Ex-Wallabies Captain Draws Bumper Crowd at AICD Forum

Former Australian Wallabies Captain, John Eales AM, drew a record audience to The Quokka Arms on Friday 7 March, for the Australian Institute of Company Director’s (AICD) annual Rottnest Forum.

Braving the stormy weather, more than 270 of Perth’s corporate movers and shakers filled the Island’s town hall to listen to Eales, founding Director of the Mettle Group, deliver his keynote address on The Essence of Leadership.

In his signature style, Eales spoke candidly about his diverse career achievements, his personal journey and the leadership lessons learned from more than a decade spent as one of Australia’s top sportsman and in more recent years, as a businessman and columnist for Fairfax.

His attendance at this year’s Rottnest Forum adds to the impressive list of speakers the AICD has secured in previous years, including Sir Rod Eddington AO, John Akehurst, Reg Clairs, Wayne Jackson and Andrew Demetriou.

Other highlights of the day included an appearance by comic Jean Kittson and an entertaining closing address by Ajilon Managing Director, Ian McFarlane.

Now into its thirty-first year, the renowned sun and surf networking event is one of the better known on the Perth business calendar and is convened each year by AICD’s WA state office.

Ajilon has been sponsoring the event for the past five years, four of which were by the former AeM Group. According to Ajilon’s National Marketing Manager, Giles Nunis, it’s an event he’ll continue to keep on his National Marketing Events Calendar.

"We had 22 clients attend this year’s event as guests of Ajilon, which was a great turn out. Every year this Forum attracts a high number of attendees and this year our branding presence was really prominent. I felt we were able to stand tall in front of many of our WA business community peers and tell the Ajilon story to them. I’m really happy with the way the event ran and I believe it’s certainly helped lift our profile in the WA market."

(L-R) John Eales met with Ian McFarlane, Ajilon Managing Director, and Chris Benthien, WA General Manager, after his presentation.

A full house of guests packed the Rottnest Island Town Hall to hear John speak.

Ian waiting to make his closing speech, while AICD’s Suzanne Ardagh introduces him to the hundreds of guests who attended the 2008 Forum.