Skip to main content

A study on business leaders reveals a significant number of CEO's are born in the country

Broadcast 
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
A study on business leaders reveals a significant number of CEO's are born in the country

Patrick Houlihan is the cream that rose to the top.

The 47 year old grew up on a dairy farm in the tiny town of Winslow, on the south-western coast of Victoria.

The small country town of 100 people closed the local school after enrolments dropped to 13 students.

Now, Mr Houlihan is the CEO of an Australian Stock Exchange Top 100 company, managing a $2 billion business with 4,000 global employees.

He's just one of dozens of regional-born chief executives identified in a study done by University of Sydney Business School.

The research, which looked at the birthplace, education and career path of Australia's top 100 chief executives, showed that 38 per cent grew up in regional towns.

University of Sydney's Business School's Associate Dean Richard Hall says the over-representation of regional born executives was significant.

'There is certainly something, not just about resilience, dedication and hard work, but to make it to the top you've got to be prepared to be mobile and to take on new challenges,' Mr Hill said.

'When you grow up in a rural environment and you're used to having limited control over things. We often speak about great leaders in their ability to cope with adversity.

'There is something about that capacity to adjust to a new environment that is characteristic of the people from a rural background.'

Mr Houlihan credits his regional upbringing with arming him with the life skills required of a leader.

'I think one of the really great things about the country is it's really down to earth. You learn to engage with people no matter where they're from and what they're doing,' he says.

'Life in the country is very practical and very pragmatic, and people in the country are very respectful and engaging.

'You learn values that stay with you for the rest of your life,' Mr Houlihan said.

Richard Hall says this authentic style of leadership is very effective.

'People want leadership that is more human, and more engaging. People want to work for leaders they believe in they relate to and they feel are being genuine and being themselves.

'We've always known that connection is part of leadership. Getting your hands dirty, making a difference, this hands on approach is exemplified in regional Australia,' Mr Hall said.

Guests

Credits

Broadcast 
Winslow, Education, Business, Economics and Finance, Rural