
Company website
Industry: Information Technology & Services
Company Size: 201-500 employees
Headquarters: Botany, NSW
Type: Privately Held
Leading by example: CEO shares peer mentoring experiences so his executives can flourish and develop
KEY provides an opportunity for like-minded individuals, who are on their way to business leadership, to connect and align with other high-performing peers.
Broaden knowledge and gain insights
'Connecting with a local network of peers helps to create a sense of belonging and can be beneficial from both a professional and personal perspective.'
Ross Sardi, CEO of First Focus and TEC member, is passionate about leadership and management strategies dedicating much of his time to developing members of his executive leadership team.
Having shared his insights into what TEC has to offer and expressed the value he has gained from listening to other business leaders and external speakers, several of Ross’s team have expressed interest in peer mentoring.
The KEY experience has become an integral part of how his team develop their leadership and business skills, particularly as they are located across different states.
Motivated by his CEO, Alex Gahona, Head of Support at First Focus couldn’t think of a better way to hone his leadership skills than through the KEY Executive Program.
Over the past 10 years with First Focus, Alex has developed skills in customer service, service desk management and recruitment, adding strength and consistency to his organisation.
Becoming a part of TEC has helped him to broaden his knowledge and gain insights from other executives in different industries.
'Joining TEC has been really beneficial for me. I've met a group of great people and have learned about their challenges and gained new strategies on how to deal with problems,' says Alex.
'When facing challenging situations, I know I can trust members within my group to give me their honest opinion, and maybe even guidance towards a resolution,' says Alex.
Thanks to TEC, Alex has walked away from each monitoring sessions with clear objectives and has introduced many strategies into his day-to-day reporting and direction with his team.
'I’ve gained knowledge and strategies on how to be transparent, raising an issue appropriately, asking the right questions and also driving accountability and ownership through my team. I help other members problem solve rather than just giving them the answer,' says Alex.
According to Alex and Ross, getting involved in TEC mentoring sessions has created a lasting effect on how the First Focus team communicate and develop.
'We’ve been able to improve our internal development strategies to foster growth both personally and professionally,' says Ross.
Ross believe TEC is particularly good for new executives who are just stepping up into a role and can learn from other executives.
TEC has also been a great investment personally for Alex.
'For me, TEC has made me a better manager and a better leader. I have gained a lot of insights into other industries and also engaged in deep self-development and professional progression. For any other executives in my position, I would highly recommend investing in TEC,' concludes Alex.