Synergy IQ 00:01

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Daniel Franco 00:20

Hi there synergizers and welcome back to another episode of The creating synergy podcast. My name is Daniel Franco and today we have the one and only a Bruce Djite on the show. Currently the CEO of committee for allied which is a committee who brings together businesses industry bodies, Community and Government to shape the most livable city in Australia and the third most livable city in the world, Adelaide. In an earlier life Bruce is a former soccer Roo, who has played football for clubs in several countries, including Turkey, China, South Korea and Indonesia. Business has always been a passion for Bruce and during his time playing he spent over four years on the executive and Governance Committee of the professional footballers Australia. He has also held other positions at PKF, Adelaide Fox Sports and most recently Adelaide United Football Club's director of football. He's a current board member of the South Australian multicultural Commission and the Australian Day Council of South Australia as well as being a member of the welcoming Australia sport Advisory Committee. You can also see his handsome face commentating on the a league on network 10 and Paramount plus, on top of all this, Bruce was also selected in in dailies top 40 under 40 member last year, a fantastic achievement. In this episode, Bruce and I touch on his new see role at the committee for Adelaide and the great work they're doing in shaping the future of Greater Adelaide. We started off the conversation, understanding his transition into his new CEO role and what it is that the actual committee for Adelaide actually does and the benefits of being a member. We then spent time talking about all things South Australia, leadership, politics and much more. Throughout the conversation, you can really hear the passion in Bruce's voice about how much he believes Adelaide in South Australia can really become a powerhouse state. We also deep dived into the release of the committee's new policies, which has only been released this mid week, mid Feb. 2022 for context. And these policies include the creation of a high growth fund for South Australia policy setting that support population retention and growth and promoting the state's competitive advantage. I know you're absolutely going to love this chat. And if you'd love to learn more about some of the other amazing leaders that we've had on the creating synergy podcast and be sure to jump onto our website as synergy IQ calm that are you or check us out at the creating synergy podcast on all the podcast outlets. Cheers. So welcome back to the creating synergy podcast. My name is Daniel Franco, your host and today we've got one of my favorite human beings. On the show, Mr. Bruce Djite. Welcome. Thanks for having me on. Then we start off by saying that a few of synergy IQ workers, people in our team will be disappointed they weren't in because you were coming into live and roo working from home still.

Bruce Djite 03:24

You're one of my favorite people as well Daniel, and now you got a fantastic team. So I look forward to seeing them in the future.

Daniel Franco 03:30

Yeah, I'm sure they're saying the same thing. Oh, you're working in the office? So quite a Fibonacci.

Bruce Djite 03:36

Yeah. I'm coming in every day. Yeah, no reason not to. So you know, I've been coming in every day and buying coffees and lunches out every day supporting local, supporting local, as much as as I can. Because as everyone knows, the city's been disproportionately affected by by the working from home. Not mandates, but you know, directions or suggestions or recommendations, whatever you want to call it. But now I'm coming into the office, we've only got a small team. So we don't really have issues of social distancing in the office or

Daniel Franco 04:13

Well, good. So we're currently chatting is the end of January. So but this podcast will probably be released sort of mid, mid mid Feb. So we're going to speak in present tense because there's some policies and stuff that we'll talk about further down for into the podcast. So just for context, we're setting that up. If anyone gets confused about the way we're speaking then, but I want to talk about so last time we spoke this is the second time you've been on returning guests. Thank you for coming back. Last time we spoke you were director of football at Adelaide, united, now CEO of community of Adelaide. Talk to us about that transition and what what sparked that move.

Bruce Djite 04:56

Yeah, it's been a good transition over relatively smooth transition and what sparked the move? Probably to do this, two sides to it. Love the football director role at Adelaide united, obviously football, soccer. And being in the sports industry, what I've done my whole life, feel very comfortable. They're great team, great CEO, great coach, great environment, no reason, really to leave. Other than that I felt a lot had been achieved in a short space of time. And in terms of career progression, even if you like, or think, staying there another five years or seven years or 10 years would have might have been counterproductive in terms of if you want to go into another industry, if you want to explore different opportunities, then people are very good at. And far too frequently just label people or pigeonhole people, you know, and then you know, they're so they know that. So there was always that risk of staying there for an extended period of time, and just being the sports admin person or the football guy, or however, others might might label one. But there was there was that element. And then there was the element of challenge as well love a challenge, do something new. prove to myself and others that, you know, it's more than just football. So that those two elements that that really drew me to the role. Like I said, I loved my time at Adelaide united to love the club. lucky enough to be contracted to network 10 as well. So at the moment, I'm still the guy. Yeah. Still very much in touch with it. But yeah, I think the ability to go out do something new challenge yourself, as well as not wanting to be pigeonholed gone, going forward with the two key drivers into you know what, it really was a sharp left turn. Yeah, it's very different to spoil. It's

Daniel Franco 07:07

it's a move into possibly a political it's a political move. I mean, I mean, it's political, political, it is we deal with policy. And so you are dealing in those realms now. Is that a you earmarking your future moves in there and putting you on the spot, and

Bruce Djite 07:27

not at all and comes back to the labeling, which is what I said, you know, when I left the club, everyone was like, Oh, we saw you're gonna run for politics. And I'm just like, we obviously got no idea who I am. Or what I'm thinking or what I want to do, you know, what I do after this could be something that I'm, I'm well aware of what I want to do, but the general public, you know, they like to look at someone and say, someone and, you know, I think they're very smart in predicting what that person may well do. But I think my future is very unpredictable, as many people are coming to terms with, with COVID. And that's maybe why people struggle so much to come to terms with COVID because they like a blueprint, and they like the bouncy ball. Well, they just like you know, sort of rigid type structures and as soon as that gets challenged, I don't know what to do because I've lived a sheltered life maybe or you know, their product of their environment or what have you, but I'm someone who's lived all over the world likes challenges like challenging myself. Think there's a myriad of things I could I could be doing. And there's a myriad of things I could do after this. I think it's simplistic to think that one the committee floodlights political and to that it's a step towards politics. I just don't see that as a case. But that's people don't have sometimes the bandwidth to delve into why things may be happening. And they not jump to conclusions, but they make judgment calls because it simplifies their their life a little bit.

Daniel Franco 09:10

I love it and noted we won't, we won't just the reality.

Bruce Djite 09:15

Now it's just reality, like awful. You'd never leave soccer, sport soccer. I don't want okay. I mean, nobody about me.

Daniel Franco 09:23

We poached for the job, or it was somehow

Bruce Djite 09:26

I went to the I went to a full full process. I was at a wedding and someone said to me that you know, those are all gone. I think you should apply for a locker. Just to go through the process. I'll appreciate the experience.

Daniel Franco 09:42

Yeah well, look, a CIO role is definitely a step forward in any career move if you've never been one before, so an opportunity was there and starting off with a smaller team, which is great. It gives you the opportunity to grow. What was it about community of Adelaide and what is coming that attracted you, and what is what is the purpose of community of LA? There are a lot of people who, who asked me what is it about? And like your interpretation?

Bruce Djite 09:43

Yeah, a lot of people asked me as well. So now the community has been around for about nine years now. Yeah, that's not mainstream certainly wasn't very well known. That's just a fact. But I do some good work. And, you know, my view is that the committee exists to inform and influence policy and to shape the future of Greater Adelaide. We're not CBD focused. Obviously, the CBD is the beating heart of the South Australian economy. And it's important that it's strong. And we're based in the CBD and all the rest. But, but you know, we concentrate on Greater Adelaide,

Daniel Franco 10:51

As in South Australia or Greater Adelaide Metro. Is that what you're referring to?

Bruce Djite 10:55

Yeah. Greater Adelaide Metro. Yeah. Which is in South Australia.

Daniel Franco 10:58

Yeah, but not regional South Australia.

