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PODCAST

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!)

James H Stewart

Have you ever wondered why some businesses go broke and others are successful?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

business management

All Episodes

53:12

Andrew Yates: CEO KPMG Australia

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2026/01/12

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,

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49:15

Jim Sarantinos: Parramatta Eels. No easy try.

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2026/01/07

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

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55:53

Anna Samkova: Customer Strategy, Loyalty and Behaviour

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2026/01/04

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,

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50:07

Nishan Wijemanne: From Start Up to Shiperoo!

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/12/09

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

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58:04

Bruce Carter AO: Harris Scarfe. Elders. Whyalla....

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/12/01

In this episode, James sits down with Bruce Carter AO, 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

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1:02:10

Iain Nairn: Laura Ashley, Witchery, Country Rd, David...

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/11/24

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

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40:02

Jackie Kruger: Black Milk. Fandom, Sharkies &...

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/11/17

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

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58:19

John King: Myer, House of Fraser, Matalan.

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/11/10

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

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44:30

Frank Cancelloni: Murder, Mystery, Jim Thompson & The...

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/10/29

What does it take to transform a national treasure into a modern global brand?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

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44:43

Patrick Elliott: Private Equity Playbook

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/10/15

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

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43:03

Di Gillett: Women in Business.

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/10/15

In this episode, James H Stewart sits down with Di Gillett — a 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

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54:01

Evan Thornley: Bold Bets, Big Start ups, Social...

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/10/15

In this episode of What I Learned in Business, James H Stewart sits down with Evan Thornley — 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,

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1:06:33

Paul Howes: Politics, Beaconsfield, Career Pivots &...

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/10/15

In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!), host James H Stewart sits down with Paul Howes — 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

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45:21

Mark Korda: Enron, Ansett, Timbercorp, Arrium &...

What I learned in business (that didn"t kill me!) ·

2025/10/15

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

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14 results

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