#107 Andrew Bills, CEO of SA Power Networks on Powering Through Challenges and Leadership in Crisis Artwork

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Creating Synergy Podcast

#107 Andrew Bills, CEO of SA Power Networks on Powering Through Challenges and Leadership in Crisis

July 27, 2023 • SynergyIQ

Get ready for an insightful conversation with the remarkable Andrew Bills, CEO of SA Power Networks.

Andrew captivates us with his inspiring personal journey, laced with resilience and transformation, from navigating personal loss to combating significant adversities in his career, including a cyber-attack and personal health challenges.

This episode offers a wealth of insights into leadership, crisis management, and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. Join us as Andrew shares his vision for the future of SA Power Networks and invaluable leadership advice.

This episode is an absolute must-listen for those seeking inspiration and practical wisdom from the top echelons of leadership. Tune in now!

Here's a glimpse of what you can expect:

1:43 | Andrew's background and early life
3:46 | The impact of losing his father at a young age
6:12 | Attending boarding school and developing independence
7:59 | Moving to Brisbane and working at Coopers and Lybrand
11:53 | Joining Babcock and Brown and experiencing the financial crisis
19:57 | Joining Origin Energy and working on cultural change
27:28 | Discussing the recent issues at PwC and the importance of balanced perspective
29:33 | Leaving PwC and joining Stanwell Corporation
33:46 | Working at Babcock and Brown Power during the financial crisis
40:15 | Building a safety culture at Origin Energy
45:42 | Turning around the LPG business at Origin Energy
49:21 | The mindset and actions needed to change culture
52:35 | The ROI of improving culture at Origin Energy
54:59 | Discussion about the impact of culture on business
57:21 | Transitioning to the role of CEO at SA Power Networks

Stay tuned, stay connected, and don't forget to subscribe and give us follow! Let's keep #CreatingSynergy! 😉

Where to find Andrew Bills

Books mentioned in the podcast:

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram (@synergyiq).

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.

Say hello to our host Daniel Franco on LinkedIn.

00:00:04:24 - 00:00:40:14
Daniel Franco
Everyone. And welcome back to the Creating Synergy podcast. I'm thrilled to introduce our guests today, the CEO of S.A. Power Networks, Mr. Andrew Bills In this episode, we're going to embark on an insightful journey delving into Andrew's life and his remarkable career experiences from his early years, shaped by his personal challenges, such as the untimely loss of his father at 12 years old to navigating crises such as a cyber attack during his tenure as CEO at Sea Synergy, Andrew will share pivotal moments that molded him into the extraordinary leader that he is today.

00:00:40:14 - 00:01:07:13
Daniel Franco
The conversation with Andrew will leave you inspired as we uncover the secrets to his resilience and unwavering positive mindset in the face of adversity. Throughout the conversation will gain valuable insights on leadership and transformation, discovering the qualities that have made a profound impact throughout his career. In this episode, we'll also delve into the multifaceted role of a CEO and gain invaluable insights on achieving a work life balance.

00:01:07:22 - 00:01:34:06
Daniel Franco
And we draw in Andrew's personal triumph over prostate cancer. As we peer into the future, Andrew will enlighten us on his vision for us AI powered networks, offering us a glimpse into the exciting prospects that lie ahead. And moreover, his leadership development advice will undoubtedly resonate with leaders and aspiring leaders alike across so many diverse industries. So without further ado, let's dive into our chat with
Andrew Bills.

00:01:34:24 - 00:01:49:24
Daniel Franco
Welcome back to the Creating Synergy Podcast. Today we have the new kid on the block here, I guess, in South Australia. Mr. Andrew Bills all the way from Brisbane and now the new CEO of South Australian Power Networks. Welcome.

00:01:50:04 - 00:01:51:09
Andrew Bills
Thank you. Good to be here.

00:01:52:00 - 00:01:58:24
Daniel Franco
Very excited to have you. Have you along. First question I have to ask, how are you enjoying the cold weather.

00:01:59:05 - 00:02:05:01
Andrew Bills
Which is causing a bit of grief? I got to tell you, just, you know, that's the hard part.

00:02:05:01 - 00:02:12:14
Andrew Bills
Like everything else I'm loving about Adelaide, how frightening people have been and welcoming and just telling me things I need to do, people I need to meet. It's been wonderful.

00:02:12:14 - 00:02:13:24
Andrew Bills
But God has been.

00:02:13:24 - 00:02:14:15
Andrew Bills
Cold and wet.

00:02:14:28 - 00:02:15:13
Andrew Bills
And every.

00:02:15:13 - 00:02:16:04
Andrew Bills
Weekend has been.

00:02:16:04 - 00:02:16:27
Andrew Bills
Wet and cold.

00:02:17:03 - 00:02:19:11
Daniel Franco
And it feels like it's been the coldest bloody winter.

00:02:19:24 - 00:02:21:10
Andrew Bills
And so for someone who loves.

00:02:21:10 - 00:02:22:13
Andrew Bills
Exercise, yeah.

00:02:23:05 - 00:02:24:20
Andrew Bills
Getting on the bike has been hard.

00:02:24:20 - 00:02:26:10
Andrew Bills
So yeah, a bit of a challenge.

00:02:26:10 - 00:02:28:22
Daniel Franco
That cold wind in your face every morning.

00:02:28:22 - 00:02:31:13
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Yeah. And just the west, you know, it's just I don't know.

00:02:31:15 - 00:02:32:21
Andrew Bills
It's not safe on its way.

00:02:32:23 - 00:02:33:26
Andrew Bills
I think other people.

00:02:34:07 - 00:02:35:10
Andrew Bills
Just love it and they'll ride.

00:02:35:10 - 00:02:36:15
Andrew Bills
Regardless. But I just.

00:02:36:15 - 00:02:40:17
Andrew Bills
I find in a new city, in the dark, in the wet, something I'm not going to do.

00:02:40:17 - 00:02:42:17
Daniel Franco
So it is the cycling.

00:02:42:19 - 00:02:43:18
Andrew Bills
Capital of Australia.

00:02:43:18 - 00:02:47:08
Daniel Franco
Australia though. It's the coast where the coast meets the vineyards right?

00:02:47:08 - 00:02:49:24
Andrew Bills
It's beautiful. You've got the hills coast.

00:02:50:07 - 00:02:54:24
Andrew Bills
So I am investing in a trainer this weekend so I can broad range of.

00:02:55:01 - 00:02:55:21
Andrew Bills
Snow.

00:02:56:11 - 00:02:56:24
Andrew Bills
That'll keep.

00:02:56:24 - 00:02:57:24
Andrew Bills
My activity.

00:02:57:24 - 00:03:02:17
Andrew Bills
Going. But yeah, I'm looking forward to the warmer weather, more daylight hours and doing longer rides.

00:03:03:05 - 00:03:16:13
Daniel Franco
Yeah, I had a accident on my bike, Her, my daughter was about six months old and I came off the bike in the wet and that and I like it was going around around about, you know, the white lines on the road. They become slippery.

00:03:16:13 - 00:03:17:03
Andrew Bills
You're lost.

00:03:17:03 - 00:03:35:15
Daniel Franco
Your wheel wheels just came out. I slid across this roundabout and just missed this car as it was sort of driving by it. And I went, yeah, I gave that off then and I tried. I took up running, which is probably a bit worse on the body. But anyway, it is, it is what it is. The rest is history.

00:03:35:15 - 00:03:53:08
Daniel Franco
I still love to tell the tale. Now let's get into the story of Andrew. I'd love to explore your your journey throughout the years. So what do we have to understand about you and your early It's context to to understand the person that's sitting here in front of us today.

00:03:53:10 - 00:04:00:18
Andrew Bills
That's a good question. Um, look, I was born in New Zealand probably. That's probably the context to start with.

00:04:01:01 - 00:04:02:11
Andrew Bills
I grew up in a small town.

00:04:02:11 - 00:04:03:05
Andrew Bills
Called Timaru.

00:04:04:11 - 00:04:05:13
Daniel Franco
In the South south.

00:04:05:13 - 00:04:08:25
Andrew Bills
Island there between Christchurch and and Aden lived on sort.

00:04:08:25 - 00:04:10:04
Andrew Bills
Of five or six acres.

00:04:11:15 - 00:04:18:26
Andrew Bills
In a sort of semi rural environment. And look, it was a when I look back, it was, you know, a pretty lovely lifestyle, you know.

00:04:19:06 - 00:04:22:06
Andrew Bills
Very simple. But, you know, we.

00:04:22:06 - 00:04:28:15
Andrew Bills
We you know, had this one. We could do anything. We wanted going outside, playing. It was safe, you know, what have you.

00:04:28:29 - 00:04:29:18
Andrew Bills
So that was sort.

00:04:29:18 - 00:04:30:13
Andrew Bills
Of like, you know, the.

00:04:30:14 - 00:04:31:08
Andrew Bills
Classic sort of.

00:04:31:13 - 00:04:32:29
Andrew Bills
Seventies sort of environment.

00:04:33:26 - 00:04:36:03
Andrew Bills
But the context that's really relevant is my dad.

00:04:36:03 - 00:04:36:19
Andrew Bills
Died when I was.

00:04:36:19 - 00:04:39:15
Andrew Bills
About was 12, so he was a lot older.

00:04:39:15 - 00:04:41:07
Andrew Bills
Than mum. There's a 17 year.

00:04:41:15 - 00:04:41:24
Andrew Bills
Age.

00:04:41:24 - 00:04:42:13
Andrew Bills
Difference, so it.

00:04:42:13 - 00:04:44:12
Andrew Bills
Was quite a lot for those days. Yeah.

00:04:44:27 - 00:04:45:16
Daniel Franco
How old was he?

00:04:45:23 - 00:04:50:25
Andrew Bills
He was 56 and she was, she was still very young. Yeah. Yeah. So he died of a heart attack.

00:04:51:26 - 00:04:52:16
Andrew Bills
So Mum had to go.

00:04:52:16 - 00:04:52:24
Andrew Bills
Back to.

00:04:52:24 - 00:04:54:14
Andrew Bills
Teaching.

00:04:54:14 - 00:04:56:05
Daniel Franco
She wasn't working at night.

00:04:56:05 - 00:04:57:00
Andrew Bills
She'd give it, she'd.

00:04:57:00 - 00:04:58:09
Andrew Bills
Stop teaching to.

00:04:58:09 - 00:04:59:05
Andrew Bills
Have three kids.

00:04:59:23 - 00:05:06:27
Andrew Bills
I was raising three kids and so she'd go about teaching and raise three kids. I was 12, my sister was ten, my.

00:05:06:27 - 00:05:07:28
Andrew Bills
Older brother, he was sort.

00:05:07:28 - 00:05:08:14
Andrew Bills
Of 15.

00:05:08:14 - 00:05:13:11
Andrew Bills
So yeah, yeah. So that was probably a very formative experience.

00:05:13:11 - 00:05:14:06
Andrew Bills
In terms because we all had.

00:05:14:06 - 00:05:17:12
Andrew Bills
To. What came out of that was we all had.

00:05:17:12 - 00:05:18:20
Andrew Bills
To pitch in, so.

00:05:18:21 - 00:05:18:27
Andrew Bills
We.

00:05:18:28 - 00:05:19:24
Andrew Bills
Had to cook a meal.

00:05:19:24 - 00:05:20:12
Andrew Bills
We'll have to do.

00:05:20:12 - 00:05:21:01
Andrew Bills
Cleaning.

00:05:21:17 - 00:05:23:21
Andrew Bills
We had to do our share of housework, you know.

00:05:23:21 - 00:05:41:10
Andrew Bills
Cleaning and around the gardening and everything. So it gave us a tremendous sense of independence. So when I then left home at 17, go to university and I was in the hall of residence for a year, but then you go out in the house, I was the only guy who knew how to cook, clean on.

00:05:41:10 - 00:05:43:01
Andrew Bills
Whatever, and all these other guys are.

00:05:43:01 - 00:05:44:02
Andrew Bills
Sitting there going, I don't know.

00:05:44:02 - 00:05:44:14
Andrew Bills
What to do.

00:05:44:14 - 00:05:46:27
Andrew Bills
You know, Mum's been doing it all.

00:05:47:09 - 00:05:48:18
Andrew Bills
So I just got this tremendous sense.

00:05:48:18 - 00:05:51:18
Andrew Bills
Of independence courtesy that you had to, you know, the.

00:05:51:18 - 00:05:53:12
Andrew Bills
Very formative sort of experience. Yeah.

00:05:53:21 - 00:05:55:19
Daniel Franco
Not ideal circumstances to learn that day.

00:05:55:21 - 00:05:57:25
Andrew Bills
No, no. You know, I think.

00:05:58:24 - 00:05:59:27
Andrew Bills
It the.

00:05:59:27 - 00:06:01:12
Andrew Bills
The impact of something like that.

00:06:01:18 - 00:06:02:15
Andrew Bills
At a young.

00:06:02:21 - 00:06:04:04
Andrew Bills
Like 12, 13 formative.

00:06:04:04 - 00:06:04:26
Andrew Bills
Age as the young.

00:06:04:26 - 00:06:06:03
Andrew Bills
Man young.

00:06:06:03 - 00:06:07:06
Andrew Bills
Boy sorry is.

00:06:07:06 - 00:06:10:12
Andrew Bills
A teenager and then losing that role male role.

00:06:10:12 - 00:06:10:22
Andrew Bills
Model.

00:06:10:22 - 00:06:13:05
Andrew Bills
Yeah I think it had a big impact on my.

00:06:13:05 - 00:06:13:19
Andrew Bills
Life.

00:06:14:08 - 00:06:18:18
Andrew Bills
For some time. So yeah, that's probably the most formative thing in terms of context.

00:06:18:18 - 00:06:18:29
Andrew Bills
Of who I.

00:06:19:14 - 00:06:21:08
Daniel Franco
Was. A good role model before.

00:06:22:21 - 00:06:23:26
Andrew Bills
He was, he was a very.

00:06:23:26 - 00:06:27:17
Andrew Bills
Kind, uh, person, very, very gentle.

00:06:28:12 - 00:06:32:13
Andrew Bills
He played the cello classical and double bass.

00:06:32:13 - 00:06:35:00
Andrew Bills
Jazz and played tennis and golf.

00:06:35:00 - 00:06:37:05
Andrew Bills
And it was just he was just a very.

00:06:37:19 - 00:06:39:11
Andrew Bills
Pleasant, um, if what I remember, he's very.

00:06:39:11 - 00:06:42:20
Andrew Bills
Kind to be around. You know, I think there.

00:06:42:20 - 00:06:44:19
Andrew Bills
Were a lot of things I missed out on that we were going to.

00:06:44:19 - 00:06:45:16
Andrew Bills
Do together, like.

00:06:45:16 - 00:06:48:14
Andrew Bills
Hiking and stuff and what have you. And he loved doing that.

00:06:49:01 - 00:06:53:12
Andrew Bills
But he apparently, well, photos show I did look.

00:06:53:12 - 00:06:57:24
Andrew Bills
Like him, so I was very much in his own image.

00:06:57:24 - 00:06:59:23
Andrew Bills
So, yeah, I have a lot.

00:06:59:23 - 00:07:01:19
Andrew Bills
Of fond memories.

00:07:01:19 - 00:07:09:01
Daniel Franco
Is is the heart the heart attack? Is there is there a case of that in the family or is it was it something new or, uh.

00:07:09:03 - 00:07:09:18
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:07:09:18 - 00:07:09:27
Andrew Bills
I.

00:07:10:07 - 00:07:11:00
Andrew Bills
Know it was.

00:07:11:00 - 00:07:14:02
Andrew Bills
Like his father had blood pressure.

00:07:14:02 - 00:07:14:24
Andrew Bills
And his and his.

00:07:14:24 - 00:07:16:28
Andrew Bills
Brother died of a heart attack as well.

00:07:17:29 - 00:07:19:24
Daniel Franco
So it's something that you need to.

00:07:20:03 - 00:07:21:02
Andrew Bills
I've been I've been.

00:07:21:02 - 00:07:22:19
Andrew Bills
Obsessed as a result.

00:07:23:02 - 00:07:24:00
Andrew Bills
About my own health.

00:07:24:00 - 00:07:24:10
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:07:24:13 - 00:07:25:13
Andrew Bills
Heart disease and.

00:07:25:13 - 00:07:26:01
Daniel Franco
Cycling.

00:07:26:01 - 00:07:27:00
Andrew Bills
Yeah, exactly.

00:07:27:00 - 00:07:28:19
Andrew Bills
And, you know, I never smoked or anything like that.

00:07:28:19 - 00:07:31:08
Andrew Bills
And just because you look at it and you go, well, you're all you.

00:07:31:08 - 00:07:33:00
Andrew Bills
Die, it's going to give you a and All right.

00:07:33:00 - 00:07:37:26
Andrew Bills
So what do you do to improve your odds? Stay fit, eat healthy, so forth. So it did.

00:07:37:26 - 00:07:39:26
Andrew Bills
Did shape my choices, my life.

00:07:39:26 - 00:07:40:11
Andrew Bills
Choices.

00:07:41:03 - 00:07:43:11
Andrew Bills
Reacting to that. So unfortunately, I.

00:07:43:11 - 00:07:44:23
Andrew Bills
Don't have high blood pressure or.

00:07:44:23 - 00:07:47:03
Andrew Bills
Cholesterol and I've been lucky.

00:07:47:03 - 00:07:47:25
Andrew Bills
So, yeah.

00:07:48:19 - 00:07:53:04
Daniel Franco
You're one of the few at the moment. It feels like everyone's got a blood pressure problem.

00:07:53:05 - 00:07:53:08
Andrew Bills
Or.

00:07:54:08 - 00:08:05:18
Daniel Franco
Anyway, we'll go there a bit later. I know you have had your health struggles elsewhere, but we'll we'll jump into that. So growing up, being sent to boarding school, was that weird?

00:08:05:18 - 00:08:07:04
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I actually, yeah.

00:08:07:07 - 00:08:13:16
Andrew Bills
So at ten years old, I went off to boarding school because in that rural environment I described.

00:08:13:16 - 00:08:15:21
Andrew Bills
I went to the local school, rural school and.

00:08:15:21 - 00:08:16:22
Andrew Bills
Was only 30 kids in the whole.

00:08:16:22 - 00:08:17:09
Andrew Bills
School for.

00:08:17:10 - 00:08:17:16
Andrew Bills
My.

00:08:17:16 - 00:08:18:18
Andrew Bills
Grade.

00:08:18:18 - 00:08:19:24
Andrew Bills
Mum and dad weren't that happy.

00:08:19:24 - 00:08:20:03
Andrew Bills
With.

00:08:20:05 - 00:08:22:10
Andrew Bills
You know, the teaching and, you know, obviously.

00:08:22:10 - 00:08:27:16
Andrew Bills
The curriculum. So my brother had already gone off to this boy's boarding school.

00:08:27:16 - 00:08:28:19
Andrew Bills
Was 100 boys.

00:08:28:19 - 00:08:29:02
Andrew Bills
On.

00:08:29:03 - 00:08:31:05
Andrew Bills
20 hectares in the middle of the countryside.

00:08:32:03 - 00:08:33:01
Andrew Bills
I think when I look.

00:08:33:01 - 00:08:34:05
Andrew Bills
Back, incredibly.

00:08:34:05 - 00:08:39:10
Andrew Bills
Privileged to the experience and it was school away.

00:08:39:10 - 00:08:41:00
Andrew Bills
And still going and.

00:08:41:13 - 00:08:44:16
Andrew Bills
We played sport every day. We did had to.

00:08:44:16 - 00:08:45:02
Andrew Bills
Do homework.

00:08:45:02 - 00:08:48:10
Andrew Bills
Every day except Saturday. I went to church every day.

00:08:48:10 - 00:08:51:12
Andrew Bills
You learn Latin, you learned French, This is it, 11, 12 years old.

00:08:51:20 - 00:08:53:13
Andrew Bills
So it's a very it was sort of based.

00:08:53:13 - 00:08:54:08
Andrew Bills
On the English.

00:08:54:17 - 00:08:55:07
Andrew Bills
Prep school.

00:08:55:15 - 00:08:56:19
Andrew Bills
You know, like Eton or something.

00:08:56:21 - 00:08:57:02
Daniel Franco
Yeah, Yeah.

00:08:57:05 - 00:08:58:25
Andrew Bills
But it obviously a New Zealand context.

00:09:00:03 - 00:09:02:07
Andrew Bills
And that was really hard at first.

00:09:02:07 - 00:09:04:26
Andrew Bills
You know, you leave your mum and dad at ten years old.

00:09:05:11 - 00:09:07:05
Andrew Bills
You're still a kid like, Yeah, yeah.

00:09:07:05 - 00:09:08:29
Andrew Bills
And I got very homesick.

00:09:09:09 - 00:09:13:18
Andrew Bills
But as you go through, was that three years? You look.

00:09:14:06 - 00:09:15:21
Andrew Bills
By the time you're in that second or third.

00:09:15:21 - 00:09:16:05
Andrew Bills
Year, you're.

00:09:16:05 - 00:09:17:12
Andrew Bills
Just loving the fact.

00:09:17:12 - 00:09:22:22
Andrew Bills
That you go to these parties, that you can go play whatever sport you want every day of the week. You know.

00:09:22:22 - 00:09:23:10
Andrew Bills
In the middle of the.

00:09:23:10 - 00:09:24:03
Andrew Bills
Countryside.

00:09:24:13 - 00:09:31:01
Andrew Bills
You can go and grab a fishing rod and go down and catch a trout in the in the local river. And then the kitchen would cook it for you for dinner that night.

00:09:31:12 - 00:09:32:17
Andrew Bills
I mean, I look back at that.

00:09:32:17 - 00:09:33:10
Andrew Bills
And go, Oh my.

00:09:33:10 - 00:09:35:20
Andrew Bills
God, how lucky was I? And privileged.

00:09:36:03 - 00:09:36:23
Andrew Bills
And again.

00:09:36:23 - 00:09:38:09
Andrew Bills
I'm pretty, you know, that shaped.

00:09:38:09 - 00:09:39:20
Andrew Bills
A lot of that independence I talked.

00:09:39:20 - 00:09:44:28
Andrew Bills
About as well, because you had to be your from your parents freedom, the freedom.

00:09:45:06 - 00:09:46:15
Andrew Bills
To freedom and I've.

00:09:46:15 - 00:09:48:09
Andrew Bills
Still got, you know, several.

00:09:48:09 - 00:09:49:06
Andrew Bills
Friends from that.

00:09:49:13 - 00:09:49:28
Andrew Bills
Period who.

00:09:49:28 - 00:09:50:26
Andrew Bills
I'm in contact with.

00:09:50:26 - 00:10:12:17
Daniel Franco
Down Yeah. You build relationships it last for a lifetime in that you know do you think do you think moving away the the passing of your father. Sorry the boarding school the passing of your father and and all the above. Does it, does it provide a layer of, of resilience within you as you move through.

00:10:13:01 - 00:10:19:16
Andrew Bills
I think it did absolutely. I think I always had it. I mean.

00:10:19:16 - 00:10:20:21
Andrew Bills
I think what's interesting, I think.

00:10:21:10 - 00:10:26:12
Andrew Bills
It you might have a propensity to be a certain way or.

00:10:26:22 - 00:10:28:25
Andrew Bills
Act in a certain way. And then the environment.

00:10:28:25 - 00:10:29:16
Andrew Bills
Shapes.

00:10:30:00 - 00:10:33:15
Andrew Bills
The context of you about how that you build on that. And I think I.

00:10:33:15 - 00:10:34:02
Andrew Bills
Always had it.

00:10:34:02 - 00:10:34:15
Andrew Bills
But then that.

00:10:34:15 - 00:10:35:21
Andrew Bills
Experience of boarding school.

00:10:35:21 - 00:10:36:12
Andrew Bills
And then, you know.

00:10:37:16 - 00:10:39:28
Andrew Bills
What I've described really, you know, just us all pitching in.

00:10:40:12 - 00:10:42:15
Andrew Bills
I by the time I was 18 years old.

00:10:42:24 - 00:10:44:01
Andrew Bills
You know, I left.

00:10:44:02 - 00:10:45:21
Andrew Bills
Home 17, 18, not long after.

00:10:45:21 - 00:10:46:19
Andrew Bills
University. I was like.

00:10:47:12 - 00:10:48:04
Andrew Bills
I can do whatever.

00:10:48:04 - 00:10:50:05
Andrew Bills
I like, whatever. I can go wherever I want.

00:10:50:05 - 00:10:52:05
Andrew Bills
And and, you know, after I finished.

00:10:52:05 - 00:10:53:01
Andrew Bills
School, after.

00:10:53:01 - 00:10:54:28
Andrew Bills
I finished university.

00:10:54:28 - 00:10:55:17
Andrew Bills
You know, I bought a.

00:10:55:17 - 00:10:59:15
Andrew Bills
One way ticket out of New Zealand to America.

00:11:00:05 - 00:11:03:18
Andrew Bills
And I was like, I just always go wherever I want to go. Yeah.

00:11:04:07 - 00:11:05:14
Andrew Bills
And I'll just make it work.

00:11:05:14 - 00:11:06:29
Daniel Franco
Backpacking across America.

00:11:06:29 - 00:11:09:14
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So it's either gap year effectively.

00:11:09:18 - 00:11:11:24
Andrew Bills
My uncle lived in San Francisco and I use that.

00:11:11:24 - 00:11:12:11
Andrew Bills
As a base.

00:11:12:20 - 00:11:14:24
Andrew Bills
And then I just go and travel.

00:11:14:24 - 00:11:16:09
Daniel Franco
It's a tough base, tough place.

00:11:17:17 - 00:11:20:14
Andrew Bills
And I just traveled across all over the place. And I, you know, one of the.

00:11:20:14 - 00:11:24:17
Andrew Bills
Crazy things I did and I, you know, I'd say to my kids, you know, don't.

00:11:24:17 - 00:11:26:10
Andrew Bills
Ever do this. Don't do what I did.

00:11:26:10 - 00:11:27:01
Daniel Franco
Yeah, that's right.

00:11:27:18 - 00:11:31:19
Andrew Bills
I met up with a buddy of mine in Vancouver and we hitchhiked across Canada together.

00:11:32:18 - 00:11:43:06
Andrew Bills
Wow. Yeah. And that was pretty wild experience. Some through highs and lows. And I look back and I got, my God, you know, the travel. We could.

00:11:43:06 - 00:11:45:27
Andrew Bills
Have got into the you know, the circumstances.

00:11:45:27 - 00:11:48:14
Andrew Bills
Could have completely altered your life forever.

00:11:48:15 - 00:11:48:27
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

00:11:49:16 - 00:11:52:02
Andrew Bills
And we were lucky in that regard. But again, that.

00:11:52:02 - 00:11:54:12
Andrew Bills
Was that Brazilian. It's that confidence.

00:11:54:12 - 00:11:58:03
Andrew Bills
Like, yeah, I'll find a way. No problem. Just get out and be a 19.

00:11:58:03 - 00:11:58:23
Daniel Franco
Year old kid.

00:11:58:24 - 00:11:59:05
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:11:59:05 - 00:12:00:01
Andrew Bills
Although this age I was.

00:12:00:01 - 00:12:04:08
Daniel Franco
21, 21 still still in the film that still young dumb. Yeah.

00:12:04:08 - 00:12:05:08
Andrew Bills
Yeah, exactly.

00:12:06:18 - 00:12:15:11
Andrew Bills
And and it was a great experience. I mean, you know, but but that's kind of the answer. Your question. Yeah, I did very much shape that which led to that decision. Yeah.

00:12:15:21 - 00:12:23:19
Andrew Bills
And doing things when I, when I look back now with the maturity and the wisdom, you'd never do that now. No.

00:12:23:26 - 00:12:44:03
Daniel Franco
You know, it's it's funny, we had a more business energy IQ, we had a strategy Day yesterday just to sort of inform the whole team of the new 12 month strategy and and all the above. And we had a couple of people and we're just talking about, you know, back in the day sort of conversations and and you have that you have that part where you go, oh shit.

00:12:44:03 - 00:13:04:15
Daniel Franco
If, if, if, if the world knew what we used to get up to back in the day and you you can't hold yourself accountable to what your 18 year old self did. Right. Like you're a 21 year old self is you just you making decisions with what you've got at that time. That's right. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

00:13:04:15 - 00:13:05:28
Daniel Franco
And you've got children now.

00:13:05:28 - 00:13:08:12
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I've got two daughters growing up, you know.

00:13:08:12 - 00:13:09:13
Andrew Bills
I was 27, I was 20.

00:13:09:13 - 00:13:10:27
Andrew Bills
Four. And they both really.

00:13:10:27 - 00:13:11:29
Andrew Bills
You know, launched and.

00:13:12:04 - 00:13:12:25
Andrew Bills
Got great careers.

00:13:12:29 - 00:13:15:24
Daniel Franco
Two years. They're probably more much more wise than you anyway.

00:13:17:08 - 00:13:20:15
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I agree. I agree. I you know.

00:13:20:16 - 00:13:24:04
Andrew Bills
I look at them there and I just how mature and the decisions that are made and.

00:13:25:06 - 00:13:31:19
Andrew Bills
How complete they are. And I just seem so much compared to what I was at that age, so much more together. Yeah.

00:13:32:11 - 00:13:38:22
Daniel Franco
I'm a father of two daughters as well, so I got 11 year old. I feel like she's she's more together than what I am.

00:13:40:00 - 00:13:41:16
Andrew Bills
And I think they've got an idea.

00:13:41:16 - 00:13:43:08
Andrew Bills
About some of the stuff I get up.

00:13:43:08 - 00:13:44:06
Andrew Bills
To, but not all.

00:13:44:06 - 00:13:44:28
Andrew Bills
Of it, obviously.

00:13:44:28 - 00:13:53:00
Daniel Franco
So what happens next? You've you've traveled, you backpacked, you're at what point does rubber hit the road? And I guess you don't need only to actually do something.

00:13:53:08 - 00:13:54:13
Andrew Bills
When you run out of money. Yeah.

00:13:55:14 - 00:13:57:26
Andrew Bills
So I ran out of money at the end of that year.

00:13:58:11 - 00:13:58:27
Andrew Bills
And you can only.

00:13:58:27 - 00:14:00:27
Andrew Bills
Stay so long in America. So you can't work.

00:14:00:28 - 00:14:01:28
Andrew Bills
Unless you got a green card.

00:14:01:28 - 00:14:02:18
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I.

00:14:02:21 - 00:14:03:14
Andrew Bills
It, it wasn't going to go through.

00:14:03:14 - 00:14:04:02
Andrew Bills
That process.

00:14:04:02 - 00:14:07:01
Andrew Bills
And my grandmother.

