Anniversaries are always a good time to reflect on times past, to remember the journey, the ebbs and flows and to celebrate the progress of our people, communities, business and industry. At BDO, a leading professional services firm in the mid-market, we are fortunate to be able to service a diverse range of people from an equally diverse range of businesses. We get to see firsthand the hard work and grit that it takes to grow a business, which in turn supports our communities and the State.
Glyn O’Brien has been a Partner for 21-years, working with many of WA’s leading businesses along the way. We asked him to reflect on the past 25-years and tell us what he thought were some of the key success factors that has helped WA forge through the past years and what might help in the coming years.
What do you see as being the unique characteristics of WA?
When I think about the people and businesses of WA I think of words like entrepreneurial, optimistic and resilient. Our export driven economy makes us intrinsically linked to the global market and the price volatility that goes with it. We make hay when the sun shines and we build better businesses and survive when times are tough. The exposure to competition and the volatility of markets forces us to plan, innovate and adapt to the ever changing world we operate in.
What do you think will drive WA’s success?
WA is a young country with enormous opportunities. WA’s youthfulness allows us a level of opportunities that can’t be found in the more mature markets of the world. In the past 25-years, we’ve seen people and companies create new generational wealth in WA. BDO has worked with over 30 companies that have gone from an idea to billion dollar values. This has required clients to navigate through the various growth stages of maturity including building the right teams at the right times, developing the right systems and processes, and sourcing sufficient funding to support the vision. Our youthful enthusiasm gives us a can do attitude and a willingness to help our WA community to be successful.
Then and now. How do you see it?
The major change I see would be the globalization of business and how inter-connected the world has become. Adding to that, the speed and ease at which we are now able to access information and resources has fundamentally changed the way that we do business. Whilst there are some downsides to this including an ‘instant gratification culture’, the upsides have meant that we are growing and innovating at speeds never before witnessed. With WA’s enthusiasm of being a young country with a hunger to learn and innovate we believe there will be an acceleration in WA’s ability to be successful in the new global marketplace.
With the digital transformation of markets and industries, how do we stay relevant?
The relevance of any business is its ability to service customers and create value. In a world where information is cheap and easily accessible what makes BDO and Business News successful is the quality, relevance and reliability of the information it produces. The advice we can provide the market to keep them well informed and be a stimulus for thought leadership, improvement and innovation positions both Business News and BDO as market leaders.