Bruce Djite 11:00

We're not concentrating on regional South Australia. We might look to strategically partner with Regional Development Australia, yeah, SA on specific projects in the future. They're experts in that field. Like you said earlier, we've got a small team. So it's important, we concentrate on a few things and do them really well, as opposed to spreading ourselves too thin. But Adelaide in South Australia is a place. And, and I look at very objectively, as someone who's lived all over the world, it's got so much untapped potential. And it just frustrates me frustrates a lot of people, hence why so many people leave with who, but they're now starting to come back. But in the past 10s of 1000s of people have left this place. And I think it's because it has so much untapped potential, because it's so slow moving, they believe because like, nananana, I'm not going to wait a decade, for this simple thing to happen. I'm just going to go somewhere where it's already happening. So the committee for Adelaide, in my view, has a very important role to play in being a bit provocative standard, push the boundaries, and, you know, being that independent voice that comes up with good ideas, good policies, that will help South Australia fulfill its potential. And that will attract talent that will attract capital, and that will help retain talent and capital here, which are two of our key platforms. Right. So that's the committee for Adelaide where membership funded, so fully funded by our members. We have big Members, we're sector agnostic. So we've got big members, we got small members, we got charities, we got community groups as members as well. So sector agnostic, we're not just businesses are not just the advocacy group, you know, so there's a lot more to it. And we're unique in that sense. It's I think our greatest strength is the diversity of our membership. We're not just, you know, a business mouthpiece when not just a Property Group, mouthpiece, you know, where we, we represent, in my view, all of all of those sectors, and now membership isn't transactional in nature. So all our members are there because they want to see Adelaide in South Australia prosper better Adelaide in South Australia, whether that's motivations for their kids, their businesses, or whether it's more philanthropic sort of view, then then that's, that's, that's what I joined. And, you know, the really intent on US started to become a serious player and part of the discussions around, you know, what also future self strike look like? Where are the opportunities? How can we capitalize on them?

Daniel Franco 14:10

Yeah. So how did it how did the committee, the committee red lights for satellites start? And then further to that, how influential is the committee now, in the grand scheme of things?

Bruce Djite 14:24

Terms of influence, I think, I think can have a significant amount of influence. Obviously got to do the work, have strong relationships where where you need to I think we've I think we've certainly got that. And I think our membership base is very influential. Together, our members employ over 30,000 people in the state are some of the biggest organizations in the state we are the biggest organization in the state in Santos, if you like as as a member. So So, I think in terms of employee ones, you know, many will argue that they weren't overly influential in the past, and I'm intent on on seeing that changing, you know, and you said earlier, a lot of people ask me what the committee for Adelaide is. My a lot of people asked me when I got the gig too far fewer people are asking me that same question now. But there's still a lot of work to do. We're building it from, from the bottom up. And, you know, we've got to make sure that when we do go out with something when we are advocating for something, not everyone's going to be happy. But everyone's going to know where we stand. And I think that's very important. Started about nine years ago with Ian Smith. The I don't recall the name of the managing partner of EY, and PwC. James Blackburn, I think it was at the at the time might have been Kim Chida. That's how it started. Yeah. Matt Clemow, who was a former Labour adviser was in a part time GM role started to build it up in terms of the membership base revenues and what you like, and, and Jody van Deventer, who's now CEO, AI group, was the first CEO. So she was in the role for five years, I think it was did a fantastic job garnered from what was a very small membership base, to not a huge membership base, but a sustainable member base with very well renowned organizations. And I've taken the baton from her and really try to drive some growth and drive further further influence. And, you know, that's, that's some of the key outcomes that we're trying to achieve over the next, you know, short to medium term.

Daniel Franco 16:59

Brilliant. So if I'm looking to join in or looking to have a voice within South Australia, passionate South Australian passionate Adelaide person, and I want to join, what are the benefits of coming on board with committee vote for our line?

Bruce Djite 17:14

Good question. I think every member is a little bit different. I think it's easier when you're representing one sector or one industry. But because we represent such a diverse group of industries and organizations, we tend to tailor the offering for those members, for example, some members, a smaller charitable organizations, they just want to showcase who they are, they'd love to host an event have our members attend that event. So they can showcase their organization and why they exist and what they're doing. We've got other members that are much larger, who just want to see South Australia prosper and believe in the work that that that we're doing, we got a number of members who are keen to tap into each other. So that's the networking side of it, we've got a number of members that are policy focused, and that want to be part of our policy focus groups. That's another benefit that they see we've got also a number of members who want to showcase their thought leadership. So you got some big members that are that are that are working on some really cutting edge things for South Australia, and they want to be able to showcase that to other members to other industries, to get their message out there to showcase what what the organization's about and I think thought leadership is an important area and something that, you know, this state does not lack, but unfortunately slow to take up some times which which sees us as as as a state that's to be fair on the back of COVID done exceptionally well, but could still do so much better.

Daniel Franco 19:10

Yeah. You've to aggress slightly, you've had a little bit going on since we spoke last time as well go back to person personally, what's been happening for you, you were nominated and awarded with a top 40 under 40. Award. Congratulations on that. Thank you what what does that mean for you? And what is that done for you? If anything?

Bruce Djite 19:34

No coughing, it's a fantastic initiative. Manos was very proud to to receive that award and, you know, had a fantastic table on the night of mentors and others who have supported me throughout my professional corporate life, if you like some throughout my footballing career. I think it's Nice recognition, but it's not something that I think overly about if I'm brutally honest, I think, you know, once I renovate my house, I'll probably put the certificate up on the wall somewhere, it's nicely framed. With that, I think it's a good, it's a nice achievement. But you know, it's, it's a bit like sport, you know, you, the Young Player of the Year or, you know, player of the season or top goalscorer. At the end of the day, it's just maybe recognition that you're taking the steps in the right direction, in what is a very long journey. So very grateful for it. I think it's, like I said, it's a fantastic it's a fantastic initiative. That that is, you know, it's entirely that, that run that so. I think it's, I think it's good. It's not something that I aspire to, but it's, it's nice,

Daniel Franco 21:01

well, it's always nice to get rewarded for the hard work that you put in as you as you know, so want to quickly talk about your role as a see how have you found that as your first role, there's a lot of I know, there's a lot of listeners that listen in who are aspiring leaders and, and looking to grow their career and how's the the first 12 months been? Is it how long now? Seven months? Seven months? Yeah, in the role? How long has that been? Especially in a time where, you know, it's pretty impressive.

Bruce Djite 21:33

Yeah, it's been interesting times, that's for sure. Like it has been for everyone. I'm not one for titles, I think leadership is is is important. You know, try to lead by example. Or try to lead through actions. I'm well aware of the nuances that everyone's a little bit different and everyone needs to be led in in a little bit different ways. So I don't think you can be a rigid leader you need to be sort of fluid in how you speak to people and motivate people and the work that you do it's been good I think it's been good I think you know, we've got a couple of leaders in our team it's very similar to what you get in sport you know, it's not just the person who has the captain's armband is is the hierarchical you know Almighty laid out there's always a few lady co leaders Yeah, so anyone can sort of wear the armband I don't think being a CEO is very different to being a football director can be fertilized on a small organization are had far more direct reports at Adelaide united and far more scrutiny and Adelaide united and you know, the financials always important and, you know, membership organisations, which Football Club is as well as the Committee for Adelaide, finances can be scarce at times. So you've got to have effective and good budget management like all those sort of core attributes, just part and parcel and not anything you have to be a CEO to take on that responsibility. So yeah, I think it's it's been an interesting journey. It's, it's been a good ride, but I don't lead hierarchical teams, or like everyone having a say at the table. I'm not the guy who's got all the answers. I think two heads are better than one. I think three heads are better than two I think diverse views input backgrounds. Always lead to better decisions been made some very inclusive in my decision making Yeah, and always take responsibility for the decisions that are made but I always like to get the input of the time

Daniel Franco 24:01

you're you're very busy human being and I use that word. I know you're productive human beings as well. Right busy can be seen as a negative sometimes they your time and the way you manage your time is always something that I'm interested in. You're on all these boards you're you see of committee for Adalet you're working on Channel 10 for the football commentary for the a league not to mention all these public functions and networks and everything else you go to how do you how do you manage your time and your phone sitting on the on the table right now? It's pinging left, right and center. How do you manage?

