Meet our CEO, Brian Maher

You’ve been in the role for a few months now, how’s it been? 

Well, in the spirit of our “No bullsh*t” value, the first few months were a little more turbulent than I had hoped! Within a couple weeks of having the job, we had a few big things happen that had to be navigated. I had no doubt we’d get through, especially with the great team we have at Aussie, but it definitely kept things interesting! 

A big advantage for me has been coming from a place of already knowing the business, albeit from a different point of view.  

How has it been different, moving from CFO to CEO? 

The transition from CFO to CEO is interesting. As CFO, I did a lot of hands-on work with the team, and there is satisfaction with checking off a long to-do list. I had fewer meetings and spent the day getting things done.  

What I quickly realised as CEO is that you do a lot more listening. My days are now filled with listening to different people and teams, so I’ve adjusted to becoming more of a sounding board and learning about the business with new eyes (and ears!).   

Casting your mind back, what was it like when you began at Aussie? 

I remember I saw an ad for Aussie, based in Morwell. Frankly, I didn’t know where that was, so I Googled it and saw the photo of our Electra Avenue office. It reminded me of my first job in Australia – working in a family-owned business with similar humble beginnings – which I loved.  

I got a call asking me to come in for an interview, and when I warned them I wouldn’t be in a suit, the reply was: “Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about that.” In fact, Janet Granger-Wilcox, our former Chief People & Reputation Officer, jokingly said that I had the job the moment I walked in because I was the first person who didn’t turn up in a suit!  

Did Aussie match that first impression? 

Definitely. Who you are and what you bring to the table has always been more important at Aussie.  

Before I’d even started, I went on a leadership retreat with managers from across Aussie. It was at a scout camp, which meant bunking in with everyone else. I remember thinking how strange it was that I hadn’t started, and I was already sharing rooms with my co-workers.  

On that trip, Phil spoke to me and said: “to be honest, I don’t really know you, and I won’t know you until we’re in the trenches together”.  I needn’t have worried, because I started in October 2019. That ‘trench’ came a few months later when COVID hit while we were trying to become a publicly listed company.  

I always say, “I was really lucky to find Aussie, and Aussie was lucky to find me”. I don’t mean that in an arrogant way, I think we were the perfect fit for each other. 

Has anything struck a chord with you since starting as CEO? 

I recently spent the day in our Dandenong office and was blown away by the number of people who felt comfortable coming up to me.  

What stood out to me was not just that people were happy to come up to me, but also the hunger I saw from so many people – it wasn’t “how do I build my career?”, it was “how do I build my career at Aussie?”. 

Probably my favourite stat is that in all our departments across the business, there’s someone who began their career in our customer service team and transitioned from there, which is amazing. It also means that in all areas of our business, we are always thinking about the customer first.  

On to something more personal, how do you unwind?  

I'm a football (real football) fanatic, and right now I'm absorbed with the European Championships – England are still in it (it's been dreadful to watch so far), but I know not to get my hopes up considering our history! It's definitely not coming home. 
 
It's also no secret that I'm an Aston Villa fan, and I rarely miss watching them (even if it means getting up in the middle of the night!). Last season was brilliant, and I can't wait to see how we fare next season in the Champions League. 
 
If I take my football hat off, Survivor is definitely my favourite TV show. While the American version is okay, Australian Survivor has surpassed it in my opinion. Coronation Street Coronation Street (a soap opera from United Kingdom) is also a comfort show of mine – it makes me think of my mum every time I watch it. 

Now for the all important question – is it “parma” or “parmi?” 

If I’m picking one, it’s got to be “parmi” – that’s how it’s spelt! 

What do you want your legacy to be? 

I want everyone’s experience with Aussie to be awesome – I want our staff to have a great career with us, I want our shareholders to have a positive time as investors, I want our partners to talk glowingly about Aussie, and I want our customers to continue to be delighted by their experience. 

Tags:CultureHumans of AussieThink like an Aussie