On Friday 18 October, the New South Wales and ACT family business community came together at the Family Business Insights NSW/ACT State Conference at Rosehill Racecourse.
The event provided an opportunity for members to connect, learn, and share insights on critical topics such as succession planning, managing family employees, and the importance of values and community impact in business.
Family Business Excellence Awards
The Family Business Insights NSW/ACT State Conference started with a presentation to NSW/ACT award winners of our Family Business Excellence Awards.
The Family Business Excellence Awards are presented to an outstanding family business demonstrating excellence and achievement in the core business principles of Governance, Entrepreneurship and Stewardship, and exhibits how family ownership and involvement has helped the business to achieve a competitive advantage.
Eather Group were the winners of the 2024/25 Founder's Family Business Award for New South Wales and ACT. The award was accepted by Sally-Ann, Peter and Divinia Eather.
“Peter and I started Eather Group 14 years ago, with big dreams to provide opportunities for our family and community. Boy has it been a wild ride. FBA has been integral in our journey and so to be the recipient of this award, it means so much to us,” said Sally-Ann.
Peter added, “I’m blessed to work with these two guys, my best friends. Behind every good man is a good woman, so I’m very blessed… We implement the three C’s – caring for country, caring for culture and caring for community. Putting those concepts in place, we are able to do the things we do. I’m very blessed to be here today and accept this award. Thank you.”
Eather Group was founded in 2010 and has grown remarkably over 14 years to a fleet of 22 trucks, 20 heavy machines, and a team of nearly 40. ISO accredited and Supply Nation certified, this Indigenous family business is committed to creating and maintaining a ‘Circular Economy’ in the infrastructure sector. Their mission focuses on re-purposing materials to care for country while promoting workforce equity and diversity. Over 14 years, they have diverted more than 4 million tonnes of waste material — enough to produce bricks for around 250,000 houses! By leading the NSW construction industry with sustainable solutions, they’re not just building a company, they also preserving a family legacy.
DECO Australia were the winners of the 2024/25 Established Family Business Award for New South Wales and ACT. The award was accepted by Ross Doonan, Founder and Director at DECO.
“To the family and the team, thank you very much. Since the start of our business 20 years ago, we’ve been through somewhat of a rollercoaster. The family has always stuck with me and never doubted the commitment to get to where we are today.”
“DECO in the last 6 years has grown to almost triple in size. The growth has stemmed from our fundamental philosophy, that the customer never complains about price, they only ever complain about value. So, at DECO, we work very hard every day to create as much value as we can for our customers.”
“Thank you very much to Family Business Association. We’re massive fans of FBA, we think it is a wonderful association. We certainly get a lot of value out of it and it’s a real privilege to receive an award like this from FBA.”
Founded as a startup in 2004 introducing innovative European technology to the Australian building industry, DECO has grown to employ 120 people and is now in its 2nd generation. Built on a commitment to high-value products, the business' core strengths include a tight-knit family structure, a culture of quality with a customer-first approach, and a “best person for the job” philosophy. The strong alignment between family values and business strategy, coupled with active family involvement, provides a competitive edge and ensures a balance between family and business goals.
Family Business Insights NSW/ACT State Conference
Attendees were given a warm welcome from FBA’s CEO, Catherine Sayer, who officially opened the conference. Catherine emphasised FBA’s core values - One Family, supporting members to thrive, being authentic, and a learning mindset. Her message set the tone for the day, encouraging participants to embrace the opportunities for growth and collaboration.
To start our afternoon of speakers and keynote presentations, David Cross, Legal Practitioner Director at Ai Group Workplace Lawyers, provided a brief overview of the recent changes in industrial relations. Due to recent changes to the Industrial Relations Legislation through the passing of The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023, and The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024, there are differing implications for business. David provided insights into these implications to help attendees understand how these changes may impact on their family business.
Download Slides for Workplace Relations Regulation Session
For our keynote address, Angus Raine, Executive Chairman / CEO, Raine & Horne, delved into corporatising the family business, drawing insights from past experiences and the lessons learned from mistakes, to chart a path towards sustained success.