00:14:07:09 - 00:14:07:24
Andrew Bills
Was.

00:14:07:24 - 00:14:10:00
Andrew Bills
Born in Scotland, one of my grandmothers.

00:14:10:10 - 00:14:16:13
Andrew Bills
And so I had pitch reality, you know, it's beautiful to work in the UK, so I just got a ticket.

00:14:16:13 - 00:14:20:02
Andrew Bills
Out of New York and to London and literally.

00:14:20:02 - 00:14:22:15
Andrew Bills
Started work three days after arriving.

00:14:22:15 - 00:14:27:00
Andrew Bills
In London and just doing temping and contract work in London. And I just.

00:14:27:18 - 00:14:29:12
Andrew Bills
Like all the Aussies, Kiwis.

00:14:29:17 - 00:14:31:16
Andrew Bills
Ricans, you know, that, you know, just got to a couple.

00:14:31:16 - 00:14:32:05
Andrew Bills
Of years in.

00:14:32:05 - 00:14:32:25
Andrew Bills
In London.

00:14:33:00 - 00:14:34:26
Daniel Franco
So you had studied before that, though? Yeah.

00:14:35:11 - 00:14:37:01
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Done my degree at University.

00:14:37:01 - 00:14:37:14
Andrew Bills
Of Canterbury.

00:14:37:14 - 00:14:40:26
Andrew Bills
In Christchurch, which was a B.A..

00:14:40:26 - 00:14:44:22
Andrew Bills
In politics and economics. So it's interesting, I.

00:14:44:22 - 00:14:45:16
Andrew Bills
Actually started.

00:14:45:23 - 00:14:47:06
Andrew Bills
And enrolled in law.

00:14:47:21 - 00:14:51:10
Andrew Bills
Okay. And I got like a back then.

00:14:51:10 - 00:14:51:27
Andrew Bills
I got in back.

00:14:51:29 - 00:14:52:24
Andrew Bills
This is classic right.

00:14:52:24 - 00:14:53:07
Andrew Bills
Back then.

00:14:53:19 - 00:14:54:08
Andrew Bills
I was paid to.

00:14:54:08 - 00:14:55:05
Andrew Bills
Go to university.

00:14:55:06 - 00:14:55:21
Andrew Bills
Oh wow.

00:14:55:21 - 00:14:58:02
Andrew Bills
So not only was it free, I was at the end of this.

00:14:58:02 - 00:15:00:22
Andrew Bills
Period where it was a free education.

00:15:00:22 - 00:15:01:06
Andrew Bills
And you were.

00:15:01:06 - 00:15:03:08
Andrew Bills
Paid. So I was paid about it was two.

00:15:03:08 - 00:15:04:24
Andrew Bills
Thousand $400 a.

00:15:04:24 - 00:15:05:03
Andrew Bills
Year.

00:15:05:11 - 00:15:07:15
Daniel Franco
Oh, wow. And then. And then you picked up what?

00:15:08:20 - 00:15:19:23
Andrew Bills
I know. So I have this. I do. I do have a sense of guilt, a tremendous sense of thanks, because the distance of the state or.

00:15:19:23 - 00:15:21:03
Andrew Bills
You know, the New Zealand government has.

00:15:21:03 - 00:15:23:07
Andrew Bills
Invested in my education. Yeah.

00:15:23:21 - 00:15:24:28
Andrew Bills
And I have to send.

00:15:25:15 - 00:15:26:08
Andrew Bills
Back it all, you.

00:15:26:08 - 00:15:27:13
Andrew Bills
Know, And the only and the only.

00:15:27:22 - 00:15:30:08
Andrew Bills
I was I did do holiday jobs to help support.

00:15:30:08 - 00:15:31:03
Andrew Bills
Me. So and they.

00:15:31:03 - 00:15:31:18
Andrew Bills
Were, you know.

00:15:31:19 - 00:15:33:04
Andrew Bills
Like working in a flour mill or.

00:15:33:04 - 00:15:34:14
Andrew Bills
Wool store, you.

00:15:34:14 - 00:15:35:20
Andrew Bills
Know, good manual laboring.

00:15:35:20 - 00:15:36:16

ndrew Bills
Fish factory.

00:15:36:16 - 00:15:38:03
Andrew Bills
You know, I decent tannery.

00:15:38:09 - 00:15:38:16
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:15:38:18 - 00:15:39:29
Andrew Bills
But it's an interesting shift.

00:15:39:29 - 00:15:40:06
Andrew Bills
Work.

00:15:40:24 - 00:15:43:02
Andrew Bills
And yeah, between what I earn over the summer.

00:15:43:02 - 00:15:49:26
Andrew Bills
Plus the 2000, you know I live off that for the year anyway so I did that but I started so I started law.

00:15:50:03 - 00:15:53:23
Daniel Franco
Meanwhile Australia's reaped all the benefits. I just think.

00:15:54:17 - 00:15:55:16
Andrew Bills
I just think about how much.

00:15:55:16 - 00:15:58:22
Andrew Bills
Tax I like and, and, and.

00:15:58:27 - 00:15:59:00
Andrew Bills
The.

00:15:59:00 - 00:16:06:02
Andrew Bills
Wealth that are created here. It's exactly and I am very conscious of that. I've talked to a few other, you know, Kiwis because.

00:16:06:08 - 00:16:10:20
Andrew Bills
There's about a million Kiwis living around the world. Yeah. And it very much our generation.

00:16:11:11 - 00:16:17:03
Daniel Franco
I mean it's not too dissimilar. That would be similar statistics from Australian point of view, but I don't think any of them paid for that.

00:16:17:03 - 00:16:18:21
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:16:18:21 - 00:16:19:19
Andrew Bills
It was just that right at.

00:16:19:19 - 00:16:22:15
Andrew Bills
That period in the eighties and then the world changed. Yeah.

00:16:23:10 - 00:16:23:21
Daniel Franco
We're lucky.

00:16:23:21 - 00:16:26:10
Andrew Bills
You. Yeah. So, but I, I started doing.

00:16:26:10 - 00:16:27:26
Andrew Bills
Law and this is one of those things going back.

00:16:27:26 - 00:16:30:16
Andrew Bills
It's my father been around. I probably would have stuck at law.

00:16:30:16 - 00:16:31:28
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Yeah. And I was a lawyer.

00:16:32:02 - 00:16:36:00
Andrew Bills
No, he was an accountant, but he would have, I think that guidance and they probably.

00:16:36:00 - 00:16:36:18
Andrew Bills
Would have said, Yeah.

00:16:36:18 - 00:16:36:29
Andrew Bills
You need.

00:16:36:29 - 00:16:37:21
Andrew Bills
To have a.

00:16:37:21 - 00:16:40:13
Andrew Bills
Profession, you know, law or accounting, whatever. Yeah.

00:16:41:06 - 00:16:43:06
Andrew Bills
And I, I just, I don't know, I just.

00:16:43:09 - 00:16:44:23
Andrew Bills
Again, I wasn't in the.

00:16:44:23 - 00:16:45:25
Andrew Bills
Right headspace.

00:16:45:25 - 00:16:52:25
Andrew Bills
And I said, I'll buy you this. I'm not doing this. I can do what a like Yeah. In retrospect, like given how much money I've spent with.

00:16:52:25 - 00:16:53:26
Andrew Bills
Lawyers over the years and.

00:16:53:27 - 00:16:56:22
Andrew Bills
Time I've seen with lawyers and how much I understand the law.

00:16:57:08 - 00:16:58:14
Andrew Bills
I actually would.

00:16:58:14 - 00:17:02:14
Andrew Bills
Have been, you know, quite okay doing that as a carer. I think I would have enjoyed.

00:17:02:14 - 00:17:04:12
Andrew Bills
It, Yeah, because I just.

00:17:04:13 - 00:17:05:12
Andrew Bills
I naturally.

00:17:05:12 - 00:17:06:02
Andrew Bills
Gravitate to.

00:17:06:02 - 00:17:07:01
Daniel Franco
It. Yeah. And a lot.

00:17:07:01 - 00:17:08:14
Andrew Bills
Of my friends are lawyers.

00:17:08:14 - 00:17:10:17
Andrew Bills
So yeah, I look back at it for those.

00:17:10:17 - 00:17:10:29
Andrew Bills
Again.

00:17:11:05 - 00:17:12:05
Andrew Bills
Those life.

00:17:13:00 - 00:17:14:02
Andrew Bills
You know, decision points.

00:17:14:02 - 00:17:14:12
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

00:17:14:12 - 00:17:19:16
Andrew Bills
Yeah. And, but then if I'd done law I probably wouldn't have got the one my ticket and go round the world.

00:17:19:17 - 00:17:20:19
Andrew Bills
Yeah. I would have still.

00:17:20:20 - 00:17:23:17
Daniel Franco
Been CEO of. Yeah. Companies Right.

00:17:23:17 - 00:17:24:25
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So I would have stayed.

00:17:24:25 - 00:17:25:12
Andrew Bills
In New Zealand.

00:17:25:12 - 00:17:26:00
Andrew Bills
Probably.

00:17:26:02 - 00:17:29:25
Andrew Bills
Going into a law firm. And then who knows what would have happened. My life would have been changed forever.

00:17:29:25 - 00:17:31:16
Andrew Bills
So that was one of those, you know.

00:17:32:12 - 00:17:34:10
Andrew Bills
I'm not regretting it. I'm just thinking.

00:17:34:18 - 00:17:34:24
Andrew Bills
That.

00:17:34:24 - 00:17:35:08
Andrew Bills
Going.

00:17:35:12 - 00:17:40:18
Daniel Franco
Do you think naturally you would have seek that leadership positions anyway? Or you would have? I think, well, yeah.

00:17:40:22 - 00:17:41:09
Andrew Bills
I think I.

00:17:41:11 - 00:17:43:27
Andrew Bills
Was you know, I was at school.

00:17:43:29 - 00:17:45:02
Andrew Bills
Yeah. I was.

00:17:45:02 - 00:17:47:02
Andrew Bills
Naturally, you know, whether.

00:17:47:02 - 00:17:49:06
Andrew Bills
It's in the rugby team. Yeah, everything's rugby.

00:17:49:09 - 00:17:55:20
Daniel Franco
So yeah. I don't really know that sport. Where in South Australia we don't, we don't do rugby.

00:17:55:20 - 00:18:01:15
Andrew Bills
It's footy. It's just a different style. Footy. Yeah. I was always sort of like, like in a group.

00:18:01:15 - 00:18:03:04
Andrew Bills
Situation I was very comfortable just.

00:18:03:04 - 00:18:04:25
Andrew Bills
Sort of taking the lead or so.

00:18:04:25 - 00:18:07:04
Andrew Bills
Therefore I think, you know, there isn't.

00:18:07:04 - 00:18:07:23
Andrew Bills
There is.

00:18:08:08 - 00:18:08:27
Andrew Bills
Some of the like.

00:18:09:09 - 00:18:09:27
Andrew Bills
Attributes.

00:18:09:27 - 00:18:18:27
Andrew Bills
That come with, you know, the leadership. And I think when I look back, you know, I was just comfortable. Yeah, expressing my opinion or suggesting something in a group environment. Yeah.

00:18:19:08 - 00:18:22:26
Andrew Bills
So that was a worry always there whether with a would.

00:18:22:26 - 00:18:23:29
Andrew Bills
Have manifested.

00:18:23:29 - 00:18:25:07
Andrew Bills
Itself if I was a lawyer.

00:18:25:07 - 00:18:25:24
Andrew Bills
Probably, you know.

00:18:25:24 - 00:18:26:02
Andrew Bills
Like.

00:18:26:15 - 00:18:27:23
Andrew Bills
Who knows what would have happened. Yeah.

00:18:28:16 - 00:18:31:17
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So that was interesting.

00:18:31:17 - 00:18:36:18
Andrew Bills
You know, the New Zealand government spent a lot of money. I mean, you know, when over to around the world. But yeah.

00:18:36:18 - 00:18:36:28
Andrew Bills
So I was.

00:18:36:28 - 00:18:41:19
Andrew Bills
Working in London and I think just doing contract work, you know, nothing, nothing.

00:18:41:19 - 00:18:43:25
Andrew Bills
Fabulous. Just what paid.

00:18:43:25 - 00:18:44:06
Andrew Bills
The most.

00:18:44:06 - 00:18:46:24
Andrew Bills
Per hour. How many hours could your work work.

00:18:46:28 - 00:18:50:27
Andrew Bills
And then when was the next trip around Europe. Yeah. And that you all are going to go six.

00:18:50:27 - 00:18:54:29
Andrew Bills
Weeks here every four weeks or whatever. And I did that for a couple of years. Yeah, well.

00:18:54:29 - 00:18:55:25
Daniel Franco
You got to see the.

00:18:56:10 - 00:18:59:29
Andrew Bills
World. Yeah, I got to see the world. And, you know, I loved it.

00:19:01:06 - 00:19:03:08
Andrew Bills
And then you get to say.

00:19:03:26 - 00:19:04:03
Andrew Bills
You know, how.

00:19:04:03 - 00:19:05:03
Andrew Bills
Did you end up in Australia?

00:19:05:03 - 00:19:06:06
Andrew Bills
So is.

00:19:06:06 - 00:19:09:28
Andrew Bills
It often the case you get around the world and then you meet someone who's right next.

00:19:09:28 - 00:19:10:25
Daniel Franco
Door. Yeah. So.

00:19:10:28 - 00:19:11:25
Andrew Bills
And my.

00:19:11:25 - 00:19:13:02
Andrew Bills
Wife. Well, but.

00:19:13:06 - 00:19:13:17
Andrew Bills
Not.

00:19:13:26 - 00:19:14:26
Andrew Bills
At the time. She was my.

00:19:14:26 - 00:19:16:03
Andrew Bills
Wife, obviously, but I met.

00:19:16:03 - 00:19:17:07
Andrew Bills
My future wife.

00:19:17:07 - 00:19:17:17
Andrew Bills
In.

00:19:17:22 - 00:19:18:02
Andrew Bills
In.

00:19:18:18 - 00:19:19:17
Andrew Bills
London and she was too.

00:19:19:17 - 00:19:20:21
Andrew Bills
Much in it too.

00:19:21:03 - 00:19:26:19
Andrew Bills
And she grew up in Canada. Wendy Yeah, and in regional Queensland. Queensland, yeah. Near the.

00:19:26:19 - 00:19:27:25
Andrew Bills
Border there with New South Wales.

00:19:28:14 - 00:19:31:26
Andrew Bills
And, and she'd had enough of the London weather.

00:19:31:27 - 00:19:34:22
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Like most Queenslanders do and said.

00:19:34:22 - 00:19:35:23
Andrew Bills
Oh you know, like I'm going to.

00:19:35:23 - 00:19:42:18
Andrew Bills
Go back to Brisbane and I said oh can I come too? And that's why I ended up in Brisbane. So you know, it was just.

00:19:42:18 - 00:19:44:08
Andrew Bills
And that was again back in that.

00:19:44:21 - 00:19:45:20
Andrew Bills
Oh I'll go.

00:19:45:20 - 00:19:49:09
Andrew Bills
Wherever and do whatever, you know, I just landed in Brisbane in 1990.

00:19:49:24 - 00:19:53:11
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Well you had that attitude of just being kind of nomadic didn't you.

00:19:54:00 - 00:19:55:11
Andrew Bills
I felt at the time.

00:19:55:11 - 00:19:57:09
Andrew Bills
It's interesting, I thought at the time the freedom I.

00:19:57:09 - 00:19:59:00
Andrew Bills
Had and the way I thought about.

00:19:59:00 - 00:20:00:09
Andrew Bills
Things, I could go anywhere in the.

00:20:00:09 - 00:20:00:21
Andrew Bills
World.

00:20:01:07 - 00:20:02:26
Andrew Bills
And survive, like find a place to.

00:20:02:26 - 00:20:03:09
Andrew Bills
Live.

00:20:03:27 - 00:20:06:24
Andrew Bills
Make some money, find some friends, and just do whatever.

00:20:06:26 - 00:20:08:10
Andrew Bills
Yeah, whatever I could. At that.

00:20:08:10 - 00:20:09:12
Andrew Bills
Point in time, I had.

00:20:09:12 - 00:20:09:20
Andrew Bills
That.

00:20:10:17 - 00:20:14:06
Andrew Bills
Real sense of freedom and confidence about just going with wherever.

00:20:14:06 - 00:20:17:02
Andrew Bills
I want to go. Basic skillset, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

00:20:17:12 - 00:20:18:28
Andrew Bills
It changes when you have kids.

00:20:19:01 - 00:20:19:18
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I know.

00:20:19:19 - 00:20:27:26
Daniel Franco
And you don't want to let them go and you kind of can teach you everything. You just know. Let it go anyway. Yeah. What do you think that is? Actually.

00:20:28:07 - 00:20:29:24
Andrew Bills
I think the sense of responsibility because.

00:20:29:24 - 00:20:31:27
Andrew Bills
Yeah, because you've got, you know, you're their parent.

00:20:31:27 - 00:20:32:29
Andrew Bills
And you don't want them.

00:20:33:18 - 00:20:34:17
Andrew Bills
To think this is.

00:20:34:17 - 00:20:37:03
Andrew Bills
This weird thing about it happens.

00:20:37:07 - 00:20:37:23
Andrew Bills
Every.

00:20:37:23 - 00:20:39:05
Andrew Bills
Parent and child relationship.

00:20:39:05 - 00:20:41:08
Andrew Bills
Right? Your experiences.

00:20:41:08 - 00:20:41:29
Andrew Bills
That you went through.

00:20:41:29 - 00:20:42:26
Andrew Bills
Shaped who you are.

00:20:42:27 - 00:20:43:06
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

00:20:43:27 - 00:20:53:17
Andrew Bills
And that makes you the great person that you are. Now, some of those experiences can be really confronting and and most most of us have had the confronting experiences in our life.

00:20:53:21 - 00:20:55:23
Andrew Bills
That too, we that's what shaped who we are.

00:20:56:25 - 00:21:00:21
Andrew Bills
When we look at our own children. Sometimes we want to protect them from those experiences.

00:21:00:21 - 00:21:01:04
Andrew Bills
Because.

00:21:01:04 - 00:21:02:13
Andrew Bills
We know the pain or.

00:21:02:13 - 00:21:06:21
Andrew Bills
The suffering or whatever it was that caused that. And so we we protect.

00:21:06:21 - 00:21:07:10
Andrew Bills
Them from that.

00:21:08:14 - 00:21:12:05
Andrew Bills
But that's almost like a at odds with who you who you are.

00:21:12:21 - 00:21:13:15
Daniel Franco
We're holding him back.

00:21:13:26 - 00:21:14:29
Andrew Bills
And you're like, but hang on.

00:21:15:08 - 00:21:17:16
Andrew Bills
I survived that experience. Look who I.

00:21:17:16 - 00:21:18:15
Andrew Bills
Become as a result.

00:21:18:15 - 00:21:18:24
Andrew Bills
Of that.

00:21:19:06 - 00:21:20:05
Andrew Bills
But you then share.

00:21:20:05 - 00:21:20:13
Andrew Bills
Your.

00:21:21:02 - 00:21:24:04
Andrew Bills
Children from that. And I find it really interesting.

00:21:24:04 - 00:21:24:12
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:21:24:13 - 00:21:25:25
Andrew Bills
That this happens. Yeah.

00:21:25:26 - 00:21:27:16
Andrew Bills
And all parents are like that. Yeah.

00:21:28:02 - 00:21:49:02
Daniel Franco
Having children is by far and away the best thing I've ever done in my life and the worst thing that I've ever done in my life. Like this is the range of emotions and the ups and downs that just go with it and the constant enough. You call it fear, but for lack of a better word, the the anxiety almost of, if anything, should they fall over and break their arm or let them go?

00:21:49:02 - 00:21:59:19
Daniel Franco
I've always had the attitude similar to you, I think, which is like you give him enough rope to get a couple of scratches and get her. But yeah, I don't know, cotton wool just doesn't work.

00:21:59:20 - 00:22:01:18
Andrew Bills
No, no. And I just think, you know.

00:22:01:18 - 00:22:02:06
Andrew Bills
I.

00:22:02:23 - 00:22:03:18
Andrew Bills
Would. I want my.

00:22:03:20 - 00:22:05:06
Andrew Bills
Daughters to hitchhike across Canada.

00:22:05:06 - 00:22:06:26
Andrew Bills
No, no, not in a million years.

00:22:06:26 - 00:22:08:05
Andrew Bills
Or to stop them from that.

00:22:08:20 - 00:22:11:25
Andrew Bills
What I want to do some of the other things I did when I was at university. No, no.

00:22:12:13 - 00:22:20:25
Daniel Franco
So here's a question for you from a father, a father of two daughters as well. If you had boys, would you let them? No, no. You still had you still think you'd have the same attitude?

00:22:20:25 - 00:22:22:22
Andrew Bills
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.

00:22:23:22 - 00:22:24:20
Andrew Bills
I was just some of the stuff.

00:22:24:20 - 00:22:27:19
Andrew Bills
I did was irresponsible and stupid. And I didn't want I.

00:22:27:19 - 00:22:29:22
Andrew Bills
Would not want anyone, male or female. So you don't.

00:22:29:22 - 00:22:33:05
Daniel Franco
Think you've got the ability to train them up to not do those irresponsible.

00:22:33:11 - 00:22:37:13
Andrew Bills
Yet? You hope so. Yeah. So yeah. So I think it's pretty.

00:22:37:13 - 00:22:38:13
Andrew Bills
Interesting that we.

00:22:38:13 - 00:22:41:16
Andrew Bills
As parents protect our offspring.

00:22:41:16 - 00:22:41:21
Andrew Bills
In a.

00:22:41:21 - 00:22:44:21
Andrew Bills
Way which is counter to counter intuitive.

00:22:44:21 - 00:22:46:14
Andrew Bills
Correct. And it defines who you are.

00:22:46:14 - 00:22:49:01
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Yeah. That's a there's.

00:22:49:01 - 00:22:55:22
Daniel Franco
A life lesson on there. So moved to Brisbane where I see what happens when you get married straight away.

00:22:55:22 - 00:22:57:15
Andrew Bills
No, no, I got engaged today.

00:22:57:15 - 00:22:58:12
Andrew Bills
Yeah. A big.

00:22:58:12 - 00:22:59:10
Andrew Bills
Mistake I made.

00:22:59:10 - 00:22:59:24
Andrew Bills
Was.

00:23:01:05 - 00:23:02:12
Andrew Bills
We got engaged young.

00:23:02:12 - 00:23:04:11
Andrew Bills
Love overseas.

00:23:04:17 - 00:23:05:10
Andrew Bills
And I hadn't met.

00:23:05:10 - 00:23:05:14
Andrew Bills
Her.

00:23:05:14 - 00:23:06:02
Daniel Franco
Parents.

00:23:07:01 - 00:23:08:10
Andrew Bills
And I didn't even ask.

00:23:09:27 - 00:23:10:03
Andrew Bills
That.

00:23:10:03 - 00:23:11:13
Andrew Bills
Did that Didn't go that way.

00:23:11:13 - 00:23:13:15
Daniel Franco
You hide it. You can hide it for it. No. I look.

00:23:15:12 - 00:23:16:09
Andrew Bills
Like I have a great.

00:23:16:09 - 00:23:20:07
Andrew Bills
Relationship with my father. You know, he's 92 now and.

00:23:20:21 - 00:23:22:29
Andrew Bills
Yeah, a bit. I took the big.

00:23:22:29 - 00:23:25:06
Andrew Bills
In benefit of hindsight, I would never have done that. Yeah.

00:23:25:06 - 00:23:26:09
Daniel Franco
Whose this young buck.

00:23:26:12 - 00:23:28:05
Andrew Bills
Yeah. And he's a Kiwi as well.

00:23:28:05 - 00:23:28:20
Daniel Franco
Oh, really?

00:23:28:21 - 00:23:29:10
Andrew Bills
Yeah. And, you.

00:23:29:10 - 00:23:30:26
Andrew Bills
Know, my father in law is.

00:23:30:26 - 00:23:31:17
Andrew Bills
Quite a he's a.

00:23:31:20 - 00:23:36:17
Andrew Bills
Lovely man, very traditional product of this generation, but you know, and he played rugby.

00:23:36:17 - 00:23:42:13
Andrew Bills
So Kiwis were like, yeah, you know. So anyway yeah, that.

00:23:42:13 - 00:23:48:05
Andrew Bills
Was so I ended up in Brisbane. We're engaged and this is just from the recession started in 1990.

00:23:48:05 - 00:23:50:06
Andrew Bills
Okay, So the recession, this is the.

00:23:50:14 - 00:23:51:15
Andrew Bills
Famous Keating you know.

00:23:51:28 - 00:23:53:12
Andrew Bills
We had to have. Yeah, we talk.

00:23:53:12 - 00:23:54:03
Andrew Bills
About interest rates.

00:23:54:12 - 00:23:55:25
Daniel Franco
Everything was at 17% of.

00:23:56:02 - 00:23:57:13
Andrew Bills
People, but it just rates today. You go.

00:23:57:13 - 00:23:57:27
Andrew Bills
Back then.

00:23:57:27 - 00:24:00:20
Daniel Franco
And I don't my parents tell me about it all the time.

00:24:01:18 - 00:24:08:12
Andrew Bills
Man or man trying to buy the house, you know. And the thing was I had no employee in history, I had no credit history.

00:24:08:12 - 00:24:08:26
Andrew Bills
So it was a.

00:24:09:14 - 00:24:10:08
Andrew Bills
It was interesting.

00:24:10:08 - 00:24:11:12
Andrew Bills
It was quite a tough.

00:24:11:12 - 00:24:11:27
Andrew Bills
Time to get.

00:24:11:27 - 00:24:12:18
Andrew Bills
Established.

00:24:13:03 - 00:24:13:13
Andrew Bills
But I.

00:24:13:23 - 00:24:14:04
Andrew Bills
Got I got.

00:24:14:04 - 00:24:17:12
Andrew Bills
A job and then fortunately.

00:24:17:12 - 00:24:21:09
Andrew Bills
That job the person helped.

00:24:21:09 - 00:24:22:26
Andrew Bills
Fund me doing in the.

00:24:23:01 - 00:24:23:22
Andrew Bills
UK.

00:24:24:07 - 00:24:27:25
Andrew Bills
So I kind of knew I needed to do a little bit more than dollar.

00:24:27:27 - 00:24:28:23
Andrew Bills
Yeah, exactly.

00:24:29:08 - 00:24:30:22
Andrew Bills
So I did an MBA and.

00:24:31:02 - 00:24:34:14
Andrew Bills
For a few years part time UK.

00:24:34:20 - 00:24:35:17
Andrew Bills
And then.

00:24:36:28 - 00:24:37:19
Andrew Bills
Just after that.

00:24:37:19 - 00:24:38:05
Andrew Bills
Had finished.

00:24:38:05 - 00:24:39:00
Andrew Bills
I took a job at.

00:24:39:00 - 00:24:39:28
Andrew Bills
Coopers and Vibrant.

00:24:40:04 - 00:24:41:09
Andrew Bills
Okay. Which is.

00:24:41:09 - 00:24:42:07
Andrew Bills
The now they.

00:24:42:07 - 00:24:45:28
Daniel Franco
WCW saying yeah we're just they're not going through the greatest no look I.

00:24:45:28 - 00:24:48:18
Andrew Bills
Think it's unfortunate sort of.

00:24:48:18 - 00:24:48:25
Andrew Bills
What.

00:24:49:06 - 00:24:49:23
Andrew Bills
Playing out.

00:24:49:23 - 00:24:50:02
Andrew Bills
There.

00:24:51:06 - 00:24:52:09
Andrew Bills
And I think.

00:24:53:07 - 00:24:54:23
Andrew Bills
I actually had dinner with some TWC.

00:24:54:23 - 00:24:55:27
Andrew Bills
People the other night and I.

00:24:55:27 - 00:24:56:09
Andrew Bills
Sort of.

00:24:56:15 - 00:24:56:25
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:24:57:01 - 00:24:58:06
Andrew Bills
Tried to get a sense.

00:24:58:06 - 00:24:59:17
Andrew Bills
Of where things were internally.

00:24:59:17 - 00:25:02:11
Andrew Bills
And I sort of said, look.

00:25:03:01 - 00:25:14:29
Andrew Bills
It the thing about managing a situation like that was you needed to act more swiftly, you needed to lanced boil. In fact, you needed to do more than the last boil. You needed to chop them off and.

00:25:15:03 - 00:25:18:04
Andrew Bills
Show that you actually understood what had occurred and.

00:25:18:04 - 00:25:27:15
Andrew Bills
Demonstrate you were taking appropriate action. I think the problem was that some of the decision makers involved in that at that point in time were involved in the fifties and.

00:25:27:18 - 00:25:28:06
Daniel Franco
Yeah, correct.

00:25:28:06 - 00:25:28:19
Andrew Bills
So anyway.

00:25:29:03 - 00:25:35:01
Daniel Franco
But what's the net truth in anything you try to cover up isn't it exactly how no one sees this and then guess.

00:25:35:01 - 00:25:35:29
Andrew Bills
But I think when I look at.

00:25:36:24 - 00:25:38:10
Andrew Bills
You know, okay, you had a group.

00:25:38:10 - 00:25:39:07
Andrew Bills
Of people who made some.

00:25:39:07 - 00:25:39:23
Andrew Bills
Really poor.

00:25:39:23 - 00:25:41:25
Andrew Bills
Decisions and they need to be.

00:25:42:05 - 00:25:43:14
Andrew Bills
Held to account for that. Totally.

00:25:43:29 - 00:25:46:11
Andrew Bills
Does that mean the other 9000 something.

00:25:46:11 - 00:25:47:14
Andrew Bills
People are guilty of the.

00:25:47:14 - 00:25:47:22
Andrew Bills
Same.

00:25:47:22 - 00:25:50:06
Andrew Bills
Behavior? No. And should lose their jobs?

00:25:50:06 - 00:25:51:01
Andrew Bills
Absolutely not.

00:25:51:27 - 00:25:54:22
Andrew Bills
They've got really capable people. They offer great services.

00:25:55:08 - 00:26:00:03
Andrew Bills
And I'm very conscious of that. And I think and I think there's a bit of hysteria in the media about it.

00:26:00:03 - 00:26:04:14
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Oh, probably. Oh, my God, Yes. So let's let's actually have a.

00:26:04:14 - 00:26:07:05
Andrew Bills
Balanced conversation about it and actually understand.

00:26:07:23 - 00:26:08:21
Andrew Bills
What what.

00:26:08:21 - 00:26:09:13
Andrew Bills
Is what.

