#019 Ft. Jim Whalley: South Australia’s Chief Entrepreneur, Former Co-Founder & CEO of Nova Systems (500+ Employees) on Celebrating Entrepreneurship

Our next guest is Jim Whalley, South Australia’s Chief Entrepreneur. Before entering the business world, Jim joined the Royal Australian Air Force straight out of school where he was a pilot for 27 years.

He then returned to complete his MBA at the University of Adelaide & in 2000 Co-Founded Nova Systems which he lead as CEO for 16-years, growing the business from 2 to 550 employees & landing on Top 20 fastest growing companies in SA, BRW Fast 100 & BRW “Best Places to Work.”

 Jim is currently Chair & Executive Director of Nova Systems as well as leading South Australia’s entrepreneurship model to support the South Australian Government’s new approach to economic growth.

I joined Jim at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide & can’t wait to unpack his leadership & entrepreneurship journey & hear about his plans for the future of entrepreneurship in South Australia.  

Resources

·      Read about Jim’s view on making entrepreneurs heroes:
https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2018/12/18/adelaide-business-heroes-and-villains-in-chief-entrepreneurs-spotlight/

https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news-analysis/former-fighter-pilot-south-australian-chief-entrepreneur-startup-founders-should-be-hailed-heroes/

·      Follow Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-whalley-bb2a9512/

·      Learn more about The Office of The Chief Entrepreneur:
https://chiefentrepreneur.sa.gov.au/

Quotes

·      “When you have a vision or a goal, it makes many of the decisions much easier.”

·      “My professor said…, ‘Think of something or fail.’”

·      “I’m into celebrating people having a go.”

·      “It’s just having an open mind, an enquiring mind & a logical mind that allows you to scan the environment & the landscape, see an opportunity & then look at how your capabilities match…”

·      “If you go too far from your level or expertise & confidence there is a high risk of it going wrong.”

·      “I think it’s great that athletes in Australia end up on the front page of the paper, but I’d also like those people that take a risk, that build businesses, that provide jobs, & do great things on a national & global scale that they’re celebrated as well & that they end up as role models for us.”

·      “We need to make entrepreneurs heroes & there is an obligation that goes with that & that is that entrepreneurs do good, not evil.”

 What’s next?

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Feel free to connect with Josh on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joshdfarr

Join us again soon!