The Bridge International

Recently we were delighted to have represented The Bridge International a judge for the Bridging the Research Gap Poster Session at the 2024 Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Doctoral Workshop, held at the University of Wollongong . This flagship event brought together some of the brightest minds from 34 business schools across 11 countries, exploring transformative topics like Leadership, Strategy, Workplace Health & Safety, Diversity, Innovation, Sustainability, and so much more. The depth and breadth of insights shared were truly inspiring, and the decision-making process was no easy task! Each poster demonstrated remarkable potential to shape the future of business and academia. After thorough individual reviews, collaborative assessments and using the official criteria, we selected the poster that most powerfully bridged the gap between research and real-world impact.    At The Bridge International, we take pride in being a bridge between strategy and execution. It’s a mission that aligns perfectly with ANZAM’s efforts to connect academic insights with practical business applications. Together, we’re championing progress that translates into tangible, impactful solutions. Congratulations to all participants for their exceptional contributions and Nisar Ahmed Channa for standing out in such a competitive field.    A big thank you to Jacki Johnson, the 2024 ANZAM Doctoral Workshop Representative, for her exceptional leadership and organisation of this event.   We are pleased to continue supporting emerging thought leadership that drives meaningful change. Here’s to building bridges that matter – from research to real-world results!    #ANZAM2024 #EmergingLeaders #ThoughtLeadership #StrategyToExecution #BridgingTheGap #BusinessImpact Virangi Mendis Justine Ferrer PhD CAHR ANZAM-F  

I am delighted to share with you today’s announcement from our long-term client RAA who we have been privileged to advise on their new strategic partnership with Allianz Australia. This union brings together the strength of two great brands: RAA being the number one brand in South Australia and arguably the most trusted insurance brand in the country, with the number one insurance brand in the world, Allianz. The Bridge International has been working closely with Nick Reade CEO RAA, Ben Owen RAA Chief Strategy Officer, and the broader team at RAA throughout the process, helping secure a 20-year strategic partnership. RAA has been protecting South Australians for over 100 years and this new partnership helps future proof RAA’s member proposition for the next 100 years. With climate change impacting the frequency and ferocity of natural perils, increased competition and regulatory oversight, cost of living pressures and insurance affordability this partnership brings the best of local and international expertise to meet these challenges on behalf of RAA members. This is a great outcome for members, and as part of the partnership RAA will receive $642m* upfront, and further revenue subject to growth and performance of the business. Subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions, it is expected the transaction will complete mid 2025. Congratulations to RAA and Allianz. https://lnkd.in/gCFfKaTH *Subject to excess capital and completion adjustments Peter Siebels Kathy Gramp Tara Page Craig Richards Michael Healy James Galdes Stuart Brown Nick Le Fevre Richard Feledy Nathan Fink Shez Ford, Brendan Dunne Sara Elmstrom David McDonald The Bridge International is a non-traditional management consulting team operating in Australia, New Zealand, UK and North America. The team pride ourselves on being practitioners; successful  executives and subject matter experts who have worked in business rather than as career consultants.

Great to be a part of the The Children's Tumour Foundation and the #conquernf in colour fun run on Sunday in Sydney. We ran (well walked) on behalf of The Bridge International and our new foundation #bridgetogood and got completely covered in green and blue for this great cause. A big thank you to all the volunteers who turned out in the early hours of Sunday morning to make this event happen. Especially the Penguin! Sara Elmstrom Stuart Blake David McDonald Fieke Princée Leanne Dib FFIAPeter Dowding Holly Jonas Mitisha Paleja David Vincent Stuart Brown Rachel Corrales Sands

The Final Chapter: CEO for a Day – What Would You Do? Over the past couple of months, I’ve shared insights from our "CEO for a Day" series, highlighting the incredible power of people and culture in driving business success. Today, in the final instalment, we explore three critical areas: 1. Enhancing customer experiences through tailored services and empowered teams. 2. Aligning staffing and remuneration to boost satisfaction and retention. 3. Strategic resource allocation to balance operational efficiency and growth. These themes remind us that true success stems from valuing our people, listening to their insights, and aligning our strategies to empower them. I encourage you to read this final piece and reflect: if you were CEO for a day, what would you focus on? I would like to thank Maria De Fina Stavrinides for sharing her insights over the three part series. If you are interested in strengthening your organsition or looking for experts that can assess where you are on the journey with everything related to #culture, #leadership and #capability please reach out to Maria at The Bridge International and CXO2. https://lnkd.in/gMShPGd8 Let’s keep this conversation going. Your perspectives are invaluable! The Bridge International and CXO2 is a non-traditional management consulting team operating in Australia, New Zealand, UK and North America. The team pride themselves on being practitioners; successful executives and subject matter experts who have worked in business rather than as career consultants. #Leadership #CustomerExperience #OrganisationalSuccess #CEOForADay #Culture #EmployeeEngagement #Growth David McDonald Sara Elmstrom Benjamin Coleman Stuart Brown David Vincent Lewis Pullen David Russell Chloé James

Here are some insights from my recent trip to InsureTech Connect about the future of the claims handling role enabled by generative AI. It was a fascinating discussion led by Zachary Gustafson. I hope you enjoy this short article and see the relevance for any complex customer operation. Stuart Blake Stuart Brown Sara Elmstrom Benjamin Coleman Lewis Pullen David Vincent John Stewart Simpson Graeme Browne Peter Hughes Lachlan Blake Maria De Fina Stavrinides Felicity Cox Rodney Scanlon Tony Dodd Angelo Azar Andrew Farlow Trent Sayers David Russell Matt Pugliese Steve Wilson Brendan Gale Dale Clifford Holly Jonas Paul Thatcher