Angus Raine shared insights from his experience at the helm of one of Australia’s oldest and most successful real estate franchises in Australia and Internationally spanning four generations and over 140 years.
Angus emphasised that making decisions isn’t always about getting it right the first time, “No one's perfect, and when making decisions, you can unmake decisions if it’s a bad one. That’s probably even more important.”
He further explained how his father was emotionally tied to the business, and while he greatly respected his father's passion, he took a different approach, “My father was very emotionally tied to the business; I’m not at all, in a good way, because if you’re emotionally tied, you can’t stand back and look at the business with three dimensions.”
Angus discussed the critical importance of embracing technology, learning from past mistakes, and the necessity of forward-thinking to ensure continued business success.
Download Slides for Angus Raine's Session
Next we were joined by Murray Furlong, General Manager of Fair Work Commission, Vanessa Fudge, CEO and Founder of Leading Well and Kylie Ridding, Director of SVSR. The group discussed how to manage family employees from three different perspectives.
Murray highlighted the current legislative landscape regarding employment contracts for family members, providing practical advice on handling sensitive issues like dismissal and redundancy in a family business.
Vanessa discussed conflict resolution and managing relationships when employing family members in the family business, including how to handle situations involving dismissal.
She emphasised the importance of regular performance conversations to prevent difficult situations from escalating and disrupting both the family and the business.
Finally, Kylie Ridding shared her experiences of the tough decisions involved in letting go of a family member in her business. She discussed the emotional challenges and professional difficulties that arose because there wasn’t a clear succession plan in place, "If you don’t have a succession plan, you’re leaving your family in pain."
Kylie urged family businesses to take advantage of the educational resources offered by FBA to help avoid these kinds of challenges, "When business ownership changes, so do the power dynamics and lines of accountability."
Download Slides for Managing Family Employees Session
In our third session, Meika Doonan, Strategic Advisor at DECO Australia shared insights on growing up in her Dad’s entrepreneurial shadow, navigating family dynamics, embracing change, championing diversity and the delicate balancing act of leadership and parenthood.
Propelled by her father’s bold ambition, a desire to help the family and the chance to absorb her Dad’s business acumen, Meika embraced the opportunity to spearhead operations at DECO at just 21—a decision that would shape her career journey. Nearly two decades into the business Meika stands as a stalwart champion of DECO’s ethos, with her unwavering commitment navigating the company through both tumultuous times and triumphant victories.
Meika shared this journey of joining her family’s business after finishing her HSC and navigating the dynamics of working alongside family members.
She talked about the sense of responsibility she felt and the growth she experienced through her involvement in the business, "Working in a family business means you're working with your siblings. At times that can be fun and challenging, but at the heart of it, we’re building something great together."
Meika offered key advice to daughters stepping into leadership roles within their family businesses:
- "Remember, you are your own person."
- "When you’re down, get up and give it another go."
- "Be brave."
For our final session of the conference, the Sukkar family, Josephine Sukkar AM and Tony Sukkar AM, uncovered the secrets to their success at BuildCorp. This session, facilitated by Angus Kennard, Kennard Hire, provided a deep dive into how their values have shaped both their business and their broader impact on the community.
The secret to success in family business often stems from upholding excellent values and actively giving back to the community. Josephine and Tony explored the significance of values and community impact in family businesses, sharing Buildcorp’s journey of success built on integrity, compassion, and social responsibility.
One testament to this is the Buildcorp Foundation, established in 2015. The foundation is on a mission to support good mental health and help put an end to suicide. It works closely with business, government and for-purpose partners that support the cause, while also creating a culture that promotes mental health awareness.
Josephine and Tony explained that the evolution of their family-owned business has differentiated them beyond just what they do. Their difference comes from who they are and what they stand for.
Download Slides for Josephine and Tony Sukkar's Session
Thank you to all those who attended, presented and made the event such a success.
Photo Gallery
Photos by Sophie B Photography
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