Tag Archives: Challengers

Alright, let’s hash this out. Strategy, mate, it’s not just a boardroom buzzword; it’s your bread and butter. It’s like the tale of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay nailing Mount Everest. Back in the day, these blokes didn’t have the fancy gear we’ve got now—no aqualungs, no lightweight nothing. Just sheer grit. Their strategy was simple but huge: Conquer Everest. The ‘how’ part, that’s the meat of it, isn’t it? You plan as best as you can, but the real juicy details, the nitty-gritty, you only figure those out as you get close, as you’re right up against it.

“Whether you’re planning lunch or looking to topple your own Everest, the principle’s the same: break it down, tackle it step by step, and keep the end goal in sight.” John Puttick

And when they did it, when they came down and the whole world—yeah, the BBC and all, during the Queen’s coronation week—was waiting to hear the story, the first thing Hillary says is they “knocked the bl***y thing off.” But what goes on record? “Inch by inch.” That’s right, the man himself said it was inch by bl***y inch. It’s a perfect snapshot of strategy in action—meticulous, persistent, and always adapting to the mountain in front of you.

So, what’s the takeaway? Whether you’re planning lunch or looking to topple your own Everest, the principle’s the same: break it down, tackle it step by step, and keep the end goal in sight. That’s how you do strategy. That’s how you win.

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John Puttick( Industry Professor )

John Puttick significantly shaped Australia’s IT sector by founding GBST Holdings, which processes about half of the Australian Stock Exchange transactions. He pioneered key enterprise system development techniques and project management methods. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland and Chair of QUT’s Faculty Development Committee, he has influenced academic programs and IT education. His career blends intense business involvement with substantial contributions to community and education

John Puttick has made a distinguished contribution to the field of IT in Australia through pioneering many techniques for the successful development of large scale enterprise systems including rigorous project management. John Puttick established Star Systems, now GBST Holdings, which went on to become a leading provider of ICT solutions to stockbrokers and banks. In the process GBST Holdings helped establish world standard solutions which are used by both global and local companies, and has resulted in the company’s platform processing approximately half of all the transactions on the Australian Stock Exchange.As Adjunct Professor with the University of Queensland John Puttick has provided advice on course and product development helping to guide the University’s Faculty of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture to a premier position in computer science. Australian Computer Society | Hall of Fame | 2017 As Chair of the QUT’s Faculty Development Committee, John Puttick has helped its transition from a department to a school and now a faculty with a first class reputation for providing IT graduates. John Puttick has successfully combined a demanding business career with extensive community involvement and along the way made major contributions to Australian business by harnessing IT to produce realised benefits for enterprises.