00:26:09:13 - 00:26:11:02
Andrew Bills
Is the issue and does it affect everyone.

00:26:11:02 - 00:26:16:09
Andrew Bills
Else. And it's no different from my organization. If someone made a poor decision.

00:26:17:01 - 00:26:17:25
Andrew Bills
Or a breach.

00:26:17:25 - 00:26:18:26
Andrew Bills
Of conflict of interest.

00:26:18:26 - 00:26:21:01
Andrew Bills
Or breach of probity, whatever.

00:26:21:11 - 00:26:23:11
Andrew Bills
Does that mean the rest of the organization is.

00:26:23:11 - 00:26:29:05
Andrew Bills
Judged by that? Yeah, well, our response to it and how we deal with it, absolutely. Yeah. But does that.

00:26:29:05 - 00:26:29:18
Andrew Bills
Mean every.

00:26:29:18 - 00:26:30:20
Andrew Bills
Other employee acted.

00:26:30:20 - 00:26:31:02
Andrew Bills
The same.

00:26:31:02 - 00:26:47:18
Daniel Franco
Way, do you think, though, because it was that leadership level. Yeah. I mean, the fish arose from the head, right? So like, I think the problem is far greater than well, the others shouldn't suffer. It's the if you're actually like integrity, what is integrity? Great.

00:26:48:01 - 00:26:48:14
Andrew Bills
And this is.

00:26:48:14 - 00:26:49:11
Andrew Bills
What it's all it's all about.

00:26:49:11 - 00:26:51:15
Andrew Bills
Leadership and integrity and culture.

00:26:51:15 - 00:26:53:28
Andrew Bills
And I totally get it. But I guess what.

00:26:53:28 - 00:26:54:11
Andrew Bills
I'm trying.

00:26:54:11 - 00:26:55:10
Andrew Bills
To say here is.

00:26:55:10 - 00:27:00:07
Andrew Bills
You know, when I look at the actions they've taken, I took longer. I have taken appropriate action.

00:27:00:07 - 00:27:00:16
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

00:27:01:21 - 00:27:11:18
Andrew Bills
And the controls they put in place and the changes have made, you know, fantastic. And I just think when you look at the balance of the other people in the organization who.

00:27:12:01 - 00:27:14:12
Andrew Bills
Are actually really good, you know, people.

00:27:14:18 - 00:27:19:15
Andrew Bills
Doing great things that are just trying to get a balance and that Yeah, no doubt conversation, that's all.

00:27:19:15 - 00:27:21:28
Daniel Franco
Absolutely. You don't you can't paint the.

00:27:21:28 - 00:27:22:29
Andrew Bills
Brush that correct.

00:27:23:07 - 00:27:46:00
Daniel Franco
Everyone with the same brush we all know. Look I work in the consulting space, right? So we've had a few people from paid ABC contacted me just on the back of I don't know that I can look, I am looking because I don't know that I can work in a place that leadership does, that that's going to be a big.

00:27:46:10 - 00:27:46:28
Andrew Bills
Big issue.

00:27:46:28 - 00:27:47:29
Andrew Bills
I think you're right. I mean.

00:27:47:29 - 00:27:53:06
Andrew Bills
Because, you know, though, people will vote with their feet and, you know, did I want to be a part of that going forward or not?

00:27:53:12 - 00:27:59:01
Andrew Bills
And that's the choices they're going to make. But I think, you know, when you go through an experience like this.

00:27:59:24 - 00:28:02:03
Andrew Bills
It it's you know, organizations.

00:28:02:03 - 00:28:05:09
Andrew Bills
Who respond and make fundamental change. You know.

00:28:05:27 - 00:28:07:27
Andrew Bills
You will see a completely different.

00:28:07:27 - 00:28:08:15
Andrew Bills
Environment.

00:28:08:15 - 00:28:09:04
Andrew Bills
Culture.

00:28:09:17 - 00:28:10:09
Andrew Bills
And attitude.

00:28:10:14 - 00:28:10:22
Andrew Bills
Come.

00:28:10:22 - 00:28:15:10
Andrew Bills
Out of it. So I think there's a you know, when I look at it and go, the signs are there now that, you know.

00:28:15:10 - 00:28:17:19
Andrew Bills
What you should see is happening. So yeah.

00:28:17:21 - 00:28:18:18
Andrew Bills
I think it's.

00:28:19:08 - 00:28:21:19
Andrew Bills
Is you know, I'd like to.

00:28:21:19 - 00:28:26:28
Andrew Bills
Think that in six months that, you know, we're looking at having a rational conversation and.

00:28:26:28 - 00:28:28:00
Andrew Bills
It's not the hysteria that we're.

00:28:28:00 - 00:28:40:14
Daniel Franco
Seeing. We're going to understand your context here, too, because you are you know, you probably see five years, five years, five years. So you've got some excellent memories and fond memories and did some great work. It was your formative, you know, so.

00:28:40:24 - 00:28:41:16
Andrew Bills
Well, it's Coopers.

00:28:41:16 - 00:28:42:26
Andrew Bills
And they went through the merger.

00:28:42:27 - 00:28:44:01
Daniel Franco
So. Yeah, that's true. Yeah.

00:28:44:01 - 00:28:45:08
Andrew Bills
So and.

00:28:45:08 - 00:28:46:01
Andrew Bills
99.

00:28:46:08 - 00:28:50:09
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Case Waterhouse. So were you there when it went through the merger? Yeah. Yeah.

00:28:50:11 - 00:28:52:22
Andrew Bills
And I'd left just after this stuff. So yeah.

00:28:53:00 - 00:28:54:26
Andrew Bills
So I'm in a like my contemporaries.

00:28:54:26 - 00:28:56:12
Andrew Bills
With a lot of the people who.

00:28:57:27 - 00:28:59:17
Andrew Bills
In leading the tax.

00:28:59:17 - 00:28:59:27
Andrew Bills
Or.

00:28:59:29 - 00:29:00:13
Daniel Franco
Audit or.

00:29:00:13 - 00:29:01:10
Andrew Bills
Whatever, so I know a lot of.

00:29:01:10 - 00:29:02:09
Andrew Bills
Those people. So yeah.

00:29:02:10 - 00:29:03:17
Andrew Bills
But it doesn't mean I've.

00:29:03:17 - 00:29:05:19
Andrew Bills
Got like a cloud of you know, I'm very.

00:29:06:02 - 00:29:06:19
Andrew Bills
Or I'm trying to.

00:29:06:19 - 00:29:09:04
Andrew Bills
Say that I take a balanced perspective on it just because I.

00:29:09:04 - 00:29:10:21
Andrew Bills
Work there doesn't mean I think I have.

00:29:10:21 - 00:29:14:24
Daniel Franco
To be taking it. You're taking the whole context. That's the one perspective.

00:29:14:24 - 00:29:15:18
Andrew Bills
That's exactly it.

00:29:15:23 - 00:29:26:08
Daniel Franco
That's very, very good. Um, so then then Peter b c you decide not I'm not going to put up with this merger. I'm going to go off and well, I think.

00:29:27:03 - 00:29:35:26
Andrew Bills
I like you. Um, I looked at, you know, did I, was I a good consultant and did I want to pursue a career in consulting?

00:29:36:22 - 00:29:37:15
Andrew Bills
And I, and I.

00:29:37:15 - 00:29:39:20
Andrew Bills
Felt I was actually better working.

00:29:39:20 - 00:29:40:18
Andrew Bills
In a business rather.

00:29:40:18 - 00:29:41:17
Andrew Bills
Than on a business.

00:29:41:26 - 00:29:44:29
Andrew Bills
And so that junction point, you know, I was the.

00:29:44:29 - 00:29:46:25
Andrew Bills
Director that I want to be the.

00:29:46:25 - 00:29:47:29
Andrew Bills
Partner. You know, you have.

00:29:47:29 - 00:29:49:02
Andrew Bills
Those conversations.

00:29:49:02 - 00:29:50:12
Andrew Bills
In my thirties and you know.

00:29:50:12 - 00:29:51:11
Andrew Bills
Where, where, where did I.

00:29:51:11 - 00:29:54:07
Andrew Bills
Want to go? And I just felt, you know, I'd worked on a.

00:29:54:07 - 00:29:55:07
Andrew Bills
Couple of big jobs where I.

00:29:55:07 - 00:29:58:06
Andrew Bills
Was very immersed in the business and I felt.

00:29:58:06 - 00:29:59:05
Andrew Bills
I was actually better off.

00:29:59:18 - 00:30:00:04
Andrew Bills
Owning the.

00:30:00:04 - 00:30:00:28
Andrew Bills
Outcome. Yeah.

00:30:01:15 - 00:30:02:08
Andrew Bills
And so.

00:30:02:08 - 00:30:03:01
Andrew Bills
That's when I, you know.

00:30:03:07 - 00:30:05:01
Andrew Bills
I was doing a lot of work in energy and.

00:30:05:01 - 00:30:06:03
Andrew Bills
Infrastructure at the time.

00:30:06:29 - 00:30:08:05
Andrew Bills
And that's the industry.

00:30:08:12 - 00:30:08:17
Andrew Bills
That I.

00:30:08:17 - 00:30:17:19
Andrew Bills
Was in. Yeah. And I jumped into an energy company in Brisbane thinking, okay, if I work in energy, I won't need to travel as much as when I.

00:30:17:19 - 00:30:20:21
Andrew Bills
Was a paid obviously. Right. That was very yeah, young.

00:30:20:21 - 00:30:21:07
Andrew Bills
Famous.

00:30:21:07 - 00:30:22:05
Andrew Bills
Words. I just lost a.

00:30:22:17 - 00:30:26:26
Andrew Bills
Young family because my daughter was born 96 now and 99. Yeah.

00:30:27:09 - 00:30:28:01
Andrew Bills
So I left.

00:30:28:01 - 00:30:28:15
Andrew Bills
In two.

00:30:28:15 - 00:30:29:09
Andrew Bills
Thousand one.

00:30:29:21 - 00:30:36:09
Andrew Bills
And you know, and I was thinking, what a great way to travel as much. I jumped into an energy company and man did I.

00:30:36:18 - 00:30:39:17
Andrew Bills
Did that assumption proved to be wrong. Oh, I imagine.

00:30:40:01 - 00:30:41:26
Andrew Bills
And it's just not just in the one sport. No.

00:30:41:26 - 00:30:43:08
Andrew Bills
And I think that's a bit yeah. When I.

00:30:43:08 - 00:30:43:23
Andrew Bills
Was looking at.

00:30:44:01 - 00:30:45:21
Andrew Bills
It was that on a rational basis in.

00:30:45:21 - 00:30:47:19
Andrew Bills
Terms of Queensland is.

00:30:47:19 - 00:30:49:15
Andrew Bills
Blessed with energy resources, you know.

00:30:49:15 - 00:30:54:04
Andrew Bills
At the time and therefore, you know, if you think about Queensland, you think tourism, agriculture, you know, energy.

00:30:54:04 - 00:30:55:04
Andrew Bills
But that very.

00:30:55:04 - 00:30:56:02
Andrew Bills
Much in 1990.

00:30:56:02 - 00:31:02:16
Andrew Bills
Six where it was weather's one I think. Yeah. And we'll listen to resistors. Yeah. So that's, that was the logic.

00:31:03:14 - 00:31:05:29
Andrew Bills
And it was an organization called Stanwell Corporation was.

00:31:05:29 - 00:31:06:05
Andrew Bills
A.

00:31:06:19 - 00:31:07:07
Andrew Bills
Government owned.

00:31:08:03 - 00:31:08:21
Andrew Bills
Generator.

00:31:08:26 - 00:31:10:24
Andrew Bills
Know and I was in there for.

00:31:11:05 - 00:31:11:26
Andrew Bills
Five years.

00:31:12:22 - 00:31:14:02
Andrew Bills
Doing a range of different executive.

00:31:14:02 - 00:31:14:20
Andrew Bills
Roles, know.

00:31:15:20 - 00:31:24:27
Andrew Bills
And I really enjoyed it. And then I left When was that too? 2007. Yeah.

00:31:25:15 - 00:31:29:27
Andrew Bills
And jumped across to Babcock and Brown Power.

00:31:30:14 - 00:31:34:18
Daniel Franco
Now that's the old Alinta direct.

00:31:34:18 - 00:31:35:26
Andrew Bills
That's now called Alinta. Yeah.

00:31:35:26 - 00:31:38:27
Daniel Franco
So because I went through a bit of a corp.

00:31:39:00 - 00:31:42:18
Andrew Bills
One of Australia's great corporate failures. Yes, absolutely.

00:31:42:19 - 00:31:48:17
Daniel Franco
So you were in executive roles? Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was. Oh well, yeah. So I.

00:31:48:18 - 00:31:50:26
Andrew Bills
You know, like if Babcock and Brown had had this.

00:31:50:26 - 00:31:53:07
Andrew Bills
Mega run in the 2000s.

00:31:54:14 - 00:31:56:23
Andrew Bills
And, you know, and they were sort of.

00:31:56:23 - 00:31:59:14
Andrew Bills
Like a baby Macquarie, you know, modeling themselves.

00:31:59:14 - 00:32:00:02
Andrew Bills
On Macquarie.

00:32:01:06 - 00:32:01:22
Andrew Bills
And you know.

00:32:01:22 - 00:32:02:16
Andrew Bills
They're describing.

00:32:02:16 - 00:32:02:25
Andrew Bills
Always.

00:32:02:25 - 00:32:03:05
Andrew Bills
Listed.

00:32:03:05 - 00:32:03:24
Andrew Bills
Funds.

00:32:03:24 - 00:32:07:01
Andrew Bills
You know, I sort of throw our group of assets together.

00:32:07:27 - 00:32:09:27
Andrew Bills
Get the synergies of that listed, you know, so you.

00:32:09:27 - 00:32:12:24
Andrew Bills
Had baby baby power. Yeah.

00:32:13:03 - 00:32:14:02
Andrew Bills
Baby wind.

00:32:14:02 - 00:32:14:09
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:32:14:18 - 00:32:15:28
Andrew Bills
Baby I infrastructure.

00:32:15:29 - 00:32:20:24
Andrew Bills
You had property, you just lots. No big lodge. Yeah.

00:32:21:09 - 00:32:25:01
Andrew Bills
And a gun done really well on cheap debt.

00:32:25:20 - 00:32:26:00
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:32:26:07 - 00:32:27:00
Andrew Bills
Cheap debt in the two.

00:32:27:00 - 00:32:27:17
Andrew Bills
Thousand.

00:32:27:27 - 00:32:28:20
Andrew Bills
And then we as.

00:32:28:20 - 00:32:29:19
Andrew Bills
We all know what had.

00:32:29:19 - 00:32:33:00
Andrew Bills
Started emerging in 2007. Yeah. And then I.

00:32:33:05 - 00:32:33:15
Daniel Franco
Say.

00:32:33:18 - 00:32:34:06
Andrew Bills
GFC.

00:32:34:22 - 00:32:35:23
Andrew Bills
And that kind.

00:32:35:23 - 00:32:36:01
Andrew Bills
Of.

00:32:36:16 - 00:32:37:04
Daniel Franco
Come unstuck.

00:32:37:04 - 00:32:40:07
Andrew Bills
Came unstuck big time. And I saw and I.

00:32:40:07 - 00:32:41:28
Andrew Bills
Saw the wheels fall off pretty badly.

00:32:41:28 - 00:32:43:19
Daniel Franco
So what role were you in.

00:32:43:20 - 00:32:45:03
Andrew Bills
So when I joined initially.

00:32:45:04 - 00:32:48:26
Andrew Bills
Yeah, well I joined initially I was responsible for managing all the joint venture investments.

00:32:49:05 - 00:32:52:06
Andrew Bills
So they had lots of power stations where the.

00:32:52:06 - 00:32:53:06
Andrew Bills
Percentage iron ore.

00:32:53:06 - 00:32:53:25
Andrew Bills
Majority or.

00:32:54:07 - 00:33:01:25
Andrew Bills
So I managed all of those and had lots of different subsidiaries and different boards and what have you. And then I bought out, we took control.

00:33:01:25 - 00:33:02:29
Andrew Bills
Of a group of those.

00:33:02:29 - 00:33:06:11
Andrew Bills
So negotiating that was it was negotiating a divorce.

00:33:06:11 - 00:33:10:06
Andrew Bills
By the way. Yeah. Because it was pretty ugly. Yeah. Well, so that was a good.

00:33:10:06 - 00:33:11:21
Andrew Bills
Chunk of my time. And then literally.

00:33:11:21 - 00:33:12:01
Andrew Bills
I just.

00:33:12:01 - 00:33:12:20
Andrew Bills
Landed the.

00:33:12:20 - 00:33:14:28
Andrew Bills
Divorce, got got control of these assets.

00:33:15:13 - 00:33:16:07
Andrew Bills
And the share price.

00:33:16:07 - 00:33:16:22
Andrew Bills
Collapsed.

00:33:17:00 - 00:33:18:19
Andrew Bills
And that was in.

00:33:18:19 - 00:33:23:14
Andrew Bills
Sort of my 2008. Okay. Yeah.

00:33:24:14 - 00:33:37:24
Daniel Franco
And what happens when the share price go take us back to those who early in their business career didn't really. Well, you know, I don't there's probably a bit of post-traumatic stress there, to be honest. So sorry for bringing these It's interesting conversation.

00:33:38:00 - 00:33:42:09
Andrew Bills
No, it's it is. I mean, I was a baptism of fire. I don't get it wrong.

00:33:42:09 - 00:33:49:20
Andrew Bills
I you know, I had literally been working around the clock on doing that transaction. There were multiple transactions and then literally.

00:33:49:20 - 00:33:50:13
Andrew Bills
Had about a four week.

00:33:50:13 - 00:33:52:12
Andrew Bills
Breathing space and then.

00:33:53:06 - 00:33:57:05
Andrew Bills
The share prices went into collapse. Yeah. And so what what was.

00:33:57:05 - 00:33:57:18
Andrew Bills
Happening.

00:33:57:18 - 00:33:58:17
Andrew Bills
Was.

00:33:59:08 - 00:34:00:27
Andrew Bills
The financial stress on the company.

00:34:00:27 - 00:34:02:21
Andrew Bills
Just was just.

00:34:03:00 - 00:34:05:08
Andrew Bills
Such immense levels. And so you're in crisis mode.

00:34:06:00 - 00:34:07:03
Andrew Bills
About how you're.

00:34:07:03 - 00:34:10:18
Andrew Bills
Surviving because, you know, how are they going to make their debt payments. You know.

00:34:11:09 - 00:34:14:02
Andrew Bills
There was trying to get a feel for the true cash.

00:34:14:02 - 00:34:16:26
Andrew Bills
Position of the company. And I.

00:34:16:26 - 00:34:17:03
Andrew Bills
Was.

00:34:17:06 - 00:34:19:06
Andrew Bills
Thrown quickly into.

00:34:19:22 - 00:34:26:24
Andrew Bills
A role of selling assets to help Peter to take over. Yeah. So I literally I sold a.

00:34:26:24 - 00:34:27:27
Andrew Bills
Power station in five.

00:34:27:27 - 00:34:28:24
Andrew Bills
Weeks to.

00:34:28:24 - 00:34:29:10
Andrew Bills
Origin.

00:34:29:13 - 00:34:30:01
Andrew Bills
Which was.

00:34:30:07 - 00:34:31:23
Andrew Bills
Uranquinty Power station.

00:34:31:23 - 00:34:32:17
Andrew Bills
And so I led that.

00:34:32:26 - 00:34:38:26
Daniel Franco
To the famous buy up when your when, when everything else goes down.

00:34:38:29 - 00:34:39:27
Andrew Bills
Well it was also.

00:34:39:27 - 00:34:44:26
Andrew Bills
Origin at the time and obviously I ended up working with Origin was under that if you remember.

00:34:44:26 - 00:34:48:17
Andrew Bills
That BG had launched a takeover. Yeah.

00:34:50:17 - 00:34:51:03
Andrew Bills
For them.

00:34:51:03 - 00:34:52:14
Andrew Bills
And for.

00:34:52:17 - 00:34:53:07
Andrew Bills
Them it was a.

00:34:53:07 - 00:34:55:16
Andrew Bills
Defensive play as well. Okay.

00:34:56:02 - 00:34:57:06
Andrew Bills
Before they ended up doing.

00:34:57:06 - 00:34:58:22
Andrew Bills
The Conoco Phillips deal.

00:34:58:22 - 00:35:00:29
Andrew Bills
And IP, LNG and everything.

00:35:00:29 - 00:35:02:25
Andrew Bills
So that was.

00:35:03:09 - 00:35:07:02
Andrew Bills
To do a transaction that quickly per power station is just and it's.

00:35:07:05 - 00:35:07:23
Andrew Bills
Just crazy.

00:35:07:23 - 00:35:08:27
Daniel Franco
Yeah. So how quickly.

00:35:08:28 - 00:35:09:17
Andrew Bills
Five weeks.

00:35:09:18 - 00:35:10:11
Daniel Franco
Five weeks.

00:35:11:03 - 00:35:11:14
Andrew Bills
Ran a.

00:35:11:14 - 00:35:12:04
Andrew Bills
Process.

00:35:12:18 - 00:35:13:09
Andrew Bills
And.

00:35:13:13 - 00:35:14:16
Andrew Bills
And offload.

00:35:14:18 - 00:35:16:16
Daniel Franco
In my sleep during that. No I didn't I.

00:35:16:16 - 00:35:18:09
Andrew Bills
Didn't just working around the clock.

00:35:18:14 - 00:35:22:24
Andrew Bills
And I ended up doing I was trying to work it out the other day I think it was like eight transactions in.

00:35:22:24 - 00:35:23:03
Andrew Bills
About.

00:35:23:08 - 00:35:26:20
Andrew Bills
12 months. Yeah, well, for three months then most people might do one or two.

00:35:26:26 - 00:35:27:13
Andrew Bills
Yeah, this was.

00:35:27:13 - 00:35:28:11
Andrew Bills
Just inside and it was.

00:35:28:11 - 00:35:30:16
Andrew Bills
Just about okay. That was the first one.

00:35:30:16 - 00:35:32:16
Andrew Bills
What's the next one? What's the next one? And it was.

00:35:32:16 - 00:35:33:13
Andrew Bills
Just literally.

00:35:33:19 - 00:35:34:20
Andrew Bills
Offloading assets.

00:35:34:20 - 00:35:35:19
Andrew Bills
And liabilities.

00:35:35:27 - 00:35:40:00
Andrew Bills
Finding the right partner, negotiating an outcome work.

00:35:40:03 - 00:35:41:18
Andrew Bills
Yeah, it kept the place going.

00:35:41:18 - 00:35:42:09
Andrew Bills
And then we did a.

00:35:42:09 - 00:35:43:29
Andrew Bills
Refinance in the middle of all of that.

00:35:44:14 - 00:35:45:27
Andrew Bills
Which is, um, I can't believe we got.

00:35:45:27 - 00:35:49:04
Andrew Bills
That through because we had all these project.

00:35:49:04 - 00:35:51:19
Andrew Bills
The debt was sitting at the project level and we consolidated.

00:35:51:19 - 00:35:54:25
Andrew Bills
For the corporate level. Yeah, that was the refi.

00:35:56:08 - 00:35:56:28
Andrew Bills
And a lot.

00:35:56:28 - 00:35:57:26
Andrew Bills
Of people who were.

00:35:57:26 - 00:36:02:02
Andrew Bills
Involved in that, you know, look back at it go, I just can't believe that.

00:36:02:02 - 00:36:02:24
Andrew Bills
We got pushed through.

00:36:02:24 - 00:36:04:04
Andrew Bills
Yeah, right in the heart.

00:36:04:04 - 00:36:05:14
Andrew Bills
Of the GFC was.

00:36:05:14 - 00:36:06:29
Daniel Franco
The layoffs and everything else that.

00:36:07:19 - 00:36:09:16
Andrew Bills
People were being let go. You had.

00:36:09:20 - 00:36:11:01
Daniel Franco
So it was just it was.

00:36:11:01 - 00:36:19:05
Andrew Bills
Just a mess and you had a lot of people what was really sad, you know, a lot of people, the way the the salaries and people were structured was obviously there's a lot of equity.

00:36:19:21 - 00:36:20:16
Andrew Bills
Made available.

00:36:20:16 - 00:36:20:27
Andrew Bills
To.

00:36:21:01 - 00:36:22:26
Andrew Bills
Employees. So that's, you know, you had.

00:36:22:26 - 00:36:23:08
Andrew Bills
Whatever you.

00:36:23:08 - 00:36:24:28
Andrew Bills
Were paid and then you had your options and.

00:36:25:08 - 00:36:27:00
Andrew Bills
What have you. Yeah. The value of.

00:36:27:00 - 00:36:30:05
Andrew Bills
Those options went to nothing. So and if you will.

00:36:30:05 - 00:36:31:05
Andrew Bills
Leverage to the hilt.

00:36:31:29 - 00:36:32:25
Daniel Franco
And you're up the.

00:36:32:25 - 00:36:40:17
Andrew Bills
Was really up to Aussie so I saw you know people taking their kids out of private schools, you know, trying to sell their houses.

00:36:40:21 - 00:36:42:18
Andrew Bills
Because they had no cash flow to fund those.

00:36:42:29 - 00:36:47:23
Andrew Bills
So it was pretty it was, you know, if you want to it was pretty sobering what you witnessed.

00:36:47:23 - 00:36:48:07
Andrew Bills
And every.

00:36:48:07 - 00:36:48:22
Andrew Bills
Day.

00:36:49:08 - 00:36:49:25
Andrew Bills
The end of every.

00:36:49:25 - 00:36:53:12
Andrew Bills
Day, you'd sit around this table with all of the key people across the Babcock's.

00:36:53:12 - 00:36:58:18
Andrew Bills
Group, and you'd be reporting on all the things you were trying to do. And it was, you know, just crisis.

00:36:58:28 - 00:37:00:04
Andrew Bills
Fuel crisis. Yeah.

00:37:00:06 - 00:37:02:26
Daniel Franco
And then what do you think caused it all?

00:37:03:04 - 00:37:03:23
Andrew Bills
Like poor.

00:37:03:23 - 00:37:04:10
Andrew Bills
Governance.

00:37:04:10 - 00:37:05:00
Daniel Franco
Poor governance.

00:37:05:00 - 00:37:08:02
Andrew Bills
Poor governance, Totally not like explain.

00:37:08:02 - 00:37:08:09
Daniel Franco
That.

00:37:08:25 - 00:37:11:22
Andrew Bills
They weren't in the right controls, balances and controls. Why would you know?

00:37:11:22 - 00:37:15:21
Andrew Bills
If you think about it, would you have leveraged your balance sheet to the point they had.

00:37:16:05 - 00:37:17:03
Andrew Bills
On the assumption that.

00:37:17:12 - 00:37:19:13
Andrew Bills
Debt would be that cost forever? Yeah.

00:37:19:13 - 00:37:21:15
Andrew Bills
So then if suddenly you've got a shift in that.

00:37:21:15 - 00:37:24:01
Daniel Franco
And there was no foresight that there was a recession coming or.

00:37:24:20 - 00:37:26:09
Andrew Bills
Uh, look, I.

00:37:26:09 - 00:37:27:12
Andrew Bills
Don't think I people.

00:37:27:22 - 00:37:30:11
Andrew Bills
Were on the call light and just.

00:37:30:11 - 00:37:32:04
Andrew Bills
Felt the model that had been working to lend.

00:37:32:17 - 00:37:36:04
Andrew Bills
To keep working. So they took risks, you know, poor.

00:37:36:04 - 00:37:36:24
Andrew Bills
Governance that.

00:37:37:01 - 00:37:37:29
Andrew Bills
Risk taking. Yeah.

00:37:38:18 - 00:37:42:18
Andrew Bills
And you know, lack of controls that you would normally.

00:37:42:18 - 00:37:44:14
Andrew Bills
Expect to counter.

00:37:44:14 - 00:37:46:13
Andrew Bills
That and and the thing.

00:37:47:16 - 00:37:47:28
Andrew Bills
This is.

00:37:48:09 - 00:37:49:09
Andrew Bills
This is mums and dads.

00:37:49:09 - 00:37:49:26
Andrew Bills
Shareholders.

00:37:49:26 - 00:37:50:16
Andrew Bills
Money that was.

00:37:50:18 - 00:37:52:06
Andrew Bills
At risk here. Yeah.

00:37:52:06 - 00:37:54:16
Andrew Bills
So and eventually a.

00:37:54:16 - 00:37:57:03
Andrew Bills
Lot of people lost you know the GFC caused a lot of people to lose.

00:37:57:03 - 00:37:57:28
Andrew Bills
A lot of money, don't get me.

00:37:57:28 - 00:38:00:06
Andrew Bills
Wrong. But you know what happens.

00:38:01:11 - 00:38:02:00
Andrew Bills
You know at.

00:38:02:01 - 00:38:02:22
Andrew Bills
Babcock's.

00:38:03:00 - 00:38:08:06
Andrew Bills
You know with always there's always going to be a deterioration. But you know, perhaps it wouldn't have been as bad as an outcome.

00:38:08:06 - 00:38:08:22
Andrew Bills
As it was.

00:38:09:13 - 00:38:25:29
Daniel Franco
So what was the I'm interested in the mindset of the CEO or the leadership, like the through the executive team at the time, what was being said around that table? Um, there was like, I think the better question comes from his leadership in a crisis. Yeah.

00:38:26:21 - 00:38:28:24
Andrew Bills
Well, I think I it brought a few chapters on.

00:38:28:24 - 00:38:30:16
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:38:30:16 - 00:38:33:04
Andrew Bills
Look, I think it was, it was survival or it was, you know.

00:38:33:16 - 00:38:35:29
Andrew Bills
You go into survival mode and I think.

00:38:35:29 - 00:38:37:25
Andrew Bills
That clouds perhaps that clouded.

00:38:37:25 - 00:38:41:27
Andrew Bills
Their thinking around making some decisions sooner.

00:38:41:27 - 00:38:44:21
Andrew Bills
Than they could have. It was also really complicated set of.

00:38:44:21 - 00:38:48:00
Andrew Bills
Arrangements so things that couldn't be unwound easily.

00:38:48:00 - 00:38:49:25
Andrew Bills
So you got to contextualize this.

00:38:50:10 - 00:38:51:14
Andrew Bills
So I think, you.

00:38:51:14 - 00:38:52:07
Andrew Bills
Know, leadership at the.

00:38:52:07 - 00:38:52:24
Andrew Bills
Time.

00:38:53:09 - 00:38:53:26
Andrew Bills
Were.

00:38:53:28 - 00:38:55:02
Andrew Bills
Fighting fires.

