specialising in retail transformation, performance improvement and turnaround.

Having advised many of the world's largest retailers, consumer brands, boards and private equity firms across Europe, North America and Asia, Paul offers a unique global perspective on the forces reshaping the retail and consumer landscape.

Together, Ja...

Geoff Wilson AO is one of Australia's most outspoken advocates for retail shareholders.

As the founder and Chairman of Wilson Asset Management, Geoff has spent almost five decades navigating financial markets, building one of Australia's leading investment firms and becoming a powerful voice on corporate governance, shareholder activism and public policy.

James H Stewart sits down with Geoff to discuss his journey from research analyst to managing billions of dollars on behalf of more than 130,000 investors. He shares the lessons learned through multiple market cycles and discusses the defining issues that have shaped...

LMND may be the hottest female fashion brand in Australia right now.

James H Stewart sits down with Ana Escobar, founder of Australian fashion label LMND, to explore an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey spanning two continents, some of Australia's best-known retail brands, and the challenges of building a self funded premium fashion business.

Born in Australia before moving to Colombia as a young child, Ana shares her remarkable story of growing up in Medellin, during one of Colombia's most turbulent periods before returning to Australia to pursue a career in fashion.

...

The Alexander Group is New Zealand's leading specialist dangerous goods logostics business.

James H Stewart sits down with Hayley Alexander, CEO of this 55-year-old family logistics business, to discuss the business remarkable journey and her personal evolution from a career in public service to CEO.

Hayley’s path to leadership was far from conventional.

Before joining the family business, she spent 10 years as a social worker in New Zealand and the UK, working in areas including domestic violence and child protection. She later joined Alexander Group in 2002 and has now le...

What can a funeral business teach us about leadership, trust, innovation and family business governance?

Quite a lot, it turns out.

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn't Kill Me), I sit down with James MacLeod OAM, Managing Director of Tobin Brothers Funerals, one of Australia's largest and most respected family-owned businesses.

James's journey is remarkable. Starting as a coffin trimmer as a young boy, he worked his way through virtually every role in the organisation before becoming the first non-family Managing Director in the company's...

Born and raised on a dairy farm near Shepparton and the first person in her extended family to attend university, Wendy built a remarkable 32-year career with Accenture that took her from regional Victoria to leadership roles across Asia, New York and the global technology consulting sector.

Following her executive career, Wendy became one of Australia's most respected Non-Executive Directors, serving on the boards of organisations including Coles, Commonwealth Bank, Blackmores, Altium, Melbourne Business School and most recently PwC Australia. She also has a long association with Fitted For Work, the NFP supporting women in the...

If we are the "lucky country", why does life feel hard for so many of us?

Saul Eslake is one of Australia's most respected independent economists and his conversation with James H Stewart cuts through the political noise and examines the true state of Australia's finances.

Drawing on decades of experience advising governments, financial institutions and businesses, Saul provides a candid assessment of Australia's economic performance over the past quarter century and discusses the major challenges that will shape the nation's future.

Together they explore:

• How Australia's economy co...

Online success is more than just a great platform, service or product.

Brand development, storytelling and communication sit front and centre of why customers will engage with you. This means understanding the power of language.

In this episode I sit down with Bernadette Schwerdt — entrepreneur, best selling author, founder of the Australian School of Copywriting, and host of the podcast So You Want to Be a Copywriter.

Bernadette has spent decades helping businesses and individuals communicate in a way that drives real commercial outcomes. But in today’s environment — shaped by art...

Coopers Brewery is one of Australia's oldest family businesses and most famous brewers.

In this episode James H Stewart sits down with Andrew Cooper, Executive Director of Coopers Brewery.

Founded in Adelaide in 1862, Coopers Brewery has survived wars, recessions, industry disruption, changing consumer preferences, and even a hostile takeover attempt.

But this conversation is about far more than beer.

Andrew shares his journey from investment banking and global consumer brands into the family business, why Coopers requires family members to earn their stripes outside the company before...

What happens when business and government policy intersect? What happens when the institutions that underpin our democracy, economy and social cohesion come under pressure? What happens to leaders when moral clarity is lost?

James Stewart sits down with Jennifer Westacott AC — one of the most influential leaders in Australian public and business life.

From growing up in public housing, in a home marked by hardship, violence and instability… to becoming one of the most powerful voices in Australian business, government and the education sector, Jennifer’s story is one of resilience, courage and an unw...

Have you ever wanted to be part of a Social Enterprise? What about building a business that does good for the community - at scale?

Kim McDonnell — founder of Thankful, Thankful4Farmers, and Saveful, and winner of the 2025 Women in Digital Champion of Change Award, has done just that (and more)!

