INTHEBLACK September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 17
“I have never been particularly happy when there is not something
challenging going on. Each initiative is about improving the business, and that
is what makes the role rewarding. It is much more motivating to spend your
day helping to make something better, rather than simply solving problems.”
Watching the evolution of Fairfax taught
me a great deal about the importance of
change and adaptation. It showed me how
quickly industries can be transformed and
not to underestimate the significance of
technological change. Those lessons have
stayed with me throughout my career.
Those experiences were also a major
reason that Hinkler appealed to me when
the opportunity arose. I could see that
the business understood that it needed to
evolve if it was going to remain successful.
The company I joined more than a decade
ago is very different from the business we are
today. In many respects, we are no longer just
a publishing business — we have expanded
into new categories, new markets and new
channels, and I have been fortunate to play
a role in helping drive that evolution.
MY CHALLENGES
Sustainable business models
One of the biggest challenges for any
business is making sure it continues to evolve.
That is something I have been conscious of
throughout my career.
When I was working as strategy manager at
Fairfax, I was in the middle of the evolution of
what people referred to as the “rivers of gold”
businesses — real estate, employment and
motor-classified advertising. It was a period
when the extent of technological disruption
was becoming impossible to ignore.
That experience has proven valuable in
my time at Hinkler, because the business
has had to transform significantly. If you
look at our product portfolio today, it is very
different from when I joined. In fact, part of
our corporate restructuring involved moving
away from the “Hinkler Books” identity
because it no longer reflected what the
business had become.
I think my breadth of experience in
management consulting put me in a fairly
unique position to support those changes
and move into a group of aligned segments.
There are not too many local businesses left
in Australia that are taking on the global
markets and succeeding.
A lot of the work we have undertaken
in recent years has been about building
a strategically sustainable business model.
This has involved acquisitions, restructuring,
technology investments and expanding
into new product categories and channels.
Consumer behaviour also has changed
significantly, particularly through the
growth of online retail, and we needed
to respond to that.
One example is our recent acquisition of
the business Journey of Something, which
specialises in premium craft, puzzles and
games. Historically, much of Hinkler’s
product range sat at a lower pricepoint
and was sold primarily through traditional
retail channels. Journey of Something gave
us access to a higher-pricepoint product
range that was already performing strongly
online. It allowed us not only to diversify our
products but also to diversify our channels.
The acquisition also reflected a broader
strategy of ensuring we are participating
in the right segments and adapting to the
ways consumers choose to shop.
The challenge is never about finding
a short-term opportunity. The challenge
is finding a position in the market that
you can sustain over time. This requires the
right products, strong customer relationships
and a willingness to continue adapting as
markets change.
More than anything, though, success
comes down to people. One thing Hinkler
does extremely well is set high expectations
and have those expectations owned by
employees. The bar is high, but it is not
imposed — it is embraced. That is very
difficult to create because culture takes
time. Every new starter has to become
part of that culture and contribute to it.
In larger organisations, processes
often drive performance. In a mid-sized
business, people and culture are critical.
Markets change and business models
evolve, but culture is what allows you to
adapt successfully. Maintaining that culture
while continuing to grow and transform
the business is one of the most important
challenges we face. ■
READ
an article about the
surprising career
benefits of reading
LISTEN
to a podcast
episode on why
purpose-driven
leadership builds
stronger teams
READ
an article about
the resurgence
of independent
bookstores
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 17
