47. Leadership Mastery: Don Mackay’s Blueprint for Boardroom Success

Building Doors with Lauren Karan

Don Mackay's career is a testament to exceptional leadership and strategic execution.

As the current Chairman of Seymour Whyte Group, Don brings a wealth of knowledge and insight from his previous roles, including Managing Director of AACo and Rangers Valley, and Senior Executive at Elders.

His tenure at these organizations underscores his ability to drive business development and change management.

Furthermore, his role as a non-executive director at Thames Pastoral Co Pty Ltd, combined with his leadership at New Harvest Investment Management and the Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC), highlights his diverse experience and commitment to advancing the agricultural industry.

Throughout his career, Don has been celebrated for his strategic planning and business strategy skills, making significant contributions to agribusiness.

His dedication to the industry was recognized with the Prime Minister’s Centenary Medal for services to Agriculture, marking him as a distinguished figure in the field.

Don's past chairmanship of the Red Meat Advisory Board further emphasizes his influence and the respect he commands within the industry.

From his beginnings at Dubbo High School to becoming a leading voice in agriculture, Don Mackay’s journey is one of resilience, innovation, and impactful leadership.

In this episode we get a rare insight into Don’s career history and cover the following key areas:

· Maintaining market confidence in shifting economic landscape

· The power of embracing the value of experience and storytelling as leaders

· Focusing on the data and detail to drive value in strategic decision making

· Linking consumer confidence with quality and why we should never take it for granted

· Reframing our purpose and redefining our home through our connection to community

· The essential need to continuously reflect on our leadership journey for true growth

Don highlights the importance of strong leadership and meeting rigorous standards to succeed in global markets and ensure high-quality products. He reminds us why continuously elevating industry standards and emphasising personal mentorship play crucial roles in business success.

One element that shine’s through as Don’s success is his emphasis on the value of community and he offers insights into how these elements contributed to both his professional and personal growth as a leader.

You can connect with Donald Mackay here to learn more about his journey.

About your host:

Lauren Karan, Director, and Founder of Karan & Co.

With over a decade of experience as a recruiter and development coach, Lauren Karan found that her priorities rapidly changed after the birth of her two children. In 2022 she founded Karan & Co flipping the out-dated recruitment model with a focus on retention through career coaching and development.

Lauren believes that If opportunity doesn’t knock, you have to build a door – and it’s this same philosophy that inspired her to create the Building Doors podcast. The Building Doors podcast is for anyone undergoing a transformation in their life. Regardless of whether you feel stuck in your current role, need some inspiration on what steps to take next, want to learn how to level up as a business owner or simply want to listen to the experiences of successful entrepreneurs and industry professionals, the Building Doors podcast is all about unlocking your potential.

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In case you missed it:

You can listen to our previous episode here

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