Moir Recruitment News

Moir Group " Emerging Leaders" Series with Vincent Lloyd, CFO of  Hoyts Group by Trisha Roberts, Business Manager, Moir Group  

This month Moir Group were delighted to introduce Vincent Lloyd in a Q&A style presentation as part of our "Emerging Leaders" series.  Vincent has kindly spoken at several of our previous events over the years, however this was an opportunity for the audience to be more involved in the discussion.

Vincent is the current CFO of Hoyts Group, and candidly shared his career from his KPMG days through to today.  He offered insights into a potential path for emerging CFOs, and shared his own experiences in an open manner.  After spending 3 years with KPMG in their assurance and consulting practices, he joined Hoyts as an Accountant and worked with 3 different CFOs in 4 years.  By utilising some very interesting approaches to career development, he was recognised for his contribution and offered the CFO role at just 29 years of age. 

Some of the highlights of the discussion outline Vincent’s approach to creating opportunities for leadership:

• Partner decision makers – give them the information they need to “make them look good”. They will want you to attend meetings with key stakeholders.
• Manage up – take each opportunity to provide information to senior management as a chance to demonstrate your knowledge of, and value to, the organisation.
• Work ethic – work hard, and be prepared to give up personal time to get the job done properly.
• Be proactive – stand out by challenging the status quo – reporting is a great way to do this.
• Be helpful – the key here is to have no ulterior motive.  It makes people want to work with you.
• Passion – always exude passion for the business, people will notice how much you care.
• Luck – there are sometimes “sliding doors” moments where opportunities are presented to you at the right time.

With Hoyts originally being owned by listed company , through to ownership by private equity business, and more recently having been sold to a Chinese group, Vincent shared his views on the differences working in these 3 environments from a CFO’s perspective.  He feels that private equity roles are great opportunities for CFOs to have greater involvement in the business from a strategic perspective, even more so than a listed environment. Vincent shared not only his personal career path, but his continued passion for Hoyts Group.

We thank him for his energy and time, as well as those who attended. For details on our upcoming Moir Group events, please visit our Event Page, and please like us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our company page on LinkedIn.

Moir Group " Emerging Leaders" Series with Anna Lee, CFO of THE ICONIC by Janette Tam, Senior Consultant, Moir Group  

Earlier this month, Moir Group ran its inaugural event in our new “Emerging Leaders” series. This series provides a great opportunity for future leaders of Australian business to gain an insight not only on the successes, but also the challenges faced by current successful leaders.

Our first key note speaker in this series was Anna Lee, CFO of THE ICONIC. Anna has over 20 years corporate experience in the Australian, New Zealand and APAC corporate environments. 

I had the opportunity to meet with Anna prior to the event. She immediately impressed me with her dedication, passion and drive. These key traits were evident to all as Anna presented and shared with us many insights on the day, including her vision for The Iconic, key challenges facing online retailers and also shared her views of how to create and maintain a harmonious work-life balance.

Anna pointed out the continuous challenge of an online retailer, like The Iconic, where you are always competing against the traditional retailer in that "there will always be a physical shop!”.

In relation to her team, Anna points out that "attitude is everything", and then went onto explain that "I like to motivate my finance team by sharing my passion and vision on the company. I think the key to success is to ensure they are with me on the same journey and want to achieve the same goals"

In relation to work-life balance, my key takeaway was the importance she placed on nutrition and staying healthy in maintaining concentration and keeping those energy levels up - “I want to be alert whether its 8am or 8pm!”

Anna’ then left us with a parting message to all the budding future leaders - "One key message for any aspiring CFO is that Finance is an important function, its ok to take risks and try something out. If it doesn’t work just move on and don’t dwell on it. “

We thank all the future leaders that attended and especially thank Anna for taking the time to inspire and motivate this select group.

For details on our upcoming Moir Group events, please visit our Event Page, and please like us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our company page on LinkedIn.

"Where To Next In The Australian Retail Market And How Should You Respond?" A Post Event Summary on Trent Duvall's Presentation by Emma Walsh, Business Manager, Moir Group 

Moir Group recently had the pleasure of hosting Trent Duvall, National Leader of Consumer Products at KPMG on “Where To Next In The Australian Retail Market And How Should You Respond?”. Trent’s portfolio in Australia encompasses Food & Beverage, Consumer Products and Agribusiness.  Trent is also a member of the global Consumer Markets practice and provided us with robust commentary and insights into the rapidly changing retail marketplace. 

