Calm when it counts
MH: Your career looks quite varied. How do you make sense of it?
AS: Every role has been about the same fundamental question: how do organisations grow their client relationships, and what systems, strategy and people do you need to make that happen? The context has changed. The question hasn't.
It started at Henry Davis York, ostensibly a technology and operations role, but really an education in how a law firm grows its clients. That dual lens, technical and commercial at the same time, has stayed with me ever since.
At King & Wood Mallesons it was about changing how a firm understood its clients: bringing data, competitor intelligence and genuine client insight into how we deepened relationships. Genuinely complex, genuinely rewarding.
Then Deloitte, which was a step change in scale. Within two months of joining I was leading 250 people across Australia and India as COO for Marketing, Communications and Business Development. That required a different altitude entirely. Clear strategic direction, a leadership team I trusted, and never losing sight of the operational detail. And now MinterEllison, where all the threads have come together. Strategy, business development, marketing, technology, leadership, law and consulting. All focused on client growth. I feel very lucky.
H: What are the leadership lessons you've learned the hard way?
AS: The hardest lesson, and I mean genuinely hard, is that being right is not enough. You can have the best idea, the strongest data, the most robust strategy. None of it lands if people don't trust you or believe in what you're trying to achieve.
I've had to learn patience. I've had to be deliberate about building credibility rather than assuming it. And I've had to understand that the capital you build through relationships and consistent delivery is what makes influence possible. That shapes everything about how I work with partners, the executive team, and my stakeholders. The other lesson is that a calm, balanced approach under pressure is not passivity, it's a choice. A powerful one. When leaders stay grounded, teams stay grounded. That description didn't come naturally to me. It required real discipline.’
MH: How would you describe your leadership style?
At my core, I lead with integrity, kindness and clarity. I believe deeply in high-performing, purpose-led teams — and that means creating the conditions where people feel genuinely empowered to grow.
I bring a commercial mindset to everything. Whether I'm deepening client relationships, supporting partners, or delivering market insights that shape our strategy, the question I always come back to is: what outcome are we trying to achieve, and is it driving real value?
Leadership is about being at the front, being clear on strategy, commercially grounded, with a genuine read on your market. But none of that moves without the people alongside you. The leaders I most respect hold all of it together: the rigour and the humanity. They lead and they influence. They understand that you need both to go anywhere worth going.
I also care deeply about creating meaningful career opportunities for my team. I want people to feel that working with me advances their careers — not just in title, but in capability, confidence and contribution.
MH: What's your advice for people who aspire to senior client growth roles?
AS: Seek out experiences across marketing, business development, technology, operations and strategy. The lateral moves that feel risky in the short term are often the ones that build the capability that gets you to the C-suite.
You don't need to have all the answers. But you do need to be curious. That's especially true now, with AI reshaping how we work.
Focus relentlessly on outcomes, not outputs. And be intentional about the kind of leader you want to be. Practise it before you have the title.
The most important thing I'd say: stay genuinely curious about your clients, your stakeholders, AI and your market. Lead with purpose. Never stop investing in the people around you. Success will follow.
