Human on the Inside with M.Ax
Human on the Inside. We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it - the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills is everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …
Maxme: Welcome M.Ax, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight. You’re currently a (highly acclaimed) executive advisor focusing on fintech & startup sectors. In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 2), what does this role entail?
My role has changed significantly over the past six months.
M.Ax: Initially I used my 30+ years of experience in consulting to advise start-ups and fintechs. I continue to provide Board level assistance and consult to organisations that are willing to be disrupted and owners that want a different perspective in shaping their new propositions and growing their businesses.
I have now done the silly thing by putting my money where my mouth is (and I have a big mouth!!!) - I’m using the skills, experience and concepts that I impart to fintechs to reinvigorate a business that needs different thinking, faster actions as well as ethical and measured governance. So I’m no longer just a Board Advisor … I am now a Board Member.
M: As a senior business advisor in Australia, you have over 30 years’ experience dealing in major business systems and processes for leading organisations in Australia, UK, Canada, NZ, Thailand and Indonesia.
With 33 years in public practice and over 22 of those as a Partner, you recently retired from KPMG Australia and as Managing Director at consulting firm BearingPoint – KPMG’s antecedent consulting division.
Over three decades you’ve amassed expertise in major technology implementations, core banking & ERP systems, complex payments projects and business environments as well as extensive buy-side and sell-side due diligence. You’ve also built a reputation for your impressive awareness into, & management of, various stakeholder groups - from customers, boards & executive leadership, to technical users and regulators.
Most recently you’ve turned your attention to working with a number of fintech and startup companies. You’re also on a number of Advisory Boards, where you assist the owners and senior leadership teams to shape their strategic direction, providing challenge to their ideas as well as supporting capability uplift to commercialise further their business endeavours.
How does all this speak to your personal purpose and what drives you as an individual?
M.Ax: I love people, engaging with people and working towards successful outcomes. Even working as a Big-Four partner I would always prioritise the success of the client before that of the Firm or my own. My mantra was: client first, staff second, the Firm third and me … last. This provided me with genuine credibility to work with my clients for their purpose. It also ensured that my staff and collaborating teams knew I had their back and would support them.
Happy team, happy client, happy Firm.
When faced with difficult discussions which required triaging unpleasant options, I would always break the facts down into “What’s best for the client” and “What is important for the staff”. These simple lenses helped guide me to do the right thing.
M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?
M.Ax: My education was nurtured at home from a very early age. Both my parents were well educated - relative for people born in the 1930s that saw their formative lives disrupted by wars, political unrest and displacement.
Even as migrants, my parents were always espousing the virtues of a good education.
I started mine at Keilor East Primary School. I then went onto, you guessed it, Keilor Heights High School. Both schools were relatively new to the area which meant that they did not have an academic pedigree. I was fortunate that my parents recognised this and sent me to Essendon Grammar School to complete Form 5 & VCE - even though they couldn't afford to do so. The academic landscape was starkly different which, I think, helped me get into the University of Melbourne.
I initially studied Commerce and then did a post-grad in Computer Science. Both courses guided me to the Big-8 (now the Bigger-4) and also continued to shape my interest in business & computing. I progressed through audit, EDP audit, IT advisory to IT consulting - working on complex systems, change management and major implementations.
My career pathway was very much guided by tertiary qualifications, however I think a bigger influence was from the mentors I had when I first joined. Peter Marriott, who left the Firm and became a go-to executive and director, was significant in investing time, effort and his own work values to shape who I was at work. I also fed off managers and colleagues learning different skills, styles and approaches to help me continue to evolve as I progressed up the corporate ladder.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21 year old self it would be ...
M.Ax: It is important to enjoy what you do. Your career will hopefully span 30 if not 40 years, so you may as well enjoy it. I think there are three elements in a career - the people, work and remuneration.
If you have:
Good people around you that you can learn from, provide great support and advocacy and also have fun with;
Interesting work that you enjoy and look forward to when you wake up in the morning; and
A good income
… then this is the holy trinity.
I always prioritised working with good people. My rationale was, if the work wasn't interesting then I would gravitate to work that was or, better still, try to originate the type of work I liked. However, no amount of remuneration could compensate for working with nasty people or idiots.
M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and / or value of human skills in your workplace or industry right now?
M.Ax: Human skills are absolutely paramount. I have hired lots of staff, especially graduates. I always prioritised a good personality - someone that could string a sentence together, appeared affable and with a good set of values.
School results may have been relevant to get you to an interview, however I always preferred to hire a good ‘all rounder’ than a mensa with a bad attitude. I have a number of anecdotes of young privileged smart(arse) graduates asking why the Firm didn’t greet them with rose petals.
I think human skills, and more importantly humane skills, will become increasingly critical. With the very rapid evolution of technology, advancement in AI and questioning the value and values of consultants, human skills will be the differentiators of the next generation.
I can ‘AI’ a good answer to a complex question, however what I cannot do is AI the interpersonal, specific situation of how to apply the answer. How to effect change will be even more reliant on good people coming together to interpret and apply vast amounts of information.
M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said … what’s your strongest trait / personal superpower?
M.Ax: Humour - is my personal superpower and also my kryptonite. I have used humour to diffuse very difficult situations and to also support long term relationships. However the same humour has backfired when either taken out of context, or not been appreciated in the manner it was presented.
People haven’t always laughed at my humour or antics. I have also suffered the consequences of my actions.
M: And on the flip side, what’s one human / ‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?
M.Ax: Reading the room. Not everyone can appreciate a full-on personality. Whilst at first blush, a retort, one liner or a classic joke may have seemed funny to me, but hasn’t always been appreciated by others.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work in the field of technology &/or transformation and change consulting, what would it be?
Work very hard and be curious. Don’t accept the status quo, but try to think of the risks and issues when you push boundaries.
M: You’ve been granted approval to add one University graduate to your business, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?
M.Ax: I would be looking for a nice person that can learn and grow with the Firm. We can always teach them the technical skills required to perform the job, but ‘niceness’ is very difficult to impart.
As noted previously, I preferred to hire a nice person that is a hard worker that will put in the effort to learn, than a Mensa that was a knob.
M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” What’s next on your #learning agenda?
M.Ax: I’m learning to be a bit more patient and not continue to be the proverbial bull in the china shop. I continue to feed off colleagues and people I’m collaborating with. I have even trimmed some of those jagged edges, but I continue to be myself and have fun.
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