Insights from the Rowlands Insider Lunch and Learn Event

The Rowlands Insider Lunch and Learn event provided professionals from various industries with the unique opportunity to share their experiences, insights, and ideas with one another.

Cameron Johnston, our Managing Director, led the way by sharing his insights from his study tour of Elbit Systems in Israel as part of the Hanwha Land 400 Phase 3 tender bid. His key takeaway was their openness to share information and intellectual property in order to build a capable supply chain that is underpinned by genuine working relationships. This created an immediate connection for Cameron, as he could visualise what it would be like to work with Elbit, which made him eager to jump into action immediately if they were successful with their bid.

Cameron mentioned that he did not witness any earth-shattering new processes during his visit. However, the experience of travelling and observing the operations of another organisation proved to be highly valuable. He brought back these insights to Rowlands, where they were of immediate benefit.

These Rowlands Lunch and Learn events were actually a direct result of Cameron's trip to Israel. He wanted to demonstrate the openness and collaboration he experienced, believing that doing so creates the opportunity for better and more collaborative working relationships.

The Lunch and Learn was an open conversation.

The luncheon proved this to be true. It provided an informal platform for attendees to open up and share their knowledge about each of their sectors under Chatham House rules. As we engaged in conversation and exchanged perspectives, participants discovered potential collaboration opportunities that could lead to mutually beneficial partnerships. This event showcased the importance of fostering connections across different fields, demonstrating how interdisciplinary collaboration can drive innovation and success in today's competitive business landscape.

Rowlands Lunch and Learn attendees

Here's what some of the participants had to say about their experience:

Emilio DeStefano - DeStefano and Co
There were some interesting debates and passion at this lunch, which is always good. If people want to have engaging discussions about what's happening in various sectors, particularly defence, but also in supply chain areas like advanced manufacturing, attending events like these luncheons would be worthwhile.

Tony Mackay - McMahons Services
I really enjoyed the luncheon today. I thought it was great to hear Cameron Johnston speak about his trip to Israel. It is good to see a local South Australian business like Rowlands being asked to participate in that kind of environment. The key message for me was that people need to understand that if they're going to work in the defence space, they must diversify and not put all their eggs in the defence basket because that's very risky. While defence can be a good area to work in, lacking other sources of revenue is a risk, especially with potential delays, qualifications needed, and recent cancellations or changes in programs.

Peter Richings - MacTaggart Scott
One of the critical aspects of business is networking. If you don't have a point of contact to talk to, how can you communicate with someone when you have a problem and lack an appropriate contact? Networking is incredibly important to me. Thus, people should attend these lunches because they can network with other companies they might not have necessarily connected with before.

Michelle De Palma - Defence Bank | AIDN
It was an excellent lunch today. Other people should definitely attend because I think it's an opportunity to connect with local networks within the SA market and gain a better understanding of the challenges that other businesses are currently facing.

Lee Hanson - Lecon
The food was great, and the interesting part about today was the presence of leaders from different industries, which provided various perspectives on markets that we typically wouldn't have exposure to. You should come along to one of these lunches to gain an understanding of what other industries are doing and to hear their insights. It was quite impressive.

Greg Lindner - WorkSafe Guardian

The lunch is a great opportunity to meet new people and network. People should come along because you have to expand your group, you have to meet new people, and you never know what you never know.

Dr Michael Riese - Cold Logic
The lunch was great. It was interesting to engage in discussions with people we all know and have spoken to but to reach a consensus and have an open conversation about the challenges that every company in the room is facing. I believe more people should attend because there's a genuine opportunity to learn. South Australia is a small community where everyone knows each other. Sooner or later, we have to collaborate with everyone. The more we understand each other, the better off we will be.

Matthew Majewski - BAE Systems
The lunch was terrific. There were some really good conversations about what's going on in the defence sector. It's beneficial to socialise with adjacent industries and companies to explore collaboration opportunities and work together. People should attend because it helps build a network that can collaborate together to achieve common goals.

Luke Scrivens - QMS
It was a good lunch. I think the cross-pollination of different sectors was beneficial, as people from not just the defence industry were present. Meeting people and gaining different perspectives on various industries made it more than just a standard defence event or networking event. It featured a diverse cross-section of people.

Chris Calvert - Rowlands
The food was great. There was a good sharing of information and great people to talk to. Come along to one of these lunches if you want some great networking.

Paul Sandercock - Seed Terminator
It was a great lunch, and I really enjoyed the chat. People should attend these lunches to hear about defence, agriculture, and other sectors.

Stephen Portelli - NCI
I thought the lunch provided great networking and interesting conversation. You should come along if you want a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Conclusion: 

The Rowlands Insider Lunch and Learn event underscores the importance of establishing connections and embracing interdisciplinary collaboration in today's competitive business landscape. It is evident that such gatherings can inspire professionals to learn from one another, ultimately contributing to the growth and development of individual businesses and the sector as a whole.

The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for professionals from various industries to come together, network, learn, and discuss potential collaboration opportunities. With insightful conversations and valuable connections made, attendees agreed that more people should consider attending events like these to expand their networks and gain insights into different sectors.

Attendees enjoying a great lunch

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