Kim shares her remarkable journey from growing up in the remote mining town of Mount Isa, in outback QLD to building and selling a successful digital marketing agency, before making the bold decision to walk away from corporate success, sell literally everything sh...

How a Holocaust survival story shaped a family legacy and inspired a serial retail investor to keep striving for success.

In this deeply personal discussion, James H Stewart sits down with retailer, investor, former lawyer and long-time friend, Tom Krulis for a conversation that goes far beyond business.

Tom opens up about his family’s extraordinary journey, including the posthumous publication of his father Steven’s book, The Boy with the Suitcase, the enduring legacy of growing up as the son of a Holocaust survivor, and how those experiences shaped his values, leadership styl...

The Banking Royal Commission was the reset needed for the Australian banking industry and demanded by the community.

Sally Bruce's first hand experience at Macquarie Bank, National Australia Bank, AMP bank, gave her a unique insight into some of Australia's largest financial institutions, the important role than they play in the community and what can go wrong when the institution gets in its own way.

From rural Queensland, Sally is a straight shooter who calls it as she sees it and gives a unique insight into some of the more turbulent times in...

A former F18 fighter pilot, a former leader of the Australian aerobatic flying team the Roulettes, a Senior Advisor to the Australian Defence industry and someone who literally jumps off tall building (or cliffs) in a single bound.

That's what you get when you chat with Peter Robinson.

In this high-impact episode, James Stewart sits down with Peter Robinson, CEO of NWE Strategic to discuss the current and future state of Australia's Defence capability.

Peter is a former leader of KPMG's Defence practice and has operated at the sharp end...

Harvey Weinstein and Brittany Higgins have one thing in common. They were at the heart of a movement to reform workplace safety and workplace culture and right at the centre of that process, was Kate Jenkins AO, one of Australia’s most prominent voices on workplace safety, sexual discrimination and culture.

Kate is the former Sex Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission and has led some of the most significant reviews and inquiries in Australia, including the landmark Respect@Work report into workplace sexual harassment, the independent review into culture inside Federal Parliament, and ma...

The Australian residential housing market is unaffordable for many. It is being impacted by a perfect storm of a supply demand imbalance, rising construction costs, a fuel crisis, and a planning system which many argue needs wholesale reform.

To hear more, I sit down with Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne — one of Australia’s oldest and most enduring family businesses to get his perspective on Australia's housing crisis and what it takes to build a sustainable, intergenerational family business.

Founded in 1883 and now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Raine & Horn...

Geopolitics now sits at the centre of business decision-making.

My guest is Dr Merriden Varrall, one of Australia’s leading geopolitical analysts and China specialists, and the founder and CEO of Vantage Geopol.

Merriden brings a rare combination of academic depth, policy experience, and commercial advisory insight. She has spent nearly a decade living and working in China, held senior roles with the United Nations Development Programme in Beijing, led the East Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, and now advises boards and executives on how global political shifts impact strategy, risk, and lo...

What happens when one of the UK’s largest companies collapses—and takes trust in the entire UK audit profession with it?

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Raddan, CEO of Interpath Advisory and former KPMG UK Senior Partner and Board member, to unpack the fallout from the Carillion collapse and how it fundamentally reshaped the UK turnaround and restructuring profession.

Carillion employed more than 40,000 people and delivered critical public infrastructure across the UK. But in 2018, it collapsed under the weight of debt, aggressive accounting, and failing contracts—triggering parliamentary inquiries, regula...

What is customer loyalty — really?

Is it points? Discounts? Retention metrics? Or is it something deeper?

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!), I sit down with Adam Posner, founder of The Point of Loyalty, host of the What’s the Point of Loyalty? podcast, and author of For Love or Money™ — one of Australia’s longest-running loyalty research studies, spanning nearly two decades and 18 editions.

But before Adam became a loyalty strategist, his life gave him a very different education. Growing up in Johannesb...

Everyone talks about sustainable retail products and saving the planet, but who really cares? Retailers? Customers? Government?

The global retail sourcing & supply chain is invisible to most consumers, yet it is one of the most complex, highly integrated and culturally nuanced business ecosystems in the world.

James H Stewart sits down with Anne-Laure Descours, one of the world’s most senior and respected leaders in global sourcing and sustainable manufacturing in the footwear and apparel industry.

Anne-Laure spent more than three decades in the engine room of global retail — living and...

Ian Robson is one of the most experienced and battle-tested sports administrators in Australia.

At just 32 years old, with no prior CEO experience, Ian was appointed Chief Executive of the New Zealand Warriors, building the club ahead of its entry into top-tier rugby league.

From there, his career spans:

MasterChef finalist, television host and food entrepreneur Simon Toohey, is this week's guest.