CEO for a Day – Part 2 is here! After uncovering the power of #culture and #leadership in Part 1, we’re diving deeper into the next set of #insights from our "CEO for a Day" series.  In this latest instalment, we explore how businesses can elevate their #success through effective #Changemanagement, Visibility & #Accountability, and Employee #Engagement. What strategies #empower teams to adapt and thrive in times of change? How does #transparency build a culture of accountability? Why is fostering #inclusivity through open communication a game-changer? Read Part 2 now to find out how these themes can drive business success and create a thriving workplace! Let me know what you think. https://lnkd.in/gCv7M9YM The Bridge International is a non-traditional #managementconsulting team operating in Australia, New Zealand, UK and North America. The team pride themselves on being practitioners; successful executives and subject matter experts who have worked in business rather than as career consultants. The Bridge International CXO2 Stuart Blake Sara Elmstrom David McDonald David Vincent Lewis Pullen Stuart Brown Benjamin Coleman Mitisha Paleja Paul Thatcher Holly Jonas Dale Clifford Lachlan Blake Brendan Gale Natalie Kidcaff Peter Hughes Hayden Blaskett Sara King Floreal Alvarez Geoff Thomas Andrew Biro (GAICD) Anne-Marijke Gerretsen Karen Goldschmidt Amy Stewart Laura Sturt-Addicott #peopleandculture #CEOfortheday #highperformance  

We’re proud to have sponsored the cocktail event at the Insurance Council of Australia’s 2024 Annual Conference and are excited to be part of this ongoing conversation, continuing our work alongside the insurance industry to build a stronger, more resilient future. #ICA2024

If you were CEO for the day, what would you change? What truly drives business success? We've spent 7 years at The Bridge International asking leaders, front line staff and teams across our client organisations one simple question: If you were CEO for the day, what would you change? The answers consistently point back to people and culture as the key drivers of performance. At The Bridge we work with business leaders to build high performance cultures by design, where purpose thrives, leadership excels, and individuals flourish. Our first article by Maria De Fina Stavrinides in a series of three unveils key factors for business success and explores how these elements can shape high performing organisations. We share our survey results on culture across thousands of staff interviews and a sample from over 30 client brands. Take a look and share your thoughts! https://lnkd.in/gtv5eCXV The Bridge International is a non-traditional management consulting team operating in Australia, New Zealand, UK and North America. The team pride themselves on being practitioners; successful executives and subject matter experts who have worked in business rather than as career consultants. Maria De Fina Stavrinides David McDonald Sara Elmstrom Lewis Pullen Benjamin Coleman David Vincent Stuart Brown David Russell Chloé James Mitisha Paleja Lachlan Blake Holly Jonas Paul Thatcher Graeme Browne John Stewart Simpson Danny Camerotto Nick Le Fevre Ian Edgell Dale Clifford Peter Hughes Natalie Kidcaff Sara King Matt Pugliese Brendan Gale Hayden Blaskett Rod Fitzgerald CXO2 #peopleandculture #CEOfortheday #highperformance

With FY24 behind us David McDonald and I wanted to reach out to our clients, colleagues, and friends with a brief update from The Bridge International. The attached update includes an overview of our growth, new hires Natalie Kidcaff, Maria De Fina Stavrinides and recent board appointment of John Stewart Simpson. We have launched our new specialist customer experience business called CXO2 and a new 'Culture, Leadership and Capability' practice. We touch on the headwinds from F24 and the parliamentary enquiry into the consulting services provided to the Australian Government. We outline our sponsorships with the #Insuranceindustry and mutual’s sector Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM). We look forward to attending key events in the coming months, including the Annual Insurance Council of Australia conference in Brisbane and InsureTech Connect in the USA - one of the biggest #fintech conventions in the world. We also want to thank all our amazing clients and team members that have supported us through the last financial year. Wishing them all the best of luck in FY25. Please click on this link to read more.. The Bridge is a non-traditional management consulting team operating in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and North America. We pride ourselves on the fact that we are not career consultants. We are practitioners—successful executives and subject matter experts who have worked in business and walked in the shoes of our clients. David McDonald Sara Elmstrom Benjamin Coleman David Vincent Lewis Pullen David Russell Chloé James Holly Jonas Graeme Browne Nick Le Fevre Sara King Mitisha Paleja Lachlan Blake Hayden Blaskett Danny Camerotto Brendan Gale Matt Pugliese Peter Hughes Dale Clifford Ian Edgell Paul Thatcher Jeromie Weatherburn Natalie Kidcaff David Vincent Stuart Brown https://lnkd.in/gJPeg9if

We appreciate Insurance News for highlighting the appointment of Maria De Fina Stavrinides as Practice Lead for our Culture, Leadership & Capability Practice. Maria's energy, brilliance and passion for culture and leadership are evident in everything she does. We are certain that Maria will continue to deliver tremendous value to our clients at The Bridge International and CXO2, as well as to our own business. Stuart Blake David McDonald Sara Elmstrom Lewis Pullen Stuart Brown Benjamin Coleman David Vincent Chloé James David Russell John Stewart Simpson