Bruce Djite 24:41

I think it's look the first six months in the role was an exceptionally busy time. It's unsustainable and won't be repeated. I can tell you that right now. But it's it's I didn't have the luxury of time. I came in and realized very quickly that we had, we had to start doing. Yeah, you know, I had to be out there, I had to meet with a lot of people. And I had to do it in a in, in a short space of time, not outside of the team. That's our preseason. Yeah. Preseason is the hardest part of the year, you train twice a day in knackered all the time. But Batam, the season starts, you're fit, you're ready. Coming in as a new CEO for a member ship organization to meet all the members. Yeah, I didn't have a choice in that. That's clear. That automate prospective members didn't have a choice, not ADA. And Tom was of the essence. And I felt that the committee needed to change quite a few things. And they couldn't be staged, because Tom was of the essence. We didn't have the luxury of time. So yes, the first six months was crazy. And like I said, it won't be repeated. I'll be much more picky as to what I attend. Yeah. This year, certainly. And, you know, I just think, did it?

Daniel Franco 26:19

Did it have an effect on you personally, like you and your family like to drain? You know, to a point?

Bruce Djite 26:24

No, I'm a bit of a workaholic by nature. Yeah, I was sitting next quarters player earlier this morning. And I'll say my door, he was thinking of, you know, whether he keeps playing or not. And also, you don't have to stop right now. I was busy for the you know, what, a year and a half, at a football club during COVID. That was really busy.

Daniel Franco 26:52

Especially when no one knew what was going on. Yeah,

Bruce Djite 26:55

coming into the committee for Adelaide role, first six months, very busy, I can tell you doesn't scratch the surface of being a professional sports person. I really know why the scrutiny, the pressure, the responsibility, though 24/7 nature, the lifestyle, and one bad game and yet out. Like it's the best, and also to this player earlier. It is the best learning in terms of work ethic, and, you know, hard shape and all this sort of stuff on. I've never worked in a huge conglomerate. So you know, later. If you're the head of one of these huge businesses, or you're in a startup, you might get that same pressure. I don't know, I haven't walked in those shoes. But Sonny has been a professional sports person feels you work so hard. You're always you're everywhere. You're this [inaudible audio] Nothing

Daniel Franco 27:50

Compares compared. I'm interested in the when you say, you know, being professional sports person is the hardest job obviously builds a level of resilience, thicker skin all the above? How does that translate into the business world when there probably isn't as much scrutiny? Like you've just said, there isn't as much scrutiny the home button is not but has the potential to be more damaging? If like we're talking CEO roles and have a greater impact on the community. Is that something that you feel like you're you've been able to prepare for through sport? Or what even more damaging? Well, I look if you're a CEO in a large corporate, like the Santos or the bhp one decision can affect the environment, one decision can affect the community. Right. And so there is different levels of stresses as you climb the corporate ladder if that's the right way to put it all

Bruce Djite 28:49

I think I think you're right, I think those public organizations to have a level of scrutiny that a lot of others don't want, I want to public, your AGM to God shareholders, there's money at stake, and all the rest. So suddenly, stresses exist. But at the end of the day, you also need millions of dollars. So stand up, wake up, we end up take responsibility. So I think it's all commensurate to the size of the organization or the impact that organization may have on a community or a sector of the economy, etc. But yeah, I think I think sport is a fantastic grounding, I think, okay, you can be a professional sports person. And, you know, the average career span, I think I'm an only player might be two or three years. Yeah. That's also a different experience. If you're there for 1015 or 20 years. Yeah, you're going to, you're going to build a more resilience, get more experience, have an even broader skill set. So, look, I think I think that was a good learning. But yeah, it's just part and parcel of the role now.

Daniel Franco 30:11

The committee's got some policies coming out. Yeah, soon. So, as I mentioned earlier, this podcast will be released in a couple of weeks time from today's date. So we're at the end of January. So mid February, we're looking to release these podcasts, your policies will be out by that time, there's an election coming up, there's everything happening. People are slowly transitioning back into the city, into the Adelaide CBD looks like the case numbers are going down. There's this big, this big push now to start trying to regenerate the city and you and your committee looking to implement some really fantastic policies from what we've had a discussion so far. Can you elaborate on those first?

Bruce Djite 30:58

Yeah. So one of our one of our key ones is around, you know, capital attraction and unlocking the capital that is here in South Australia to deploy it here in South Australia. So

Daniel Franco 31:14

yeah, talk about capital, you're talking about? What assets buildings, money, money, just pure money. Okay. So how do we get more investment? Well, Australia? Well,

 

Bruce Djite 31:25

our view is that talent follows capital. Yeah. So population growth and, and talent retention is one of our key pillars. Right. And it's great we, you know, we can talk about most livable city in Australia, third most livable city in the world. Yeah, I would argue with the most livable city in the world. fantastic place to live. I could live anywhere in the world. I chose to live here for a reason. Yeah, it is that good. Unfortunately, a lot of people take for granted, etc. But seriously, honestly, it is that good and gone through COVID. If Adelaide hasn't Sean among amongst all the other cities in the world, I think you'd be lying to say you do that. So yes, it is that good. And that's great. But our view is, if you want the high flyers, the ambitious, you know, the Uber smart, well educated, highly skilled people to be attracted here. Yeah. Well, they're gonna need jobs. And they're coming. Or don't think the, there's no good jobs, no story has any credibility anymore. There are some fantastic jobs here. And there's more and more fantastic. Well, I have the ability to work from home. And you know, a lot of opportunities in that sense, when you add, we believe that there is a gap in terms of funding startups in that venture cap space. And in order for us to do that we think capital needs to be unlocked within our state. Before we can, with any real legitimacy, start to get significant amount of capital drawn to our state. Yeah. You know, if we're not backing ourselves, how can we ask others to deploy their capital?

 

Daniel Franco 33:31

What is capital look like? Those are a number two, that I What's the number that that unlocks the potential that is South Australia?

 

Bruce Djite 33:41

My view would be that we need hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, and that money city, you know, the model in which the model that's created in order to deploy that capital is still a piece of work that is being done not not by us, but but others who I've spoken to a few times, just to pick their brains on on, you know, this unlocking capital for se, but it's, it's it's not about having a massive pool of money just to flitter away, it's about credit and ecosystem. Brian, if you want to be an investment banker, you can't do it here. There is no investment banks here. There's a lack of deal flow here. There's not a great deal of m&a here. We're talking about starting to create an ecosystem where those things start to exist. There's some fund managers here, if some funds management announcement, but it's close the front page of the paper. That shouldn't be the case. That should be the norm.

 

Daniel Franco 34:50

So kami is ignorant in this conversation. How do we get more capital? Yeah, like what is the I mean, there are no there's no one way right but what what does it? Okay, let's let's paint that's a really horrible question. Let's paint it a different way. What does a Adelaide City or CBD or South Australia look like with their flourishing?

 

Bruce Djite 35:18

I think he's a much bigger lot 14 a much bigger Tansley much bigger Molson lakes a lot more startups, a lot more knowledge economy. You start to see mergers and acquisitions of startups. You might unlock a unicorn, you might unlock a number of organizations worth hundreds of millions of dollars creating 1000s and 1000s of jobs. You're seeing it on the Eastern Seaboard. You see a few here. Yeah, luminary. Yeah. Fantastic startup. Fleets base, fantastic startup Mariota. Fantastic startup. They, and they a lot of others sweat was sweat got sold. You know, you it's very difficult to create that value and that capital in such a short space of time, outside of technology. And if we are going to go down that path, which I think is fantastic. What space agency here, we've got a lot of things happening on North terrorists, like I said earlier, down down at Tonsley. There's massive opportunity, the defense sectors here. And people think defense war, it's not about that. It's about the technology that comes out of out of those organizations. So, you know, I think the startup space is exciting here. But it could be so much more. And in order for it to grow. You need money. San Francisco didn't come San Francisco just magically Yeah, they invested a lot. Israel didn't come in Israel, just like that, you know, Estonia, some Houston. These are places where they didn't just pivot, or look at what's next. What's on the horizon? Where can we be different technologies, the space we want to be in startups is what we want to do, etc. They did that. Then they poured money into it. Yeah, real money. Yeah, I'm not talking 1020 30 million. It's I mean, you should have scaling up organizations raising 50 101 50 million regularly. And I think South Australia's got the potential to do that, I think the talents here, but the risk, we run these organizations, startups do get to that scaling up side. And I'll tell you, if all their money is coming from overseas or the eastern seaboard. What do you think their head offices are? Yeah. And that's the risk rerun. So, you know, unlocking capital, whether it's, you know, through super funds public private partnership. Like I said, there's, there's, there's a type of that's that's pretty prescriptive on this stuff. That's, that's still under wraps. But there's this, it's been done before. This is not new. Yeah. We just, we just really need to get this train gone.

