If you're a CEO, Managing Director or Business Owner of a Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) - this podcast is for you.
We explore the real issues and challenges facing SMEs with our guest CEOs and tap into their knowledge and curiosity about how to achieve sustainable business growth.
The Australian Centre for Business Growth, part of Adelaide University from 2026, has been delivering world-class business growth programs for a decade - and now we're channelling this wisdom into our Growth Trust Podcast.
Join us for in-depth discussions with CEOs about how to grow a company.
Host Ron Kandelaars interviews Growth Expert Paul Brock and Australian Centre for Business Growth's Director Ryan Williams on strategies for Aboriginal companies to achieve sustainable growth and scale.
14 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Managing Long-Term Business Growth
In this Growth Trust Podcast, we focus on how to manage business growth over the long-term, even when fortune throws you curve balls you least expect. We speak to Darren Thomas, Group Managing Director of Thomas Foods International, a company that has achieved sustained growth over many years and rebounded spectacularly after a fire in 2018 destroyed much of its Murray Bridge plant. Under the stewardship of Darren and his father Chris Thomas – who’s now Executive Chairman – Thomas Foods International has grown from a small family enterprise into Australia’s largest one-hundred-percent locally owned red meat processing company. And it’s grown steadily despite a devastating setback. Joining Darren is our host Ron Kandelaars and Ryan Williams, Director of the Australian Centre for Business Growth.
26 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
How To Leverage R&D for SME Innovation
Today we’re chatting with Anthony Kittel, the founder and CEO of REDARC Electronics, a leading Australian manufacturer of power electronics products for a host of markets including automotive, defence, mining, marine and space. It’s a sector requiring ongoing investment in R&D and thrives on a culture of innovation. But how does a CEO foster that culture of idea-sharing and innovation? Well, Anthony is here to pass on some of his hard-won experience and insight alongside the Director of the Australian Centre for Business Growth, Ryan Williams.
21 Sept 2025
How To Reinvigorate A Regional Economy
In this Growth Trust Podcast we focus on regional South Australia and its impact on the South Australian economy. We look at ways to breathe new life into regional economies. From the earliest days, the regions have been fundamental to the success of Australia. Over time, regional industries have expanded to include agriculture, timber, steel production, wine, citrus, wild catch fisheries, aquaculture… the list goes on and on. But sometimes regional industries falter, so we ask; how do you reinvigorate a regional economy? Joining us as our guest is Emma Daly, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Van Shaik’s Bio Gro – a company based in Mount Gambier with a fascinating story.
21 Sept 2025
Growing Your Small Business Into A Medium Size Company
Over the past decade, Australia has invested heavily in building a vibrant start-up ecosystem. Start-up founders have access to grants, conferences, accelerator programs and mentorship opportunities to help turn their ideas and innovations into a commercial enterprise. But once you’re past start-up, how do you adopt a growth mindset to take your small business to the next level? Joining us for this podcast is our guest Sarah Curtis-Fawley, a Growth Expert at the Australian Centre for Business Growth.
21 Sept 2025
The Role of Market Research in Business Growth
In this Growth Trust Podcast we focus on the importance of market research in growing a business. There’s often not much point making and selling a what you think is a great product or service if you haven’t asked the marketplace what they think about it. Joining us is our guest Jason Dunstone from Square Holes, a company specialising in market research that’s pivotal to the ongoing success of many of its private, not-for-profit and government clients
26 Apr 2024
AI And How It Can Be Leveraged To Help SMEs
This Growth Trust podcast series focusses on the issues facing many small and medium businesses enterprises that play such an important role in the Australian economy.
Today's topic is AI And How It Can Be Leveraged To Help SMEs. AI is a new challenges for everyone working in the business sector, especially SMEs.
Today our host Ron Kandelaars (https://ronkandelaarsmedia.com.au/) will be discussing this emerging phenomenon with Marshall Cowan (https://clevertar.com/about-us/), the CEO of AI Natural Language company Clevertar (https://clevertar.com/) and the Australian Centre for Business Growth's (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/) director Ryan Williams (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ryan-williams/).
26 Apr 2024
Expanding Your Company Internationally
This Growth Trust Podcast series focusses on the issues facing many small and medium businesses enterprises that play such an important role in the Australian economy.