 Some key points from the day include;

• Growth within the retail market has been in the categories of electronics and hardware. Other categories performing well are furniture, takeaway foods, footwear and personal accessories.
• Compared with other western countries Australia has performed well due to growing levels of wealth and strong GDP growth. Australia is viewed internationally as a good place to do business and with an increased number of businesses starting in Australia.
• The consumer has fundamentally been changed through technology. The new consumer is a creator, critic, producer, spectator, and community manager, and is always on!
• The way we shop for good and services has rapidly changed as we embrace online shopping. Bricks and mortar is here to stay but will evolve and savvy retailers are embracing innovations to create an interactive and seamless shopping experience. Some very futuristic and innovative shopping experiences are being piloted each day.
• Retailers are focusing heavily on inventory and fulfilment management as well as data analytics and security. There is consumer demand for increased speed, service and delivery flexibility to enhance the whole retail experience.  We are seeing a lot more “click and collect” delivery options and with the emergence of in-home enablers such as Amazon Dash and Mobile Wallet, the future is coming! 

Thank you to everyone who came along to this event. If you would like a copy of presentation from the day, please click on this link, and for details on our upcoming Moir Group events, please visit our Event Page.

“Australian Property: Where to next?" Reflections on Steve Gatt's Presentation by Karen Ryan, Director, Moir Group

This week Moir Group was delighted to host an event where 80 plus of our clients and candidates joined us to listen to the wise words of Steve Gatt, a highly accredited and experienced Partner of the Real Estate and Construction Practice from KPMG.

Steve shared with us his many insights into the property market both locally and overseas, and spoke about international and local investors in both the retail and commercial property markets.

As Steve had spoken with us in 2014, he firstly re-capped on a few of his predictions.  Some had come to fruition, such as shopping centre tenancy becoming more focussed on service tenants, which is positive as the retail mix always changes. The recommendation that 2014 was a good time to renegotiate rents was also realised, as rents are starting to rise and vacancies  fall. There are still opportunities to re negotiate, however there are not as many offers and incentives from landlords. 

The economy does influence the property market and risk cycles  Whilst there is rising unemployment, consumer sentiment seems neutral and even though confidence  is slightly uncertain for businesses, it is a relatively good environment for property investment. 

The reserve bank  has a dilemma and juggling act where they want to influence the AUD so they can control imports and exports and manage the impact on the property industry.  They had to lower the rates recently and one reason was in reaction to Canada lowering their rates, so the dollar didn’t rise too much, even though this then fuelled the property industry.  This will always be an ongoing balance and a challenge.

Steve spoke a lot about foreign investment in Australian property both institutional and residential.  Institutional investment has gone from 18 billion to 28.2 billion in the last year.  1/3 of all this was foreign and 38% of that from China.  Chinese are investing in Australian property for many reasons including yields over 4 % compared to lower yields and more barriers in China, and rents are rising here too. Part of the reason Sydney international residential investment is increasing is due to special and premium investment visas, giving guaranteed residency to overseas investors if they invest $5-15 million.  In 2014 over 4 billion was invested in residential property by the Chinese and from 2009 – 2013 – the total was less than 4 billion, so this is a huge increase. 

Sydney is now the third least affordable place to live falling just under HK and Vancouver and not to scare us, but he said after Vancouver had all the foreign investment, no locals could afford to live there any more and there was a lot of out cry and unrest from locals towards the government.  However this is not too much of a worry for us as our population growth outpaces supply so we need new property and investment from overseas and will still have the capacity to fill all the places investment is creating.

If people talk too much about the increased prices, investments might slow down. This could go against us and “kill the golden goose”. To make us feel better, $1 million in Sydney buys you 41 square metres compared to 17 sqm in Monaco, 20 sqm in HK and 21 in London, and in Melbourne 117 sqm.

It seems Melbourne is likely to over take Sydney as a population centre by 2050, and Perth will take over Brisbane sooner than that. Melbourne is going to be the place to be for businesses and consumers in the future.

