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15 Minutes with the Boss

15 Minutes with the Boss

The Australian Financial Review 100 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

15 Minutes with the Boss is a podcast that gives listeners exclusive access to some of the top CEOs in the country. Each week AFR BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with a prominent leader and asks them to share the invaluable advice and wisdom they have accumulated throughout their careers. For stories of success and failure and everything in-between, search and follow 15 Minutes with the Boss. It’s 15 minutes you can’t afford to miss.

Episodes

How this CEO has created his own personal board of advisers
How this CEO has created his own personal board of advisers Oct 12, 2026 1099 On this week's episode BOSS editor Sally Patten chats to Stefan Vermeulen, the local CEO of Nespresso. Vermeulen  shares how to develop your unique, and authentic leadership style by collecting leadership traits, learning from mentors and stealing ideas from anywhere. This podcast was sponsored by Ripple. Further reading: ‘One of the worst markets I’ve seen’: Property CEO fe
This top exec knows how to get ahead of the pack, and stay there.
This top exec knows how to get ahead of the pack, and stay there. Oct 5, 2026 1113 Rob Coombe, executive chairman Generation Life, planned his career moves meticulously and made sure not to trample on colleagues to climb the corporate ladder. Now Coombe is at the top of the corporate tree, he has tools and habits to help him stay there.          On this week's episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten joins Coombe to discuss creating a h
How this CEO shook off imposter syndrome
How this CEO shook off imposter syndrome Sep 28, 2026 1082 Akubra chief executive Natalie Culina has over 20 years working with some of the most recognised and iconic Australian brands. When managing imposter syndrome she says that "you cannot forget that you have to master a skill in something, have to have a black belt in something. And that's something that you can always reach down into your core to draw upon". When she did, it faded away. On this wee
‘One of the worst markets I’ve seen’: Property CEO fears job cuts
‘One of the worst markets I’ve seen’: Property CEO fears job cuts Sep 21, 2026 1039 Jellis Craig chief executive Andrew McCann has been a real estate agent for almost 30 years, and he reckons "this is one of the worst markets" he's ever seen. "It's very hard for vendors to adjust to price changes, and it's very hard sometimes for agents to pick up the pace of change," he says. "And because of that, it's a challenging environment to navigate." On this week's episode, BOSS edi
Gilbert + Tobin CEO Sam Nickless reveals what AI means for junior lawyers
Gilbert + Tobin CEO Sam Nickless reveals what AI means for junior lawyers Sep 14, 2026 1015 When it comes to the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace, Sam Nickless, the chief executive of law firm Gilbert + Tobin, has some useful advice for lawyers and executives in the early or middle stages of their careers. "The first level of advice is don’t freak out about it, but don’t ignore it either," he says. "Get really good at using it, but also be very attuned to the
Why Lune boss Kate Reid traded Formula 1 for croissants
Why Lune boss Kate Reid traded Formula 1 for croissants Sep 7, 2026 1299 Growing up, Kate Reid had always dreamt about working in Formula 1. And in her early 20s, she achieved that dream by joining the Williams team as an aerodynamicist. But this F1 enthusiast quickly realised the job was not all she'd hoped. "I imagined it would be an incredibly dynamic, collaborative, exciting job, and all of those things didn't come to fruition for me, and it sent me down a pre
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey on property prices, failure and conflict
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey on property prices, failure and conflict Aug 31, 2026 1345 As a teenager, NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey loved federal budget day. “I’m not saying I was popular at high school, but I used to love it when [former Liberal treasurers] Peter Costello and John Howard would hand down the budget,” the self-confessed nerd says. As a 16-year-old, he may not have liked the Liberal grandees’ politics, but these days Mookhey “is a little b
Climbing the seven summits taught this executive one big lesson
Climbing the seven summits taught this executive one big lesson Aug 24, 2026 1112 From a young age, Esther Colwill, a former partner at Deloitte and now country head for Australia at Korn Ferry, dreamt of climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, including, of course, Mount Everest. Colwill succeeded, emerging with critical lessons that have helped her in both her private and professional life. On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten finds out h
Chris Judd’s formula for high performance – on and off the field
Chris Judd’s formula for high performance – on and off the field Aug 17, 2026 1223 Asked about a pivotal moment in his career, former AFL star Chris Judd is quick to respond: don’t do what everyone else is doing. “[The pivotal moment] was taking complete control over my fitness program,” says Judd. In business, Judd, who is the founder and portfolio manager of Cerutty Macro Fund, a concentrated equities fund that invests primarily in smaller companies, applied
This exec left banking to buy a caravan park. Now he runs an empire
This exec left banking to buy a caravan park. Now he runs an empire Aug 10, 2026 1014 "I had everything on the wire, on the line," says Grant Wilckens, remembering when the global financial crisis hit. The chief executive and founder of G'Day Group had started his holiday parks business in 2004 when Lehman Brothers collapsed. "It was probably the hardest I've ever worked, the most stressed I've ever been." On this week's episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with the former i
How an exercise physiologist designed her ideal workout routine
How an exercise physiologist designed her ideal workout routine Aug 3, 2026 998 “I've really changed my relationship with exercise over the past few years”, says Katie Lyndon, the chief executive of Exercise and Sports Science Australia. The exercise physiologist has made a conscious effort to shift her mindset around workout routines from something she has to do to something she loves. On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with Lyn
Thomson Reuters CEO on AI bill shock, career risks and his biggest mistake
Thomson Reuters CEO on AI bill shock, career risks and his biggest mistake Jul 27, 2026 1294 The president and CEO of Thomson Reuters says the company has had "bill shock this year in the tens of millions of US dollars over and above our budget”. And while Steve Hasker maintains the global technology and information firm, which is valued at $US40 billion ($57 billion), is disciplined financially, the costs are rising. This week, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with Hasker to

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