In today’s podcast we focus on Expanding Your Company
Internationally. For many it can be a leap into the unknown but one with enormous challenges and rewards.
Join our host Ron Kandelaars (https://ronkandelaarsmedia.com.au/) as he chats with Growth Expert, Chris Procter (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/chris-procter/) – an accomplished business leader with a proven track record of success in international markets – and the Australian Centre for Business Growth's (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/)director Ryan Williams (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ryan-williams/).
26 Apr 2024
Why Caring For Yourself Matters To Your Company
Welcome to the Growth Trust Podcast, focussing on issues and challenges facing many small and medium business enterprises which play such an vital role in the Australian economy.
The topic today – Why Caring For Yourself Matters To Your Company. Let’s face it, if you’re the reason the company got off the ground in the first place, then you’re one of its most vital assets and you need to be in the best physical, mental and emotional shape.
Join host Ron Kandelaars (https://ronkandelaarsmedia.com.au/), the Australian Centre for Business Growth's (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/) director Ryan Williams (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ryan-williams/) and guest Duane Rivett (https://www.fivecast.com/company/our-team/) co-founder of Fivecast (https://www.fivecast.com/) - a world-leading provider of digital intelligence solutions.
26 Apr 2024
From Start Up - To Grow Up - To Stay Up
Welcome to the Growth Trust Podcast which focusses
on issues and challenges facing many small and medium business enterprises that play such a vital role in the Australian economy.
The topic today is From Start Up - To Grow Up - To Stay Up. In other words, how to start a business… grow it successfully... and ensure its success is sustainable for the long-term.
In the studio is host Ron Kandelaars (https://ronkandelaarsmedia.com.au/), Australian Centre for Business Growth's (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/) director Ryan Williams (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ryan-williams/) and Growth Expert Ann Angel (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ann-angel/) who knows a lot about starting, growing and selling sustainable business enterprises.
26 Apr 2024
Work On The Business – Not In It
This Growth Trust Podcast series focusses on the issues
facing many small and medium businesses enterprises that play such an important role in the Australian economy.
In today’s podcast, Work on The Business – Not In It, we focus on keeping a balance and maintaining a healthy oversight of where your business is going. For many the passion for a person’s business can be all-consuming, perhaps to the detriment of the business and the business enterprise they know and love.
Join our host Ron Kandelaars (https://ronkandelaarsmedia.com.au/) who'll chatting with Growth Expert, Richard Turner (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/richard-turner/), a renowned Australian entrepreneur, leader and innovator, and Australian Centre for Business Growth's (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/) director Ryan Williams (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ryan-williams/).
26 Apr 2024
Introduction To Growing Your Company
Today’s session marks the exciting launch of a new podcast series - the Growth Trust Podcast - focussing the microscope on issues and challenges facing many small and medium enterprises that play such an important role in the Australian economy.
This Growth Trust podcast is brought to you by the Australian Centre for Business Growth (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/) – which was established by the University of South Australia almost a decade ago. Over that time the centre’s delivered world-class business growth programs providing business owners, CEOs, Managing Directors and their executive team members with the knowledge and skills needed to grow their companies.
Today host Ron Kandelaars (https://ronkandelaarsmedia.com.au/) will be discussing how to grow companies with the Centre's Director Ryan Williams (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/ryan-williams/) and we’ll also be discussing its impact with someone who’s felt it, first hand… Growth Expert, Alison Taylor (https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/alison-taylor/). An Alumni of our growth programs, Alison has started, grown and sold her co-founded company PUMPSEAL Australia before joining the Centre as a Growth Expert and is joining us from Perth via Zoom.
Inside a recent episode
How Aboriginal Companies Can Grow And Scale
Published 13 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] So it was really difficult for them. But then there was that support from the government to help them do that. And I understand that the circle that we have in South Australia supporting Aboriginal businesses has been quite good as well. But in all honesty, the Growth program, and I need to say that, that has worked wonders for Aboriginal businesses. In what way? That's the training they need. They didn't know how to manage and grow a business just sustainably. And I think with that training and everyone that you speak to when we're delivering that training, they are really full of gratitude for what they've learnt from the course and they're going to implement that and that. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
