Family Business with Catherine Sayer
This week we’re getting #InTheKnow with Catherine Sayer, CEO of the Family Business Association (FBA).
Catherine has built her career with a focus on championing the seafood industry and food sector more broadly. She’s recently made the move back to Melbourne and has taken up the role as CEO of the Family Business Association (FBA).
“We've got a great agriculture sector, a primary production sector, and also a food and beverage manufacturing sector. So, you know, you've got to be proud of being part of an industry that you can't live without”, Catherine said.
In this episode, the conversation focuses on the role of family businesses in Australia, the value they bring to the nation in not just an economic sense, but the greater importance of playing a role in shaping the social fabric of communities.
While FBA offer many services for their members, including education programs, in-person and virtual forums, and support mechanisms tailored to family-owned businesses, Catherine explained that she saw FBA’s core business being around “succession planning and that piece around how you move through the generations”.
We’ve had numerous conversations around the importance of succession planning, and we saw the opportunity in sharing learnings and insights from outside agriculture with our community.
Oli and Catherine also cover:
Catherine's background, including her role as the former CEO of Food South Australia and her transition to leading the Family Business Association (FBA)
The significance of family businesses in Australia, both economically and culturally, spanning various sectors and communities
Catherine's experience in the seafood industry, highlighting sustainable fishing practices and aquaculture's growth
The services offered for FBA members, including education programs, forums, and support mechanisms tailored to family-owned businesses
Defining what makes a 'family business' (Catherine identified Humans Of Agriculture as a "First Generation Entrepreneur")
Opportunities and challenges facing small and family businesses in the agriculture sector
FBA's focus on providing a safe space for family businesses to navigate challenges and succeed
“…there is actually very little voice on family business across Australia. And I think one of the exciting opportunities for me, is the advocacy piece, and really working out what the messaging is for the general community about the importance of family businesses, and what do they look like? It's a bit amorphous, I think. And so, to give family businesses a voice through FBA, I think is one of those things that's going to be really critical…”
- Catherine
Listen to this episode below or via your favourite podcast app 🎧
Upcoming Webinar - Information session
The Family Business Association have a Virtual Forum Information session coming up in November, CLICK HERE to learn more about this event
This episode has been sponsored by Family Business Australia.
Image provided by Catherine Sayer.