It was a great presentation with many more issues covered and interesting things to think about and focus on.  Whether you came to hear an institutional, commercial point of view or from a more personal residential property investment decision perspective, Steve definitely gave us all lots of information and things to think about and to watch out for over the coming year and into the future.   

Thanks everyone who came along. Steve's most important message of the day was a message from his mum.  When is the best time to buy property?  All the time! 

To find out more about our other upcoming events, visit our events page and to stay up to date, like us on Facebook and Twitter  or follow our company page on LinkedIn.

At our recent lunchtime event we were delighted to have guest speaker Sean Spence speak to our candidate community. Sean’s topic was “how do you stay positive when you are going through a career transition?” What things do you need to do every day that will keep you positive?

Asking yourself “How am I going?” is an important first step. Sean then uses a framework he calls FEROCITY, which is shorthand for considering 8 possible strategies that really can work for you.

Focused – You must have a target or targets, think about how you choose them and what works for you. For example, Sean will retreat to a coffee shop, where everything is taken care of for him and there is no interruptions from family or friends. This enables him to be in the moment and stay focused on his target for the day

Energised – What do you do about your energy? Think about your physical, mental, emotional and also spiritual energy. Reflect on what is your meaning and purpose in life, what is it about your whole being that keeps you on “song”

Respected – Respect yourself! What are you good at? Find the most influential person you know and catch up with them and ask their opinion and feedback of you. Be vulnerable, trust them and really listen to their feedback

Organised – It not about time management but more about rhythms and pacing yourself. Think about your circadian rhythms, what parts of the day do you work best? Are you a morning person or an evening person? Understand your own rhythm and make your day work according to this

Caring – Without caring about people and issues, you’ll have no followers and your leadership and impact will be diminished. On the flip side, you also need to be cared about and include your family, friends and colleagues in this. Empathy is a very powerful force to create engagement with others.

Innovate – To innovate you need a target, a process and a reason. You can only actually innovate on “something”. Know what you need in terms of the rate of change you can tolerate

Timeframe – When your timeframe is out of whack, when you are buried in fighting fires and seem to have no connection to your future and cannot look ahead. Are you trying to just exist and get through day to day?

Youthful Passion – When you are in touch with your youthful passion there is something very charismatic about this. People will follow you, your impact is enhanced and this makes your career more sustainable. When you are attached to your passions you are also a lot happier in yourself. During career transition you can tend to lose your passion and feel lost and adrift. As you are changing and going through this transition, allow the idea that your passion will return

You can also use the FEROCITY strategies to lead your team, monitor and sustain their focus and also re-energise them.

So when you are feeling fragile, flat and stale and wondering how to LIFT yourself. Then stop and RESET and use even just one of these buttons……..FEROCITY   

To find out more about Sean visit www.seanspence.com.au and head to our events page to see details about all our upcoming events. 

By Stephen Moir

2014 was a strong year at Moir Group and, looking forward, we think 2015 will also be a good year. We noted this strength across all the temporary/contracting and permanent accountancy/finance recruitment markets in which we operate, and from the more junior roles to the very senior level. 

Having said this, building through 2014 there was also an underlying sense that 'all is not quite right' with the Australian economy.  We believe this feeling will definitely flow into 2015. 

 It is hard to balance this "sense" with what we are seeing in terms of tangible results. It may be that this sense of unease and lack of confidence is just the new normal in which businesses and individuals operate, or it may be a sign of more fundamental issues in the Australian economy. We tend to think it is the former and that individuals in their job search and businesses generally are and will continue to adjust to these types of conditions. 

The single most important factor when looking at joining a new business is ensuring that you are aligned with the culture and values of the organisation. It should also be the case with the company you currently work for. If this is right everything else tends to follow. 

Given the "new normal" mentioned above, excellent leadership should also rank highly when looking at a new employer. The organisations that will continue to grow into the future and maximise the opportunities that these rapidly changing times afford, will be those with outstanding leaders. These leaders have a meaningful sense of purpose, strong values and a clear strategy all of which are linked. For ambitious individuals it is very important to be aligned with these types of leaders.

