Executive Director Breakfast: Leading structural change and integrating a ‘one organisation’ culture

Invitation Only Event

Please note that this is an invitation only event for senior public sector leaders.

ABOUT THIS EVENT

In today's workplace, change is constant as external factors evolve. Whether it's politics, society, the economy, or technology, organisations must adapt.

We all know that teams work best when they share common values and goals, collaborating seamlessly. It's about unity and effectiveness.

However, this knowledge does not reduce the challenge of undertaking these processes well.

At this breakfast, we are fortunate to have two leaders with significant experience in leading mergers and acquisitions and transforming multiple cultures into a single united culture. Courtesy of our partner Bendelta, our special guests will be:

• Ashok Sukumaran, MD – Australia and New Zealand, Stantec. Stantec undertook six acquisitions in only six years, and until Ashok became MD, none had been integrated. He saw the need and opportunity for ‘One Stantec’ 
• Angela Ewers, CHRO, ARN Media. Like Stantec, ARN has been in an acquisitive mode and, with Angela leading the integration program, the uniting of cultures and complementary business strengths has been successful

Anthony Mitchell of Bendelta will interview our guests and, combined with your own questions and experiences, we will illuminate the key insights and lessons together.

What will you gain?

Discover insights and strategies for navigating organisational change effectively.

Learn practical tips and lessons learned from our guest speakers, and their wealth of experience in leading mergers, acquisitions and cultural transformations.

 The session will include Q&A as well as peer-level discussions, with opportunities for all attendees to ask questions in an open and frank session held under the Chatham House Rule.  

Sponsorship Acknowledgment

This event is presented with the support of Bendelta

Speaker

Ashok Sukumaran
Managing Director - Australia and New Zealand
Stantec

Ashok Sukumaran joined Stantec in 2000 and is Managing Director for Stantec’s Australian business.  He is responsible for driving the financial, operational and people performance of the business and oversees a workforce of approximately 2400 people across 27 offices in Australia.  This includes engineers, scientists, project managers, planners, and technicians, all of whom are involved in the delivery of solutions in the Transportation, Buildings, Water, Energy & Resources, Environmental & Geosciences and Community Development sectors.  Since his appointment to the role in 2021, he has combined his passion for people with strong business acumen and governance, directing and implementing the vision and strategy for business growth across all sectors, and integrated various acquisitions during that time.

Ashok has a post-graduate qualification in Civil Engineering, completed the Senior Executive Program at Melbourne Business School and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  He has delivered major infrastructure projects, both in Australia, Asia and in the Middle East.  He is a Director of Stantec Australia Pty Ltd.

Angela Ewers
Chief People Officer
ARN Media

Angela Ewers is the Chief People Officer at ARN Media, a leading ASX-listed media and entertainment business operating in radio, audio, digital and outdoor in Australia and Hong Kong. 

Angela is a HR thought-leader with deep expertise in culture and engagement; organisational development and design; employment and industrial relations; coaching and leadership; and leading complex organisational change including through M&As.

Prior to joining ARN, Angela’s experience included People and Culture Director and Line Management roles with James Hardie Building Projects APAC, Lion, Caltex Australia Petroleum and Yum! Restaurants International. Angela also holds a Master of Business Administration and is a Certified Practitioner of Human Resources with the Australian Human Resources Institute.   

Angela’s great passion is cultivating the conditions for teams to achieve their life’s best work. To do this, Angela brings a deeply humanistic and person-centred approach to HR practices and has a track record for building thriving, constructive workplaces delivering exceptional value for team members, customers, shareholders and the communities she operates in.

Facilitator

Anthony Mitchell
Co-Founder and Chief Potential Officer
Bendelta

Anthony Mitchell is the co-founder and Chief Potential Officer of strategic advisory firm Bendelta. Over 25 years in consulting, Anthony has worked in more than 30 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East. Under his leadership, Bendelta has received six Best Employer awards in the last two years, named in the AFR/BOSS Most Innovative Firms for the last three years running and has twice won the world’s highest award for leadership development.

The art and science of strategic leadership is what has driven Anthony to where he is today. As Dux of both his degrees (one in Mathematics and one in Psychology), and with postgraduate business qualifications from Cornell University, Anthony has a unique mix of expertise across typically separate ways of thinking. 

Outside of Bendelta, Anthony pursues his passion for human potential in other ways. From 2016-2023, he has been the Chairman of the Aurora Education Foundation which has helped change the narrative for Indigenous tertiary education through unprecedented scholarships to Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. He was also the Chairman and President of Amnesty International Australia from 2011-16 and a member of the Amnesty International 2020 Council, chaired globally by Sir Richard Branson.

How to register

Contact our office on 02 8066 1900 or email [email protected] for any questions and/or clarifications

Event Details

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