Debtset – Bailiff-Sheriff Aust MEMBER Login
Queensland Leaders develops new pathways for business success
QUEENSLAND Leaders is driving support for the state’s business leaders – and beyond – to new levels as it begins its 10th year of programs in 2015.
With stronger support than ever among its ranks of Industry Partners, Industry Experts, and Alumni, Queensland Leaders has renewed its emphasis on extending its programs to help business leaders drive for success. 
Apart from the extensions of the Queensland Leaders-based series to Victoria in late 2014 – and New South Wales and New Zealand this month – there has also been a strong push to assist business leaders in regional Queensland along with the new Future Leaders program that assists leaders of early-stage and fast-growth companies.
“What we have developed is a multi-various program to support business leaders and build capability, structured similarly to an investment banking platform,” Queensland Leaders founder and executive director James Paulsen said. Mr Paulsen is also the executive director of the International Leaders umbrella organisation for the rapidly expanding series.
“We are particularly pleased with the interest at the moment in our Future Leaders programs – which are now also starting in other states and New Zealand – for they are immediately helping business leaders who need a structure around them to help develop their companies rapidly,” Mr Paulsen said. “Our Future Leaders program has really hit the mark in these challenging times for early-stage businesses.
“The series in Queensland is already working very well for some amazing fast-growth companies that are making the most of their opportunities. Companies like RTO Management Group, The Thinking Corporation and The Training Institute of Queensland are forging ahead in challenging markets, from what we are hearing.
“The Future Leaders series is all about assisting the leaders of these young companies and helping them to tap in to the knowledge, experience and networks of Queensland Leaders when they need it.”
Queensland Leaders has also agreed to joint-venture with Brisbane Business Angles to run a second Future Leaders Series. The second series will be tailored towards earlier stage companies that are looking to raise funds, having direct links with Brisbane’s Angel community.
Victorian Leaders had also recently launched its Future Leaders program, Mr Paulsen said, and as NSW Leaders progresses it is also in the pipeline.
LEADERS INNOVATION
Mr Paulsen said the entire Leaders network was benefitting from the innovation and new potential markets that came with careful expansion. A good example was the planned Sports Leaders program, designed to develop business acumen and future pathways for professional sports people, which had come out of discussions with Victorian Leaders CEO Robert Ford and chairman and former Australian Cricket coach John Buchanan.
“Queensland Leaders has always been a highly innovative program that could react rapidly to changes in business conditions and in meeting the progressive needs of our members,” Mr Paulsen said.
“Even though we have seen great success as an organisation – and our success is really in helping to facilitate the conditions that bring success to our members – we are seeing some great innovations come to fruition that will both attract new members and advance our existing members, partners and alumni.”
Mr Paulsen said the organisation was also now underpinned technologically by a versatile and rapidly developing online Leaders Resource Centre.
Apart from the online communication and networking capabilities of the system, its expanding information resource – in a mix of video, text and special report presentations – was proving to be a boon for members and partners alike. Special offers for products and services among members are also introduced through the Leaders Resource Centre.
“This platform is interconnected, so its content develops and becomes even more useful to the network as International Leaders expands,” Mr Paulsen said.
“This was always part of our strategy and we have been careful to under-promise and over deliver in terms of our digital strategy and in how we are building and delivering this powerful business knowledge resource.”
Now International Leaders is investing in a significant technology platform to assist its licensees with the roll out of their individual series.
“This will help greatly with ensuring the continuity of the structure, culture and philosophy of the initiative, and consistency with the content and outcomes delivered,” Mr Paulsen said.
STRONG SUPPORT
Queensland Leaders has always enjoyed the support of the state’s most successful and visionary business people and it has a long-serving Advisory Board of Mr Paulsen, John Allpass, Keith De Lacy, Sallyanne Atkinson, Peter Birtles, Ian Runge and Jamie Pherous, whose company Corporate Travel Management was the first to IPO through the Queensland Leaders system.
Corporate Travel Management is also one of the Industry Partner organisations that has gone on to support the new Leaders organisations in other states, while the network regularly receives presentations from other luminary partners such as Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner of Flight Centre, Martin Ward of century-old automotive retail group AP Eagers, Peter Birtles of Super Retail Group, Adrian DiMarco of TechnologyOne and Maxine Horne of Vita Group.
“I have heard Queensland Leaders described as the ‘brains trust’ of Queensland business and you’d have to say that’s quite true,” Mr Paulsen said.
“It’s great to see how our business growth and development network, with its foundations in Queensland, is being so successfully translated to other states and even international markets. Everyone is benefitting from the innovations being brought through.”
ends