 

Daniel Franco 38:26

Why? Why is it that I got sorry, I know why it is. But how do we move away from being the small cousin to Melbourne and Sydney, which is really what we are at the moment you talk about?

 

Bruce Djite 38:42

I don't think I don't think I don't think we should strive to be like Sydney or Melbourne. I think that's a mistake. And we'd be more innovative in our approach to do our own thing. Yeah, we can cover a niche. San Fran is not trying to be New York or LA. That's true. San Francisco, San Francisco and the proud about what San Francisco is, I think, you know, Adelaide is not trying to be Sydney or Melbourne. The committee for Adelaide isn't trying to make Adelaide, Sydney or Melbourne. But there's some hard truths that are just fact. And that is if you don't deploy more capital here. You can't expect capital from elsewhere to flow here. If you don't start increasing the population, then you will fall further and further behind. We're not saying that we need to grow to a city of 5 million. Yeah, because want to be like Sydney or Melbourne. But what we're saying is it would be very detrimental to the economy. If we didn't deploy more capital here that already exists. If we didn't increase our population, above average of what the Australian population growth is because at the end of the day, you do not want to become a backwater. You need to at least keep moving forward, because as soon as you start standing still you're going backwards. Because there's a lot of capital going in Sydney, there's a lot of capital going into Melbourne. And it's a competitive landscape. There's competition. There is a war for talent. At the moment skill shortages abound. I mean, it's all well and good to have jobs here. But if you get bring big organizations setting up shop here, and then they can't find the people, that's a net negative that that'll do more damage than good.

 

Daniel Franco 40:39

Yeah, right. We set up to have that influx of people in Telstra?

 

Bruce Djite 40:44

I think so. And I don't think that needs to be an influx, I think measured population growth is in the interest of all South Australians.

 

Daniel Franco 40:53

So where are we now? We're about one point 2,000,003, maybe

 

Bruce Djite 40:57

greater Metro Atlanta and 1.7, South Australia.

 

Daniel Franco 41:01

So I know one of your next policies is is talent, attraction and retention. Is that is that part of that? Is in saying the population growth? And what is your plan? Or what is your thoughts around what the population should grow? And 510? Look,

 

Bruce Djite 41:15

I think by 2030, we need to be at least 2 million people, 2 million. So I think, by 2030,

 

Daniel Franco 41:21

in a year's time? Well,

 

Bruce Djite 41:23

I think the state needs to have 2 million people. We're about 1.7 At the moment, I saw so you know, but we've had a net outflow of people that has since turned around the last few years, which is which is great. As borders have opened, as the world normalizes and people stop caring about COVID. We want to say all those people who've come back stay, or the ability to attract even more people to come here, whether they're coming back or whether that's the first

 

Daniel Franco 42:00

time isn't it, the world opens up and then everyone was like, Yeah, I can get out again. That's the risk. Why would they stay right now? What would What do you think would make people stay? Like?

 

Bruce Djite 42:13

I think it depends who you're trying to attract. Okay. So if you're trying to attack the family with three kids, they've done their dash in London, Singapore, and Sydney, and I want to come back and be close to the family and put their kids in school and settle down. And

 

Daniel Franco 42:32

yeah, brilliant.

 

Bruce Djite 42:35

I think the greatest challenge this state has is keeping those 18 to mid 30s. Right, those those people that live awesome, and are on the last person to say, chain people to Adelaide, yeah, I've lived all over the world. And I think there's great value in going and living where you get the interstate or international

 

Daniel Franco 42:58

just come back once you have those experiences. But I think the problem is, is how do we attract other countries and cities to come to Adelaide so they can get the experience here? Right? That's, that's the big challenge.

 

Bruce Djite 43:11

That is a challenge. And I think I think reigniting our international education sector is a is a massive potential solution for that second, biggest export for the for the state pre COVID. absolutely decimated over the last couple of years. So the return seeing the return of international students who create jobs, spend a lot of money in the South Australian economy, etc. I think that's critically important. But I also think that, you know, there's, there's things that that could be done, whether it's quick raises, whether we're incentivizing those that that that come here to stay for five years or and, and beyond. Because the last thing you want is people to move here. Do their time be like, okay, net, we've we've passed the threshold for South Australia now we can go anywhere we want. Where do you want to go? Yeah, what do you want people to come and you want people to stay as well. So I think the economy's all things considered, you know, obviously COVID is always the Asterix in all this discussion. I think the economy is doing really well, comparatively, are aren't comparative to other states in the rest of the world. South Australia has again and consistently does this in you know, in all different fields but that, you know, we're punching above our

 

Daniel Franco 44:47

Yeah. Is that a I'm gonna ask a political question here is that the the current government at the moment it has been taken through the wringer with the way they've handled it, you know, but But in saying all that, you know, and I'm not sitting on either side of this party here, I'm absolutely smack bang in the center. The it seems to me that we're, you know, when you look at the the way we've, as in ways in South Australia have handled it compared to the rest of the world, with fewer fatalities, fewer deaths, fewer time off work and the economy's still moving forward. People coming back, it seems to me that things are okay. In comparison, like you said, but the current government has been dealt a pretty hard stick in the moment they come in some flack, what is your what is your opinion?

 

Bruce Djite 45:42

I think every government in the world, you damned if you do and you then defend and in the states have been copying Flack. I mean, you're making impossible decisions every day. Yeah. I remember I remember. I remember doing, you know, ethics and stuff at uni. It's called dilemmas while they're doing ethical dilemmas every second of every day. Yeah. Right. So

 

Daniel Franco 46:07

because no matter what, no matter what lever you pull, doesn't mean it's going to affect

 

Bruce Djite 46:13

doesn't matter. But I did a poll on my on I think it was on my Twitter a couple of weeks ago now, with a mid January, you know, what, what jurisdiction considering everyone's getting smashed with Omicron? What, what that was diction by one would you was a WA. Yeah, they still got Omicron there. And they bought us a shot. Well, they do. And Correct. My poll was, you know, if you had a choice of these four states, where would you rather be? SA, WA New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia came out on top? Yeah, so yeah. Where else would you rather be? Where else would you better off? A lot of people say, WA keep the border shot? Yeah. But before Christmas, everyone's like, open the borders.

 

Daniel Franco 47:00

I think, I think, Well, I think the cats out of the bag with WA everyone realizes that the health system is so in tatters over there that that's the reason why they're not opening up is they just won't be able to handle the the influx of cases. So in saying that, do you think they've done a good job?

 

Bruce Djite 47:21

Of course, I think I've done a fantastic job. I have a different perspective, maybe two, South Australian whose whole family lives in South Australia who has their whole life in South Australia. I don't know. But I've got family all over the world. And I can tell you, they've had a much tougher time in those other areas than then we have had here. We've been very fortunate to be here. And of course, people want to go through life without hardship. People want to go through life without having to deal with deaths. People want to go through life without having restrictions. Yeah. But at the end of the day, that wouldn't be life. That would be The Truman Show.

 

Daniel Franco 48:05

I think it's ignorant, to expect everything to be all rosy in the middle of a pandemic. Anyone that has that opinion.