00:38:55:11 - 00:39:00:17
Andrew Bills
And just constantly every day fighting fires. Now that was sort of that.

00:39:00:17 - 00:39:02:17
Andrew Bills
Went on for a few months. But then what happened was.

00:39:02:17 - 00:39:07:29
Andrew Bills
Effectively the BP just separated. Well, in a.

00:39:07:29 - 00:39:11:14
Andrew Bills
Way, you know, it was doing its own thing away from the Babcock and Brown.

00:39:11:23 - 00:39:15:18
Andrew Bills
The mothership, as we call it, because that was just in free fall, you know.

00:39:16:05 - 00:39:17:26
Andrew Bills
And you had these assets in BP.

00:39:17:26 - 00:39:18:19
Andrew Bills
Which were power.

00:39:18:19 - 00:39:19:11
Andrew Bills
Stations, which was.

00:39:19:11 - 00:39:19:21
Andrew Bills
Still.

00:39:19:21 - 00:39:20:06
Andrew Bills
Generating.

00:39:20:06 - 00:39:25:24
Andrew Bills
Cash. And if we could get a restructure, if we could actually get a buyer.

00:39:26:13 - 00:39:27:27
Andrew Bills
What you know, that business.

00:39:28:00 - 00:39:31:09
Andrew Bills
Did have a future, right? So that you had to take a longer term view.

00:39:31:18 - 00:39:33:00
Andrew Bills
And that's ultimately what happened. Right.

00:39:33:00 - 00:39:34:17
Andrew Bills
Because it was sold to.

00:39:35:02 - 00:39:35:20
Andrew Bills
Under it.

00:39:35:21 - 00:39:36:21
Andrew Bills
To a group of people.

00:39:36:21 - 00:39:40:13
Andrew Bills
Which and it was rebranded as Lynton. Yeah. That's Alinta that we know today.

00:39:40:13 - 00:39:40:18
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:39:40:28 - 00:39:44:26
Andrew Bills
So and those guys have done a tremendous job in terms of sorting out a lot.

00:39:44:26 - 00:39:45:24
Andrew Bills
Of the legacy issues.

00:39:45:27 - 00:39:48:02
Daniel Franco
So did you manage your time during the time?

00:39:48:11 - 00:39:49:00
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I did.

00:39:50:00 - 00:39:52:06
Andrew Bills
But it was an unusual world because it moved from sort of like.

00:39:52:06 - 00:39:59:29
Andrew Bills
A JV role to just being this executive who did commercials. Yeah, right. So sorted for. Yeah. Had did the sales, worked with the.

00:39:59:29 - 00:40:00:20
Andrew Bills
Banks.

00:40:01:09 - 00:40:02:16
Andrew Bills
Ran a process of.

00:40:02:17 - 00:40:03:00
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:40:03:02 - 00:40:03:13
Andrew Bills
Could we.

00:40:03:13 - 00:40:03:23
Andrew Bills
Run.

00:40:04:05 - 00:40:04:13
Andrew Bills
A.

00:40:04:22 - 00:40:05:06
Andrew Bills
For interest.

00:40:05:06 - 00:40:05:22
Andrew Bills
Advise.

00:40:05:22 - 00:40:08:11
Andrew Bills
So I was constantly working with banks on that. So it was a.

00:40:08:11 - 00:40:13:27
Daniel Franco
Very much like a situation of leadership type scenario where you sort of this is just what needs to get done. Go do.

00:40:14:07 - 00:40:14:17
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:40:14:26 - 00:40:16:00
Andrew Bills
I learned more in that.

00:40:16:00 - 00:40:16:19
Andrew Bills
Period.

00:40:16:19 - 00:40:16:28
Andrew Bills
And that.

00:40:16:28 - 00:40:17:09
Andrew Bills
Sort of.

00:40:17:28 - 00:40:19:20
Andrew Bills
18 months to two years and most.

00:40:19:20 - 00:40:20:00
Andrew Bills
People.

00:40:20:00 - 00:40:20:11
Andrew Bills
Would in a.

00:40:20:11 - 00:40:21:16
Daniel Franco
Decade. Yeah, I can imagine.

00:40:21:19 - 00:40:21:26
Andrew Bills
Because.

00:40:21:27 - 00:40:22:25
Andrew Bills
Just the unique set of.

00:40:22:25 - 00:40:23:19
Andrew Bills
Circumstances.

00:40:23:19 - 00:40:24:18
Andrew Bills
You were dealing with, what.

00:40:24:18 - 00:40:30:00
Daniel Franco
What was one of your key learnings? What do you remember? Look back on and go, that's actually hold me in good stead today.

00:40:30:13 - 00:40:33:14
Andrew Bills
The capacity of what I could absorb and deliver.

00:40:34:03 - 00:40:41:28
Andrew Bills
It was immense. Yeah. And I just didn't think I could do that. But I look back at it now and I go, Oh my God, What? I managed to.

00:40:41:28 - 00:40:46:18
Andrew Bills
Get through the complexity of the issues.

00:40:46:18 - 00:40:47:05
Andrew Bills
Rallying.

00:40:47:05 - 00:40:49:08

Andrew Bills
People around with a focal.

00:40:49:08 - 00:40:53:03
Andrew Bills
Point and bringing in the support, you know, the partners and some.

00:40:53:08 - 00:40:53:18
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:40:54:07 - 00:40:59:13
Andrew Bills
Other advisors and just, you know, getting that real extreme focus on an outcome. Yeah, that.

00:40:59:19 - 00:41:00:15
Andrew Bills
Was what I learned.

00:41:01:16 - 00:41:20:01
Daniel Franco
Does it make you, you know, when when we ask about if I was you in good stead today, does it make you think that nothing is actually that hard. Yeah. Because, because you've been through what is like so complex and, and I know some of your experiences that followed on after we'd see us, but we'll go into that.

00:41:20:01 - 00:41:24:20
Daniel Franco
But, you know, you can always get yourself out of it. So you.

00:41:24:20 - 00:41:26:09
Andrew Bills
Can, you can it's interesting.

00:41:26:09 - 00:41:27:23
Daniel Franco
Depending on the scenario.

00:41:28:12 - 00:41:33:01
Andrew Bills
Daniel's really interesting because I, I actually have some fond memories during that period.

00:41:33:18 - 00:41:34:07
Andrew Bills
Because I was.

00:41:34:29 - 00:41:37:06
Andrew Bills
Learning so much and I was testing myself.

00:41:37:06 - 00:41:37:20
Andrew Bills
At such a.

00:41:37:20 - 00:41:43:10
Andrew Bills
High level and I was getting through it and I was actually accomplishing stuff. So you actually had a sense of achievement? Yeah, Yeah.

00:41:43:15 - 00:41:55:26
Andrew Bills
Even though it's that world fallen, world falling apart and I, I, I had a very sort of fatalistic perspective, I guess, which was, well, it'll be what it'll be.

00:41:56:03 - 00:41:57:09
Andrew Bills
You know, I'll do what I can.

00:41:58:02 - 00:41:58:17
Andrew Bills
I'll do as.

00:41:58:17 - 00:42:01:22
Andrew Bills
Best I can. And then, you know.

00:42:01:22 - 00:42:04:06
Andrew Bills
If it don't fall to the heap, I'll do something else.

00:42:04:17 - 00:42:06:15
Daniel Franco
And this is your traveling the world.

00:42:06:15 - 00:42:07:14
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I know.

00:42:07:20 - 00:42:09:05
Daniel Franco
Wherever I go in the world, I'll be fine.

00:42:09:11 - 00:42:10:08
Andrew Bills
And that's exactly right.

00:42:10:08 - 00:42:11:10
Andrew Bills
And what's interesting is.

00:42:11:12 - 00:42:12:25
Andrew Bills
I had that.

00:42:12:25 - 00:42:13:18
Andrew Bills
Confidence.

00:42:13:18 - 00:42:13:26
Andrew Bills
At the.

00:42:13:26 - 00:42:16:09
Andrew Bills
Time and I was.

00:42:16:09 - 00:42:16:15
Andrew Bills
Like.

00:42:16:28 - 00:42:18:00
Andrew Bills
Okay, I'll make the most.

00:42:18:00 - 00:42:19:25
Andrew Bills
Of it and see where it gets.

00:42:19:25 - 00:42:20:05
Andrew Bills
Me.

00:42:21:08 - 00:42:21:19
Andrew Bills
I guess.

00:42:21:19 - 00:42:22:26
Andrew Bills
I also knew I had.

00:42:24:14 - 00:42:25:07
Andrew Bills
A few sort of.

00:42:25:15 - 00:42:26:03
Andrew Bills
Avenues.

00:42:26:03 - 00:42:26:23
Andrew Bills
To get out.

00:42:26:25 - 00:42:27:19
Andrew Bills
If I needed to.

00:42:27:19 - 00:42:28:21
Andrew Bills
So that was kind.

00:42:28:21 - 00:42:29:21
Andrew Bills
Of what was in the back of my.

00:42:29:21 - 00:42:31:25
Daniel Franco
Mind. You're an educated and experienced person.

00:42:31:25 - 00:42:33:08
Andrew Bills
Yeah, you'll be fine.

00:42:33:13 - 00:42:35:16
Daniel Franco
As long as you do the right thing.

00:42:35:23 - 00:42:36:17
Andrew Bills
Exactly. You'll be.

00:42:36:17 - 00:42:40:00
Daniel Franco
Fine. Yeah. So. So where to from here?

00:42:40:05 - 00:42:41:14
Andrew Bills
Well, ironically.

00:42:42:08 - 00:42:43:01
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:42:43:01 - 00:42:43:22
Andrew Bills
When I sold that.

00:42:43:22 - 00:42:45:00
Andrew Bills
Power station to Origin in.

00:42:45:00 - 00:42:45:18
Andrew Bills
A few weeks, I.

00:42:45:18 - 00:42:52:23
Andrew Bills
Developed some pretty good relationships, and I knew the Origin guys quite well. And I reached out and said, Oh, would you be interested in coming across?

00:42:52:23 - 00:43:01:16
Andrew Bills
And, you know, so I did. I said I'd be fabulous. So by the end of 2009 and.

00:43:02:04 - 00:43:02:21
Andrew Bills
You know, joined.

00:43:02:21 - 00:43:05:10
Andrew Bills
The they had bought or that Argent.

00:43:05:10 - 00:43:05:28
Andrew Bills
Had gone through this.

00:43:05:28 - 00:43:07:21
Andrew Bills
Rapid growth from what it was.

00:43:08:15 - 00:43:09:25
Andrew Bills
And to this very.

00:43:09:25 - 00:43:10:13
Andrew Bills
Large.

00:43:10:18 - 00:43:12:18
Andrew Bills
Vertically integrated energy company because they.

00:43:12:18 - 00:43:16:11
Daniel Franco
Bought everything for well they'd also do well you got to put it perspective.

00:43:16:22 - 00:43:18:09
Andrew Bills
I know they had.

00:43:18:18 - 00:43:19:22
Andrew Bills
When they were spun out of.

00:43:19:22 - 00:43:21:23
Andrew Bills
Borrow, you know, they would have had their.

00:43:21:23 - 00:43:22:01
Andrew Bills
Thing.

00:43:22:01 - 00:43:23:24
Andrew Bills
They were a few gas networks and.

00:43:24:11 - 00:43:25:12
Andrew Bills
Pipelines and what have you.

00:43:25:12 - 00:43:27:11
Andrew Bills
Which they also the LPG.

00:43:27:11 - 00:43:29:15
Andrew Bills
Business, not much else. And then they.

00:43:29:15 - 00:43:30:25
Andrew Bills
Just the back of over the.

00:43:30:25 - 00:43:34:13
Andrew Bills
Period in the 2000 as you know, they bought different.

00:43:34:24 - 00:43:35:08
Andrew Bills
Retail.

00:43:35:08 - 00:43:36:07
Andrew Bills
Businesses in Victoria.

00:43:36:07 - 00:43:36:10
Andrew Bills
With.

00:43:36:10 - 00:43:39:25
Andrew Bills
Privatization and the second sales that went through on there, they.

00:43:39:25 - 00:43:41:25
Andrew Bills
Started building generation portfolios.

00:43:42:02 - 00:43:42:22
Daniel Franco
Going Good lady.

00:43:42:22 - 00:43:43:15
Andrew Bills
You good leadership.

00:43:43:15 - 00:43:44:29
Andrew Bills
Grant King Real visionary.

00:43:44:29 - 00:43:45:23
Andrew Bills
Absolutely.

00:43:46:25 - 00:43:49:25
Andrew Bills
They took an amazing upstream gas position like.

00:43:50:00 - 00:43:54:14
Andrew Bills
Still living the benefits today like they saw he saw the future of CSG.

00:43:54:16 - 00:43:55:03
Andrew Bills
Coal seam gas.

00:43:55:15 - 00:43:57:09
Andrew Bills
Sort got you know got some.

00:43:57:09 - 00:43:58:06
Andrew Bills
Tremendous reserves.

00:43:58:06 - 00:43:58:21
Andrew Bills
So you know.

00:43:58:21 - 00:43:59:16
Andrew Bills
They had tremendous.

00:43:59:16 - 00:44:02:10
Andrew Bills
Assets. So they bought this business.

00:44:02:10 - 00:44:05:11
Andrew Bills
Well, if you think about it, you know, from when it was spun out to.

00:44:05:11 - 00:44:09:15
Andrew Bills
Sort of a decade or so later when we're talking, it was a very.

00:44:09:15 - 00:44:13:07
Andrew Bills
Large business that had grown very quickly. And the and the generation.

00:44:13:07 - 00:44:15:04
Andrew Bills
Portfolio was huge at this point.

00:44:15:04 - 00:44:19:12
Andrew Bills
And, you know, the largest generator in the country. But it was.

00:44:19:12 - 00:44:21:18
Andrew Bills
A whole lot of separate little businesses, separate.

00:44:21:18 - 00:44:22:19
Andrew Bills
Assets and needed to be.

00:44:22:19 - 00:44:25:00
Andrew Bills
Brought together as a portfolio. So that was the.

00:44:25:00 - 00:44:26:10
Andrew Bills
Opportunity to bring that.

00:44:26:10 - 00:44:30:29
Andrew Bills
Generation group in and that was yeah, yeah. So that's I mean, yeah, to.

00:44:30:29 - 00:44:31:29
Andrew Bills
Work in that group or.

00:44:31:29 - 00:44:33:27
Andrew Bills
That. So that was, and that was great, you know.

00:44:33:27 - 00:44:35:00
Daniel Franco
Seat to the executive table.

00:44:35:04 - 00:44:35:27
Andrew Bills
No. So I was.

00:44:36:05 - 00:44:36:27
Andrew Bills
So no.

00:44:36:27 - 00:44:39:16
Andrew Bills
That was, I was put like the executive table at that point.

00:44:40:21 - 00:44:41:21
Daniel Franco
Rose up in the ranks.

00:44:41:21 - 00:44:42:16
Andrew Bills
And I got.

00:44:43:02 - 00:44:45:27
Andrew Bills
Like I had a great decade at Origin and did lots of different.

00:44:45:27 - 00:44:50:01
Andrew Bills
Things. And all in all, in the energy markets, business.

00:44:50:01 - 00:44:52:13
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So, you know, you.

00:44:52:13 - 00:44:58:24
Andrew Bills
Had the upstream business in the energy market, two distinct things. And if you look at what's going on with the Brookfield acquisition at the moment, yeah, that's.

00:44:58:24 - 00:45:00:16
Andrew Bills
What part of the whole stories.

00:45:02:03 - 00:45:05:23
Andrew Bills
And so I was on the energy markets business and did a, you know.

00:45:06:00 - 00:45:07:02
Andrew Bills
Corporate services type.

00:45:07:02 - 00:45:10:18
Andrew Bills
Role. So not only do I pay and our responsibilities and some of my.

00:45:10:18 - 00:45:12:14
Andrew Bills
Roles and other roles, I had those sort of.

00:45:12:14 - 00:45:15:19
Andrew Bills
Service lines. Yeah. And just it.

00:45:15:19 - 00:45:17:06
Andrew Bills
Was a big.

00:45:17:06 - 00:45:19:06
Andrew Bills
Large organization in the energy.

00:45:19:06 - 00:45:30:08
Andrew Bills
Industry that was, you know, had a great reputation, quality of the people was really smart people. And that's what kept the place going actually, because because they've grown so quickly, they.

00:45:30:08 - 00:45:34:07
Andrew Bills
Were underdone on systems and processes. Yeah, like most organizations. Well, this.

00:45:34:07 - 00:45:40:08
Daniel Franco
Is where I think last time we spoke you said to me you were a big part of building a safety culture.

00:45:40:08 - 00:45:47:18
Andrew Bills
Within Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was one of my roles. I had the accountability for safety.

00:45:47:18 - 00:45:48:26
Andrew Bills
In the energy markets business.

00:45:49:17 - 00:45:50:24
Andrew Bills
And we looked at the.

00:45:50:24 - 00:45:52:24
Andrew Bills
Perform and there was a I remember this.

00:45:53:11 - 00:45:54:06
Andrew Bills
Period, there was this.

00:45:54:23 - 00:45:56:00
Andrew Bills
Concern around.

00:45:56:00 - 00:45:58:10
Andrew Bills
The overall safety performance of the.

00:45:58:10 - 00:46:00:05
Andrew Bills
Organization and, you know, Grant and.

00:46:00:05 - 00:46:01:02
Andrew Bills
The other executives.

00:46:01:02 - 00:46:02:14
Andrew Bills
And say we need to do something differently.

00:46:03:04 - 00:46:04:25
Daniel Franco
And we said, what year was it?

00:46:04:26 - 00:46:07:13
Andrew Bills
I think it was 2012.

00:46:08:00 - 00:46:10:11
Daniel Franco
We took the safety thing. We started. Really?

00:46:10:11 - 00:46:13:06
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Yeah. And we.

00:46:13:06 - 00:46:13:29
Daniel Franco
Feel that it wasn't.

00:46:14:00 - 00:46:15:19
Andrew Bills
Well, I think I think I think.

00:46:15:19 - 00:46:16:27
Andrew Bills
The thing there was there was a lack of.

00:46:16:27 - 00:46:19:01
Daniel Franco
Consistency. Yeah. Yeah.

00:46:19:01 - 00:46:20:04
Andrew Bills
And so I was involved.

00:46:20:04 - 00:46:22:24
Andrew Bills
In with the other side, the execs across.

00:46:22:24 - 00:46:23:20
Andrew Bills
The business to sort of.

00:46:24:01 - 00:46:26:03
Andrew Bills
Get in place this life saving.

00:46:26:03 - 00:46:27:01
Andrew Bills
Rules. And then we.

00:46:27:01 - 00:46:28:11
Andrew Bills
We started to look at cultural.

00:46:29:03 - 00:46:30:24
Andrew Bills
Like a lot of organizations.

00:46:30:24 - 00:46:32:11
Andrew Bills
Do, but we built a.

00:46:32:11 - 00:46:32:24
Andrew Bills
Frontline.

00:46:32:24 - 00:46:35:19
Andrew Bills
Leadership course with some external people.

00:46:36:04 - 00:46:37:11
Andrew Bills
Which we rolled out, and.

00:46:37:21 - 00:46:38:09
Andrew Bills
That was sort of.

00:46:38:09 - 00:46:39:23
Andrew Bills
Like these foundation pieces.

00:46:39:23 - 00:46:41:05
Andrew Bills
Which were sort of all designed.

00:46:41:05 - 00:46:41:13
Andrew Bills
To.

00:46:41:21 - 00:46:49:01
Andrew Bills
Improve safety performance across the organization. And that was a lot of a lot of.

00:46:49:01 - 00:46:51:03
Andrew Bills
Fun being part of that. And then when I.

00:46:51:03 - 00:46:54:28
Andrew Bills
Took the role, one of my roles there, I took the role at LPG, which is a.

00:46:54:28 - 00:46:58:06
Andrew Bills
Large business in its own right.

00:46:58:06 - 00:46:58:22
Andrew Bills
You know, it's.

00:46:59:04 - 00:47:00:13
Andrew Bills
National and international.

00:47:00:13 - 00:47:07:05
Andrew Bills
So all through Australia, all through the Pacific, lots of trucks, lots of moving parts, lots of hazards because effectively.

00:47:07:05 - 00:47:07:15
Andrew Bills
You know, you.

00:47:07:15 - 00:47:10:16
Andrew Bills
Got this hazardous substances you driving around with every day.

00:47:10:26 - 00:47:13:29
Andrew Bills
Going to customers every day. So a lot of things can go wrong.

00:47:15:09 - 00:47:25:00
Andrew Bills
And it had a really bad when I took the job in 2014, but an atrocious culture and safety performance, financial.

00:47:25:00 - 00:47:26:06
Andrew Bills
Performance, you name.

00:47:26:06 - 00:47:32:27
Andrew Bills
It. Yeah, it was just it was the bottom of the bottom. Yeah. And we.

00:47:32:27 - 00:47:34:23
Daniel Franco
Had just born out of the quick.

00:47:34:23 - 00:47:35:15
Andrew Bills
Growth or.

00:47:35:21 - 00:47:36:21
Andrew Bills
No, no, it's a.

00:47:37:04 - 00:47:41:05
Andrew Bills
It's an old legacy part of the business. It's one of the old auto parts of the business. I was just a.

00:47:41:05 - 00:47:43:21
Andrew Bills
Combination of been, you know, I hadn't given a lot.

00:47:43:21 - 00:47:44:03
Daniel Franco
Of loving.

00:47:44:14 - 00:47:44:27
Andrew Bills
Care.

00:47:44:27 - 00:47:45:21
Andrew Bills
And attention and.

00:47:46:13 - 00:47:48:01
Daniel Franco
I think things like you and Mr. Fix it.

00:47:48:07 - 00:47:50:17
Andrew Bills
Well, I did I did have a bit of that reputation in.

00:47:50:17 - 00:47:54:00
Andrew Bills
Terms of, you know, throw me out because I was involved in the New South.

00:47:54:00 - 00:47:54:09
Andrew Bills
Wales.

00:47:54:09 - 00:47:54:29
Andrew Bills
Acquisition as.

00:47:54:29 - 00:47:57:21
Andrew Bills
Well. When I first got there, which was the arriving power station and.

00:47:57:21 - 00:47:59:25
Andrew Bills
The and the retail businesses, I was thrown into.

00:47:59:25 - 00:48:00:08
Andrew Bills
That.

00:48:00:25 - 00:48:05:00
Andrew Bills
You know, sort out the Uranquinty power station, which I'd sold them, which was not performing.

00:48:05:00 - 00:48:07:09
Andrew Bills
It should sort that out. So I was just, you know.

00:48:07:28 - 00:48:14:17
Andrew Bills
And I ended up, you know, running the business and, you know, it's engagement School was 26 out of 100.

00:48:14:17 - 00:48:15:00
Daniel Franco
And yeah, well.

00:48:15:17 - 00:48:16:26
Andrew Bills
You know, losing 10%.

00:48:17:15 - 00:48:25:06
Andrew Bills
Every sales every year in terms of customers, you know, safety. The Trevor was over 22. It was just.

00:48:25:06 - 00:48:27:12
Andrew Bills
Horrendous. Every, every metric was just atrocious.

00:48:28:27 - 00:48:30:14
Andrew Bills
And while the engagement school.

00:48:30:14 - 00:48:31:01
Andrew Bills
Tasmania.

00:48:31:01 - 00:48:32:01
Andrew Bills
With eight oh.

00:48:32:01 - 00:48:32:13
Daniel Franco
Wow.

00:48:32:29 - 00:48:34:10
Andrew Bills
It was a bit of it was a bit of.

00:48:34:15 - 00:48:35:29
Andrew Bills
The Tasmanian thing. And so.

00:48:36:00 - 00:48:37:29
Daniel Franco
What do you do in this situation where.

00:48:38:00 - 00:48:39:15
Andrew Bills
You've got to confront, you've got to confront.

00:48:39:15 - 00:48:40:10
Andrew Bills
What's in front of you. Right.

00:48:41:12 - 00:48:42:04
Andrew Bills
And I just walked.

00:48:42:04 - 00:48:42:15
Andrew Bills
In and that.

00:48:42:15 - 00:48:47:09
Andrew Bills
Was that was what I okay, what are we going to do? Yeah. And so we.

00:48:47:09 - 00:49:07:15
Daniel Franco
Just said, well, look, with the business that are on, we do a lot of work in the culture space. So I'm interested in understanding as you walk in, I'm seeing scores of out here and, you know, 26 overall. What's the mindset, what what at what point to is what is your plan? You go, We've got to change culture.

00:49:07:15 - 00:49:08:27
Andrew Bills
Is culture such a big.

00:49:09:06 - 00:49:13:16
Daniel Franco
It is. And it's often the number one question we get asked is when, Where do we start?

00:49:13:16 - 00:49:15:17
Andrew Bills
Well, I did a.

00:49:15:17 - 00:49:17:15
Andrew Bills
Couple of things. Number one.

00:49:18:03 - 00:49:19:08
Andrew Bills
There was already some stuff.

00:49:19:08 - 00:49:21:03
Andrew Bills
Starting in the safety side of things.

00:49:21:26 - 00:49:22:14
Andrew Bills
A couple of really.

00:49:22:14 - 00:49:25:15
Andrew Bills
Talented people have been brought into the business and they were like.

00:49:25:15 - 00:49:30:09
Andrew Bills
Real smart, smart, very capable people and sort of.

00:49:30:09 - 00:49:32:02
Andrew Bills
Leverage them in terms of, right, let's.

00:49:32:02 - 00:49:32:12
Andrew Bills
Build a.

00:49:32:12 - 00:49:33:09
Andrew Bills
Program out.

00:49:33:15 - 00:49:38:00
Andrew Bills
On how we're going to look at visible leadership, how we show.

00:49:38:00 - 00:49:38:16
Andrew Bills
Front up.

00:49:38:16 - 00:49:39:04
Andrew Bills
The behaviors.

00:49:39:04 - 00:49:40:14
Andrew Bills
We're going to accept, and we're going to just.

00:49:40:14 - 00:49:42:09
Andrew Bills
Drive that through the organization.

00:49:42:19 - 00:49:46:15
Andrew Bills
And around accountability. And so that.

00:49:46:15 - 00:49:46:28
Andrew Bills
Was already.

00:49:46:28 - 00:49:47:20
Andrew Bills
Starting to.

00:49:47:20 - 00:49:48:21
Andrew Bills
Roll through.

00:49:48:21 - 00:49:51:09
Andrew Bills
Right. And because you understand, prior to me taking the lead.

00:49:51:13 - 00:49:52:23
Andrew Bills
Role, I had the safety.

00:49:52:23 - 00:49:56:11
Andrew Bills
Response. I knew about coming in from that angle and their ability and angle.

00:49:57:00 - 00:50:00:09
Andrew Bills
And I had actually kept up doing both safety and LPGA.

00:50:00:23 - 00:50:02:29
Andrew Bills
And so driving a cultural.

00:50:02:29 - 00:50:03:10
Andrew Bills
Change.

00:50:03:10 - 00:50:06:05
Andrew Bills
Program around safety, you know, using your.

00:50:06:05 - 00:50:08:10
Andrew Bills
Statistics to drive the idea.

00:50:09:03 - 00:50:13:24
Andrew Bills
Safety conversations. So coaching conversations.

00:50:13:24 - 00:50:15:10
Andrew Bills
Anyways, we started to see the wheel.

00:50:15:10 - 00:50:18:26
Andrew Bills
Turn there and that number was.

00:50:18:28 - 00:50:19:29
Andrew Bills
Drifting down.

00:50:20:09 - 00:50:25:10
Andrew Bills
From 22 and was coming down because you've got to understand this was some of that.

00:50:25:10 - 00:50:30:17
Andrew Bills
When I went on, I had the safety responsibility and I went and saw the GM who used to run LPGA and was talking.

00:50:30:17 - 00:50:33:22
Andrew Bills
About the changes we needed to make. And he just looked at me and said, It's LPGA.

00:50:33:22 - 00:50:36:17
Andrew Bills
We hurt people, too. Why do you.

00:50:36:17 - 00:50:38:07
Andrew Bills
Think why do you think it had.

00:50:38:07 - 00:50:40:07
Andrew Bills
The results? It did is that's true.

00:50:40:13 - 00:50:42:20
Andrew Bills
And then we had an argument in the office and he told me to.

00:50:42:20 - 00:50:50:07
Andrew Bills
F off and get out of the office. Yeah, well, I still remember that anyway. So that was the legacy. So that was, that was, that was part of it.

00:50:50:07 - 00:50:52:27
Andrew Bills
And then the other thing in terms of like as new leader, you.

00:50:52:27 - 00:50:54:08
Andrew Bills
Got the ability to say, Right.

00:50:54:09 - 00:50:59:26
Andrew Bills
This all happened, right, But I'm going to own it. Even though I wasn't here, I'm going to own it and we're going to get everything on the.

00:50:59:26 - 00:51:01:27
Andrew Bills
Table like an absolutely.

00:51:02:11 - 00:51:02:27
Andrew Bills
Confirmed it.

00:51:02:27 - 00:51:04:22
Andrew Bills
All. And I remember we went down.

00:51:04:22 - 00:51:05:10
Daniel Franco
To look in the mirror.

00:51:05:14 - 00:51:08:00
Andrew Bills
Look in the mirror type stuff. And so we went down to Tasmania.

00:51:08:27 - 00:51:09:17
Andrew Bills
As a leadership.

00:51:09:17 - 00:51:15:06
Andrew Bills
Team and got a cross-section of all the different people, you know, drivers on the fillers.

00:51:15:06 - 00:51:16:25
Andrew Bills
Salespeople and, you know.

00:51:17:08 - 00:51:23:14
Andrew Bills
Threw them in a room and just let them go and just vent this point. And I'm telling you, it was just the them was getting it.

00:51:23:14 - 00:51:24:15
Andrew Bills
Off your chest.

00:51:25:05 - 00:51:26:00
Andrew Bills
And they just went.

00:51:26:00 - 00:51:26:21
Andrew Bills
Ballistic.

00:51:26:28 - 00:51:29:26
Andrew Bills
And we then kept fronting up every.

00:51:29:26 - 00:51:31:27
Andrew Bills
Quarter to the visible leadership.

00:51:32:24 - 00:51:34:11
Andrew Bills
There was a few little changes we needed to.

00:51:34:11 - 00:51:35:29
Andrew Bills
Make based on the feedback we were.

00:51:35:29 - 00:51:36:14
Andrew Bills
Getting, that it.

00:51:36:14 - 00:51:38:23
Andrew Bills
Really made a difference and there weren't big issues. Yeah.

00:51:39:00 - 00:51:40:17
Daniel Franco
So what were some of the Oh, you.

