Slade Group Blog
HomeA salute to my early career
Rather than following my friends to University when I left school, I took an alternative route into the workforce by joining the New Zealand Army – not exactly the most obvious career choice for a female with a short and slim build who grew up as a ballet dancer! This...
Born in 1967, still growing up: Slade Group celebrates 50 years
In the following article by Maggie Chen, which appeared in the Autumn 2017 edition of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industry Business Excellence magazine, Slade Group Chairman Geoff Slade shares his story and the insights he has developed over decades in...
Bright young old things!
"To be a genius, think like a 94-year-old." If you've ever worried about your declining IQ, take heart from this fascinating profile of 94 year old John Goodenough who, together with his team at University of Texas, has filed a patent application on a cheap,...
Attitude’s the biggest threat to the world economy?
Experts at the World Economic Forum release yearly updates assessing the biggest dangers facing the world economy. Environmental concerns have jumped up the list and now global warming tops economists' concerns. Last month I attended an Australian Credit Conference...
How to learn Italian… without going to school
It's needless to say that childhood experiences shape a significant part of our adult persona, but they also help to build some of the skills and attributes that we carry with us during our working life. While in pre-elementary (equivalent to kindergarten in...
Shift happens… Drift happens…
Last week the Financial Review invited me to their two day top-tier business summit – possibly because it was on International Women's Day and last year they included me in their Top 100 Women of Influence. As I headed home on the Manly ferry, I reviewed my notes from...
It’s networking, but not what you think!
Jenny comes from a disadvantaged family in Asia. She had to work to help her single mum with living costs so she could afford to send her to school. Jenny will never forget a primary teacher who paid for her school fees. Jenny loved school and this teacher inspired...
Cure the Sunday afternoon blues
"It generally started about 3pm on Sunday afternoon, irrespective of rain, hail or shine and the activity or people I was with at that time. I'd start thinking of the next day and my shoulders would instantly tense up, I'd start snapping at my kids and/or wife and...
Hashtag fear less
We ALL fear change and that’s OK, says Marty Wilson. I was recently lucky enough to hear Marty speak at Mental Health in the Workplace, part of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce People in Business series. He gave an inspiring talk on change and the fear that comes...
When I was a Temp
I often ask friends and colleagues about their part-time jobs during their school and university years. Those experiences, what jobs they did and how they were trained, have in one or another, often led them to where they are today. I myself worked at McDonald's – on...
Our active lunch break
When a shiny new gym opened at the New York end of Collins Street (that's near Melbourne's Southern Cross Station), Angelika Langer-Zindel was one of the first members to join-up. It took another six months for her to recruit a work gym buddy, Diana Tanvis Loi. While...
I could have been French President…
Growing up in France, I've always been interested in politics, as well as the way people communicate. I'm now an expat, but every day is still a cultural challenge, every meeting a learning experience. As an education specialist, currently working with schools to...