 

Bruce Djite 48:13

I think it's interesting where you are. I was in I was in Sydney on Boxing Day. A little bit off to New Year's. No one cares about COVID there. Yeah. Yeah, that's a bit of an overstatement. Of course, there are pockets of people who care about COVID there, but they've been through the wringer. They've had enough

 

Daniel Franco 48:31

we we ran, we run some workshops for as part of synergy IQ, the consulting business, we run workshops for C suite people and culture, directors of people and culture all around the show all different industries, we run these programs. And at one of those programs, we actually had Katrina Webb, who's been one of our, you know, Katrina very well. She's been one of our podcasts. She's been on our podcast. So check her out if you want to have a listen to a great human being. But she went over to, to Tokyo for the Olympics. Yep. And I remember because we were talking and as part of that, that that group that we we catch up with quite regularly is we were discussing one of the things that we need to be concerned about and as a as people and cultural leaders within the business of HR that that world. And there was a lot of talk about COVID There was a lot about talk about this was sort of three or four months ago was the last catch up. So a lot of talk about returning back to work. What does that look like? What does it look like moving forward, so it was pre omicron. But one thing that I remember the Katrina said which really stuck in my head was the most the best thing she does and our paraphrasing this, but she said the best thing for her soul was that when she was over in Tokyo, and they were getting 5 -10000 cases a day was that everything was normal. Everything still carried on. Everything was still moving forward. Everyone was still going about their day as if. And she said, that was the best thing for her to realize. And then you only come back to Australia a few months later, Omicron's running rampid and Australia's freaking out, but you kind of look at the rest of the world. And I'm hearing comments from people who've been around the world or connect with people around the world. They're saying, Yeah, we went through that, like we've been through what you're going through now. So it was always going to come. Right. And I think, when you talk about has the government currently done, it's done the job well, what have they done battle, I think well mean, what's the alternative? That's kind of what always I can tell what the alternative is, the alternative is to shut the border and become a hermit kingdom. Yeah. And, and you're delaying the inevitable. And so when we, when we talk about trying to attract people to the to the state, and we're gonna work, it's not gonna work? Well, especially for the young look outside, you know, the young up and coming crew, like you may might be belong to or whatever people are looking ambitiously at their careers and what it looks like, we want to see a flourishing state, we want to see something that's moving forward.

 

Bruce Djite 51:11

And that's right, there's no, there's no perfect answers. And, yeah, you know, you speak to people and they say, why is the COVID death more important than a death from anything else? While they're getting all the publicity? You know, and then you speak to other people that are, you know, like, can't say they're elderly, parents in aged care, because, you know, that's been locked down and whatever. And like I said, there's impossible decisions being made every day. But that's what leadership is, it's, it's not always about being liked, and making everyone happy. It's, it's about taking the lead and making the tough decisions. And if you look at it holistically, we have done exceptionally well here, that's a fact. The other option is to shut the border, and don't let anyone in or out. And that's unsustainable, and you're just delaying the inevitable. So just face it front on and move along. I mean,

 

Daniel Franco 52:14

well, I think so just [inaudible audio], you know, he's probably one of the most looked up to leaders in you know, of a country in the world at the moment. I think right now she's going through a bit of a tough time, given everything that with a lockdown and whatnot. But from my understanding, she's looked at South Australia and said, I, if there's any model that I'm going to look at, it's the South Australian model and the way they've gone about it. We'll need say no more. Yeah, exactly. So I want to ask, there's a there's an old movie that used to say, it was a Kevin Costner building field movie called Field of Dreams, you may recall a bit where they say if you build it, they will come right. It's a famous saying, I probably got it wrong in some way, shape, or form. I know it's not exact. But is that what we can do here in South Australia, if we, if we invest i mean I, okay, so it's a catch 22. If you're not going to invest, if there's not, if

 

Bruce Djite 53:11

I don't think it's a catch 22 at all, I think it's very clear, you put the money in, you get some skin in the game, and you will be rewarded. I mean, I remember when I first came here in 2006, the amount of people and I was a teenager back then that the amount of people that I met that go to Melbourne for the weekend, or that or go to Melbourne for the concert, or that or go to Melbourne just because to say that I went to Melbourne, or that to go to Sydney for, you know, an act that was on or whatever, because we didn't have the requisite infrastructure here. And people fly over Adelaide to go to Perth, and then go on to a second act in Sydney, because South Australia didn't deserve to happen to come here. Yeah, it's clear. I got an Amex. I got an Amex offer Justin Bieber coming in a couple months or something? Not come to LA No. Why would you it is not commercially viable. So again, I'll give you a perfect example. Women's World Cup.

 

Daniel Franco 54:10

How's it not when you're going to get he's potentially still going to get 50 to 100,000 people how is it not commercially viable.

 

Bruce Djite 54:15

long. futon sales people were

 

Daniel Franco 54:18

at Atlanta when you want to say and

 

Bruce Djite 54:22

what if it rains?

 

Daniel Franco 54:23

Yeah, well, then we're in trouble. So, so the

 

Bruce Djite 54:26

so if you look at of course, it's not that so you look at the look at Women's World Cup. Yeah. Okay. There is no way that we get a Women's World Cup game here. Unless the government put that $50 million into Cooper stadium. Why? Because Cooper stadium is not the safest standard. In its current form. When's the 2023 2023 so it needed that investment else know what would have happened. Women talk cup guess what the game's up. Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane. And it's not because FIFA is Eastern Seaboard bias, which is what I hear a lot of South Australians have said for years and years. Yeah, you know, they don't come here because they all interested on the Eastern Seaboard, you know, sight nanananana. You haven't done the record, you know, how much money is New South Wales spent on the infrastructure? How much money has Queensland spent on? How much money has victoria spent on infrastructure? They deserve to have those events? Yeah, and again, that's similar to what I've been saying throughout the same of this discussion. You got to back yourselves. If we don't back ourselves. While should anyone else come and back us?

 

Daniel Franco 55:41

I think when people start seeing money moving around and infrastructure getting built, and

 

Bruce Djite 55:46

then they say things are happening. Go check it out.

 

Daniel Franco 55:49

Let's see. Yeah, well, yeah, the east.

 

Bruce Djite 55:51

And to be honest, to be brutally honest, I think since when I first campaign until now, it has improved out of sight. But there's still so much more we can do. And that makes it really exciting to live here. There's this there's still a lot of potential to be unlocked.

 

Daniel Franco 56:06

One of you I mean, you took and you alluded to before was the international students. There was a policy that you were thinking about with

 

Bruce Djite 56:15

no, I think, you know, for us, it's about all the universities are members of ours UTSA, Adelaide, uni, Flinders, Torrens, uni, Carnegie Mellon. So, you know, international students, like I said earlier, second biggest export pre COVID. It's important that we bring them back.

 

Daniel Franco 56:36

It's the foreigners are opening their eyes, their reason why they're not coming. They are starting to come back.

 

Bruce Djite 56:42

So I went to Carnegie Mellon had a welcome to Australia event. Earlier this week, I got asked to speak alongside my grand former Premier of South Australia. One of the key reasons, if not the key reason, Carnegie Mellon is here in Victoria Square. And, you know, the head of Carnegie Mellon, here Emil Bolongaita was just so excited to have international students back and be able to welcome them back in, in a yes, there's still a few door knot online, but they're starting to see them come back. And that's important, I think, what's what's important for Adelaide is that that sector thrives again, because if we start losing international students, which the country as a whole has done to Canada, the US and the UK, which opened up a lot earlier than than we did. You know, that's a big part of the economy that that we need to call back. That's a South Australia and Australia wide thing, but with more South Australian lens on, we want to, you know, I get a disproportionate amount of international students coming here, you know, if we're, you know, 7% of the Australian population, well, we should bring 15% of international students here, we should always aim to go above and beyond. You know, what the state's not capable of doing but we should always aim high. Yeah, just because there's 7% of the population doesn't mean we should attract 7% of migration, and 7% of GDP growth and 7% of international students, we should look to have a disproportionate impact to our size, because that's why to comparatively improve our economy against the other states.