00:51:40:18 - 00:51:42:13
Andrew Bills
Know, just put an extra salesperson on to win some.

00:51:42:13 - 00:51:43:08
Andrew Bills
Customers back? Yeah.

00:51:44:23 - 00:51:47:26
Andrew Bills
Put an extra truck on because they were struggling to manage.

00:51:47:26 - 00:51:48:21
Andrew Bills
The service levels.

00:51:48:21 - 00:51:49:19
Andrew Bills
They did because they never knew.

00:51:50:02 - 00:51:52:01
Andrew Bills
Trucks to deliver. Yeah. Every day. Yeah.

00:51:52:27 - 00:52:03:05
Andrew Bills
Creative Center of Excellence in Tasmania servicing the rest of the business. So this is about an identity and, you know, recognizing Tasmania's significance.

00:52:03:05 - 00:52:05:29
Andrew Bills
So that's about culture. Yeah. Respect. Absolutely.

00:52:06:27 - 00:52:08:24
Andrew Bills
Anyway, so all these little things now.

00:52:08:24 - 00:52:10:04
Daniel Franco
So they're starting to feel heard.

00:52:10:04 - 00:52:10:09
Andrew Bills
And.

00:52:10:15 - 00:52:13:06
Andrew Bills
They heard the make one sit down and listened.

00:52:13:07 - 00:52:13:27
Andrew Bills
Acknowledged.

00:52:14:03 - 00:52:15:04
Andrew Bills
You keep fronting up.

00:52:15:27 - 00:52:16:14
Andrew Bills
You keep.

00:52:16:14 - 00:52:19:15
Andrew Bills
Giving feedback, you make small decisions and you follow.

00:52:19:15 - 00:52:21:01
Andrew Bills
Through on it. So I see you're following. So you.

00:52:21:01 - 00:52:22:01
Daniel Franco
Do what you say, you do what.

00:52:22:01 - 00:52:22:24
Andrew Bills
You say you're going to do.

00:52:23:10 - 00:52:26:03
Andrew Bills
Tasmania all the time. What if that business had an engagement score.

00:52:26:03 - 00:52:27:02
Andrew Bills
Of 82? Yeah.

00:52:27:02 - 00:52:30:05
Daniel Franco
Wow. That was 76% right. Yeah.

00:52:30:18 - 00:52:31:15
Andrew Bills
It's unbelievable. Yeah.

00:52:31:28 - 00:52:32:27
Andrew Bills
And that's what I mean. So it.

00:52:32:27 - 00:52:33:10
Andrew Bills
Just.

00:52:33:10 - 00:52:36:00
Andrew Bills
Shifted enormously. So that was more, you know, it was a.

00:52:36:00 - 00:52:37:27
Andrew Bills
Really the, the.

00:52:38:00 - 00:52:38:21
Andrew Bills
Building blocks.

00:52:38:21 - 00:52:39:02
Andrew Bills
Were really.

00:52:39:02 - 00:52:39:19
Andrew Bills
Around the safe.

00:52:39:19 - 00:52:41:08
Andrew Bills
Culture, which is around accountability.

00:52:42:09 - 00:52:48:14
Daniel Franco
What was, what was the conversations like at the like how long did you keep fronting up for And when it was 82%, I.

00:52:48:14 - 00:52:49:17
Andrew Bills
Still fairly well, I mean.

00:52:49:20 - 00:52:50:18
Andrew Bills
The whole thing about.

00:52:51:14 - 00:52:52:07
Andrew Bills
The whole leadership.

00:52:52:07 - 00:52:53:05
Andrew Bills
Team wasn't just me, the whole.

00:52:53:05 - 00:52:59:24
Andrew Bills
Leadership team. I sort of said, we've got to drive this, uh a culture of accountability, visible leadership.

00:53:00:06 - 00:53:02:16
Andrew Bills
So I want a you guys, not just me.

00:53:02:21 - 00:53:04:14
Andrew Bills
You got it. Because there were 70 odd sites.

00:53:04:14 - 00:53:07:01
Andrew Bills
And two in Australia and then you had another.

00:53:07:01 - 00:53:07:15
Andrew Bills
30 or.

00:53:07:15 - 00:53:08:13
Andrew Bills
40 in the.

00:53:08:13 - 00:53:15:19
Andrew Bills
Pacific. I said, I want people visiting all of those sites every year. So you just, you get, you rotate.

00:53:15:19 - 00:53:19:27
Andrew Bills
Through, you know, in terms of fronting up, going to a toolbox in the morning, going for a ride along.

00:53:19:27 - 00:53:20:25
Andrew Bills
In a truck. Yeah.

00:53:20:29 - 00:53:21:17
Andrew Bills
Listening to what a.

00:53:21:17 - 00:53:24:02
Andrew Bills
Drivers got to say, which is about what's giving him grief.

00:53:24:28 - 00:53:25:10
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:53:25:10 - 00:53:25:24
Andrew Bills
So you just.

00:53:25:24 - 00:53:26:20
Andrew Bills
Constantly.

00:53:26:21 - 00:53:27:04
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:53:27:14 - 00:53:27:28
Andrew Bills
And that was.

00:53:27:28 - 00:53:28:24
Andrew Bills
The shift because up.

00:53:28:24 - 00:53:31:08
Andrew Bills
Until then the feedback had been management didn't really.

00:53:31:08 - 00:53:33:20
Andrew Bills
Care that they just sat there and.

00:53:34:05 - 00:53:34:23
Andrew Bills
And you know.

00:53:34:23 - 00:53:36:18
Andrew Bills
You had people would raise ideas.

00:53:36:28 - 00:53:37:15
Andrew Bills
And it wouldn't get.

00:53:37:15 - 00:53:40:16
Andrew Bills
Through and I wouldn't get through the layer of clay. Yeah.

00:53:40:27 - 00:53:42:00
Andrew Bills
Yeah. That layer of.

00:53:42:00 - 00:53:42:29
Andrew Bills
Five sits and a lot of.

00:53:42:29 - 00:53:45:21
Daniel Franco
Organization. Yeah. So how do you personalize and ask where it is.

00:53:45:21 - 00:53:47:20
Andrew Bills
Exactly how do you punch a hole through that life?

00:53:48:28 - 00:53:51:04
Andrew Bills
So and there's a lot of things we did the punch.

00:53:51:04 - 00:53:55:25
Andrew Bills
Hole through to get people's ideas so people could be heard because the best ideas.

00:53:55:25 - 00:54:00:14
Andrew Bills
Typically on turning an organization around exist in the organization by the people, you know.

00:54:00:24 - 00:54:04:06
Andrew Bills
Because they do it every day, 100%. So how do you unlock that?

00:54:04:23 - 00:54:06:26
Andrew Bills
How do you listen? How do you then create a.

00:54:06:26 - 00:54:08:13
Andrew Bills
Feedback loop So you show.

00:54:08:13 - 00:54:11:11
Andrew Bills
I am listening and this is what we're doing about it, because not every.

00:54:11:11 - 00:54:12:13
Andrew Bills
Idea you get to.

00:54:12:13 - 00:54:13:06
Andrew Bills
Run with, we need to.

00:54:13:06 - 00:54:19:12
Andrew Bills
Explain why. Yeah, give the why context. So we just created that and it was the whole team just.

00:54:19:12 - 00:54:20:03
Andrew Bills
Driving that.

00:54:20:03 - 00:54:22:07
Andrew Bills
Beautiful and it just shifted.

00:54:22:08 - 00:54:29:15
Daniel Franco
This is a great case study. What? Whether the arrow looked like that it did you see a productivity increase or like what was the. Well, it was losing it.

00:54:29:21 - 00:54:30:21
Andrew Bills
It was losing money.

00:54:30:21 - 00:54:33:14
Daniel Franco
Yeah. He was saying 10% every year.

00:54:33:14 - 00:54:34:07
Andrew Bills
Yeah. It was it was.

00:54:34:07 - 00:54:36:14
Andrew Bills
Losing volumes and customers about 10% a year.

00:54:36:23 - 00:54:38:25
Andrew Bills
And then it grew, it grew the top.

00:54:38:25 - 00:54:39:07
Andrew Bills
Line.

00:54:39:07 - 00:54:46:05
Andrew Bills
So they were starting to grow back in market share. But even Darwin's, it was sort of.

00:54:46:06 - 00:54:48:09
Andrew Bills
You know, moved from negative to.

00:54:48:09 - 00:54:49:18
Andrew Bills
Sort of 70.

00:54:49:18 - 00:54:50:24
Andrew Bills
60, 70 million in a few.

00:54:50:24 - 00:54:51:02
Andrew Bills
Years.

00:54:51:19 - 00:55:07:09
Daniel Franco
From a percentage point of view going to -10% a year. Where does that go from? A I'm because I'm absolutely obsessed with the numbers behind this is people. I often believe that culture is one of those things that is really hard to quantify and put tomorrow is, you know.

00:55:08:03 - 00:55:11:19
Andrew Bills
Aren't you forgotten the next of the chart spewing?

00:55:11:19 - 00:55:25:06
Daniel Franco
Because I think because I think I've clipped this and I'd send you a lot of it, but this is what culture can do for you and your business. You can turn it around. And it did. And it's it will do this for you. It's another can. It will if you're all in. Yeah.

00:55:25:25 - 00:55:27:00
Andrew Bills
It was one of the it's one of the.

00:55:27:00 - 00:55:27:18
Andrew Bills
Things about.

00:55:27:18 - 00:55:29:24
Andrew Bills
It was it was a it was a high.

00:55:29:24 - 00:55:30:18
Andrew Bills
Volume.

00:55:30:21 - 00:55:33:28
Andrew Bills
High cash sense but a lot of cash. Yeah, but.

00:55:33:28 - 00:55:35:09
Andrew Bills
The margins in the business were.

00:55:35:12 - 00:55:36:02
Andrew Bills
Always pretty.

00:55:36:02 - 00:55:36:14
Andrew Bills
Thin.

00:55:36:16 - 00:55:37:17
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So that was the.

00:55:37:24 - 00:55:44:11
Andrew Bills
You know, it was never going to be a hundred. And that's the thing in the origin context when you're making a gazillion over here in the upstream.

00:55:44:11 - 00:55:46:07
Andrew Bills
Yes. Right. Yeah. And over here.

00:55:46:07 - 00:55:47:13
Andrew Bills
You've got all these moving parts.

00:55:47:13 - 00:55:48:08
Andrew Bills
Lots of risk but.

00:55:48:08 - 00:55:49:08
Andrew Bills
You're, and you're spending a lot of.

00:55:49:08 - 00:55:50:07
Andrew Bills
Cash but.

00:55:50:07 - 00:55:54:06
Andrew Bills
You're actually I mean you look at the returns, you know, they're not like massive.

00:55:54:22 - 00:56:01:05
Andrew Bills
70%. Yeah. So you got to contextualize it. Yeah. But the cash actually helped with a lot of other metrics too.

00:56:01:05 - 00:56:02:12
Andrew Bills
They origin balance sheet.

00:56:02:12 - 00:56:03:19
Andrew Bills
Because that was the.

00:56:04:15 - 00:56:23:23
Daniel Franco
That's what I kept. It makes sense. Yeah. For me it's just I'm passionate. Also when I said people don't understand what culture can do, it's positive culture, it's a culture. It's and optimized culture, something that you've actually that you work on consistently. It's like, you know, when you go to the gym and you go, I want to I want to go and get a good body.

00:56:24:05 - 00:56:25:11
Daniel Franco
I want to get a six pack or.

00:56:25:11 - 00:56:26:03
Andrew Bills
Whatever it is.

00:56:26:19 - 00:56:45:23
Daniel Franco
You go to the gym and and you might you got to concentrate on it like it's all the different things that go into it, different types of training, different types of muscle groups, all of the above. But once you get there, you don't just start eating out of it. The culture that I've got, the body that I need it is now about how do we maintain and continue and potentially improve.

00:56:45:23 - 00:57:05:03
Daniel Franco
Right? And I think that's the one thing is we can ask a lot of questions. We want to improve the culture of this this business, this organization, and it's that you've got 12 months to do it. That's right. It doesn't it does not work like that. So not to pursue it in that time. Right. So we're moving on from from Origin.

00:57:05:08 - 00:57:13:17
Daniel Franco
You've learned a lot. You've learned how to lead. You've you've turned some businesses around and you get tapped on the shoulder to Yeah.

00:57:13:20 - 00:57:15:27
Andrew Bills
To good to say yes And I was at that point.

00:57:15:27 - 00:57:17:03
Andrew Bills
And I you know, I.

00:57:17:24 - 00:57:18:18
Andrew Bills
Reached where I could.

00:57:18:18 - 00:57:21:05
Andrew Bills
Go in the origin context and was like wait to next.

00:57:21:05 - 00:57:23:16
Andrew Bills
Yeah. And I had a few.

00:57:23:16 - 00:57:25:05
Andrew Bills
Opportunities not you know like all.

00:57:25:18 - 00:57:25:25
Andrew Bills
At the.

00:57:25:25 - 00:57:26:27
Andrew Bills
Same time. It's interesting how.

00:57:26:27 - 00:57:27:09
Andrew Bills
That always.

00:57:27:09 - 00:57:30:18
Andrew Bills
Happens, you know. And I looked at it and those.

00:57:30:18 - 00:57:33:19
Andrew Bills
The roles and I'm like, okay, I'm kind of a CEO.

00:57:33:28 - 00:57:38:01
Andrew Bills
In the origin. It's a big business. Yeah, but I got it because I never sort.

00:57:38:01 - 00:57:39:27
Andrew Bills
Of sit down. I said, I want to be a CEO.

00:57:39:27 - 00:57:42:08
Andrew Bills
I've never actually had that conversation with myself.

00:57:42:17 - 00:57:43:16
Andrew Bills
It was all about, okay.

00:57:43:16 - 00:57:44:21
Andrew Bills
What's the next opportunity.

00:57:44:25 - 00:57:48:14
Andrew Bills
To take advantage of that? Here we go. What am I going to do? I like it.

00:57:48:14 - 00:57:50:21
Daniel Franco
What I'm going to say never a point where you it could be.

00:57:51:08 - 00:57:51:23
Andrew Bills
That's when.

00:57:51:26 - 00:57:52:25
Andrew Bills
At Origin, when.

00:57:52:25 - 00:57:54:09
Andrew Bills
It was sort of like, okay, I'm at this.

00:57:54:09 - 00:57:54:27
Andrew Bills

Point now.

00:57:54:27 - 00:57:56:11
Andrew Bills
Where I could actually do this. Yeah.

00:57:57:19 - 00:58:01:05
Daniel Franco
So did you ever work on yourself through that time? Did you like it then?

00:58:01:07 - 00:58:02:03
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I did.

00:58:03:16 - 00:58:04:05
Andrew Bills
It's interesting that.

00:58:04:05 - 00:58:05:13
Andrew Bills
I got approached about a CEO.

00:58:05:13 - 00:58:07:26
Andrew Bills
Role early in my career at Origin, and.

00:58:07:26 - 00:58:10:07
Andrew Bills
It was really it would have been a great role.

00:58:11:17 - 00:58:20:17
Andrew Bills
But I wasn't. When I look at it now, I wasn't ready. Yeah, and I looked at my lead and one of the people I was talking about was really talented who in the HSC space.

00:58:20:21 - 00:58:28:27
Andrew Bills
So she worked for me. Yeah. Incredible coach. Yeah. And she had the ability to coach me. Well, she reported to me. Yeah. That coach that was. Yeah.

00:58:29:04 - 00:58:33:18
Andrew Bills
And she made me a much better leader in terms of understanding the power.

00:58:33:18 - 00:58:35:09
Andrew Bills
Of vulnerability.

00:58:35:09 - 00:58:35:12
Andrew Bills
And.

00:58:35:12 - 00:58:38:27
Andrew Bills
Humility and how to coach.

00:58:38:27 - 00:58:39:18
Andrew Bills
And mentor.

00:58:39:21 - 00:58:42:10
Andrew Bills
Yes. So she was, she shaped a lot of that.

00:58:42:10 - 00:58:43:16
Andrew Bills
And I looked at my.

00:58:43:16 - 00:58:46:07
Andrew Bills
Leadership style too, because what I, you.

00:58:46:07 - 00:58:47:22
Andrew Bills
Know, I'd come out of this.

00:58:48:00 - 00:58:51:22
Andrew Bills
Babcock's origin, sort of like deal, deal, deal.

00:58:52:03 - 00:58:54:13
Andrew Bills
You know, move to the next transaction fast pace.

00:58:54:14 - 00:58:55:08
Andrew Bills
And and.

00:58:55:08 - 00:58:56:01
Andrew Bills
I learned some bad.

00:58:56:01 - 00:58:57:11
Andrew Bills
Behaviors around.

00:58:57:12 - 00:58:57:24
Andrew Bills
You know.

00:58:57:25 - 00:58:59:04
Andrew Bills
Just always just.

00:58:59:19 - 00:59:03:18
Andrew Bills
Clicking your fingers on the phone not being present thinking about the next thing.

00:59:04:06 - 00:59:05:00
Andrew Bills
A positive.

00:59:05:02 - 00:59:05:10
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

00:59:06:02 - 00:59:17:02
Andrew Bills
To use that if you do the high one idea yes and I just had one leadership style which was pie sitting. Now that's not great for a team. No, it's short bursts. Absolutely. Yeah. So when I.

00:59:17:02 - 00:59:18:06
Daniel Franco
Looked at the can't keep up.

00:59:18:10 - 00:59:20:01
Andrew Bills
The courage and it just burns people out.

00:59:20:22 - 00:59:21:28
Andrew Bills
But I had to find myself.

00:59:21:28 - 00:59:22:11
Andrew Bills
Through that.

00:59:23:06 - 00:59:23:19
Andrew Bills
And then.

00:59:23:19 - 00:59:26:15
Andrew Bills
I realized through this dangerous.

00:59:26:15 - 00:59:27:07
Andrew Bills
And I and.

00:59:28:07 - 00:59:29:16
Andrew Bills
And she actually.

00:59:29:16 - 00:59:31:27
Andrew Bills
Helped me understand that I need to broaden my leadership.

00:59:31:27 - 00:59:32:07
Andrew Bills
Style.

00:59:32:07 - 00:59:34:23
Andrew Bills
Plus I had to hibernate and I could have rationalized.

00:59:34:23 - 00:59:34:26
Andrew Bills
The.

00:59:34:26 - 00:59:35:10
Andrew Bills
Hibernate.

00:59:35:12 - 00:59:37:23
Andrew Bills
Results and said, Oh, but I needed to be like that.

00:59:38:03 - 00:59:41:02
Andrew Bills
I needed to behave like that. No, no, actually, I needed to confront it.

00:59:41:02 - 00:59:42:06
Andrew Bills
And that's not okay.

00:59:42:23 - 00:59:43:20
Daniel Franco
What's the point in time?

00:59:43:21 - 00:59:44:29
Andrew Bills
Point in time. And so I really.

00:59:44:29 - 00:59:45:11
Andrew Bills
Worked at.

00:59:45:11 - 00:59:46:08
Andrew Bills
Building, you know.

00:59:46:08 - 00:59:46:25
Andrew Bills
Affiliated.

00:59:46:25 - 00:59:47:28
Andrew Bills
With visionary.

00:59:48:12 - 00:59:50:15
Andrew Bills
You know, all the other aspects. So I.

00:59:50:21 - 00:59:54:04
Andrew Bills
By the end of that, I'd gone from dot one dominant nothing else.

00:59:54:13 - 00:59:54:27
Andrew Bills
To four.

00:59:54:27 - 00:59:56:02
Andrew Bills
Dominant and secondary.

00:59:56:02 - 00:59:57:15
Andrew Bills
Leadership style. So it actually.

00:59:57:15 - 00:59:57:29
Andrew Bills
Broadened my.

00:59:57:29 - 00:59:58:14
Andrew Bills
Leadership.

00:59:58:25 - 01:00:17:13
Daniel Franco
Biutiful Yeah, I can we just touch on that for a sec? Right? So a lot of people aren't really orientated towards developing their skills. They're they're chasing the things that they want to hang around with. Friends, I wanna go have a good time. Well, what did it look like for you when you were developing those skills? What were you doing in that time?

01:00:17:21 - 01:00:18:26
Andrew Bills
I was consciously.

01:00:18:26 - 01:00:19:17
Andrew Bills
Changing.

01:00:20:08 - 01:00:22:26
Andrew Bills
What I was doing, what I was saying, how I.

01:00:22:26 - 01:00:26:19
Andrew Bills
Was behaving. So when I would have a conversation with someone, I was.

01:00:26:26 - 01:00:29:24
Andrew Bills
I absolutely had looked relooked at how I would have.

01:00:29:24 - 01:00:30:18
Andrew Bills
That conversation.

01:00:30:25 - 01:00:31:27
Daniel Franco
Understanding their perspective.

01:00:31:27 - 01:00:32:18
Andrew Bills
Understanding their.

01:00:32:18 - 01:00:33:04
Andrew Bills
Perspective.

01:00:33:04 - 01:00:36:06
Andrew Bills
Focusing on stuff which mattered to them, not me.

01:00:36:18 - 01:00:37:19
Andrew Bills
Talking to them about the.

01:00:37:19 - 01:00:39:16
Andrew Bills
Future, not just present, you know.

01:00:39:24 - 01:00:40:16
Andrew Bills
Just lots of.

01:00:40:16 - 01:00:41:21
Andrew Bills
Very and this is.

01:00:41:21 - 01:00:46:23
Andrew Bills
About how you build that out. So you build a relationship which is far broader than what it was.

01:00:47:21 - 01:00:54:27
Andrew Bills
And that was and I could I can really remember that. And that doesn't happen overnight. And, you know.

01:00:54:27 - 01:00:55:29
Andrew Bills
Over a few years.

01:00:56:06 - 01:01:04:11
Andrew Bills
My leadership team saw the difference and benefited from that. You know, And I and one of the great things is when you actually.

01:01:04:29 - 01:01:06:17
Andrew Bills
Start to get better at it.

01:01:07:24 - 01:01:10:17
Andrew Bills
And then you see them develop. And one of the and.

01:01:10:23 - 01:01:12:14
Andrew Bills
One of the people who reported.

01:01:12:14 - 01:01:14:29
Andrew Bills
To me has ended up now she was my.

01:01:14:29 - 01:01:15:19
Andrew Bills
CFO, she's.

01:01:15:19 - 01:01:19:21
Andrew Bills
Ended up now running the LPGA business one. That's great. And that was part.

01:01:19:21 - 01:01:21:24
Andrew Bills
Of that process. You good? Yeah, totally.

01:01:21:24 - 01:01:22:14
Andrew Bills
I mean, you know, I.

01:01:22:14 - 01:01:23:00
Andrew Bills
Was I was.

01:01:23:00 - 01:01:24:03
Andrew Bills
Coaching and mentoring her.

01:01:24:03 - 01:01:24:29
Andrew Bills
Yeah. And she's.

01:01:24:29 - 01:01:25:15
Andrew Bills
Grown into.

01:01:25:15 - 01:01:26:27
Andrew Bills
This operational leader.

01:01:27:05 - 01:01:28:17
Andrew Bills
Running this huge business, and I was.

01:01:28:17 - 01:01:31:07
Andrew Bills
Fabulous. So that's what so that's what I was very.

01:01:31:07 - 01:01:32:19
Andrew Bills
Conscious decisions about.

01:01:32:19 - 01:01:34:06
Andrew Bills
What is it?

01:01:34:06 - 01:01:36:19
Daniel Franco
Self awareness is a big piece in that it is.

01:01:36:19 - 01:01:38:21
Andrew Bills
You've got to be prepared though. Self aware.

01:01:39:04 - 01:01:43:03
Andrew Bills
One thing. Yeah, being prepared to do something about it is another thing. So I.

01:01:43:03 - 01:01:43:08
Andrew Bills
Had the.

01:01:43:08 - 01:01:46:01
Andrew Bills
Self-awareness and I was having a mirror held to my.

01:01:46:01 - 01:01:47:12
Andrew Bills
Face by Deirdre. Yeah.

01:01:48:00 - 01:01:48:27
Andrew Bills
You know, saying, Hey.

01:01:49:06 - 01:01:50:16
Andrew Bills
Do you why.

01:01:50:16 - 01:01:52:13
Andrew Bills
Are you behaving like you're a schmuck at time?

01:01:52:13 - 01:01:56:07
Andrew Bills
Yeah, right. So I can imagine that was good. And so she, she took me on.

01:01:56:07 - 01:02:14:17
Daniel Franco
And you know Deirdre so well, I'm a firm believer that change occurs as when the pain of staying the same is far greater than the pain of transformation. Right. So what. What pain were you going through where you said, Shit, I need to change here. I need to do something about it.

01:02:14:18 - 01:02:15:27
Andrew Bills
Well, I realized.

01:02:15:27 - 01:02:17:11
Andrew Bills
The pain I was causing others.

01:02:17:11 - 01:02:17:27
Daniel Franco
Yeah, okay.

01:02:18:00 - 01:02:23:19
Andrew Bills
Because being this extreme pain and the impact it was having and all this, I was like, I think.

01:02:23:20 - 01:02:24:28
Andrew Bills
It's not okay. Mm.

01:02:25:11 - 01:02:30:20
Andrew Bills
Yeah. You know, you actually need to change yourself because you're having a negative impact on people. And when I realized.

01:02:30:20 - 01:02:35:19
Andrew Bills
That something obsessed about myself and started to be more aware of others, it was like.

01:02:35:27 - 01:02:38:17
Andrew Bills
Well, you could, I need to do something. And it was a.

01:02:38:17 - 01:02:39:22
Andrew Bills
Very conscious choice.

01:02:40:26 - 01:02:42:11
Andrew Bills
And as a result.

01:02:42:11 - 01:02:42:25
Andrew Bills
I became.

01:02:42:26 - 01:02:50:09
Andrew Bills
Much more balanced, more humble, more vulnerable, open an inclusive.

01:02:50:09 - 01:02:51:05
Andrew Bills
Leader than.

01:02:51:05 - 01:02:53:12
Andrew Bills
What I. I was not any of those things.

01:02:53:14 - 01:03:25:26
Daniel Franco
Yeah, it's a few people that should hold the mirror up. I think it's good. I think that the one i.t stuff is amazing. I think from understanding your thoughts on how you are behaving and what others think of you as well. A 360 yeah. Approach I should say. Not the one. Okay, so we're, we're moving into a world of, of synergy where you were CEO for five years and it feels like everywhere you go there's chaos.

01:03:26:03 - 01:03:33:06
Daniel Franco
Is that so? Look at I say power. No, no, I'm taking. So what? What now? What happened in your time here?

01:03:33:06 - 01:03:40:09
Andrew Bills
It crossed. There was a good there was not chaos at Origin.

01:03:41:17 - 01:03:43:13
Daniel Franco
Sorry. You're right. It wasn't.

01:03:43:13 - 01:03:47:18
Andrew Bills
It was a C is.

01:03:47:25 - 01:03:49:28
Andrew Bills
It government owned generator in Queens. Another one C.

01:03:50:13 - 01:03:50:29
Andrew Bills
Gone through a.

01:03:51:07 - 01:03:53:28
Andrew Bills
Big transformation moving from coal into renewables.

01:03:54:08 - 01:03:55:24
Andrew Bills
You know, a retail position.

01:03:55:24 - 01:03:56:13
Andrew Bills
And you know, there.

01:03:56:13 - 01:03:58:14
Andrew Bills
Was a lot of legacy stuff.

01:03:58:14 - 01:03:58:18
Andrew Bills
There.

01:03:58:18 - 01:04:04:22
Andrew Bills
And yeah, look, I probably don't want to, you know, get to I've spoken about it elsewhere, but.

01:04:05:03 - 01:04:05:12
Andrew Bills
You know.

01:04:05:12 - 01:04:05:21
Andrew Bills
There was.

01:04:06:27 - 01:04:08:24
Andrew Bills
A major incident that happened.

01:04:08:24 - 01:04:09:24
Andrew Bills
In terms of, you know.

01:04:09:25 - 01:04:10:11
Andrew Bills
Turbine.

01:04:10:11 - 01:04:12:01
Andrew Bills
Effectively exploded and.

01:04:12:21 - 01:04:13:25
Andrew Bills
Still dealing with that.

01:04:14:14 - 01:04:15:29
Daniel Franco
And shut down the whole state.

01:04:16:13 - 01:04:16:19
Andrew Bills
A big.

01:04:16:19 - 01:04:17:01
Andrew Bills
Chunk of.

01:04:17:01 - 01:04:19:18
Andrew Bills
The state. Yeah. One of the major process.

01:04:19:18 - 01:04:22:15
Andrew Bills
Safety incidents in the history of the industry. And there's a whole lot.

01:04:22:15 - 01:04:23:13
Andrew Bills
Of legacy stuff that.

01:04:23:14 - 01:04:24:14
Andrew Bills
Like any major.

01:04:24:14 - 01:04:24:27
Andrew Bills
Process.

01:04:24:27 - 01:04:27:08
Andrew Bills
Safety incident, if you get into the.

01:04:28:19 - 01:04:31:13
Andrew Bills
History of those, it's a Swiss cheese, lots of holes.

01:04:31:13 - 01:04:32:01
Andrew Bills
Lining up.

01:04:32:09 - 01:04:39:11
Andrew Bills
So I'm talking like once the Texas City Piper Alpha, Gulf of Mexico, I think I could keep.

01:04:39:13 - 01:04:41:16
Daniel Franco
Yeah, yeah. Or even the the one in.

01:04:42:02 - 01:04:43:18
Andrew Bills
Longford in Victoria.

01:04:43:18 - 01:04:49:15
Daniel Franco
Now the Uranium One. What am I thinking? It's Chernobyl like that, you know. Yeah. Which is the sweet like it was. This was true. Yes.

01:04:49:15 - 01:04:51:14
Andrew Bills
We always have commonality though.

01:04:51:25 - 01:04:57:26
Andrew Bills
Which is just and one of the other commonalities. A lot of these things have been developing for some years.

01:04:58:03 - 01:04:59:20
Andrew Bills
So it's not just so you've got a.

01:04:59:20 - 01:05:00:17
Andrew Bills
Whole coincidence and.

01:05:00:17 - 01:05:04:14
Andrew Bills
Stuff when if you go right back to root cause it'll go back a long time. Yeah.

01:05:04:21 - 01:05:09:08
Andrew Bills
So you know that and that and, and that had a huge impact as you can imagine.

01:05:11:03 - 01:05:12:27
Andrew Bills
Had a cyber attack not long after it.

01:05:13:15 - 01:05:15:10
Andrew Bills
Um, you know, and then.

