The Business Of

The Business Of

Ever wondered what separates good businesses from great ones? The Business Of, from UNSW Business School, goes behind the headlines to explore the global forces, industry shifts and leadership challenges shaping business today. Host Dr Juliet Bourke speaks with leaders about technology, finance, marketing, consumer loyalty, AI and productivity, unpacking what truly drives successful businesses. Then Professor Barney Tan, Senior Deputy Dean at UNSW, breaks down the latest trends and ground-breaking research into strategies you can actually implement. Smart conversations. Fresh insights from leaders who've been there. This is The Business Of. Find out more - https://www.unsw.edu.au/business/our-schools/agsm/about-us/the-business-of-podcast https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/

Episodes

May 27, 2026 25 mins

“The real threat isn’t a machine replacing you...it’s a competitor using AI to outpace you.” 

If you’ve been weighing up how to bring AI into your workplace but are hesitant on how to do it, you aren’t alone. 

Australia’s leading AI scientist, Scientia Professor Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist at the UNSW AI Institute says that, by handing AI your du...

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Where do you typically log on for work?  

For many people, it’s no longer a simple answer. A few days at home. A few in the office. A routine that shifts depending on the week, the workload, and when your dishwasher repair person is arriving.  

Hybrid work promises more balance. But it also brought a new set of problems. 

How do you stay focused when you are always contactable? How do you switch off w...

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At the start of the 2017 AFL season, the Swans were in serious trouble. After reaching the Grand Final the year before, expectations were sky‑high. Then came six straight losses. Confidence fell, pressure mounted, and nothing seemed to work. 

So where do you begin as a leader when everything is going wrong? 

Former @sydneyswans head coach John Longmire says a series of critical decisions helped turn th...

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We’re living longer, but not all those years are healthy ones. In Australia, there’s now roughly a 12-year gap between how long we live and how long we live in good health – meaning many of us can expect a decade or more of life with health problems. So, how can we shrink that gap?

UNSW Scientia Professor Kaarin Anstey is one of the world’s leading experts on cognitive ageing and dementia prevention. She exp...

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Pet ownership is booming – and so is the business behind it.  

From birthday parties for pets to organic food and premium grooming, consumers are spending big to keep their animals healthy and happy. So why are people so invested in their pets?  

AGSM @ UNSW Business School MBA alumna Anneke van den Broek is the CEO and founder of premium pet-care brand Rufus & Coco. She explains our changing relations...

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What if you paid a different price for the same product – not because of demand, but because of your data.
Prices change, whether it’s annual sales or seasonal variability. But what happens when AI sets the price – not just for the market, but for you?

“The scope and the scale and the pervasiveness down to the individual with personalised pricing is pretty unprecedented.” 

UNSW Associate ...

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Millions of people lack access to reliable healthcare. Can technology help bridge global healthcare gaps?

Dr Jackie Rabec (AGSM MBA 2020) is co-founder of MedTech company ThinkMD.ai, which builds tools that put a doctor’s expertise into the hands of frontline healthcare workers. She explains how the company is bridging health divides in low-income countries where doctors are scarce, and what technology could mean for healthca...

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Burnout has gone from a buzzword to a business risk.  

According to the latest Women’s Agenda Ambitions Report, 72% of women say they’ve experienced burnout in the past year. It’s no longer just a personal struggle—it’s a workplace crisis. So what’s driving this rising tide of exhaustion?  

Angela Priestley, co-founder of independent news platform Women’s Agenda, shares ...

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That satisfying ding when you scan your rewards card. The little thrill of watching points accumulate. The smug satisfaction of using miles for a "free" flight. Sound familiar? 

We're all players in the massive loyalty program game—whether we're collecting coffee stamps, airline miles, or cashback percentages. But here's the million-point question: Who's really winning? 

Is that loyalty card in your wallet a golden ...

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Loneliness is quietly affecting workplace productivity more than many organisations realise. 

Despite being more digitally connected than ever before, many employees today report feeling isolated, unsupported, and burned out. This isn't just impacting individuals – it's costing businesses financially, and damaging workplace culture and team cohesion. 

From performative perks to genuine peer connection, clinical psyc...

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You don’t become a globally renowned designer by accident. But if you ask Sibella Court, one of Australia’s most sought-after stylists, she never had a master plan to make it big. 

From global brand campaigns to bestselling books and hit TV shows, Sibella built a design empire balancing great instincts, good relationships, and sound commercial judgement.   

Her approach to business is somewhat u...

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Could collaborative consumption be the cure for our throwaway culture? Robert Chan, the managing director of car-sharing platform Turo, believes we're on the brink of an ownership revolution. 

“The average power drill is only on for 13 minutes of its life. You don't want (to buy) the power drill; you want (to fix) the hole in the wall. How do we get the benefit without having all the stuff is really what the sharing econ...

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The social impacts of Australia’s housing crisis are well documented, and we’re starting to feel its effect on business.  

We know in Sydney, for example, the housing crisis costs the economy $10 billion a year. So it is not just a social crisis, it's a productivity and economic crisis as well.”   

Professor Philip Oldfield, Head of School at UNSW Built Environment, explains how a lack o...

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AI is revolutionising the way we work – automating everything from email creation and data analysis, through to medical diagnostics. But does faster really mean better?  

As businesses chase efficiency, are we measuring productivity in the right way – or just the easiest way? 

The Dean of UNSW’s Business School, Professor Frederik Anseel, says true productivity isn’t about hours worked; it&rsq...

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Every second, 12 tonnes of plastic are manufactured globally, and millions of tonnes end up as waste.   

For entrepreneur James Lancaster, this stark reality drove him to create Renew IT, a company dedicated to sustainability, in a bid to tackle the problem head on.  

What started as a recycling business that generated value from discarded electronics became a passion. After a decade of recycling old office...

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The global cricket market is booming. It’s projected to be worth 6.1 billion dollars this year. 

And while traditional revenue streams such as broadcast rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales still drive the cricket business, it’s the shortened T20 format that’s drawing in new revenue and new fans. 

Former cricket star turned commentator Lisa Sthalekar explains the lucrative business behind one of Austra...

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"Do you have cash?" It's a question that's becoming increasingly rare in 2025. Nowadays, many of us prefer the convenience of digital wallets over physical cards, not to mention banknotes and coins. 

According to Richard Holden, an economist and UNSW Scientia Professor, we're moving towards a "functionally cashless" society, with the costs associated with carrying cash on the rise. 

But what does this shift mean for busin...

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Podcasting has completely reshaped the audio landscape, pulling audiences away from other media and into a space where brands, businesses, and creators can connect directly with engaged listeners. 

Today, companies are leveraging podcasts as a powerful marketing tool—leveraging the medium’s popularity as an accessible platform for authentic storytelling.  

James Cridland is the editor of Podnews, a world-leadi...

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In 2018, Lottie Dalziel scribbled down a New Year's resolution: Do better for the planet. Unlike most of us, she actually followed through. 

Frustrated by the lack of practical and authentic eco-friendly products on the market, Lottie decided she’d take matters into her own hands. While most startups take years to refine their product, test the market, and strategise their launch, Lottie built Banish – a marke...

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Apple doesn’t sell computers. It sells creativity.  

Or maybe it’s more accurate to say people don’t buy computers, they buy the story a company tells about them – that they’re creative, clever, responsible, or anything else that might matter.  

Shane Currey, the founder of PRIME Collective Australia, learned this while working in the luxury brand space – without a powerf...

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