 

Daniel Franco 58:46

Absolutely. And how are we I put your marketing hat on how do we how do we promote South Australia and compete? I mean, what is our competitive advantage,

 

Bruce Djite 58:59

low costing the competitive advantages? Many in South Australia? Yes, we have. As we've touched on earlier in the talk, quite a few things that we still need to be addressed and improved. But the advantage of the connectivity of the state, we got really run a program called Adelaide connected. It's about connecting expats who have moved to South Australia for the first time. It's about connecting those who, which is the typical story we hear, grew up here, finished uni left have been gone for a decade or more, and have have now come back. Adelaide is a very networked place. And as someone who and I had this same experience myself, although my experience, to be honest, was a bit simpler because you get plugged into a football team and you've got 24 mate straightaway. But as someone who's coming to Adelaide doesn't have that network. It is very hard to break in. If you're well educated, you know, highly skilled, it can be very hard to climb the ladder because this place is still very, What school did you go to? Who's made with her? Who knows what, etc, etc. That's just a fact. And that's why we run this program. And it's been fantastic connecting like minded people, and the competitive advantages they see here is the lifestyle. Yeah. Okay. So so that that should not be discounted, it is still an important factor. You know, the ability once they make connections, once they know where to go once they have the friendship group, good education options for children. Good education options for adolescents or young adults. In terms of university. Fantastic food. Yeah, all this sort of stuff is is good. But you know what, again, competitive landscape? Yeah, New South Wales will argue they got the same. Yeah, that's true. Right? So it's about differentiating ourselves to a degree to say, well, actually, we actually do this. The best here. It's about having that real clear identity. Like, we're not everything to everyone. But you know, on these three or four sectors, this is where we, you if you want to excel in those sectors, you need to be in South Australian. Yeah. And that's what needs to be drilled defense is shaping up. Well, definitely. That's got to be one of them defense in space. Yeah. You got to you start unlocking some real capital,

 

Daniel Franco 1:01:49

this startup world as well, if we can get locked for

 

Bruce Djite 1:01:53

you start unlocking some real capital into those spaces, into those ideas into those startups. We've got fantastic unis. If we can, you know, deploy some capital there for them to commercialize some of their research and ideas, then all of a sudden, you're starting to really build a bit of an ecosystem where people will move from Sydney or Melbourne, if they're in those industries, because they're like, I can't do this as big in Sydney as I can do it in Adelaide. And that's what we really got

 

Daniel Franco 1:02:23

to look at companies like sweat that's that was built out here that I don't know if you saw recently in the fin review. Happy CO which was another company they've just raised 72 million. Jindou is coming on the podcast in a couple of weeks. I

 

Bruce Djite 1:02:38

wonder how much of that 72 came out of South Australia?

 

Daniel Franco 1:02:41

Well, I'm not 100% Sure, either, because they have an office over in the US. And it's predominantly where a lot of their work done, but half of the workforce is here. So I think that's a important statistic nonetheless. Can you round off the can you round off the policies for us that because I think we've touched on all of them. Have we?

 

Bruce Djite 1:03:02

Yeah, Cap cap capital, capital and talent attraction. That's the cornerstone capitals. We think our view is that talent follows capital but want to move to New York for reason. Not livability? Yeah, I live in New York. And they didn't go there because I thought, Oh, it's so great. You know, I can just draw five minutes and I'm home. Yeah, they went there because in their industries that they're in. That's the global epicenter. And that's why I went there to excel in those industries. You know, people don't go to London for livability, either. The livability is fantastic, but it's a nice to have. It is not core. Yeah. For Living.

 

Daniel Franco 1:03:52

So are you are you suggesting that the third most livable city, it's a great selling point,

 

Bruce Djite 1:03:59

it is a great selling game? It's the demographic trend. I

 

Daniel Franco 1:04:01

think you're right, if you actually think about it in different context is like, Yeah, well, if I haven't had a family then I think about moving there. That's the demographic we're really appealing to. Well,

 

Bruce Djite 1:04:12

when you sell on that message, my view is you know, even me, my age in my mid 30s I don't care if I have to work till 10pm As long as I can go and get a nice meal and there's people around and the you know, there's lights and inaction and fiber and lack vibrancy. No one can argue about eligibility fantastically if he like I said I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world. But we lacked vibrancy and to be great.

 

Daniel Franco 1:04:40

Gabriela and you're gonna get nervous me asking this question but every other podcast managers from Brazil decided to move to Adelaide. Why did you decide Gabs? YG quality of life so the livability thing works for some it does.

 

Bruce Djite 1:04:56

We're just saying. We've got to look at it Korean we've got fire Yeah.

 

Daniel Franco 1:05:01

But we got the livability? Yeah. Yeah, we do. Now how do we get the next piece?

 

Bruce Djite 1:05:08

Yeah, that capital, you create that ecosystem that's gonna attract more people. That's that's the cornerstone for our so capital attraction, tangible attraction, talent, attraction, retention and retention, because we don't want people come here and go, now this is no good. Well, we just don't want people who have, you know, go through school, but

 

Daniel Franco 1:05:28

the expectation that people are gonna stay here for the rest of their life when there's so much to exploring. That's right.

 

Bruce Djite 1:05:32

And I'm not saying that we need to train people. That's what I said earlier. The last person to consider that Yeah, I think people should still leave. Yeah, right. But they should leave. Because not not for a lack of opportunities here exist here.

 

Daniel Franco 1:05:49

Yeah, we need to be on that list where people want to go,

 

Bruce Djite 1:05:51

and we can't attract everyone. Correct. You know, there might be some industries where it's like, you know, stress on the place, you're better off elsewhere. And that's okay. We can't be all things to all people. But we think if you have more capital than in a certain industry sectors and the economic diversity, economic makeup of our state, would be vastly improved.

 

Daniel Franco 1:06:19

So capital, attraction, talent and retention. Anything else?

 

Bruce Djite 1:06:24

Bring back international students bring back? Well, it's more than just bringing back international students. It's about making international education. Another big economic input for for our state as it was pre COVID,

 

Daniel Franco 1:06:39

you and I talked about incentivizing international students? Is that something that you think

 

Bruce Djite 1:06:44

I think there's incentives that we could give international students, but I'd let the unions elaborate on that

 

Daniel Franco 1:06:51

a bit. Not a problem. And then the last one,

 

Bruce Djite 1:06:55

promote the competitive advantages of our state with a with, you know, a clear message as to why South Australia and I think the committee fradley can play a significant part in that. When you look at Deloitte, looking at hiring 500 People here in Adelaide PwC, with their skilled services hub, Accenture, building out 2000. Staff here now, like, look, I'm

 

Daniel Franco 1:07:22

gonna play devil's advocate here in the devil's that we, I know, a lot of small business in South Australia, that are concerned. And I talk primarily of consulting firms. So that's the world I play in, that are concerned about those big companies coming up, because they're stealing all the talent. They're not, in fact, hiring 500 people, they're acquiring 500 People from other. And so massive skill shortage. That's one of the this is the thing. So we're robbing Peter to pay Paul, we're actually not attracting more talent. And that

 

Bruce Djite 1:07:57

will cause inflation in that which we have seen, and our members are pinching off each other as well. So

 

Daniel Franco 1:08:04

we've had in we've had people that come to me telling me that their staff are getting 50 to 70. grand more by any anything, how can a small business ever compete with there's so many more people? Yeah, the big businesses coming is great, right? It attracts, it attracts people used

 

Bruce Djite 1:08:22

to complain that the jobs weren't here. Yeah. And now you tell me business people are complaining that there's too many jobs here.

 

Daniel Franco 1:08:32

What the problem is, is that you spend your money investing in these people growing up and all of a sudden the big business come and take him and that that can be disheartening, because what happens to the small businesses, you just become this

 

Bruce Djite 1:08:44

churn factory sharing factory. Yeah. And, you know, it's, I shouldn't complain about bigger businesses coming here, my view would be that they should advocate stronger for having more people here. Highly skilled, well educated, or from interstate or from overseas, or if we didn't have 10s of 1000s of people leave in the last decade in that younger cohort. There'd be people hear, happy willing

 

Daniel Franco 1:09:15

to work those jobs, things don't complain about the BBC. I'm not saying it's, you know, we

 

Bruce Djite 1:09:19

I don't I don't know if they're complaining or not because they're speaking to you and not me. But my view would be to, to embrace the challenge and join the committee for Adelaide have a voice and see what policies can be pulled absolutely in order to fix those issues? Well,

 

Daniel Franco 1:09:35

I think it's the I think, if anything, the complaints are not coming from the big businesses coming here. It's the complaints that there's all this promotion, around 500 jobs. 2000 jobs, when really, they say new jobs, they're not well,

 

Bruce Djite 1:09:55

essential wasn't here.

 

Daniel Franco 1:09:56

But new jobs, but they're re utilized. Some people who have already been here, this is not a new, they've just taken from one job and put them somewhere else.

 

Bruce Djite 1:10:06

There's never been more job vacancies in South Australia ever,

 

Daniel Franco 1:10:10

I think right for them now, well, given the state that we're in in the workforce shortages,

 

Bruce Djite 1:10:14

but there's also never been more people employed in South Australia ever than there is right now.

 

Daniel Franco 1:10:19

Again, given the lack of international people that are coming over, these are all there's always there's a skill shortage. Yeah, there's a skill

 

Bruce Djite 1:10:24

shortage. Massive. Yeah. From restaurants. Well, yeah, Accenture's and BHP? Well, there's a massive skill shortage that needs to be addressed. And it's not a South Australian issue. It's not just a national issue. It's an international issue. It's a vote issue. Yeah. Everyone's crying out for people.

