ANZ has announced the selection of ten small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for its seventh Business Growth Program. This initiative is a nine-month intensive course designed to help CEOs, managing directors, and executive team members lay the groundwork for their companies' long-term growth.
The program was developed by Professor Jana Matthews, ANZ Chair in Business Growth and Director of the Australian Centre for Business Growth at the University of South Australia. It targets ANZ business customers with fewer than 200 employees and more than $5 million in annual sales.
Isaac Rankin, ANZ Managing Director Commercial and Private Banking, emphasized the importance of supporting business growth: “Helping customers to start, run and sustainably grow their businesses is at the core of what we do. This program equips business leaders with the knowledge and frameworks they need to scale their businesses in a sustainable way. Many well-known Australian brands have been through this program over the past six years, watching each of them grow and succeed is a fantastic part of my job.”
The impact of the program has been significant. Eight companies from the first cohort have seen an aggregate revenue increase of 341% (FY20 data) and a profit increase of 157% (FY20 data). They have also created over 1100 new jobs. Additionally, 38% of participants are now exporting to 38 countries.
Dr. Jana Matthews highlighted the potential among selected companies: “We believe that each of the companies selected has high growth potential. Many of them are family businesses whose owners are eager to acquire the knowledge, skills and frameworks required to grow their companies, continue to innovate and expand nationally and globally."
She added that past participants highly recommend the program: “We are delighted that 98% of the past participants say they’d recommend this program to other CEOs/MDs and executive team members who want to learn what to do, when, why and in what order to grow their companies - and equally delighted to be helping ANZ achieve its mission of enabling individuals and communities to thrive.”
Each company’s CEO or managing director must nominate at least two other executive team members for participation in three growth modules over three days each. The curriculum focuses on essential knowledge for growth, supplemented by face-to-face mentoring from experienced Growth Experts.
The ten selected SMEs include R&R Smith/Willie Smith, Tasmanian Berries, TAXIBOX, Kennedy Property Services, TasFoods Limited, Jayben Australia P/L, OTM Civil Construction, Husk, Forager Foods, and Designs To You.