Many Australians know Simon from MasterChef Australia (Season 11 and “Back to Win”) or from his SBS series Freshly Picked. But behind the television profile is a far more layered story — one that spans cocktail bars in London, a Masters in Gastronomy in Edinburgh, plant-forward food innovation, pop-up smokehouses, consulting internationally, and now launching the fast-growing Geelong City Market, attracting thousands of visitors every Saturday.

We discuss:

The collapse of Rothwells Bank in late 1988 signalled the beginning of the end for WA inc.

In this episode, James H Stewart sits down with Andrew J Love, one of Australia’s most experienced former restructuring advisers and non-executive directors, for a deep dive on the collapse of Rothwells Bank and the beginning of the end for WA Inc in the late 1980's.

Andrew spent nearly three decades as a senior partner at Ferrier Hodgson, and at just 34 years old, found himself advising the Western Australian Premier, Peter Dowding during one of the mo...

Christo Van Egmond — Inside the Business of Live Music

ACDC is one of the worlds biggest rock bands.

So what does it really take to bring the world’s biggest artists to Australia?

In this episode James Stewart goes inside the live-entertainment industry with Christo Van Egmond, Managing Director of TEG Van Egmond, one of Australia’s most influential concert promoters.

Christo quite literally grew up in the music business — selling merchandise for the Moscow Circus at eight years old, spending time around global artists such as Dire Str...

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!), James Stewart explores one of the most important and misunderstood challenges facing leaders, employers, marketers and boards today: how to understand and engage the next generations of consumers and workers—Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

James is joined by Anastasia Pelot, founder of House of Context and a youth-culture strategist who helps organisations decode how young people think, behave, buy and communicate. Raised across Kenya, Greece, Germany, Syria and Lebanon before moving to the United States at 15, Anastasia brings a rare global and cult...

Big 4 accounting firms are never far from the spotlight.

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!), James Stewart sits down with Andrew Yates, CEO of KPMG Australia, to explore what it really takes to lead one of the country’s largest and most scrutinised professional-services firms.

Andrew oversees more than 10,000 people including c.800 partners across Australia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and manages some of the most complex audit, assurance and advisory relationships in the country, including Westpac, ANZ, Macquarie Bank, Qantas, IAG, Sydney Airport, Perpetual and the...

The Parramatta Eels are of Australia's Iconic sporting clubs.

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!), James H Stewart sits down with Jim Sarantinos, CEO of the Parramatta Eels, one of the most passionately supported and closely scrutinised rugby league clubs in Australian sport.

Before taking the reins at the Eels, Jim spent two decades at Ferrier Hodgson, helping navigate some of Australia’s most complex restructures — including Rick Damelian Group, Dick Smith Electronics, Topshop Australia, and Steinhoff Australia during its global financial challenges.

But perhap...

From surviving a devastating car accident in Ukraine to becoming one of Australia’s most influential thinkers in customer loyalty and digital strategy — this is the extraordinary journey of Anna Samkova.

Born outside Kiev and raised in Odessa during the final years of the Soviet era, Anna grew up behind the Iron Curtain. At 20, she survived a serious accident that required multiple surgeries and left doctors unsure whether she would ever have children. Three years later, she migrated to Australia, unable to speak English and holding a degree that wasn’t recognised — only to find herself unexpectedly pregnant...

From escaping civil war in Sri Lanka at just six years old, to building one of the most successful automation start-ups in Australia and New Zealand, Nishan Wijemanne has lived a business journey defined by resilience, reinvention and relentless curiosity.

In this episode, we trace Nishan’s extraordinary path — from his early years in Christchurch, to his foundational training at Dematic, one of the world’s largest logistics automation companies, and then to founding Cohesio Group. Cohesio quickly became a market leader, securing major clients such as The Reject Shop, Kmart and Wesfarmers’ Officeworks, and forging a groundbr...

Bruce Carter AO is one of Australia’s most respected commercial advisors and arguably South Australia’s “Mr Fix-It”. Over more than three decades, Bruce has become the person governments, boards and business leaders call when the stakes are high and commercial pragmatism is in demand.

Bruce built his career in corporate restructuring and insolvency as a young partner at EY before founding Ferrier Hodgson’s Adelaide office. From there he became pivotal in some of South Australia’s biggest corporate challenges — Harris Scarfe’s collapse, the Elders refinancing, and government advisory roles on the Port Pirie smelter, Whyalla...

When Iain Nairn walks into a room, he brings over 40 years of global retail experience — and a lifetime of lessons in leadership, resilience, and reinvention.