 

Daniel Franco 1:10:43

So when we talk about the 3% it as from unemployment, right, that's it's not 3.9? It's great. Absolutely. But the reason why is because there's not enough people. So but it does that now make us look at Oh, hang on, isn't there some opportunity to upskill.

 

Bruce Djite 1:11:00

But I think you're looking at it from the wrong point of view, like people create jobs. The more people you have, the more the more jobs you're going to create. Which means that one person can employ 200 people. Yeah, well, that's true. I think there's a there's a misconception that it's, it's, it's, it's a zero sum game. But it's not. It's not that there's a finite amount of jobs. And if more people come, then there'll be even less jobs. There's a finite amount. More people come, there will be even more jobs. I'll

 

Daniel Franco 1:11:39

use Adelaide Oval as an example and lay over rely on the international students to come in and help whether it's in the in the cafeteria in the kitchen, or around the grounds. Oh, yeah, they rely heavily on and Adam vont off, who's the CEO at Red Light has been on and he talked about that on it. So I'm not making anything up there. They rely on the international students. So but they still need people, right? So the, the international students or people will know, but they're not, they're not available because of the non current rules. So therefore, they take from the probably more expensive pool of people and utilize them which drops unemployment rates. Those are not, it's not how it

 

Bruce Djite 1:12:22

works. I just this is a real South Australian thing, like, like, if New South Wales had a bumper, unemployment rate, that just was the best in their history. Everyone in Sydney would be talking about how well things are going and how low the unemployment rate is here in South Australia, so it's a real South Australian thing like real, patriotic and parochial and at the same time, cannot wait to beat themselves up. So we just printed 3 billion yen. It's because we got full employment and we've only got full employment because of this. Or the unemployment rates 10%. Yeah, we've always got the worst unemployment. Like,

 

Daniel Franco 1:13:10

you can't win.

 

Bruce Djite 1:13:11

Come on, man. This is factoring in this fact. The fact is the unemployment at 3%. Those measures have been consistent for a long time. There's not some anomaly that came into those numbers. The fact is the unemployment rate went on percent. And we should celebrate that. And if there's challenges, which there are in terms of skill shortages, and filling roles, etc, then let's address that issue. Yeah. Don't talk down the low unemployment rate. That's embarrassing. Like it's, it's, it's just, it's the mindset shift. Yeah, it's just another thing that I mean for Adelaide has to work on. It's that mindset shift that, hey, guys, it's actually okay to be successful.

 

Daniel Franco 1:13:58

It's actually good to get

 

Bruce Djite 1:14:01

good numbers. Yeah, well,

 

Daniel Franco 1:14:04

I think so

 

Bruce Djite 1:14:04

emoted don't try and find a loophole. What is a tall poppy syndrome total? Like,

 

Daniel Franco 1:14:13

the Australian ways the tall poppy syndrome, we say that, you know, it's

 

Bruce Djite 1:14:17

not the I think it was gross state production, or, you know, CommBank state of states had a strength that number two straightaway, people like, yeah, that's just cause I'm like, Okay, guys, let's just be lost. And then you can all complain that we lost again, it's good to be out in front.

 

Daniel Franco 1:14:36

What do you mean is what do you think the sales are? You've lived all around the world. What

 

Bruce Djite 1:14:39

are you It's a monster. It's something that really blew me away. When I first came. Where does it come

 

Daniel Franco 1:14:43

from? I don't know. Is it just etched in our history in our DNA?

 

Bruce Djite 1:14:47

I haven't been here long enough. But, you know, we'll have one and I don't want to rehash you know, the poor reputation the state has had in the past. I think it is yawns better now. Oh, that every time I go into state, no one is talking to me about Adelaide. One way freeway while we are live because I've duplicated Yeah.

 

Daniel Franco 1:15:13

But like, why would you choose that? Like, I think no one's done that anymore.

 

Bruce Djite 1:15:17

No one signed on it. People like Adelaide got some street cred. Now. Yeah, I want to go check that place out. Never been there. But I want to go to people or, you know, when we need to be good ambassadors for our state. There's nothing that kills me more than going into state meeting someone who's from Adelaide, that has lived in Sydney for 10 years, and I just stopped banking, Adelaide, like you grew up in Sydney, and you move to Adelaide, what's wrong with you? So I like great. Sydney is good, too. But Adelaide, it's phenomenal in my view. You know, I'm getting less of those discussions. And I used to get them all the time when I was putting it out loud. You know, I didn't we were traveling and state every fortnight run into people who were from South Australia. And they're really like, gobsmacked that you moved from Sydney to Adelaide. Yeah, that has changed. The reputation has changed. People are putting respect on Adelaide name. And I think we need to keep keep that going. Absolutely. It's it's mindset and, you know, perception more than anything. So when you get a 3.9% unemployment, right. Celebrated, please. Else. You'll never celebrate anything. Yeah. Wait, yeah. 100%. But what are you going to silver? Yeah. So economic dot absolute dot. It's absolute numbers. The numbers don't lie.

 

Daniel Franco 1:16:39

It is absolutely something that is ingrained in South Australian people is that? Yeah, we don't

 

Bruce Djite 1:16:45

think there's been some past calamities that people struggle to get over state bank collapse. One way freeway, statewide blackout. Like there's there's just stuff.

 

Daniel Franco 1:16:57

Yeah. But think about all the good bits come from those. Right from the blackout in itself is now we've got the battery like we're moving forward, Elon Musk will news you know, all the above put up to put us that's the greatest thing.

 

Bruce Djite 1:17:13

You have to have a blackout of the whole slide to do that we don't want I think we need to be a bit more.

 

Daniel Franco 1:17:18

We don't want to be that way anymore. Where we're relying on you don't want to be dry. Very good. I think we're coming to the end. And you're you're almost due to to get out of here. We'll quick fire some quickfire questions. We've done these with you before

 

Bruce Djite 1:17:34

someone really, I've really struggled on the quickfire stuff, but I'll give it a crack.

 

Daniel Franco 1:17:38

Give it a crack. Look, we're big readers. Give us a book that you're reading.

 

Bruce Djite 1:17:43

I think I'll read with my son.

 

Daniel Franco 1:17:50

Good question that you

 

Bruce Djite 1:17:52

normally do. Yeah. Okay, that is exactly the class it is. But I'm an audio books. Yeah. Topper guy. So I think the last last one I listened to was one of the Obama. Obama one I don't

 

Daniel Franco 1:18:08

know, his autobiography or something. Yeah, yeah. Brilliant. What's one lesson that's taking you the longest to learn?

 

Bruce Djite 1:18:22

I don't think there's one that's took me the longest to learn. I think I learned lessons all the time. But um, I think sometimes i It's interesting, coming from sport. In sport, you just want the hard, honest truth. So as a player, when you're not playing, you'll go to the coach after X amount of time, and you'll say, what I need to improve on while applying. Just tell me and I'll go on. And the most successful coaches was the honest ones. Yeah, not good enough. This person is ahead of you. You need to do this, this this this? Correct. What can I do for you? It's up to you. Yeah. Brutal, transparent, brutal, transparency, constructive feedback, however you want to call it. As a football director, I took that same approach got to be honest with the worst thing is to string people along and then let them down. So I was always very honest with players if they weren't going to play because the coach didn't have them in their platen in the plans or whatever. Might look. If I was a player. I'd like to know. So I'm just telling you, you can stay here. It's fine. We'll treat you well. You're part of the family. Yeah, that's great. But I'm just letting you know, you're not in the coach's plans. Nothing to me. Yeah. I'm just passing on the message. He won't be extending I have on right. Exactly. Because then of course, I can go look for another club. Where can I extend their career further that might be out of contracting Couple months time, and they might be hanging on to the hope that they will stay. Yeah. But the reality is, they're not staying someone else spent on their very upfront, moving out of sport into here. You know, I tell you, yeah, you can't be too upfront. Because people's people feel attacked or, or people aren't used to getting honest feedback, or people aren't used to constructive criticism or people are used to criticism at all,

 

1:20:32

or is it a case? Because you have to tailor your words? Yeah. So you can you can say something like,

 

Bruce Djite 1:20:37

look, we thought it was a little bit of a disappointing effort. Well, I think I'm just like, that's a lie. Yeah. What do you know what I mean, but it's just a different mind. Yeah, it's a different level. And the other thing, and I spoke in the OSI water, or the spacious award a couple months ago, around leadership, and I was just saying, like, you know, in sport, everyone, everyone, even the player who never plays, they're still professional player. So they have, they're the 1%. So they actually bet on even the guys that never play, actually better than the other 9% that play with it under sevens and all want to arrive to be a professional. So straightaway in your change room, or straightaway in your cohort of employees, you have highly motivated, disciplined, resilient, high achievers, all rowing in the same direction, because everyone wants to win the game. Everyone's plot wants to play their best, everyone wants to lift the trophy at the end of the season. It's a real competitive advantage in the sport world. Yeah. In the corporate world, or in the office, landscape, whatever you want to call so much. Nowhere near you have people who have got minds who might be in a particular role and their superior moves to another company. So that role becomes available on site. Oh, you couldn't be hand off that nanana I don't

 

Daniel Franco 1:22:16

want the stress.

