GRAHAM Annesley has spent most his working life scaling the corporate ladder, holding executive positions in both the public and private sector.
His career includes senior roles with NSW TAB, DHL, Worldwide Express and McWilliams Wines and he was chief operating officer with the National Rugby League for almost a decade before becoming NSW Minister for Sport in 2011.
In September 2013 he resigned and took on the challenge as CEO of the iSelect Gold Coast Titans.
The Titans have had a rocky financial few years: what’s being done to ensure future prosperity and long term sponsor support for the team?
What are three key leadership strengths you bring to the Titans?
What is your leadership mantra?
I am not sure I would call it a mantra. It is more about my personal style of leadership which is built on assembling the best possible people, providing them with the optimal structure and operating environment, allowing them the autonomy to utilise their skills and instilling the entire organisation with a sense of stability, confidence and inspiration.
What have you been able to bring from the political arena to your current role?My time in politics reinforced that too much bureaucracy stifles innovation and productivity. People will generally perform better in an environment where they feel empowered to use their own judgment and initiative.
What are some of the challenges you foresee for the city over the next five years?
The Gold Coast generally has an incredibly bright future as the economy continues to recover and infrastructure projects start to rise out of the ground. This city has so much to offer and so many natural assets. Our challenge as a business is to ensure the iSelect Gold Coast Titans take every opportunity to capitalise on the wonderful opportunities that will present themselves over the coming years leading up to the Commonwealth Games. My personal objective is to ensure the Titans football team, the Titans brand, and the Titans business growth are front and centre as part of the city's resurgence.
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