From his early days with Laura Ashley in the UK to record-breaking years at Country Road Group, a short but powerful stint at David Jones, and a complete digital reinvention of Hudson’s Bay in Canada, Iain has led through every challenge retail can throw at you — turnarounds, acquisitions, cultural clashes, and even a global pandemic.

But its not all beer and skittles. In this conversation, we unpack:

From a kitchen table in Brisbane to a global online fashion movement — this is the story of Black Milk Clothing.

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!), host James H. Stewart sits down with Jackie Kruger, CEO of Black Milk Clothing, the cult Australian label known for its bold designs, product range diversity, and fiercely loyal community of Sharkies.

Jackie shares how she stepped into the CEO role following the tragic passing of founder James “jL” Lillis, and what it takes to balance creativity, commercial discipline, and community trust in...

John King's global experience in retail and wholesale brands is unique. He led three major retailers—Matalan, House of Fraser, and Myer—through wildly different market cycles, against major headwinds and each with their own unique set of challenges. After an early career with Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer in the UK, he spent 13 years in the wholesale sector, witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in NYC, guided House of Fraser through the GFC and then Myer through Covid.

If you are a retail nut, this episode is a not to be missed conversation where Jame...

The Jim Thompson story is a spy mystery that leads to the launch of the Thai Silk industry

In this episode, James H. Stewart sits down with Frank Cancelloni, Group CEO of Jim Thompson — Thailand’s most iconic names in silk design, craftsmanship, and culture.

Frank shares his journey from leading global retail giants in Asia like Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein to reimagining Jim Thompson for a new era. Under his leadership, the brand has evolved far beyond silk — opening the spectacular Heritage Quarter in Bangkok, expanding into fashion, homeware, and hospit...

Private-equity veteran Patrick Elliott (Founding Partner, Next Capital; ex-Macquarie PE; former Chair of JB Hi-Fi) joins James H Stewart to unpack career pivots, equity investing and what they teach us about risk, governance, and value creation.

Patrick traces his path from restructuring at Ferrier Hodgson to Private equity investing at Macquarie, then the leap to found Next Capital. We dig into the JB Hi-Fi MBI-to-IPO journey, the lessons from the collapse of Topshop Australia and how to approach turnarounds when the exit options are limited.

Whether you’re a founder, operator, or investor, yo...

Di Gillett is a former fashion-design student, turned retailer, turned headhunter, turned podcaster — whose life and career are a study in resilience and reinvention.

Di began her career in fashion and retail with Myer and Country Road, before spending more than 30 years in executive search, working with industry icon Andrew Banks at Talent 2 and later founding her own firm, Agora Partners. Today, she hosts the acclaimed Power of Women Podcast, and with almost 100 episodes, is approaching the top 1% of podcasters globally.

In a deeply honest conversation, Di shares the moments that shaped her — from surv...

Evan Thornley is an entrepreneur, investor, reformer, and one of Australia’s most original thinkers on business and social change.

Evan’s career has been anything but conventional. He co-founded LookSmart, one of Australia’s first tech companies to list on NASDAQ at the height of the dot-com boom, before riding out its spectacular crash. He later entered Victorian politics, led the global Better Place electric-vehicle venture, helped rescue ABC Learning through the creation of Goodstart Early Learning, and today chairs LongView, a business tackling housing affordability and generational inequality.

James...

Paul Howes is one of Australia’s most recognisable public figures and a leader whose career has spanned the union movement, politics, and corporate life.

Raised by a single mother in Sydney’s Blue Mountains, Paul became the youngest ever National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, rising to national prominence during the Beaconsfield mine disaster. He later became a key player in Labor’s 2010 leadership drama which led to Julia Gillard becoming Australia's first female prime minister— an experience he chronicled in his book Confessions of a Faceless Man.

Today, Paul reflects on the les...

Born out of the ashes of Enron and the collapse of global Big 5 firm Arthur Andersen, Korda Mentha has become a powerhouse advisory firm in Australia/Asia fuelled by winning some of the biggest and most high profile mandates in the country.

In this episode of What I Learned About Business (That Didn’t Kill Me), James H Stewart sits down with Mark Korda, co-founder of KordaMentha to discuss the inside story of founding KordaMentha, the lessons learned through some of Australia’s biggest corporate crises — including Ansett Airlines, Timbercorp, and Arrium, and the difficult cultural journe...

For 40 years I was a corporate undertaker. I buried businesses that failed and helped save those where there was still a pulse.

I was parachuted into some of corporate Australia’s biggest financial crisis, insolvencies and turnaround environments. I have been in Board rooms, Court rooms and on shop floors when all seems lost (and sometimes it was).

Over decades at the coal face of business (often in the most difficult circumstances), I have seen & heard stories that delighted and inspired me, as well as those which serve as a guide of the pa...