Strong leadership is one of the key components of a satisfying job.  It is also a vital element of a good cultural fit.  For this reason, at Moir Group we ensure this is a focus with all our candidates.

Fiona Bones, Google Regional APAC Finance Director.

Hosted by Gabriel Fernandes, Consultant, Moir Group

We had the pleasure of having Fiona Bones, Regional APAC Finance Director of Google, speak to our network of up-and-coming Technical or Commercial Finance professionals at our Sydney head office. Fiona spoke candidly about her diversified and somewhat unconventional career path to securing a senior finance role with Google.

Some key career learnings;

• The value of a diversified career and mind in today’s workplace
• Expect the best, prepare for the worst
• Success is about being savvy and ready to take good opportunities that come before you
• Your manager is a short part of your career and rarely a reason to leave your company or position you otherwise like
• In making career choices be sure that the value you give to the business is balanced with what value the business can give to you
• In driving your career - be thorough, pro-active and persistent

The session was highly enjoyable and we continue to receive positive feedback from those who came along. It’s worth mentioning that as a result of this networking event one of the attendees went on to interview with Google.

Gabriel Fernandes, Consultant, Moir Group

Interview Preparation

Congratulations, your well written resume has helped you secure a job interview. How you perform at the job interview is crucial, and will ultimately decide if you are successful in securing a job offer. To increase your chances of success, ensure that you are well prepared:

Importance of Preparation

This is one of the most important areas of the job interview. Even if you have been told it is just an “informal” meeting, turning up unprepared can completely jeopardise you chances of any job opportunities within the organisation. Therefore, prior to your interview, ensure you do your research:

The Company & Industry: You may know who the company is, but it is up to you to ensure you have a detailed overview of the company structure, values and vision and market positioning. Be sure you know what the company does, and its range of products or services. Check out their website, and also do some Google searches so you have up to the minute information. Check out any industry specific news. What are their competitors doing, how do they rank compared to their competitors?

The Position: Thoroughly read the job description. Ensure you know your own resume very well and how it relates to the job description. As you read through the key competencies of the job description, think of some examples where you can demonstrate previous experience that reflects these competencies.

Asking Questions Usually towards the end of the interview you will be asked if you have any questions you would like to ask. Aim to ask some open questions, thinking about how you can add value to the organization. At first interview, always avoid any questions around salary, these can be asked later in the process. Some questions you could ask include:

• What are the key goals and objectives for the role in first 3 to 6 months?
• Why is the role available?
• Where would you see this role in 3 to 5 years?
• How would you describe the company/team culture?
• What makes a person a success at the company?

The Final Basics It’s common sense, but always ensure you know where you are going and where the company is located. Can you park, or is it best to get public transport? Aim to arrive around 10 minutes early for the interview. Any earlier than this and it’s best to go and get a coffee before you turn up at reception. Ensure you have the contact details, including direct telephone number, of the person you are meeting.

Smart presentation is also of the utmost importance. If in doubt, then choose to err on the side of conservatism. Be positive, a firm handshake, good eye contact, smile and believe in yourself!

We are delighted to have Paul Mitchell from The Human Enterprise, a trusted adviser to some of Asia-Pacific’s most senior leaders, speak at our upcoming event. In Paul’s own words:

Trust in our leaders is at an all-time low. Our political leaders, business leaders, even religious leaders are coming under attack. Yet with trust, business seems to go so much faster and easier, and is so much more enjoyable and rewarding. And at the heart of trust is being an authentic, no B.S. leader.

Enjoy some of the key ideas from one of the world’s most sought after leadership development experiences: BlessingWhite (in conjunction with Professors Goffee and Jones, from the London Business School): “Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader”. See why dynamic organisations such as Red Bull, Rolls Royce, Microsoft and Fujitsu are insisting their leaders lead by being themselves.

Our speaker, Paul Mitchell, is a trusted adviser to some of Asia-Pacific’s most senior leaders. His clear memorable messages, sense of fun and exuberance, will ensure you leave with a new resolve to be the best leader you can be.”

You can check Paul out on http://www.thehumanenterprise.com.au/ and also see details of our upcoming event, Thursday 20th March http://www.moirgroup.com.au/events_media.htm.