01:05:16:12 - 01:05:20:12
Daniel Franco
There was a cyber attack because there was a it was an opportune thing.

01:05:20:15 - 01:05:21:19
Andrew Bills
Uh, look at No.

01:05:21:19 - 01:05:22:06
Andrew Bills
I just.

01:05:22:06 - 01:05:27:07
Andrew Bills
The reflection of I mean, most if, if you think about how many struggling businesses are getting hit by cyber.

01:05:27:09 - 01:05:43:14
Daniel Franco
It's, you know. Well, that was the question I asked Steven Marshall, which you said I think you said you listen to I listen to podcasts. So what was one of the when you first got into office? What was one of the things that just blew your mind? And his response was the amount of cyber attack. I never knew this in the way it was.

01:05:43:14 - 01:05:49:04
Andrew Bills
It's just so prevalent. Yeah. And it was really I mean, it all happened over Friday night, Saturday.

01:05:50:04 - 01:05:54:23
Andrew Bills
In a, you know, six weeks when you're black, you know, you've you've got no systems. This all.

01:05:54:23 - 01:05:55:03
Andrew Bills
Was.

01:05:55:13 - 01:05:57:04
Daniel Franco
So six weeks offline. Nothing.

01:05:57:07 - 01:05:59:25
Andrew Bills
Yeah it wow it was pretty.

01:05:59:27 - 01:06:01:02
Daniel Franco
Amazing how long power was out.

01:06:01:02 - 01:06:02:04
Andrew Bills
For. No, no.

01:06:02:04 - 01:06:06:18
Andrew Bills
The operating technology was separate and you know it. So it was just affecting the i.t.

01:06:07:04 - 01:06:07:22
Andrew Bills
But, you know.

01:06:07:22 - 01:06:10:21
Andrew Bills
You front up on the good. Ever since I come into the.

01:06:10:21 - 01:06:17:24
Andrew Bills
Office on a monday, that was a good way to cut through people's desire to work at home because I took over this. This isn't the end.

01:06:17:24 - 01:06:19:24
Andrew Bills
Of 20 100a little. Okay.

01:06:19:25 - 01:06:20:12
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:06:20:18 - 01:06:26:00
Andrew Bills
And everyone's like, I want to work at home all the way. I don't want to come to the office like, Well, no, I didn't do this. No, I tell you what do you do?

01:06:26:03 - 01:06:31:02
Andrew Bills
You need to get into the office. So you're running around and Post-it notes.

01:06:31:02 - 01:06:31:17
Andrew Bills
Um.

01:06:31:26 - 01:06:34:06
Andrew Bills
You know, everything's. I'm signing manual purchase.

01:06:34:06 - 01:06:38:01
Andrew Bills
Orders, you know, how are we going to pay people? It was a real.

01:06:38:02 - 01:06:39:11
Andrew Bills
Eye opener in terms of.

01:06:39:24 - 01:06:42:21
Andrew Bills
What actually happens. So that was so that.

01:06:42:21 - 01:06:43:23
Andrew Bills
Was in the same year. So what does.

01:06:43:23 - 01:06:47:05
Daniel Franco
That what does that conversation at the executive table look.

01:06:47:05 - 01:06:47:15
Andrew Bills
Like.

01:06:48:02 - 01:06:48:23
Andrew Bills
When you're the middle of.

01:06:48:23 - 01:06:52:24
Andrew Bills
A crisis? Because you've got to fill full time. You know, you each got your role, so you.

01:06:52:24 - 01:06:53:15
Andrew Bills
Are performing your.

01:06:53:15 - 01:06:54:17
Andrew Bills
Roles to.

01:06:55:06 - 01:06:55:21
Andrew Bills
Define the.

01:06:55:23 - 01:06:56:24
Andrew Bills
Crisis.

01:06:56:24 - 01:06:58:11
Andrew Bills
What what do you need to solve it?

01:06:58:11 - 01:06:58:21
Andrew Bills
How he's.

01:06:58:21 - 01:06:59:05
Andrew Bills
Handling the.

01:06:59:05 - 01:07:01:13
Andrew Bills
Stakeholders people, what sort of stuff? So you all.

01:07:01:14 - 01:07:04:08
Andrew Bills
Performing your roles. And one of the things about.

01:07:04:27 - 01:07:05:10
Andrew Bills
Us as a.

01:07:05:10 - 01:07:06:23
Andrew Bills
Team, because we've been through a lot.

01:07:07:04 - 01:07:08:06
Andrew Bills
We're very good.

01:07:08:20 - 01:07:14:21
Andrew Bills
At managing a crisis and so everyone's switched into, you know, boom, off you go.

01:07:14:21 - 01:07:15:24
Andrew Bills
And the.

01:07:15:24 - 01:07:17:17
Andrew Bills
Guys did an incredible job and a.

01:07:17:18 - 01:07:24:00
Andrew Bills
Really, really impressive job. We had really good advisors to help deal with it. And it was it was right somewhere out of Russia.

01:07:24:24 - 01:07:35:29
Andrew Bills
Someone opened an email at one of our sites that they shouldn't have phishing, you know, opened a portal into our systems and, you know, and then our alarms through.

01:07:35:29 - 01:07:37:02
Andrew Bills
Our service providers.

01:07:37:02 - 01:07:40:12
Andrew Bills
Weren't being monitored and acted all the whole world. You know, we've.

01:07:40:12 - 01:08:04:21
Daniel Franco
Had we've had my hand through it. You know, my hand. If you met him, you know, he's he's been I think he's been touted as one of Australia's top 50 cyber security experts. Oh, sorry, one of the. But he's the only Australian in the top 50 global cyber security experts. We've had him on the show and and he says he goes, he's going to have all the best systems and software and everything in the world, but it's.

01:08:04:24 - 01:08:05:06
Andrew Bills
Human.

01:08:05:06 - 01:08:14:13
Daniel Franco
Error, it's the human error. And so, you know, we talk about culture of safety. It's that origin. It's the, the new the new thing is the culture of cyber security.

01:08:14:13 - 01:08:23:21
Andrew Bills
Correct. And, you know, we have cyber shares. So you have safety issues. You have cyber. She is you know, because that's what you've got to do. You get a bit of into your culture. Everyone will be attacked.

01:08:23:21 - 01:08:26:09
Andrew Bills
Everyone at some point will have an experience.

01:08:26:27 - 01:08:45:21
Daniel Franco
Does this okay, being CEO say Pamela will scare you? I think you can obviously put things into mitigate, but people say, pal, we rely on you guys critical. We're sitting in a room right now, was sitting in a room right now and everything is like, yeah, comes through you guys.

01:08:45:21 - 01:08:47:29
Andrew Bills
So I've benefited.

01:08:48:00 - 01:08:49:12
Andrew Bills
From the experience of three.

01:08:49:12 - 01:08:50:18
Andrew Bills
Yeah. About what to look for.

01:08:51:10 - 01:08:53:16
Andrew Bills
And what you should see in terms of a mature.

01:08:54:00 - 01:08:54:18
Andrew Bills
Cyber.

01:08:55:16 - 01:08:56:25
Andrew Bills
Set of control systems.

01:08:56:25 - 01:09:02:16
Andrew Bills
And so what are people monitoring. So, you know, look at that. What, where's your capability, what systems have you got.

01:09:02:16 - 01:09:05:15
Andrew Bills
Where you on a maturity ranking and you look at. So you can get an.

01:09:05:15 - 01:09:09:17
Andrew Bills
Idea pretty quickly as to where the are going to be. Now I have to say what I'm saying is.

01:09:09:17 - 01:09:13:06
Andrew Bills
IP and it's pretty impressive in terms of.

01:09:13:06 - 01:09:15:08
Andrew Bills
Its maturity always can do better.

01:09:15:09 - 01:09:15:21
Andrew Bills
You never.

01:09:15:21 - 01:09:17:05
Andrew Bills
Get there. It's like safety.

01:09:17:05 - 01:09:17:21
Andrew Bills
You never.

01:09:17:21 - 01:09:17:26
Andrew Bills
Get.

01:09:18:08 - 01:09:20:03
Daniel Franco
The Jim scenario right. You're always trying to.

01:09:20:03 - 01:09:22:06
Andrew Bills
Improve, always trying to improve. So, you.

01:09:22:06 - 01:09:24:00
Andrew Bills
Know, I've been carving quietly.

01:09:24:24 - 01:09:25:16
Andrew Bills
Surprised.

01:09:25:16 - 01:09:29:12
Andrew Bills
And pleased by what I've seen since I've been in this IP in intensive that maturity.

01:09:29:24 - 01:09:31:18
Andrew Bills
But the lived experience.

01:09:31:29 - 01:09:34:08
Andrew Bills
Is something that I think the organization can benefit.

01:09:34:08 - 01:09:37:13
Andrew Bills
From because it's like, Oh, here's what to prepare for, here's what it looks like.

01:09:39:00 - 01:09:39:16
Andrew Bills
You know, And.

01:09:39:16 - 01:09:47:16
Andrew Bills
I've spoken to quite a few boards around Australia about the experience because you have a view of the world and you do these cyber drills.

01:09:47:16 - 01:09:49:22
Andrew Bills
And tests and penetration testing isn't.

01:09:49:22 - 01:09:50:09
Daniel Franco
Going to happen to me.

01:09:50:26 - 01:09:52:11
Andrew Bills
But also you had makes assumptions.

01:09:52:11 - 01:09:53:21
Andrew Bills
About timeframes and what.

01:09:53:21 - 01:09:57:18
Andrew Bills
Happened. And I said, let me tell you the reality of what actually it looks like.

01:09:57:18 - 01:10:00:17
Andrew Bills
And I mean, and you get some chilling reminders.

01:10:00:17 - 01:10:08:03
Andrew Bills
About the the brutal facts of what how do you pay your people? Have you actually worked that out beforehand?

01:10:08:16 - 01:10:08:28
Andrew Bills
You know.

01:10:09:16 - 01:10:11:12
Andrew Bills
Simple example. Okay. That's a good.

01:10:11:12 - 01:10:14:13
Daniel Franco
Point. So when like you saying i.t goes down and how do we actually pay how.

01:10:14:13 - 01:10:18:03
Andrew Bills
Do you pay people. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. If he thought about.

01:10:18:03 - 01:10:19:05
Daniel Franco
It right, let him cash in.

01:10:19:21 - 01:10:20:27
Andrew Bills
Well, you know.

01:10:21:07 - 01:10:24:10
Andrew Bills
How do you pay suppliers? How do you get ready. You know, I always, you know.

01:10:24:18 - 01:10:25:27
Andrew Bills
So what contingencies.

01:10:25:28 - 01:10:26:15
Andrew Bills
Be built.

01:10:26:15 - 01:10:26:24
Andrew Bills
Into.

01:10:26:24 - 01:10:29:16
Andrew Bills
Your processes so when it does go wrong.

01:10:29:20 - 01:10:30:27
Andrew Bills
You can actually still function.

01:10:31:14 - 01:10:33:07
Andrew Bills
And that's kind of part of it as well.

01:10:33:07 - 01:10:33:28
Andrew Bills
And people think the.

01:10:33:28 - 01:10:34:14
Andrew Bills
Speed of.

01:10:34:14 - 01:10:37:03
Andrew Bills
Which it happens, like they're in their monitoring for.

01:10:37:13 - 01:10:38:17
Andrew Bills
Six weeks or 12.

01:10:38:17 - 01:10:40:06
Andrew Bills
Weeks, and then they finally come in.

01:10:40:28 - 01:10:41:14
Andrew Bills
The speed at.

01:10:41:14 - 01:10:43:12
Andrew Bills
Which this happened was all done within 24 hours.

01:10:43:27 - 01:10:46:08
Andrew Bills
It was all in. Yeah, yeah.

01:10:46:08 - 01:10:56:05
Daniel Franco
And it's not something you can just switch off and on again and it's not what it takes time to fix. But you're either paying off people because you the ongoing effect, you can't just know.

01:10:56:19 - 01:10:58:04
Andrew Bills
And I think, you know, the other thing is you got to.

01:10:58:04 - 01:11:01:06
Andrew Bills
Remember it is separate from i.t. Like I said. Yeah, yeah. And you.

01:11:01:06 - 01:11:02:04
Andrew Bills
Got to you got to make sure you've.

01:11:02:04 - 01:11:05:03
Andrew Bills
Got really strong firewalls.

01:11:05:17 - 01:11:06:11
Andrew Bills
And separation.

01:11:06:11 - 01:11:07:16
Andrew Bills
Gaps between.

01:11:07:17 - 01:11:08:16
Andrew Bills
Between them that sort.

01:11:08:16 - 01:11:09:27
Daniel Franco
Of paying on the paper. What were some of the other.

01:11:09:27 - 01:11:12:09
Andrew Bills
Things are paying suppliers, you know, how.

01:11:12:21 - 01:11:16:20
Andrew Bills
How do you build and dispatch generating units into a market every 5 minutes.

01:11:16:29 - 01:11:21:16
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Well right. You know how do you how do you.

01:11:21:20 - 01:11:24:28
Andrew Bills
Organize if you've got maintenance on projects and you need.

01:11:24:28 - 01:11:26:22
Andrew Bills
Data on that.

01:11:26:22 - 01:11:30:02
Daniel Franco
So everything is it rises to the potential of safety.

01:11:30:09 - 01:11:31:11
Andrew Bills
It does. It does.

01:11:31:11 - 01:11:32:11
Andrew Bills
Because and as a.

01:11:32:11 - 01:11:32:24
Andrew Bills
Result, you.

01:11:32:24 - 01:11:33:29
Andrew Bills
Take a very conservative.

01:11:33:29 - 01:11:35:13
Andrew Bills
Approach. It's a good question. You take a.

01:11:35:13 - 01:11:36:05
Andrew Bills
Very conservative.

01:11:36:05 - 01:11:37:27
Andrew Bills
Approach on.

01:11:38:10 - 01:11:41:17
Andrew Bills
What you might assume because you had data sitting there and it's.

01:11:41:17 - 01:11:44:28
Andrew Bills
IP or you don't have that visibility. So you kind.

01:11:44:28 - 01:11:46:08
Andrew Bills
Of assume that that's in place.

01:11:46:08 - 01:11:47:15
Andrew Bills
That isolations occurred.

01:11:47:24 - 01:11:52:25
Andrew Bills
So you permit systems are going to change because electronic payments have gone to manual payments.

01:11:53:09 - 01:11:54:06
Andrew Bills
How you isolate.

01:11:54:11 - 01:11:55:02
Andrew Bills
Changes.

01:11:55:10 - 01:11:56:03
Andrew Bills
So all that.

01:11:56:11 - 01:11:57:04
Andrew Bills
Everything slows.

01:11:57:04 - 01:11:58:22
Andrew Bills
Down because.

01:11:58:22 - 01:11:59:25
Andrew Bills
You've got to do it all manually.

01:11:59:25 - 01:12:01:00
Andrew Bills
You've got to double check, you've.

01:12:01:00 - 01:12:02:18
Andrew Bills
Got to do the manual verification.

01:12:03:16 - 01:12:05:00
Andrew Bills
So just slows everything down.

01:12:05:21 - 01:12:07:06
Andrew Bills
But you can get around it.

01:12:07:06 - 01:12:07:20
Andrew Bills
But it takes.

01:12:07:20 - 01:12:08:20
Andrew Bills
It. So knowing that.

01:12:08:20 - 01:12:09:19
Andrew Bills
What does it look like is.

01:12:09:19 - 01:12:10:10
Andrew Bills
Really important.

01:12:12:00 - 01:12:26:19
Daniel Franco
Due to with with I am going where it is. Yeah. Right. Like it's there's there's going to be a matter of time before someone's come up with some I, they can just pretty much hack into everything like that way.

01:12:27:22 - 01:12:29:09
Andrew Bills
Like I don't know I mean I.

01:12:29:27 - 01:12:32:13
Andrew Bills
Yeah I mean that's the I the field, I.

01:12:32:13 - 01:12:33:18
Andrew Bills
Mean I haven't really.

01:12:33:18 - 01:12:34:00
Andrew Bills
Thought about.

01:12:34:00 - 01:12:34:09
Andrew Bills
It from that.

01:12:34:09 - 01:12:34:25
Andrew Bills
Perspective.

01:12:36:11 - 01:13:04:21
Daniel Franco
So so I think a lot of that I actually I am actually obsessed with it but I just think it feels like the people are always in front of the people that trying to get in, right? That's right. So, you know, we from us, I think notoriously historically, um, safety concerns and cybersecurity has always been reactive as opposed to proactive and but you just don't know what someone's going to come up with and create.

01:13:04:21 - 01:13:05:17
Daniel Franco
So how do you.

01:13:05:17 - 01:13:05:27
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:13:06:09 - 01:13:06:27
Daniel Franco
How do you.

01:13:07:14 - 01:13:10:06
Andrew Bills
I think it's like I said, you never get there so you just.

01:13:10:15 - 01:13:13:21
Andrew Bills
The investment that companies have got to make and so.

01:13:13:22 - 01:13:14:11
Andrew Bills
I've is just.

01:13:14:11 - 01:13:16:05
Andrew Bills
Exponentially increasing on year.

01:13:16:05 - 01:13:20:05
Daniel Franco
So any you manage that change as a business.

01:13:20:05 - 01:13:24:03
Andrew Bills
Um externals are really key to stay in front.

01:13:24:29 - 01:13:28:02
Andrew Bills
Constant assurance and testing and vigilance.

01:13:28:02 - 01:13:33:29
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Um that which goes to your dashboard. So what are you looking at? Yeah, I think the.

01:13:33:29 - 01:13:35:06
Andrew Bills
External thing I'm going to repeat.

01:13:35:06 - 01:13:39:10
Andrew Bills
Like you should have a really good point. If you've got a cyber.

01:13:39:11 - 01:13:42:02
Andrew Bills
Governance group which is monitoring this across the organization.

01:13:42:21 - 01:13:45:20
Andrew Bills
Across the organization, because a lot of people go, Oh, that's an IP problem.

01:13:46:03 - 01:13:48:06
Andrew Bills
No, it's an organization.

01:13:48:06 - 01:13:52:06
Andrew Bills
Problem. So so therefore who you've got a shared responsibility of.

01:13:52:06 - 01:13:53:09
Andrew Bills
What you're looking at. Um.

01:13:54:02 - 01:13:56:10
Andrew Bills
And if you whatever that governance looks.

01:13:56:10 - 01:13:57:13
Andrew Bills
Like in your organization.

01:13:57:13 - 01:13:59:11
Andrew Bills
Like we had a, you know, we call it the cyber.

01:13:59:11 - 01:14:01:28
Andrew Bills
Steering committee, right? So we had an external.

01:14:01:28 - 01:14:02:29
Andrew Bills
Out of the hack.

01:14:03:09 - 01:14:05:15
Andrew Bills
Where an external to sit on that.

01:14:05:15 - 01:14:05:24
Andrew Bills
To.

01:14:05:24 - 01:14:07:18
Andrew Bills
Say bring in an external.

01:14:07:18 - 01:14:08:07
Andrew Bills
Perspective.

01:14:08:19 - 01:14:09:10
Andrew Bills
Challenge.

01:14:09:27 - 01:14:11:02
Andrew Bills
Constantly challenge.

01:14:11:24 - 01:14:12:13
Andrew Bills
I think that's.

01:14:12:13 - 01:14:13:09
Andrew Bills
Like a fresh set of.

01:14:13:09 - 01:14:14:15
Andrew Bills
Eyes. You just you need.

01:14:14:15 - 01:14:15:11
Andrew Bills
That It's like So yes.

01:14:15:22 - 01:14:16:13
Andrew Bills
You just need.

01:14:16:13 - 01:14:17:17
Daniel Franco
That complacency, right?

01:14:17:17 - 01:14:18:25
Andrew Bills
Correct Correct.

01:14:18:25 - 01:14:29:29
Daniel Franco
And that comes back to the fact that it is very much about a safety culture, right? It is about the human. Yeah. Is most likely going to make the mistake that causes the the breach.

01:14:30:08 - 01:14:32:23
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So that's the always or the.

01:14:32:23 - 01:14:33:14
Andrew Bills
Human factor.

01:14:33:14 - 01:14:35:25
Andrew Bills
Is always the biggest risk. Without doubt.

01:14:36:21 - 01:14:40:26
Andrew Bills
Most cyber attacks 90 something per cent of cyber attacks are human error related.

01:14:41:15 - 01:15:18:13
Daniel Franco
That podcast I did with Mohan was was eye opening from the sense it's not only the clicking of the email of the Russian spyware or the or any other country spyware. It's it was the it was the what scared me it was the photo that someone put up when they're a 21 year old. You know that someone now uses against them and goes, I'll use this against you unless you pay me $30,000 or you get me into a folder.

01:15:18:18 - 01:15:20:17
Daniel Franco
Yeah. At such and such company.

01:15:20:17 - 01:15:23:10
Andrew Bills
That's that's exactly it. Yeah. Yeah.

01:15:23:11 - 01:15:26:22
Andrew Bills
And extortion and blackmail and look, you know.

01:15:26:22 - 01:15:31:26
Andrew Bills
MYROW They target you, right? Yeah, majorly. Yeah.

01:15:31:26 - 01:15:37:05
Andrew Bills
So what it means at a personal level, you've got to make some fundamental changes about.

01:15:37:17 - 01:15:39:22
Andrew Bills
What you do is how you store your.

01:15:39:22 - 01:15:40:22
Andrew Bills
Personal information.

01:15:41:00 - 01:15:41:08
Andrew Bills
And.

01:15:41:08 - 01:15:43:13
Andrew Bills
The control that you have around your accounts.

01:15:43:14 - 01:15:43:26
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:15:44:08 - 01:15:49:06
Andrew Bills
Becomes very slow and cumbersome, make changes, but that's kind of the consequence. You just got no choice.

01:15:50:00 - 01:15:56:13
Daniel Franco
So what is it? Is that is is that some advice you're giving to anyone who's looking at getting into leadership roles?

01:15:56:13 - 01:16:01:21
Andrew Bills
Yeah, it's this really. What have you got out there on social media, for example?

01:16:01:21 - 01:16:02:14
Andrew Bills
What and what what's.

01:16:02:14 - 01:16:03:27
Andrew Bills
Accessible that is.

01:16:03:27 - 01:16:07:16
Andrew Bills
Online that you don't want from when you were 21.

01:16:07:16 - 01:16:11:27
Andrew Bills
So for example, we ordered we're talking earlier, I ordered stupid things like that.

01:16:12:22 - 01:16:13:29
Andrew Bills
But then in terms of.

01:16:13:29 - 01:16:17:12
Andrew Bills
You know, they target you as a CEO, they target you your your.

01:16:17:12 - 01:16:18:11
Andrew Bills
Bank accounts.

01:16:18:11 - 01:16:18:27
Andrew Bills
Your personal.

01:16:18:27 - 01:16:19:24
Andrew Bills
Information, your.

01:16:19:24 - 01:16:29:02
Andrew Bills
CV, your tax, whatever. They go for you. So you've got to put layers of controls around that. So two factor multifactor authentication.

01:16:30:10 - 01:16:31:18
Andrew Bills
And that's one of the things I did straight.

01:16:31:18 - 01:16:33:03
Andrew Bills
Away out of this. I just, you.

01:16:33:03 - 01:16:34:09
Andrew Bills
Know, I rang the ATO.

01:16:34:11 - 01:16:34:27
Andrew Bills
Told them what had.

01:16:34:27 - 01:16:37:02
Andrew Bills
Happened. The same with my super, my bank. So I've got.

01:16:37:02 - 01:16:37:10
Andrew Bills
This.

01:16:38:03 - 01:16:40:04
Andrew Bills
It's so hard for me to do anything now.

01:16:40:04 - 01:16:40:14
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:16:40:22 - 01:16:41:06
Andrew Bills
But that's the.

01:16:41:06 - 01:16:41:22
Andrew Bills
Consequence.

01:16:42:27 - 01:16:59:01
Daniel Franco
I'm not going to stereotype, but I'm going to stereotype a lot of CEOs or older generation. They're the most technology savvy. Yeah. Is that the reason why you think they're getting targeted? Uh, or is it.

01:16:59:01 - 01:16:59:23
Andrew Bills
Possibly not.

01:17:00:10 - 01:17:00:14
Andrew Bills
Their.

01:17:00:14 - 01:17:01:02
Andrew Bills
Position?

01:17:01:02 - 01:17:02:01
Andrew Bills
Yeah, right.

01:17:02:01 - 01:17:05:02
Andrew Bills
The the most at risk. They've got the to lose.

01:17:05:02 - 01:17:07:13
Daniel Franco
You know, password is Yeah. Is their password.

01:17:07:13 - 01:17:09:12
Andrew Bills
But they've also got to also get the most to.

01:17:09:12 - 01:17:10:12
Andrew Bills
Lose and they're also the.

01:17:10:12 - 01:17:10:25
Andrew Bills
Key to.

01:17:10:25 - 01:17:11:09
Andrew Bills
Get into an.

01:17:11:09 - 01:17:13:06
Andrew Bills
Organization. And so when you get when you get.

01:17:13:26 - 01:17:16:23
Andrew Bills
Phishing in and emails in the site.

01:17:16:23 - 01:17:17:23
Andrew Bills
You know, we pick that's.

01:17:17:23 - 01:17:19:17
Andrew Bills
All you know I've sent you an email to say.

01:17:19:17 - 01:17:19:24
Andrew Bills
Are.

01:17:20:10 - 01:17:24:11
Andrew Bills
My bank accounts changed or can you change this payment to and has come from me or.

01:17:24:11 - 01:17:24:23
Andrew Bills
Whatever.

01:17:25:15 - 01:17:26:08
Andrew Bills
And it's like, just.

01:17:26:13 - 01:17:26:21
Andrew Bills
Pick.

01:17:26:21 - 01:17:29:19
Andrew Bills
Up the phone. Don't ever, you know, things like that.

01:17:29:19 - 01:17:30:08
Andrew Bills
That's what I.

01:17:30:08 - 01:17:38:18
Daniel Franco
Mean. Get really how many emails of you you receive from, you know, inverted commas. Me Yeah, I think it will tame. It's ridiculous.

01:17:38:18 - 01:17:40:28
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So yeah, I've learned a little.

01:17:40:28 - 01:18:04:24
Daniel Franco
On matches and stuff and I need you to go and ten batches of you got that one. Yeah, I've had that one a few times. Uh, anyway, so where, where were we? We were, we're at CS Energy. You've gone through some cyber attacks, you've given us some great information. Yeah, there was a whole political space around this thing that we just won't dive into.

01:18:05:04 - 01:18:16:06
Daniel Franco
The the part that I'm interested in is what happens next. How do you, how do you transition out? What what changes do you make as an organization to ensure that that doesn't happen again?

01:18:16:23 - 01:18:25:00
Andrew Bills
Oh, that we we had some incredible advisors like the best in Australia unfortunately, and they were involved in supporting Optus, recover from this stuff.

01:18:26:14 - 01:18:27:10
Andrew Bills
And I just.

01:18:27:18 - 01:18:28:12
Andrew Bills
That we just took.

01:18:28:15 - 01:18:29:18
Andrew Bills
Everything that they gave.

01:18:29:18 - 01:18:29:25
Andrew Bills
Us.

01:18:30:04 - 01:18:31:15
Andrew Bills
And implemented.

01:18:31:24 - 01:18:32:08
Andrew Bills
Everything.

01:18:32:24 - 01:18:33:24
Andrew Bills
They, you know, and I.

01:18:33:24 - 01:18:36:15
Andrew Bills
Look at where we the best thing that came out of it was like.

01:18:36:15 - 01:18:38:13
Andrew Bills
We went from a pretty immature.

01:18:39:07 - 01:18:41:12
Andrew Bills
Unsophisticated approach to.

01:18:41:23 - 01:18:43:20
Andrew Bills
You know, this is independently assessed.

01:18:43:23 - 01:18:46:17
Andrew Bills
Yeah. By external would be right at the top.

01:18:46:17 - 01:18:47:20
Andrew Bills
In the energy industry.

01:18:48:17 - 01:18:53:03
Andrew Bills
You know, because of that experience you just, you do the pendulum swings.

01:18:53:03 - 01:18:54:07
Andrew Bills
So the, you know, the.

01:18:54:09 - 01:18:55:22
Andrew Bills
Just the controls.

01:18:55:22 - 01:19:00:22
Andrew Bills
The knowledge, the training, the governance, everything just went from there to there.

01:19:00:22 - 01:19:01:20
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:19:01:20 - 01:19:07:10
Daniel Franco
What is your conversation with your wife and your kids look like when you're going through these crises?

01:19:07:10 - 01:19:16:25
Andrew Bills
It's a really good question. I have learned a lot about this. I deliberately don't talk about work.

01:19:17:07 - 01:19:19:13
Andrew Bills
At home, and that's when my dad.

01:19:19:13 - 01:19:22:12
Andrew Bills
Was alive. He was a stress merchant. He had a heart attack and.

01:19:23:17 - 01:19:23:29
Andrew Bills
He used to.

01:19:23:29 - 01:19:24:10
Andrew Bills
Shut the.

01:19:24:19 - 01:19:26:07
Andrew Bills
Door in the kitchen and.

01:19:27:02 - 01:19:27:11
Andrew Bills
Just.

01:19:27:27 - 01:19:29:28
Andrew Bills
Unwind about ridiculous things.

01:19:29:28 - 01:19:35:16
Andrew Bills
That like half an hour or an hour before he'd see us kids. And I said, I'm not going to behave like that.

01:19:35:17 - 01:19:38:18
Andrew Bills
So I deliberately never brought working to the home. A problem with.

01:19:38:18 - 01:19:39:03
Andrew Bills
That is.

01:19:39:20 - 01:19:40:08
Andrew Bills
When things.

01:19:40:08 - 01:19:41:21
Andrew Bills
Do really wrong.

01:19:41:22 - 01:19:42:11
Daniel Franco
In your life.

01:19:42:11 - 01:19:43:19
Andrew Bills
In your in your in your often.

01:19:43:19 - 01:19:45:10
Andrew Bills
You actually don't have a.

01:19:45:10 - 01:19:48:04
Andrew Bills
Language and a understanding of how to communicate.

01:19:48:04 - 01:19:48:29
Andrew Bills
About this stuff.

01:19:50:02 - 01:19:50:24
Andrew Bills
Which is not good.

01:19:51:11 - 01:19:57:06
Andrew Bills
That said, also does it regardless of that if you did the conversations.

01:19:57:06 - 01:19:57:29
Andrew Bills
You need to have.

01:19:57:29 - 01:19:58:25
Andrew Bills
That with your.

01:19:58:25 - 01:19:59:11
Andrew Bills
Family.

