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Using Purpose to Grow Your Bottom Line

Podcasts

Using Purpose to Grow Your Bottom Line

By , March 24, 2021
Phil Preston Quote

Self-described “Business Purpose Guide” Phil Preston joins this week’s instalment to converse the need for purpose and direction for all businesses, regardless of size. Formally a Senior Credit Manager where he oversaw billions of dollars of investments, Phil became frustrated with poor corporate behaviours and symbolic acts of charity. In 2007, he redirected himself away from corporate investment and towards social and environmental challenge, and has been successfully running his business since. Using his expertise in applying purpose to boost business performance and social impact, he strives to grow companies’ enthusiasm for change. He guides SMEs through to multi-national corporations in the purpose, shared value and collaboration fields, also helping non-for-profits with business development and partnerships.

Over the past 13 years, Phil has worked with hundreds of clients across many sectors and industries. He focuses on purpose based challenges, even developing a TED style talk titled ‘Why Philanthropy is for Dinosaurs’, which introduces individuals to the power of purpose in a user friendly way. His book, Connecting Profit with Purpose, also revolves on this topic. Phil emphasises the necessity for every business, no matter the size, to understand what their purpose is, more so now than ever. This projects enduring success,  not just short term. For Phil, if you constantly focus and adapt to what society really needs, this not only allows stabilization but will also allow continuous growth for your business.
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Craig West

Craig West

Executive Chairman | Succession Plus

Craig West is a strategic accountant with over 20 years of experience advising business owners. His background as a CPA in public practice has provided invaluable experience in the key issues of concern to business owners.

In March 2014, Craig was appointed Executive Chairman of the SME Association of Australia, Australia’s largest small business organisation representing over 300,000 business owners.

In October 2014, he was awarded the Exit Planner of the Year at the Exit Planning Institute Annual Conference in Texas, USA, due to his innovative development of an exit planning process to help business owners maximise business value and achieve a successful exit.

Craig’s proprietary structure - a Peak Performance Trust - has won the Australia-wide award for the Employee Share Ownership Plan of the year twice in four years.

In November 2018, Craig launched SME Experts in partnership with Mark Bouris’ Mentored on Podcast One and quickly grew the monthly podcast audience to over 26,500 downloads; in October 2019, he released a new podcast focused on medium-sized businesses - Mid-Market Matters.

In July 2021, Craig joined the NSW Committee for STEP (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners) – focusing on advising families across generations.

Craig has also launched a SaaS platform, Capitaliz (which captures the 21-step process), to assist other advisers internationally deliver advisory services at scale.

In November 2021, Craig was appointed Executive Chairman of NSW Leaders, a business mentoring group for leading NSW businesses.

In July 2022, Craig West received the award of Doctor of Business Administration for his research thesis titled “Examination of the key factors driving business exit options in Australian Small and Medium Enterprises.”

Craig is passionate about encouraging business owners to think strategically, maximise the value of their business and achieve a successful exit.