With the Forbes Australia Business Summit on the horizon, delve into the journeys and inspirations of the visionary leaders set to take the stage. From Olympic gold medallists to the founders and CEOs of billion-dollar companies, discover the expertise and insights these trailblazers are set to deliver at the event.
To secure your tickets to the Forbes Australia Business Summit, click here.
Peter Freedman
Peter Freedman, the Founder and Chairman of RØDE and The Freedman Group, transformed his father’s small electronics business into a global audio empire. Reflecting on the darkest moments of his journey, Freedman told Forbes Australia that walking away was never an option: “How can you give up? I was married – two little kids. I wanted to throw myself off a cliff, but you can’t. You just keep going, and you put up with eight years of hell”. His grit and perseverance turned RØDE into one of the world’s leading audio brands, now valued at more than $1.5 billion.
Ariarne Titmus
Ariarne Titmus is the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s 400-metre freestyle and the world record holder in the long course 200-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle events. Reflecting on what keeps her motivated after reaching the pinnacle of her sport, Titmus told Forbes Australia that her drive “is reliant on enjoying moments of victory”. She uses the emotions from those moments to fuel her hunger and maintain the desire to keep pushing forward.
Lorna Jane Clarkson
Lorna Jane Clarkson is an iconic Australian entrepreneur, fashion designer, author, and well-regarded advocate for women’s health and wellbeing. She founded Lorna Jane in 1989, transforming a side hustle into a global activewear brand with over 140 stores across Australia. Reflecting on her business philosophy, Clarkson told Forbes Australia: “Make sure you know your customer. Intimately. Your brand is only as good as your ability to solve a problem or add value to your customer”. Her customer-centric approach has fueled the brand’s success for over 35 years and continues to guide its growth today.
Dylan Coyne
Dylan Coyne, a computer science graduate, co-founded Updoc in 2021 to address the challenges of accessing healthcare around a 9-5 schedule. Reflecting on the journey of scaling his business, Coyne told Forbes Australia about the importance of looking at the bigger picture: “When you work week in, week out, looking at the numbers, it can seem like the numbers aren’t changing. But, if you zoom out monthly or quarterly, it gives you a lot more confidence”. In just over three years, Updoc has served more than 200,000 customers and secured $20 million in funding, with plans to accelerate the development of its product roadmap and continue its expansion.
Jenny Child
Jenny Child joined Oroton as its Chief Executive Officer in October 2021 having previously served a 15 year stint at McKinsey & Co. Reflecting on her transition from consultong, she told Forbes Australia: “I needed to build new muscles around people and leadership. Leading people and teams towards a shared objective meant taking a different approach to how I spend my time, which sounds so basic, but it’s a hard switch to make so suddenly”.
Livia Wang
As the founder of Access Corporate Group and Wellness Adventures, Livia has successfully launched Australian and New Zealand brands into global markets, reaching over 10 million consumers worldwide. Leading a business with more than 600 employees worldwide, while also raising two children is no small feat. Speaking to Forbes Australia, Wang emphasized the importance of prioritising wellness in personal and business life: “An entrepreneur needs to be healthy and balanced”. Her commitment underpins her mission to improve the well-being for all, driving meaningful change across the 15 wellness businesses she leads.
Grace Brown
Grace Brown launched Andromeda Robotics in 2022 with a view to deploying the first empathetic robotic throughout nursing homes in Australia. But her story goes beyond entrepreneurial ambition. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown found herself in deep isolation, cut off from friends, family, and peers. “I wanted to build something for myself that could at least alleviate some of the loneliness I was experiencing at the time”, she told Forbes Australia. What began as a personal passion project has since evolved into a business with over $3 million in funding and $100,000 in revenue. Brown’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, creativity and innovation can spark meaningful change.
To secure your tickets to the Forbes Australia Business Summit, click here.
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