01:19:59:27 - 01:20:02:12
Andrew Bills
And with people at work that they need to be away.

01:20:02:12 - 01:20:04:24
Andrew Bills
From and you need to have someone to support you in that.

01:20:04:24 - 01:20:08:14
Andrew Bills
Regard. So I actually had someone that I could have those the.

01:20:08:24 - 01:20:12:20
Andrew Bills
You know, questions, these anxieties, put them on the table.

01:20:12:20 - 01:20:12:28
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:20:13:18 - 01:20:14:21
Andrew Bills
And that was very helpful.

01:20:14:25 - 01:20:15:27
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I can imagine.

01:20:16:24 - 01:20:19:28
Daniel Franco
Because in amongst all this, you're dealing with a health problem.

01:20:19:28 - 01:20:20:18
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:20:20:26 - 01:20:24:05
Daniel Franco
That's just a throw it just to throw extra fuel on the fire.

01:20:24:07 - 01:20:27:06
Andrew Bills
Yeah. And I thought I'm a prostate cancer survivor.

01:20:27:09 - 01:20:29:06
Andrew Bills
So 2019 diagnosed.

01:20:29:06 - 01:20:30:00
Andrew Bills
With aggressive.

01:20:30:00 - 01:20:33:00
Andrew Bills
Prostate cancer, uh, and got through.

01:20:33:00 - 01:20:38:09
Andrew Bills
It. Touchwood so far, your odds improve each year you get. That's why you look at it.

01:20:38:09 - 01:20:39:07
Daniel Franco
We caught it early.

01:20:39:10 - 01:20:40:09
Andrew Bills
Yeah, I got it early.

01:20:40:27 - 01:20:41:11
Andrew Bills
And that's.

01:20:41:11 - 01:20:42:03
Andrew Bills
Courtesy of.

01:20:42:09 - 01:20:43:26
Andrew Bills
Being vigilant around what we're talking about.

01:20:43:26 - 01:20:44:09
Andrew Bills
Before.

01:20:44:15 - 01:20:46:01
Andrew Bills
It's just about my health. Thought I was going to die of.

01:20:46:01 - 01:20:46:20
Andrew Bills
A heart attack.

01:20:47:03 - 01:20:48:00
Andrew Bills
Or is getting myself.

01:20:48:00 - 01:20:49:18
Andrew Bills
Checked out.

01:20:49:18 - 01:20:52:01
Daniel Franco
So in a way. Well, your old man's.

01:20:52:07 - 01:20:53:11
Andrew Bills
My and I've said this.

01:20:53:11 - 01:20:53:25
Andrew Bills
Publicly.

01:20:53:25 - 01:20:57:09
Andrew Bills
My dad's death saved my life. I did Got it early. Sort of.

01:20:57:12 - 01:21:00:29
Andrew Bills
Incremental change in my PSA by less than ten.

01:21:00:29 - 01:21:01:19
Andrew Bills
Percent or just.

01:21:01:19 - 01:21:02:14
Andrew Bills
Over 10%.

01:21:02:15 - 01:21:03:22
Andrew Bills
And that led to a.

01:21:03:22 - 01:21:04:22
Andrew Bills
Diagnosis.

01:21:04:28 - 01:21:07:21
Andrew Bills
And got it got on to it before it got out of the prostate.

01:21:07:21 - 01:21:10:06
Andrew Bills
So not into the lymph nodes. So I didn't need chemo or.

01:21:10:26 - 01:21:13:20
Andrew Bills
Radiotherapy or anything, but still a pretty radical operation.

01:21:13:20 - 01:21:13:27
Andrew Bills
When you.

01:21:13:27 - 01:21:15:06
Andrew Bills
Get your prostate taken out.

01:21:15:06 - 01:21:17:12
Andrew Bills
And all of the complications that can come with.

01:21:17:12 - 01:21:19:10
Andrew Bills
That.

01:21:19:10 - 01:21:20:13
Andrew Bills
So yeah, and I took.

01:21:20:13 - 01:21:21:27
Andrew Bills
The same approach that I.

01:21:21:27 - 01:21:23:13
Andrew Bills
Take to managing a personal.

01:21:23:13 - 01:21:24:13
Andrew Bills
Crisis, to.

01:21:25:00 - 01:21:26:17
Andrew Bills
Any other crisis. And this, you know.

01:21:26:17 - 01:21:36:14
Andrew Bills
You break down into steps, don't get overawed by, oh my God, I've got cancer too, okay, I've got prostate cancer. What do we need to do about it? When am I having the operation right?

01:21:36:14 - 01:21:42:11
Andrew Bills
Can I be first up in the morning? Done. You know, when am I going to the physio? Done. Right. I'm going to make sure I do this.

01:21:42:11 - 01:21:44:14
Andrew Bills
First walk for this length by this.

01:21:44:14 - 01:21:45:02
Andrew Bills
Date. You know.

01:21:45:15 - 01:21:48:12
Andrew Bills
Each little step you build confidence.

01:21:49:07 - 01:21:51:19
Daniel Franco
How do you control your emotions in this time?

01:21:51:19 - 01:21:52:12
Andrew Bills
You've got it all.

01:21:52:12 - 01:22:12:10
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Yeah, I'm. I'm hearing you speak and I'm just all I'm. I'm panicking my own head right now. You're dealing with bloody issues at work and not to mention managing your own health issues in which I might give you the thought process. Does even matter what's going on elsewhere. This is the only thing that I actually really need to care about.

01:22:12:21 - 01:22:13:06
Andrew Bills
Well, I felt.

01:22:13:06 - 01:22:14:17
Andrew Bills
I had things in control.

01:22:15:14 - 01:22:16:10
Andrew Bills
By what I done.

01:22:16:18 - 01:22:17:04
Daniel Franco
It early.

01:22:17:05 - 01:22:25:27
Andrew Bills
Got it early, and I and I just took a really positive attitude and great I talked about it excessively goes to the your question.

01:22:27:03 - 01:22:29:09
Andrew Bills
And that was just some advice a friend of mine gave me.

01:22:29:12 - 01:22:30:04
Andrew Bills
Who had.

01:22:30:05 - 01:22:33:17
Andrew Bills
Diagnosed in his forties. So I just talked and talked and.

01:22:33:17 - 01:22:36:20
Andrew Bills
Talked and therefore and I took a positive view.

01:22:36:20 - 01:22:39:05
Andrew Bills
On when I was in hospital, I'm going to do something about.

01:22:39:05 - 01:22:39:14
Andrew Bills
This.

01:22:40:12 - 01:22:42:03
Andrew Bills
In my position. I can influence, I.

01:22:42:03 - 01:22:43:03
Andrew Bills
Can reach people with a.

01:22:43:03 - 01:22:44:01
Andrew Bills
Positive message.

01:22:44:18 - 01:22:52:10
Andrew Bills
So You know, not everyone wants to do that. And it helped because there was nothing left. You talk to the lout.

01:22:52:10 - 01:22:53:12
Andrew Bills
You were confronting it.

01:22:53:12 - 01:22:53:25
Andrew Bills
You were just.

01:22:53:25 - 01:22:57:17
Andrew Bills
Being open about it and you were seeing the benefit that you were helping other men.

01:22:57:28 - 01:22:58:12
Andrew Bills
So you got.

01:22:58:12 - 01:22:59:17
Andrew Bills
The, you know, the.

01:22:59:19 - 01:22:59:24
Andrew Bills
Good.

01:22:59:24 - 01:23:02:17
Andrew Bills
Feeling that comes with that when you knew you were impacting others lives.

01:23:03:18 - 01:23:05:12
Andrew Bills
So yeah, that was, that's how I dealt with it.

01:23:05:12 - 01:23:09:29
Andrew Bills
And I that's my attitude now. So I'm a real, you know, anyone who look me up. I've done another.

01:23:10:25 - 01:23:11:11
Andrew Bills
Podcast.

01:23:11:11 - 01:23:14:12
Andrew Bills
Around this issue and I and now I'm down in South.

01:23:14:12 - 01:23:15:09
Andrew Bills
Australia of.

01:23:15:09 - 01:23:16:06
Andrew Bills
Connected with.

01:23:17:07 - 01:23:18:10
Andrew Bills
Cancer, South Australia.

01:23:19:01 - 01:23:24:23
Andrew Bills
And also the university down here. They're doing some tremendous research into prostate cancer research.

01:23:24:23 - 01:23:26:24
Andrew Bills
So I'm going to, you know.

01:23:27:06 - 01:23:27:23
Andrew Bills
Link him with.

01:23:27:23 - 01:23:28:15
Andrew Bills
Those guys.

01:23:28:15 - 01:23:32:01
Andrew Bills
And help raise money and promote men's health down here.

01:23:32:01 - 01:23:33:17
Andrew Bills
And, you know, and.

01:23:33:18 - 01:23:34:10
Andrew Bills
Awareness.

01:23:34:13 - 01:23:35:19
Andrew Bills
Around prostate cancer.

01:23:35:19 - 01:23:57:05
Daniel Franco
So I every time I speak about here or here, I listen to someone speak about this or should say or have a conversation around cancer and prostate cancer, the first thing that comes to my to my body and the feeling that goes through my body is this butterflies of nervousness. It's like shit, I'm not doing enough. What do I need to do?

01:23:57:06 - 01:23:57:18
Daniel Franco
All right.

01:23:57:24 - 01:23:59:05
Andrew Bills
There's a really clear message.

01:23:59:12 - 01:24:06:05
Andrew Bills
Very, very clear message. You need to start getting yourself checked. If you've got a family history, you need to start getting yourself.

01:24:06:05 - 01:24:06:18
Andrew Bills
Checked as.

01:24:06:18 - 01:24:08:02
Andrew Bills
Soon as you throw like this.

01:24:08:22 - 01:24:09:19
Andrew Bills
If a doctor says to.

01:24:09:19 - 01:24:11:03
Daniel Franco
You check, what do I go into that to?

01:24:11:03 - 01:24:12:16
Andrew Bills
Blood? It's a it's a blood test.

01:24:12:16 - 01:24:13:12
Daniel Franco
Just a blood test.

01:24:13:13 - 01:24:15:26
Andrew Bills
Decide PSA. So do you go and get yourself.

01:24:15:26 - 01:24:18:15
Daniel Franco
I don't I don't do anything. I'm nothing. I'm stupid.

01:24:18:15 - 01:24:19:03
Andrew Bills
You stupid.

01:24:19:03 - 01:24:22:09
Daniel Franco
I'm one of those majority. I think of the majority.

01:24:22:18 - 01:24:23:19
Andrew Bills
You look at woman right?

01:24:23:19 - 01:24:28:15
Andrew Bills
Women get pap smears every year. They're going to get, you know, scans, brain scans.

01:24:28:22 - 01:24:29:28
Daniel Franco
We know the women, if I'm.

01:24:30:12 - 01:24:32:04
Andrew Bills
Correct, but if I far smarter.

01:24:33:10 - 01:24:37:04
Andrew Bills
So my message to men is you need to offer at the same time and you need to go.

01:24:37:11 - 01:24:37:16
Andrew Bills
If.

01:24:37:16 - 01:24:39:23
Andrew Bills
You're getting your blood done for.

01:24:39:25 - 01:24:41:11
Andrew Bills
Cholesterol and whatever else.

01:24:41:14 - 01:24:42:15
Andrew Bills
It's ticking a box.

01:24:42:15 - 01:24:43:20
Andrew Bills
For PSA.

01:24:43:20 - 01:24:54:20
Daniel Franco
So so can I. I'm I'm very inexperienced in this and I am somewhat naive. Go into book up and say, can I have a blood test? Chickpeas. Yep. That's the words that come out.

01:24:54:24 - 01:24:55:12
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Yep.

01:24:55:21 - 01:24:57:21
Daniel Franco
Okay. And everything else. I need to say that.

01:24:57:23 - 01:24:58:00
Andrew Bills
You.

01:24:59:03 - 01:25:00:05
Andrew Bills
Can I give you some advice?

01:25:00:05 - 01:25:01:26
Daniel Franco
You give me all the advice. I need it.

01:25:01:26 - 01:25:03:08
Andrew Bills
You should be doing a regular.

01:25:03:08 - 01:25:06:03
Andrew Bills
Physical with your doctor. Right. Just do that.

01:25:06:03 - 01:25:07:11
Andrew Bills
They're looking at cholesterol.

01:25:07:11 - 01:25:12:02
Andrew Bills
Blood pressure, a whole lot of stuff, liver function and so forth. Right. And.

01:25:12:06 - 01:25:16:14
Andrew Bills
And every year go and get that done, because it's the incremental increase in.

01:25:16:14 - 01:25:20:11
Andrew Bills
Your PSA, which is the marker as to whether you've got an issue or not. Yeah. Now, the big.

01:25:20:11 - 01:25:20:24
Andrew Bills
Thing that I.

01:25:20:24 - 01:25:28:06
Andrew Bills
Get frustrated about doctors is like, oh, no, you don't need to start getting yourself tested until you're 50 or 60. That's a load of crap.

01:25:28:19 - 01:25:30:09
Daniel Franco
I'm willing to pay for it. Just let me do it now.

01:25:30:19 - 01:25:31:08
Andrew Bills
Do it now.

01:25:31:13 - 01:25:34:25
Andrew Bills
And if if you need if your doctor refuses, go and get another doctor.

01:25:35:06 - 01:25:37:00
Andrew Bills
Because then the other thing I the medical.

01:25:37:00 - 01:25:42:00
Andrew Bills
Profession is not helping with is they say, oh, the PSA doesn't tell you if it's got.

01:25:42:00 - 01:25:43:17
Andrew Bills
Cancer. No, it's not designed to.

01:25:44:00 - 01:25:45:03
Andrew Bills
What the PSA tells.

01:25:45:03 - 01:25:46:04
Andrew Bills
You. It's a marker.

01:25:47:05 - 01:25:48:12
Andrew Bills
That what it is is.

01:25:48:14 - 01:25:53:25
Andrew Bills
Indicating there's something going on. The PSA numbers are elevated. So you go do a whole lot of.

01:25:53:25 - 01:25:54:14
Andrew Bills
Other testing.

01:25:54:14 - 01:25:55:07
Andrew Bills
On other things.

01:25:55:15 - 01:25:57:11
Andrew Bills
To diagnose what your issue is.

01:25:57:18 - 01:25:58:10
Andrew Bills
So you then have.

01:25:58:10 - 01:26:00:11
Andrew Bills
A choice to make. But if you.

01:26:00:11 - 01:26:02:01
Andrew Bills
Choose not to do anything about your.

01:26:02:01 - 01:26:02:20
Andrew Bills
PSA.

01:26:02:20 - 01:26:03:21
Andrew Bills
And you have cancer.

01:26:04:06 - 01:26:07:15
Andrew Bills
And it gets out, you don't have a choice. You've effectively just.

01:26:07:15 - 01:26:08:13
Andrew Bills
Played Russian roulette with.

01:26:08:13 - 01:26:15:14
Andrew Bills
Your own life by ignoring this advice. So is never too young to get start this.

01:26:15:23 - 01:26:16:07
Andrew Bills
Sooner, the.

01:26:16:07 - 01:26:20:13
Andrew Bills
Better. You know, the most aggressive cancers typically.

01:26:20:13 - 01:26:21:09
Andrew Bills
Happened in the forties.

01:26:21:09 - 01:26:28:11
Andrew Bills
Thirties and forties. Will McDonald here in Adelaide. Yeah he's a great example. 42 when he was diagnosed. Yeah.

01:26:28:21 - 01:26:29:12
Andrew Bills
Look at him now.

01:26:29:12 - 01:26:35:05
Daniel Franco
We lose the channel channel nine I think. Yeah. Yeah. I've only just present it. Yeah.

01:26:35:05 - 01:26:36:03
Andrew Bills
I've just been introduced.

01:26:36:03 - 01:26:36:23
Daniel Franco
Yeah. He's great.

01:26:36:23 - 01:26:43:27
Andrew Bills
Yeah. So he's stories 42. Right. So if anyone says I'd wait here 50 wrong, you know.

01:26:44:01 - 01:26:45:20
Andrew Bills
Sooner the better in the.

01:26:45:20 - 01:26:51:09
Andrew Bills
PSA, if someone sees it doesn't tell you wrong, it's a marker and it helps diagnosis.

01:26:51:13 - 01:26:55:11
Daniel Franco
So six months, 12 months. How often do you.

01:26:55:11 - 01:26:56:15
Andrew Bills
Annually. Annually.

01:26:56:15 - 01:26:57:00
Andrew Bills
Unless you've got a.

01:26:57:00 - 01:26:57:09
Andrew Bills
Family.

01:26:57:09 - 01:26:57:22
Andrew Bills
History.

01:26:59:10 - 01:27:00:16
Daniel Franco
Of prostate cancer, stuff.

01:27:00:16 - 01:27:00:28
Andrew Bills
Like that. Yeah.

01:27:00:29 - 01:27:11:13
Daniel Franco
Yeah, yeah. I should get a game. So my father in law is a survivor as well. And so I should tell my my brother in law to get on.

01:27:11:19 - 01:27:11:27
Andrew Bills
This.

01:27:12:14 - 01:27:15:17
Daniel Franco
Is in his forties. Anyway, that's a personal thing you do.

01:27:15:25 - 01:27:16:16
Andrew Bills
That's something you need to.

01:27:16:16 - 01:27:17:16
Andrew Bills
Take away today.

01:27:17:21 - 01:27:35:26
Daniel Franco
I will. Ah, here you go. I will book something in good a moment. Yeah, that is a podcast. I was actually thinking about it, doing all the research on your. I've watched a lot of your, your podcast and I'm quietly sitting it like shitting myself sometimes going, Oh, I'm not doing enough. I need to do more.

01:27:35:28 - 01:27:38:12
Andrew Bills
And I, I, you know, like I would have.

01:27:38:12 - 01:27:41:10
Andrew Bills
A conversation with the man every month who's been.

01:27:41:10 - 01:27:48:27
Andrew Bills
Diagnosed. Yeah. And it'll be a friend or work colleague. How would you have a chat to done it at a dog show And I just.

01:27:48:27 - 01:27:49:11
Andrew Bills
Take them.

01:27:49:11 - 01:27:49:24
Andrew Bills
Through.

01:27:49:27 - 01:27:55:16
Andrew Bills
What they're going to experience. Some of the options are, and it's the conversation I wish someone had had with me when I was diagnosed.

01:27:55:16 - 01:27:57:19
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:27:57:19 - 01:28:11:12
Daniel Franco
Um, yeah, it's, it's a powerful thing. I think just going back on the doctor, you go and get regular physicals from. I don't have a lot of faith in general practitioners. That's the way it is.

01:28:11:12 - 01:28:13:19
Andrew Bills
But when you get a good like I had a I've got to.

01:28:13:19 - 01:28:18:21
Andrew Bills
Find an equivalent doctor. The one I had in Brisbane is a wonderful guy out there, has been looking after me for 20 odd years.

01:28:19:18 - 01:28:22:10
Andrew Bills
And he's just that classic all around.

01:28:22:11 - 01:28:23:13
Andrew Bills
Really mature.

01:28:23:21 - 01:28:24:10
Andrew Bills
Capable.

01:28:24:16 - 01:28:25:11
Andrew Bills
You know, And.

01:28:25:28 - 01:28:27:08
Andrew Bills
Because they've got a history.

01:28:27:08 - 01:28:28:06
Andrew Bills
You, they know what.

01:28:28:06 - 01:28:29:05
Andrew Bills
To look for as well.

01:28:29:05 - 01:28:30:29
Andrew Bills
And other things and I understand your.

01:28:30:29 - 01:28:48:09
Daniel Franco
Life and that's the thing I've been actually asking this for a while is I just want someone who can look at everything and someone that this is their job that's in men's Health specifically, and I'm going to do your PSA test. I'm going to look at your physicals and we're going to we're going to keep you on track.

01:28:48:16 - 01:29:04:09
Daniel Franco
You need to lose five kilos. You need to drop your stress levels. You need to reduce blood pressure or whatever it might be. All the different things that everyone has. I'm yet to find someone like that in South Australia. So a call that anyone who's listening in, please get in touch with us and then I'll post it everywhere.

01:29:04:10 - 01:29:05:14
Daniel Franco
Thank you. Because I'm.

01:29:05:14 - 01:29:05:27
Andrew Bills
Looking for.

01:29:06:16 - 01:29:06:19
Andrew Bills
It.

01:29:07:00 - 01:29:08:01
Andrew Bills
I'm looking for a really.

01:29:08:01 - 01:29:08:19
Andrew Bills
Good, solid.

01:29:08:19 - 01:29:09:13
Andrew Bills
GP and I like.

01:29:09:29 - 01:29:30:12
Daniel Franco
Brilliance. Thank you. Uh, right. I am conscious of your time. Look, I, like I said to, I think I had a B for I'm not even through any of where are we at. So we're in, in SA Power networks now. Yeah. Tell us what you're doing. What's your plans. You've been there three months.

01:29:30:12 - 01:29:31:14
Andrew Bills
No, not even that.

01:29:31:15 - 01:29:32:04
Daniel Franco
Not even that.

01:29:32:04 - 01:29:33:06
Andrew Bills
I could just have a team.

01:29:33:08 - 01:29:34:06
Daniel Franco
Happy with your decision.

01:29:34:07 - 01:29:37:24
Andrew Bills
Really? Hey, look, it's a great organization. Really? Start with that.

01:29:38:03 - 01:29:45:02
Andrew Bills
It's got a tremendous reputation operationally. It's one of the best network companies in. And that's not just me saying it that's independently assessed.

01:29:45:21 - 01:29:46:27
Andrew Bills
Like on all sorts.

01:29:46:27 - 01:29:50:06
Andrew Bills
Of metrics, financially delivering, you know, great results. I mean, people in.

01:29:50:06 - 01:29:52:28
Andrew Bills
South Australia from a network perspective are.

01:29:52:28 - 01:29:54:17
Andrew Bills
Paying less in real terms than they.

01:29:54:17 - 01:29:54:27
Andrew Bills
Were.

01:29:55:04 - 01:29:57:13
Andrew Bills
Back in 99 when the business was.

01:29:57:13 - 01:29:59:13
Andrew Bills
Privatized. Yeah, So that's a that's a.

01:29:59:13 - 01:30:01:21
Andrew Bills
Really important stat.

01:30:01:21 - 01:30:03:11
Daniel Franco
It's good you've learned is that strike.

01:30:04:04 - 01:30:04:25
Andrew Bills
It's pretty important.

01:30:04:25 - 01:30:06:13
Daniel Franco
We're on your own. Well, I think I think.

01:30:06:13 - 01:30:06:22
Andrew Bills
The thing.

01:30:06:22 - 01:30:07:24
Andrew Bills
Is people people.

01:30:07:24 - 01:30:12:06
Andrew Bills
Talk about, you know, the cost of energy is a big issue, right? No question. But we're we're not even a.

01:30:12:06 - 01:30:12:25
Andrew Bills
Third of the we.

01:30:12:25 - 01:30:13:06
Andrew Bills
Just don't have a.

01:30:13:06 - 01:30:14:01
Andrew Bills
Third of the bill.

01:30:14:13 - 01:30:15:09
Andrew Bills
To the. Well, Yeah.

01:30:15:09 - 01:30:16:27
Daniel Franco
Because it's all the other everything.

01:30:16:27 - 01:30:20:03
Andrew Bills
Well, you've got to pay you've got to pay the high voltage, which is.

01:30:20:03 - 01:30:21:09
Andrew Bills
Electranet and here as well.

01:30:21:09 - 01:30:22:23
Andrew Bills
You got that charge, you've got all.

01:30:22:24 - 01:30:23:25
Andrew Bills
These government schemes.

01:30:23:25 - 01:30:24:21
Andrew Bills
You've got to pay for.

01:30:24:21 - 01:30:25:09
Daniel Franco
Policies.

01:30:25:09 - 01:30:27:09
Andrew Bills
Policies and stuff, which is a big part of your bill.

01:30:27:20 - 01:30:29:03
Andrew Bills
The retailers going to make a margin.

01:30:29:12 - 01:30:30:20
Andrew Bills
But the big mover that's.

01:30:30:20 - 01:30:33:18
Andrew Bills
Occurred and everyone's energy bill has been the.

01:30:33:18 - 01:30:34:07
Andrew Bills
Wholesale cost.

01:30:34:14 - 01:30:35:06
Andrew Bills
And that's.

01:30:35:06 - 01:30:36:16
Andrew Bills
Courtesy of what happened last year.

01:30:36:16 - 01:30:37:12
Andrew Bills
With the energy.

01:30:37:12 - 01:30:38:21
Andrew Bills
Crisis led.

01:30:38:21 - 01:30:40:05
Andrew Bills
By the war in Ukraine.

01:30:40:05 - 01:30:41:03
Andrew Bills
Gas prices, coal.

01:30:41:03 - 01:30:43:10
Andrew Bills
Prices going through the roof. And then we saw.

01:30:43:10 - 01:30:45:12
Andrew Bills
That flow through Australia. That's what's occurred.

01:30:45:25 - 01:30:46:25
Andrew Bills
So the big increase in your.

01:30:46:25 - 01:30:54:10
Andrew Bills
Bill is that not our costs. So yeah, it's a bit it's a really well, we're in business, really capable people.

01:30:55:04 - 01:30:56:26
Andrew Bills
People who've been a recipient.

01:30:56:26 - 01:31:00:10
Andrew Bills
It works typically they're a long time. I joke that if you.

01:31:00:20 - 01:31:02:07
Andrew Bills
Listen to news, you know you're a.

01:31:02:07 - 01:31:02:25
Andrew Bills
New starter.

01:31:04:07 - 01:31:05:24
Andrew Bills
And so you've got this tremendous.

01:31:05:24 - 01:31:07:18
Andrew Bills
Depth of capability and experience.

01:31:07:18 - 01:31:09:20
Daniel Franco
Passionate people can go against.

01:31:09:20 - 01:31:12:04
Andrew Bills
Yeah, yeah that. How do you keep fresh Yeah right.

01:31:12:11 - 01:31:14:18
Daniel Franco
I think bringing innovation bring innovation.

01:31:14:18 - 01:31:16:06
Andrew Bills
But I think what's interesting because.

01:31:16:06 - 01:31:17:21
Andrew Bills
South Australia is at the forefront.

01:31:17:21 - 01:31:19:27
Andrew Bills
Of renewable penetration and.

01:31:19:27 - 01:31:21:13
Andrew Bills
Particularly rooftop solar rooftop.

01:31:21:26 - 01:31:24:16
Andrew Bills
They've had to innovate. They are leading the world.

01:31:24:17 - 01:31:24:27
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:31:24:28 - 01:31:25:14
Andrew Bills
Now how do you.

01:31:25:14 - 01:31:26:01
Andrew Bills
Keep a network.

01:31:26:01 - 01:31:30:13
Andrew Bills
Stable with that amount of solar with not a large demand?

01:31:30:13 - 01:31:32:04
Andrew Bills
And we, you know, look at the weather today.

01:31:32:12 - 01:31:33:16
Andrew Bills
We'll have more rooftop.

01:31:33:16 - 01:31:37:16
Andrew Bills
Solar than we need. Yeah. So they've had to innovate to keep the network alive.

01:31:37:16 - 01:31:37:22
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:31:37:24 - 01:31:39:13
Andrew Bills
So that's been a real attribute.

01:31:39:13 - 01:31:39:16
Andrew Bills
And.

01:31:39:17 - 01:31:40:10
Daniel Franco
Kudos to.

01:31:40:15 - 01:31:41:09
Andrew Bills
The team and I've.

01:31:41:09 - 01:31:42:06
Andrew Bills
Got tremendous respect.

01:31:42:06 - 01:31:43:23
Andrew Bills
But you know that said.

01:31:43:29 - 01:31:46:00
Andrew Bills
How do you keep them fresh, right. So you know, a new.

01:31:46:00 - 01:31:48:25
Andrew Bills
CEO of a different leader from the.

01:31:48:25 - 01:31:51:15
Andrew Bills
Prior leader and it's not right or wrong some different. Yeah.

01:31:52:07 - 01:31:57:24
Daniel Franco
What's your two or three months in? What's your what's your movie priorities.

01:31:57:24 - 01:31:59:14
Andrew Bills
Uh, I'm doing a.

01:31:59:14 - 01:32:00:15
Andrew Bills
Culture survey, which you'll.

01:32:00:15 - 01:32:01:16
Andrew Bills
Find interesting. I want to.

01:32:01:16 - 01:32:08:07
Andrew Bills
I want a baseline, you know, baseline on where we're at. So that's really important and that's going to drive a whole lot of activity.

01:32:08:08 - 01:32:08:26
Daniel Franco
How you doing that?

01:32:09:09 - 01:32:10:00
Andrew Bills
Through culture.

01:32:10:19 - 01:32:10:23
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:32:10:28 - 01:32:15:03
Andrew Bills
Yeah. A good product for South Australia.

01:32:15:03 - 01:32:15:10
Andrew Bills
Yeah.

01:32:15:10 - 01:32:18:02
Daniel Franco
I think you've found them. Just throw that out. Yeah. Just say, Oh.

01:32:18:17 - 01:32:21:29
Andrew Bills
Very, very, very agile product which I love.

01:32:21:29 - 01:32:24:27
Andrew Bills
So that's happening right now. Looking at.

01:32:24:27 - 01:32:28:11
Andrew Bills
The model because we've had a few retirements, key executives, so.

01:32:28:17 - 01:32:29:14
Andrew Bills
Opportunity to see.

01:32:29:15 - 01:32:30:09
Andrew Bills
You know, and I'm.

01:32:30:09 - 01:32:31:11
Andrew Bills
Looking at it from the perspective.

01:32:31:11 - 01:32:32:08
Andrew Bills
Of how.

01:32:32:08 - 01:32:35:04
Andrew Bills
Can we improve the customer experience and how can we plan and.

01:32:35:04 - 01:32:37:04
Andrew Bills
Do our work better than what we do right now.

01:32:37:08 - 01:32:39:03
Andrew Bills
So that's why I'm looking at we've got that happening.

01:32:40:20 - 01:32:45:18
Andrew Bills
We've got the regulatory reset occurring right now, which is every five years you've got to go through with the regulator what you.

01:32:45:18 - 01:32:48:21
Andrew Bills
Plan to spend on the network to achieve certain level of performance.

01:32:48:21 - 01:32:49:06
Andrew Bills
Yeah, so.

01:32:49:06 - 01:32:50:13
Andrew Bills
That's happening right now.

01:32:50:29 - 01:32:51:29
Andrew Bills
So it's a big priority.

01:32:52:24 - 01:32:57:05
Andrew Bills
We've got an air negotiation coming off the end of the year and you know, the last one was a bit torturous.

