insights

November 2021 marks 20 years since the founding of our firm. To celebrate this milestone, we commissioned a unique artwork by Indigenous artist Alison Simpson to represent the impact we have had with leaders illustrating how their impact ripples across organisations, communities and society more broadly. Alison explains the thinking behind her painting.

Founding Maximus was Vanessa Gavan’s ‘unreasonable ambition’. Two decades on, she shares some of the wisdom she’s uncovered in herself and others as she and her team have helped leaders to discover their own purpose – and act on it.

Brent Duffy, Joint Managing Director of Maximus shares his perspective on why leadership is not a choice and why conviction and clarity are such key qualities for great leaders.

Peter Coffee has ridden the Salesforce wave with his insights making him a world-renowned technologist, author, speaker and technical evangelist. Offering wide-ranging insights into how AI, big data, cloud computing and innovation practices transform industries and lives, Maximus spent a mind opening hour with him – we’ve captured our favourite insights here.

COVID-19 has changed the way executive teams strategically focus their organisations and the rapid adoption of digital technologies means the fundamentals of strategic and operational execution have changed. The Australian Financial Review spoke with Maximus Founder Vanessa Gavan, and Associate Director Katherine Boiciuc, about the fundamental leadership capabilities and mindset, required to transform an organisation.

We’re leading our organisations through a period where our closest associates may be existing in a context completely different to our own. Leaders have no choice but to get comfortable with this paradox and take a more humanistic, empathic approach.

Companies around the world are placing their bets, forecasting the horizon and predicting the future. What they’re not telling you is that they only know a fraction more than the average person. Maximus spoke with Lateral Economics CEO and Australian Economist Nicholas Gruen, about making better decisions in the face of uncertainty.

Mandy Johnson, Co-Founder and Ex-Director of Flight Centre UK, shared her insight with Maximus into achieving success during times of unprecedented upheaval. We call on leaders to consider how their organisation pivoted during this period, and to contemplate the characteristics of businesses that thrived.

Now is the time to exercise our muscle of foresight.
Operating in the midst of a health and economic crisis has challenged and continues to test our ability as leaders. We have been tasked with providing clarity and hope for our people, to repair and reimagine the future for our organisations and society, and to balance long term impact with short term survival. Instead of operating at a pace which incentivises short-termism thinking, what if we used this as an opportunity to engage long-term thinking, unlock opportunities and act on behalf of the future?

Dr Kimberley Norris, Clinical psychologist, and Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania spoke with Maximus, sharing her views on adaption in a rapidly changing environment and the implication for leaders preparing for re-entry during COVID-19.

In this month’s QANTAS Magazine, Vanessa Gavan, Maximus’ Founder and Joint Managing Director, features alongside Chief Officers and Partners from McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte and EY, in a special business and technology report. Reviewing the transformational shifts occurring within organisations due to COVID-19, Vanessa identifies the positive shifts she has witnessed, and the opportunities the crisis is affording us, urging leaders to find their purpose and reimagine the legacy they wish to create.

“If you’re an executive you will be known for something. Better what you stand for be by design.” – Vanessa Gavan

Two leaders give their perspectives on how seeing your people and your opportunities clearly, will enable success during tumultuous times.