 

Bruce Djite 1:22:16

I don't want that responsibility. Yeah. Oh, that person's got to do not I'm happy where I like yeah, I struggled you got others who were just like on the CD pickup project. You got others who work hard you got others who don't you know, you got a whole mix you got the whole spectrum, right? And that is one of the challenges and like I said, my team small my team's great but I can see in larger organizations that's where you got the challenges of really can get everyone in the boat can keep everyone in the team. Can everyone be rowing in the same direction

 

Daniel Franco 1:22:51

everyone has a different motivation, whatever different motivation their motivation is I want to spend more time with my kids I want to like the job for me it's just about the ability to put food on the table. Yeah, just so that everyone knows that's a lesson on love. Yeah, absolutely. It is one that I struggle with in fact, while we're on that topic the one thing and you mentioned that and you alluded to earlier is celebrating your wins I think that if there's anything that I struggle with more than anything else wins celebrating the wins yeah artists it because I'm like you I came from I never played at the elite level that you did but represented South Australia and that in my junior Junior days so Junior elite level but it you know, you kind of once you take off a goal you you're on to the next and you consistently move forward and for me that's definitely been been one which is probably why I'm complaining about unemployment right now. Next question, if you can have three people over for dinner who would they be?

 

Bruce Djite 1:23:53

Good question. I would have abala I would also have

 

Daniel Franco 1:24:07

I can be dead or alive. Yeah, I

 

Bruce Djite 1:24:08

was about to ask you that. No, I think I'll go with everyone who's alive I would also have questions

 

Daniel Franco 1:24:20

Nice Nice talking great internet

 

Bruce Djite 1:24:26

all look I'm assuming I'll have more than one denounce although I'd have Didier Drogba

 

Daniel Franco 1:24:33

superstar yeah you Chelsea fan No,

 

Bruce Djite 1:24:36

no Awesome. Let's not go there. I have a Bama drama. And I would also know he was dealing with a frequently

 

Daniel Franco 1:24:56

I think know with a bomber and drug but not not so frequent.

 

Bruce Djite 1:24:59

but I'm just trying to think of someone who's a real Trailblazer. It's interesting, you asked me this because someone asked me in the office the other day, like, do you aspire to be like, you know, gives you the most inspiration? Do you want to be like, I don't know. I don't have someone more than I used to when I was a player. But not in this life.

 

Daniel Franco 1:25:25

It's really, I absolutely. What's the right word here? I really understand where you're coming from. And but what you're saying is absolutely in line with what you said that from an Adelaide Sydney Melbourne point of view. Let's not aspire to be like some other state. Let's not aspire to be like some other city. Let's be our own and think that's what you're doing with your own career. You're forging your own way.

 

Bruce Djite 1:25:53

That's right. That's right. Yeah, are fond. In this world, people like to think that they know you better than you know yourself. That people are highly unpredictable.

 

Daniel Franco 1:26:09

of you. Absolutely. Next, if you Well, if you want some of the best advice that you've received, you would ever saved.

 

Bruce Djite 1:26:18

Yeah, your two ears and a mouth or? Listen, that was listening. Yeah. Listen, that's brilliant.

 

Daniel Franco 1:26:28

If you had access to a time machine, you could go anywhere. As in like, any year, any year, anytime, anyplace forward, back,

 

Bruce Djite 1:26:39

you know, or the forward. I would go forward. 100 years

 

Daniel Franco 1:26:45

of that. Thank you. You're you're in the fold crew. Were a minority. Oh, yeah. I never wants to go back.

 

Bruce Djite 1:26:52

It's because people are not forward.

 

Daniel Franco 1:26:56

Let the record show you. Yeah. If we, if you have a superhero power, what would it be? read other

 

Bruce Djite 1:27:04

people's minds?

 

Daniel Franco 1:27:05

Yeah. Do you want to do that? Well, not

 

Bruce Djite 1:27:09

the motor something that thinks something negative and be

 

Daniel Franco 1:27:11

living with this constant fear that they're gonna say something? I don't know. I just, I have trouble with my own thoughts,

 

Bruce Djite 1:27:17

let alone other people's. Not very clear in my mind.

 

Daniel Franco 1:27:21

Do you think that'll help you with communication? Definitely want to see just structure isn't an influence thing. You get what you want?

 

Bruce Djite 1:27:30

I think you could use it in a myriad of ways.

 

Daniel Franco 1:27:32

me ask this question. And when deep diving into something you don't need to but if you could read someone's mind, and they knew what they wanted, but didn't want to do it, then where does that leave you not doing? What you say no more often like? Oh, hi. Just thinking my wife. If I could read her mind, I wouldn't want to stop. I don't want to. Whereas if I can play dumb then. Right? What's your last question? Now? Did you come prepared with a dad joke? If not, we'll skip this one. No, no, Dad, no dad joke. You let me down. Sorry. Nothing. No, the dad jokes a hard one. A

 

Bruce Djite 1:28:12

lot of funny going. My kids in company. But that's what I'll just do silly stuff.

 

Daniel Franco 1:28:17

Kids. Probably a good measure.

 

Bruce Djite 1:28:19

But they know. They love me. That's all that

 

Daniel Franco 1:28:23

kills. Very good. Thanks, Bruce, for coming on the show. It's been an absolute pleasure. Congratulations again, on your recent successes in the new move into this CRL committee for Adelaide. I look forward to seeing what you guys are doing. I know that you're taking it from strength to strength and you're looking to push the agenda. Very, very, you know, in a very productive and positive way and even just hearing through your language, everything that you're you're doing in the way you think can really challenge others in the wild I think so. Thank you for having me.

 

Bruce Djite 1:28:56

Thank you, but I just think we need to be more positive we're here for the positive stuff will criticize privately but we'll promote publicly that's that's one don't and we're not creating anything new you know, the some of these things have happened around the world and have been very successful. Why Commodore here? Yeah,

 

Daniel Franco 1:29:26

I agree. Absolutely. Look, yeah.

 

1:29:29

But just to have the wheel

 

Daniel Franco 1:29:30

for creating what we create our own niche that's right

 

Bruce Djite 1:29:33

there in front on the Adelaide way the South Australian why

 

Daniel Franco 1:29:36

I love it. Thank you guys. We'll, as I said this was we were talking in context of these, some of these policies being released. So I think they will be released by the time this podcast comes out. But thank you very much for your time, your effort and everything that you do for South Australia. Thanks for having me on. Cheers, guys. Bye bye. Thanks for listening to the podcast. Oh, You can check out the show notes if there was anything of interest to you and find out more about us at Synergy iq.com.au. I am going to ask though, if you did like the podcast, it would absolutely mean the world to me if you could subscribe, rate and review. And if you didn't like it, that's alright too. There's no need to do anything. Thank you guys, all the best.

 

Synergy IQ 1:30:21

Thank you once again for joining us here at creating synergy. It's been great spending this time with you. Please jump on to the synergy IQ Facebook and LinkedIn page where the discussion continues after the show. Join our mailing list so you'll know what's happening next at Synergy iq.com.au. And of course don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. And if you really enjoyed it, please share it with your friends.