01:32:57:05 - 01:32:58:23
Andrew Bills
So I'm very.

01:32:58:23 - 01:33:00:13
Andrew Bills
Aware of that and managing that with.

01:33:00:13 - 01:33:01:06
Andrew Bills
The least.

01:33:01:19 - 01:33:08:21
Andrew Bills
Least impact that we can. Yeah, I'm very much around getting out to the regions so again, in my first I've been.

01:33:09:27 - 01:33:10:12
Andrew Bills
This this.

01:33:10:15 - 01:33:10:29
Andrew Bills
Businesses.

01:33:10:29 - 01:33:15:05
Andrew Bills
Across the whole of the state. Yeah big regional employer big regional.

01:33:15:27 - 01:33:25:06
Andrew Bills
Impact on the economy. So I'm getting out and going meeting with our people and all you know I've been to the peninsula Floriade getting out too.

01:33:25:16 - 01:33:29:10
Daniel Franco
Yeah. So you changed your LinkedIn profile. Last look at the hive is.

01:33:30:03 - 01:33:32:04
Andrew Bills
That I love that that's been a goes back to what I.

01:33:32:04 - 01:33:35:21
Andrew Bills
Was talking about in origin I love getting out and engaging.

01:33:35:21 - 01:33:36:08
Andrew Bills
Because it's.

01:33:36:19 - 01:33:38:09
Andrew Bills
You can't do your job unless you understand what.

01:33:38:09 - 01:33:42:17
Andrew Bills
People are experiencing. Yeah. So getting highly visible, highly engaged. Yeah.

01:33:43:00 - 01:33:48:24
Andrew Bills
And building a real culture of inclusivity and transparency, you know, I know.

01:33:49:21 - 01:33:52:15
Andrew Bills
There was a, the CEO had an office and I'm like.

01:33:52:24 - 01:33:55:01
Andrew Bills
Smashing the office down, working in open plan.

01:33:55:02 - 01:33:56:03
Andrew Bills
You know, there's all these little.

01:33:56:03 - 01:33:57:12
Andrew Bills
Visible signs around.

01:33:57:21 - 01:33:59:29
Daniel Franco
That is there the fear of the day.

01:34:00:09 - 01:34:01:01
Andrew Bills
Restructure.

01:34:01:10 - 01:34:02:14
Andrew Bills
Not well doing model.

01:34:02:14 - 01:34:04:14
Andrew Bills
Review that's already yeah so I've got.

01:34:04:14 - 01:34:05:00
Andrew Bills
My 100 day.

01:34:05:00 - 01:34:06:00
Andrew Bills
Plan it's lately.

01:34:06:14 - 01:34:08:14
Andrew Bills
Which I'm focusing in on.

01:34:08:14 - 01:34:09:02
Andrew Bills
Which is the.

01:34:09:02 - 01:34:10:04
Andrew Bills
Stuff I'm talking about. Yeah.

01:34:10:15 - 01:34:13:15
Andrew Bills
But that's where I'm at so far. There's a.

01:34:13:15 - 01:34:18:02
Andrew Bills
Lot happening because that's me But then you've also got a lot happening in the business, which.

01:34:18:02 - 01:34:19:07
Andrew Bills
Has got to be dealt with in terms.

01:34:19:07 - 01:34:23:08
Andrew Bills
Of market changes. Industry is going through rapid transformation at the moment.

01:34:23:08 - 01:34:24:02
Daniel Franco
Digital transformation.

01:34:24:02 - 01:34:26:19
Andrew Bills
Digital, Yeah, digital, you know, the whole energy.

01:34:26:19 - 01:34:33:25
Andrew Bills
Trend and transformations happening in Australia now, seeing hundreds of billions of dollars going to be spent across the country.

01:34:33:25 - 01:34:37:04
Andrew Bills
On network renewables, and that has a.

01:34:37:04 - 01:34:38:03
Andrew Bills
Huge impact.

01:34:38:15 - 01:34:42:05
Andrew Bills
And so yeah, it's a great time to be part of a business right now.

01:34:42:06 - 01:34:44:02
Andrew Bills
I certainly no shortage of challenges.

01:34:44:14 - 01:34:52:13
Daniel Franco
Very exciting, very exciting. And I have a lot of support network people listening in. What's your what's what's your main message to them right now?

01:34:52:14 - 01:34:53:03
Andrew Bills
Oh, just how.

01:34:53:03 - 01:34:55:04
Andrew Bills
Welcoming they've been to me. I mean, they generally.

01:34:55:04 - 01:34:55:20
Andrew Bills
Have like.

01:34:55:20 - 01:34:58:15
Andrew Bills
People going often they'll say, how are you going, enjoying it?

01:34:58:15 - 01:35:01:08
Andrew Bills
How's that like going to give you a bit of advice on where.

01:35:01:08 - 01:35:03:23
Andrew Bills
You can go and do something and how's the family? And just.

01:35:04:15 - 01:35:05:09
Andrew Bills
Really.

01:35:05:14 - 01:35:11:15
Andrew Bills
Friendly, welcoming environment. And I love the passion. The passion, The analogy.

01:35:11:15 - 01:35:12:14
Andrew Bills
I've used a lot is.

01:35:12:27 - 01:35:15:18
Andrew Bills
It's like I've been given a Coke and shaken up and, taking the top.

01:35:15:18 - 01:35:18:18
Andrew Bills
Of it seriously. It's just like the passion is.

01:35:18:18 - 01:35:19:21
Andrew Bills
There and people want.

01:35:19:21 - 01:35:22:06
Andrew Bills
To. People love what they do. Yeah.

01:35:22:16 - 01:35:23:21
Andrew Bills
And they want to make a difference.

01:35:24:03 - 01:35:31:29
Daniel Franco
And he maintained that there's no doubt you'll come in. Some changes will be made and he maintained that passion. Oh maintain that engagement.

01:35:31:29 - 01:35:38:16
Andrew Bills
I think goes to what I said a culture of inclusivity. If people feel included, where they can speak up, express who they are.

01:35:39:09 - 01:35:40:24
Andrew Bills
Respected and empowered.

01:35:41:00 - 01:35:41:09
Andrew Bills
That's.

01:35:41:09 - 01:35:42:07
Andrew Bills
How you maintain that.

01:35:42:07 - 01:35:44:09
Andrew Bills
If people feel they're not being listened to, you know or.

01:35:44:09 - 01:35:45:06
Andrew Bills
Respected, then they'll.

01:35:45:06 - 01:35:45:27
Andrew Bills
They'll give up.

01:35:45:27 - 01:36:05:00
Daniel Franco
But how do you manage that? Like from a leadership team, you might come in and, you know, you pick your leadership team or you absorb a great leadership team that work you is a sort of the level three level for managers and leaders who haven't necessarily been taught all the skill sets in leadership. What do your how do you manage that?

01:36:05:00 - 01:36:07:04
Andrew Bills
Well, you've got to invest in those people right there.

01:36:07:24 - 01:36:14:23
Andrew Bills
Their key, right? They're the key people, leaders. So what opportunities are they being given? How are they are? How are they being developed?

01:36:14:23 - 01:36:17:02
Andrew Bills
That's fundamental. Also investing in that leadership.

01:36:17:02 - 01:36:17:26
Andrew Bills
Capabilities.

01:36:17:26 - 01:36:19:08
Daniel Franco
Because I haven't been set up for success.

01:36:19:08 - 01:36:23:08
Andrew Bills
No, I know some have, some haven't. So and that's a big priority for me.

01:36:23:08 - 01:36:27:04
Andrew Bills
So it's around who they are. You know, it's get an.

01:36:27:04 - 01:36:28:00
Andrew Bills
Assessment of what.

01:36:28:09 - 01:36:28:24
Andrew Bills
Each of them.

01:36:28:24 - 01:36:31:29
Andrew Bills
Individually and then collectively. So making them feel.

01:36:32:07 - 01:36:34:12
Andrew Bills
Very much a part of the future and.

01:36:34:26 - 01:36:40:09
Andrew Bills
They're going to be held to account. So not only recognizing but also the accountability piece. So that's fundamental for me.

01:36:40:09 - 01:36:40:24
Andrew Bills
Excellent.

01:36:41:21 - 01:37:02:11
Daniel Franco
A It's music to my head because it is is that it's all well and good saying, you know, we want, you know, we're going to lead by, but it's just we've got to actually educate and build the maturity of our leadership team. Yeah. All rungs that then can create the conditions for change and transform.

01:37:02:11 - 01:37:03:06
Andrew Bills
That's exactly it.

01:37:03:21 - 01:37:20:12
Daniel Franco
It's beautiful, right? I am. I'm going to jump into again, like I said, I haven't asked a whole bunch of questions, so I'm just going to jump into some quick ones before we go into the quickfire questions, which is looking back, looking forward sort of scenario, if you could do it all again.

01:37:20:28 - 01:37:22:28
Andrew Bills
Well, how far back, Are we going looking back.

01:37:23:23 - 01:37:29:21
Daniel Franco
Would you do anything differently?

01:37:29:21 - 01:37:32:23
Andrew Bills
Possibly, yeah. I think I, I.

01:37:32:23 - 01:37:36:05
Andrew Bills
Think I would have potential, you know, if I'd known what I.

01:37:36:05 - 01:37:37:05
Andrew Bills
Know now, I would have done a.

01:37:37:05 - 01:37:38:13
Daniel Franco
Little. Yeah. Okay. All right.

01:37:38:14 - 01:37:44:25
Andrew Bills
If I go back to that career wise. Yeah, I think I perhaps.

01:37:45:12 - 01:37:47:01
Andrew Bills
It's what I was talking about earlier. When you have.

01:37:47:01 - 01:37:55:16
Andrew Bills
Kids, your perspectives change because you do feel not only what we're talking about, but you have this responsibility that I shoulder.

01:37:55:16 - 01:38:01:25
Andrew Bills
A lot of responsibility. And I think that made me a little bit more uncertain about myself. Yeah, I can question myself. So I think I would I think when I look.

01:38:01:25 - 01:38:06:28
Andrew Bills
Back, I would have backed myself and actually taken some opportunities a little bit earlier than I did. But otherwise.

01:38:07:10 - 01:38:13:21
Daniel Franco
What about with family? Did you spend the time that you needed to with them?

01:38:13:21 - 01:38:16:14
Andrew Bills
That's a Yeah, it's a great.

01:38:16:14 - 01:38:16:29
Andrew Bills
Question.

01:38:17:06 - 01:38:20:03
Andrew Bills
One, Yeah. No, no. So yeah.

01:38:20:10 - 01:38:23:06
Daniel Franco
I think it's one that I struggle with right.

01:38:23:06 - 01:38:25:02
Andrew Bills
And when I was at large and I was traveling all over.

01:38:25:02 - 01:38:28:15
Andrew Bills
The place and my wife shouldered the bulk of.

01:38:29:11 - 01:38:30:27
Andrew Bills
The parenting and she didn't.

01:38:30:27 - 01:38:31:21
Andrew Bills
Incredible job.

01:38:32:12 - 01:38:33:15
Andrew Bills
And I couldn't have done my.

01:38:33:15 - 01:38:34:27
Andrew Bills
Career without that support.

01:38:34:27 - 01:38:35:12
Andrew Bills
Person.

01:38:35:28 - 01:38:43:01
Andrew Bills
And I'm very aware of that. Yeah. So yeah, but I, I really focused when, when I was there to.

01:38:43:01 - 01:38:44:01
Andrew Bills
Be present with my.

01:38:44:01 - 01:38:45:03
Andrew Bills
Kids. Absolutely.

01:38:46:10 - 01:39:00:22
Daniel Franco
I, I think it's a anyone in an executive or a leadership role is passionate. The work they do wants to, you know, achieve their visions. The hardest and most toughest thing is maintaining loving relationships.

01:39:00:22 - 01:39:02:24
Andrew Bills
It's so hard. Yeah.

01:39:02:24 - 01:39:03:14
Daniel Franco
Any advice.

01:39:06:26 - 01:39:08:09
Andrew Bills
If you don't let your.

01:39:08:09 - 01:39:08:25
Andrew Bills
Routine.

01:39:08:25 - 01:39:15:16
Andrew Bills
Suffer? So if your routine as you call each other every day or whatever it is, know you.

01:39:15:21 - 01:39:18:11
Andrew Bills
When you come home, you have 5 minutes just together.

01:39:18:11 - 01:39:21:03
Andrew Bills
Or whatever. You know, every couple will have their own bit.

01:39:21:04 - 01:39:22:22
Andrew Bills
Don't don't that your routines.

01:39:22:22 - 01:39:23:07
Andrew Bills
Suffer because.

01:39:23:07 - 01:39:23:20
Andrew Bills
That's when your.

01:39:23:20 - 01:39:24:22
Andrew Bills
Relationship starts.

01:39:25:03 - 01:39:34:07
Andrew Bills
Break down and that's when you start to become separate. Yeah. And you've got to regularly invest in yourselves collectively, not individually.

01:39:34:07 - 01:39:36:22
Andrew Bills
Collective current. Yeah. No, I'm.

01:39:37:02 - 01:39:40:23
Daniel Franco
I'm hearing every word. What excites you the most about the future?

01:39:41:15 - 01:39:47:11
Andrew Bills
Um, I'm really excited about the opportunity I've got here. It's open, It's a.

01:39:47:11 - 01:39:49:01
Andrew Bills
Great company and a lot of things in front.

01:39:49:01 - 01:39:49:17
Andrew Bills
Of it, so that's very.

01:39:49:17 - 01:39:51:11
Andrew Bills
Exciting. I love. I'm really loving.

01:39:51:11 - 01:39:53:18
Andrew Bills
Adelaide. It's a.

01:39:53:24 - 01:39:55:03
Daniel Franco
One of the most livable cities in the.

01:39:55:03 - 01:39:56:02
Andrew Bills
World. Exactly.

01:39:56:03 - 01:40:03:04
Andrew Bills
Now I'm loving Adelaide and just really getting to understand and the people and what you can do down here. I think I'm.

01:40:03:04 - 01:40:03:24
Andrew Bills
Excited about.

01:40:03:24 - 01:40:05:06
Andrew Bills
What's going on in the energy industry more.

01:40:05:06 - 01:40:05:20
Andrew Bills
Broadly.

01:40:06:13 - 01:40:07:29
Andrew Bills
You know, it's always going to be a.

01:40:08:04 - 01:40:12:05
Andrew Bills
Gift that keeps giving. I'm excited about.

01:40:12:28 - 01:40:14:09
Andrew Bills
I just see kids.

01:40:14:25 - 01:40:15:09
Andrew Bills
Become.

01:40:15:09 - 01:40:17:03
Andrew Bills
You know, moved to that next phase, you know, in their.

01:40:17:03 - 01:40:17:21
Andrew Bills
Careers.

01:40:17:21 - 01:40:20:04
Andrew Bills
And families, what have you. That really excites me as well.

01:40:20:07 - 01:40:29:21
Daniel Franco
MM Brilliant radio quick questions. Okay. What are you rating right now? We're big ratings here. It's energy. Yeah.

01:40:29:21 - 01:40:32:04
Andrew Bills
Look, I'm reading a book called Perfectionists Guide.

01:40:32:04 - 01:40:33:26
Andrew Bills
To Losing Control.

01:40:33:26 - 01:40:36:00
Daniel Franco
It's who's written that one?

01:40:36:18 - 01:40:42:14
Andrew Bills
Catherine Schafer and I jumped off the bookshelf to me and a bookshelf and bar.

01:40:42:17 - 01:40:47:23
Daniel Franco
I think that one's going to hit me in the back of the head. I think because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and.

01:40:47:23 - 01:40:52:01
Andrew Bills
There's a chapter in there for everyone. So it's actually really interesting. It's a great book.

01:40:52:08 - 01:41:08:24
Daniel Franco
Probably More The control thing is one, what's over the years you would have read a lot and obviously developed yourself in your knowledge. What's one development book that you've probably gifted the most or Yeah, you know.

01:41:09:20 - 01:41:11:24
Andrew Bills
Kobe's seven habits seven.

01:41:11:25 - 01:41:12:19
Andrew Bills
050.

01:41:12:24 - 01:41:14:24
Daniel Franco
Oh hurricane that that being the Hall of Famer of.

01:41:15:10 - 01:41:16:28
Andrew Bills
It's just it's so accessible.

01:41:16:28 - 01:41:18:09
Andrew Bills
And like there's something in there for.

01:41:18:09 - 01:41:19:29
Andrew Bills
Everyone you may not agree with everything.

01:41:19:29 - 01:41:24:19
Daniel Franco
Well that's where the name comes from synergy is one of the habits. Yeah. Creating synergy.

01:41:24:19 - 01:41:25:25
Andrew Bills
It just resonated with me at the.

01:41:25:25 - 01:41:26:11
Andrew Bills
Time when it.

01:41:26:11 - 01:41:31:15
Andrew Bills
Came out. Yeah. And I had given it your own. Yeah. And I preferred it to people, but it's easy to read.

01:41:32:12 - 01:41:33:10
Andrew Bills
It's so relevant.

01:41:33:10 - 01:41:35:25
Daniel Franco
Yeah. No, not much bloatware in it, which is good.

01:41:35:26 - 01:41:36:05
Andrew Bills
Now.

01:41:37:13 - 01:41:39:19
Daniel Franco
What's one lesson that's taking you the longest to.

01:41:39:19 - 01:41:41:21
Andrew Bills
Learn not to be so hard on myself?

01:41:42:14 - 01:41:42:24
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:41:43:07 - 01:41:46:25
Andrew Bills
Not to beat myself up all the time. Yeah, I still do.

01:41:47:13 - 01:41:50:14
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Is that. This is a high expectation of yourself.

01:41:50:15 - 01:41:54:00
Andrew Bills
Yeah. I've got a black belt and, you know, just, you know.

01:41:54:00 - 01:41:56:16
Andrew Bills
Destroying yourself at times in terms of not being good enough.

01:41:56:22 - 01:41:59:01
Andrew Bills
And it's just like, it's just it is the high.

01:41:59:01 - 01:42:00:04
Andrew Bills
Expectation and always.

01:42:00:04 - 01:42:00:24
Andrew Bills
Trying to do better.

01:42:01:06 - 01:42:03:27
Daniel Franco
Did you ever suffer from imposter syndrome? So I'm I'm.

01:42:03:29 - 01:42:06:03
Andrew Bills
Absolutely yeah you're not.

01:42:06:03 - 01:42:06:19
Andrew Bills
Good enough.

01:42:06:19 - 01:42:08:04
Andrew Bills
Self doubt self doubt and.

01:42:08:11 - 01:42:08:19
Andrew Bills
You know.

01:42:08:19 - 01:42:10:02
Andrew Bills
It goes goes back to what was talking.

01:42:10:02 - 01:42:11:27
Andrew Bills
About earlier in terms of some of those opportunities.

01:42:11:27 - 01:42:13:00
Andrew Bills
That arise. You know.

01:42:13:00 - 01:42:14:27
Andrew Bills
Or no you know.

01:42:15:24 - 01:42:21:00
Andrew Bills
And I look back now and I was I should have that I the self-doubt, the imposter syndrome certainly.

01:42:22:19 - 01:42:32:19
Daniel Franco
No we get it done output doesn't if you've had if you can have coffee with one current or historical figure who would it be?

01:42:33:21 - 01:42:35:03
Andrew Bills
So you hit a malcolm Gladwell.

01:42:35:12 - 01:42:39:08
Daniel Franco
Malcolm Gray, Tipping point. Outlaw Absolutely. One of my favorite authors.

01:42:39:08 - 01:42:43:00
Andrew Bills
I've read all his books, devoured them, love his podcast. Yeah, he's one of the.

01:42:43:00 - 01:42:44:26
Andrew Bills
Great thinkers of our generation, and.

01:42:45:09 - 01:42:47:28
Andrew Bills
I would love to have coffee with him and just to have a.

01:42:47:28 - 01:42:50:05
Andrew Bills
Conversation with a mind like that.

01:42:50:06 - 01:42:55:03
Andrew Bills
Yeah, that just looks at things and, all those perspectives. Yeah. If you do.

01:42:55:13 - 01:43:02:23
Daniel Franco
And I don't get anymore very. Yeah. What are some of the best advice you've ever received.

01:43:03:07 - 01:43:04:26
Andrew Bills
To be grateful for what you have.

01:43:05:15 - 01:43:05:27
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:43:06:18 - 01:43:08:02
Andrew Bills
And you know, not to keep looking.

01:43:08:02 - 01:43:09:26
Andrew Bills
To be grateful for what you actually have.

01:43:10:00 - 01:43:20:09
Daniel Franco
Oh, that's so hard. Because it's one of those things where I think you're built with it. I taught personality and you just always looking for the next shiny thing and on that tick.

01:43:20:10 - 01:43:21:27
Andrew Bills
But and that's the thing is.

01:43:22:01 - 01:43:23:26
Andrew Bills
Actually, hey, be present soon.

01:43:23:26 - 01:43:24:24
Andrew Bills
And actually acknowledge.

01:43:24:24 - 01:43:26:17
Andrew Bills
What you have. Hmm.

01:43:27:11 - 01:43:31:01
Daniel Franco
What's one habit that holds you the most?

01:43:31:01 - 01:43:34:08
Andrew Bills
I'm the perfectionist.

01:43:35:00 - 01:43:40:28
Andrew Bills
Yeah. Yeah. Just always, always try. You know, like over.

01:43:41:05 - 01:43:42:08
Andrew Bills
Focusing in on.

01:43:42:08 - 01:43:43:28
Andrew Bills
A particular issue or particular.

01:43:43:28 - 01:43:44:12
Andrew Bills
Thing and.

01:43:44:24 - 01:43:46:03
Andrew Bills
Trying to, you know, go that extra.

01:43:46:03 - 01:43:47:11
Andrew Bills
Percentage. I don't need to.

01:43:47:26 - 01:43:49:05
Daniel Franco
There have to be right all the time.

01:43:49:22 - 01:43:51:19
Andrew Bills
Has to be right. Right has to be right all the time.

01:43:51:23 - 01:43:53:19
Daniel Franco
Is that at the detriment of the team around you?

01:43:54:06 - 01:43:55:02
Andrew Bills
Hopefully not.

01:43:55:02 - 01:43:58:01
Andrew Bills
I'm it's very much a personal thing. It comes back.

01:43:58:07 - 01:44:00:18
Andrew Bills
You know, when I was young, you know, you don't do a job unless you do it.

01:44:00:18 - 01:44:04:12
Andrew Bills
Really well, right? Yeah. So it's this Protestant work ethic on steroids. Yeah.

01:44:04:26 - 01:44:13:11
Daniel Franco
And so we're going to call that to your executive team now and say hello to Andrew, kind of out of mirror whenever he becomes a perfectionist. Sorry, mate. I'm just.

01:44:13:16 - 01:44:13:24
Andrew Bills
Sorry.

01:44:14:27 - 01:44:29:03
Daniel Franco
Okay. What's some of the best advice you've ever received? Oh, you ask that one. I have. I Yeah. Oh, yeah. I have to go back. Okay, Cut that. What's your biggest pet peeve?

01:44:29:03 - 01:44:34:21
Andrew Bills
Pet peeve? Well, I. I tell you.

01:44:34:23 - 01:44:35:21
Andrew Bills
Doing it around the.

01:44:35:21 - 01:44:53:13
Andrew Bills
House, I just. It's just. I'm just buying a new TV just scares the Jesus out of you because I'm just like, Oh, no, I've got to configure. I've got to connect it, You know, whether it's putting new Hi-Fi or I'm like, Oh, it's just it just does my head in. Yeah, so much time is wasted.

01:44:53:21 - 01:44:55:17
Daniel Franco
And no one else in my family can do it. No.

01:44:55:17 - 01:44:59:03
Andrew Bills
And it all comes back now. So yeah, the.

01:44:59:21 - 01:45:05:06
Daniel Franco
Well he's going to answer that question. What's the one person you would pay to do your chores. Exactly.

01:45:05:06 - 01:45:08:28
Andrew Bills
That I want to permanent. I tell you manager in my home.

01:45:09:19 - 01:45:21:05
Daniel Franco
Well, you're a CEO of a company. I'm sure you Erin, I'd say to I'm sure you could do a cashier on the side was one would they absolutely hate unprecedented?

01:45:21:07 - 01:45:25:17
Andrew Bills
Oh, yes. Yes. Just got so overdone.

01:45:25:17 - 01:45:27:02
Daniel Franco
It's filthy. It's not good.

01:45:27:02 - 01:45:29:21
Andrew Bills
Is the unprecedented word.

01:45:29:21 - 01:45:31:23
Andrew Bills
Of the word unprecedented or.

01:45:32:25 - 01:45:44:10
Daniel Franco
Right note to self? First, email us in You. What's the what's the first thing you would do if you became invisible? I love this question.

01:45:45:01 - 01:45:46:15
Andrew Bills
So I'd love to be able.

01:45:46:15 - 01:45:51:20
Andrew Bills
To sit in the wild and watch animals not knowing you there and just and without them running away and.

01:45:51:20 - 01:45:52:27
Daniel Franco
Then experience, I'd be.

01:45:52:27 - 01:45:53:06
Andrew Bills
Interested.

01:45:53:06 - 01:45:54:12
Andrew Bills
So like, you know, if you're in the.

01:45:54:21 - 01:45:55:10
Andrew Bills
African.

01:45:55:10 - 01:45:55:14
Andrew Bills
You.

01:45:55:14 - 01:45:57:12
Andrew Bills
Know, there's, you know.

01:45:57:12 - 01:45:58:29
Andrew Bills
Doing safari and you're sitting there and.

01:45:59:09 - 01:46:01:13
Andrew Bills
Just observing your kids without.

01:46:01:13 - 01:46:02:27
Andrew Bills
Them knowing you, they're be.

01:46:02:27 - 01:46:05:14
Andrew Bills
Pretty cool. Yeah, that would be interesting. Yeah.

01:46:05:14 - 01:46:10:14
Daniel Franco
Yes. What's your most useless talent? You know.

01:46:10:15 - 01:46:11:22
Andrew Bills
Knowing every Beatles.

01:46:11:22 - 01:46:14:03
Andrew Bills
Song. Oh, really? I would be.

01:46:14:03 - 01:46:15:11
Daniel Franco
You are big music.

01:46:15:12 - 01:46:20:03
Andrew Bills
I'm huge music. And I love the Beatles. Yeah. And I'm a little bit obsessed.

01:46:20:03 - 01:46:22:19
Daniel Franco
What's your favorite song? Oh, you guys.

01:46:23:15 - 01:46:28:07
Andrew Bills
Yeah. No, it is. Sgt Pepper's is my favorite album. 1967.

01:46:28:08 - 01:46:29:21
Andrew Bills
Yeah, and A Day in the Life.

01:46:30:05 - 01:46:33:00
Andrew Bills
Off that album. It's in my top five songs of all time.

01:46:33:11 - 01:46:33:28
Daniel Franco
You play.

01:46:34:03 - 01:46:34:20
Andrew Bills
I wish I.

01:46:34:20 - 01:46:38:15
Andrew Bills
Did My, My, My Parents for the musical ones that bypassed me and went to my.

01:46:38:15 - 01:46:39:23
Andrew Bills
Sister. So anyway.

01:46:40:20 - 01:46:41:22
Daniel Franco
But it's a big part of your life.

01:46:41:22 - 01:46:49:29
Andrew Bills
A huge part of my life. So, you know, part of how I deal with stuff is music. Okay, so zone out music, really important part of my life.

01:46:50:15 - 01:46:53:17
Daniel Franco
Different stars and music, everything. Just everything.

01:46:54:07 - 01:46:55:19
Andrew Bills
I do. I do classical.

01:46:55:19 - 01:47:01:09
Andrew Bills
Electronic, punk, you know? But I'm there, right? There's not much I don't listen to. So I'm.

01:47:01:09 - 01:47:02:03
Andrew Bills
Very eclectic.

01:47:03:07 - 01:47:08:08
Daniel Franco
I think I'm very similar. Yeah, right. My favorite question of the whole What's your best dad joke?

01:47:10:00 - 01:47:10:17
Andrew Bills
I just.

01:47:10:17 - 01:47:11:20
Andrew Bills
Paid $100.

01:47:11:20 - 01:47:17:04
Andrew Bills
For a belt that doesn't fit. What a huge waste of.

01:47:17:04 - 01:47:20:16
Daniel Franco
That's something that sounds like going, Oh, that's brilliant.

01:47:20:17 - 01:47:22:06
Andrew Bills
Oh, God, Well done.

01:47:22:18 - 01:47:46:16
Daniel Franco
Thank you so much for your time today, Andrew. It's been it's been fabulous. I think we've gained the good one. South Australia. We claim anyone that comes here, that's the way we go about it. So yeah, and I thank you and we really look forward to seeing your journey and kudos on your career today and all the ups and downs and that you've had in you both personal and business life.

01:47:46:16 - 01:47:59:21
Daniel Franco
And yeah, like I said, I think I speak on behalf of most, it's a very important part of South Australia is I power and it is where we're really keen to see how you bring some value to the to the table.

01:47:59:27 - 01:48:00:07
Andrew Bills
All right.

01:48:00:07 - 01:48:01:11
Andrew Bills
Look, thank you and thank you. I really.

01:48:01:11 - 01:48:01:24
Andrew Bills
Appreciate.

01:48:01:24 - 01:48:02:04
Andrew Bills
Being on.

01:48:02:04 - 01:48:02:18
Andrew Bills
This.

01:48:02:29 - 01:48:05:18
Andrew Bills
Podcast and I'm loving my time in Adelaide.

01:48:05:18 - 01:48:06:09
Andrew Bills
So, so.

01:48:06:10 - 01:48:07:28
Andrew Bills
And I'll be keen to keep listening to you.

01:48:08:01 - 01:48:10:00
Andrew Bills
On the Future podcast. Okay.

01:48:10:23 - 01:48:12:29
Daniel Franco
We'll see you on the bike. See out there.

01:48:12:29 - 01:48:13:25
Andrew Bills
See you on the bike.

01:48:14:02 - 01:48:14:16
Daniel Franco
Take care.

01:48:14:16 - 01:48:15:12
Andrew Bills
Oh, thanks.

01:48:15:12 - 01:48:34:20
Daniel Franco
Thanks for listening to the podcast so you can check out the show notes if there was anything of interest to you and find out more about us at Synergy IQ dot com. So to you I am going to ask though if you did like the podcast, you would absolutely mean the world to me if you subscribe right and review and if you didn't like it, that's alright too.

01:48:34:20 - 01:48:40:01
Daniel Franco
There's no need to do anything. Thank you guys. All the best.

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Daniel Franco

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