Joe Taylor: On leading with purpose
It’s hard to imagine someone so young could be a veteran CEO. But that’s what Joe Taylor is. He has built an impressive career in a short time. Lead some of ANZ’s largest firms. And navigated complex transitions, acquisitions, separations and divestments.
He is a passionate people leader with a hands-on approach. And is now leading Smartways through a fast-growth transition. A role he says was fortuitous. And may not have happened if not for the "relationship I'd built with Allura over eight years”.
Smartways was looking for a specialist CEO in a very niche market, with a PE background.
“There are only so many people in Australia that fit the profile Smartways were looking for.”
Joe had spent three years in NZ during the pandemic with his young family and closed borders. He wanted to make sure the role was the right fit for him when returning to Australia.
“There’s a lot of nuance to CEO negotiations in private equity. Share agreements, equity, multiple shareholders, previous CEOs, board, psychometric testing. It's very intricate.”
Also, Joe was keen to understand the ins and outs of the role. Would he have the chance to scale this small, but fast-growing firm? What about the people? The board, the chairman and the PE firm? How supportive would they be? And would there be the opportunity to create something special?
“Allura spent a lot of time understanding the founder, the CEO, the PE firm and the business. They highlighted the positives that weren’t on paper. Around purpose, people, and the long-term future of the business. If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t be in this company today and I’m glad they did it.”
The purpose piece is something that’s important to Joe.
“CEO jobs are fun in themselves. But if you can connect to something bigger than the company, it’s even more exciting.”
Smartways is that ‘something bigger’. It uses market leading technology to supply critical medical devices to surgeons, in an hour, anywhere in Australia. So its “purpose is really powerful. It’s powerful for motivating staff, because you want to feel good about coming to work.”
And it’s how Smartways became Australia's largest medical device logistics provider. Now it’s Joe's role to lead Smartways through this next growth phase. To transition them from a business to a company. Scale their team and assets. And diversify into new markets.
His first port of call? Building out his exec team. The next few months will be hands-on, as Joe rallies to build the team he needs to deliver.
“When I recruit people, I recruit based on skills and values first, and experience second. I look for those who can bat up and bat down. This is imperative for PE because you have to move fast.”
Given his track record, there’s no doubt Joe will succeed in taking Smartways to the next level.
“It’s a privilege to lead a business with purpose. And fun to work with a group of smart, young people that are working hard to create something special.”