Top 100 CEO Interviews
Issue No. 25 - October/November 2005
Top100 Ranking a Worthy Goal
Top 100 status is an important goal for local business according to Rob DiMonte, Deloitte managing partner for South Australia.
Given our place in the world, it's important that we get into the habit of growing enterprises to become world challengers - and don't fuss too much when a showpiece gets taken over.
The recent past has demonstrated just how well SA business culture can perform in fertile ground, Rob says.
And he believes the Australian economy's recent strength is primarily responsible for South Australia's continued strong showing where innovation is concerned.
“It's probably the first key to success with a start-up - a strong economy,” Rob says.
“No matter how good your product or idea is, it's harder to succeed when the economy is not strong.”
He says economic weakness compels entrepreneurs to adopt more focused and deliberate strategies, seeking market access in those spots, perhaps overseas, where growth is still occurring.
“If the economy is better in Japan or Europe, you may target that,” he says.
Rob points out that Adelaide has been a traditional test market for new products and there is a reason why. His theory is that being so insular, with such thoroughly developed internal lines of communication, South Australia quickly recognises the benefit of an innovation and exploits it.
“We have a number of cooperative organisations - SA Great, vivasa for instance - that are unique and simply don't exist elsewhere.
“We are prepared to invest time and make common cause for the benefit of the state.”
Perpetual networking breeds a business culture of cooperation where people are prepared to help each other out with ideas.
And bringing people together across sectors, from the private sector and local government, always outperforms single-sector networking.
Our organisations are also prepared to adapt.
“When SA Great was founded...
