The Layton Group has been one of Australia’s premier furniture supply and manufacturing businesses, supplying furniture and homewares to the majority of Australia’s largest retailers since 1998. Founder, Steve Layton, started the group in Hong Kong, in 1990, and was one of the early pioneers in developing China’s production and export of furniture to Australia, USA and Europe. Steve has a unique knowledge of manufacturing, retail, product development and supply chain from 30 years in this industry sector. Australia furniture retailers face a huge challenge with endless discounting and sales, ever reducing margins, low transaction values and poor quality perception. Sofa Brands offers a solution to these problems. One of the other businesses that are currently part of the Layton Group include a highly custom 'design your own' sofa business that is currently in the works.

The Layton Group has been one of Australia&rsquo;s premier furniture supply and manufacturing businesses, supplying furniture and homewares to the majority of Australia&rsquo;s largest retailers since 1998. Founder, Steve Layton, started the group in Hong Kong, in 1990, and was one of the early pioneers in developing China&rsquo;s production and export of furniture to Australia, USA and Europe. Steve has a unique knowledge of manufacturing, retail, product development and supply chain from 30 years in this industry sector. Australia furniture retailers face a huge challenge with endless discounting and sales, ever reducing margins, low transaction values and poor quality perception. Sofa Brands offers a solution to these problems.&nbsp;One of the other businesses that are currently part of the Layton Group include a highly custom 'design your own' sofa business that is currently in the works.

Talking Business is an inflight entertainment radio program on Qantas, hosted by Alan Kohler. Each month business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators are interviewed about their expertise, businesses, and careers. This is where you can podcast all of the guests from Talking Business.

Talking Business with Alan Kohler

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Steve Layton Founder & CEO of Sofabrands

Fred is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, most famous for co-founding Australia's leading personal finance comparison website Finder. With business partner, Frank Restuccia, the pair bootstrapped Finder in 2006 and grew the business to be worth about $250 million, operating in 83 countries, seeing 10 million unique visitors each month – all with no funding! Fred spearheaded the group's venture capital arm, Finder Ventures, to launch new business ideas. The first was a cryptocurrency brokerage, HiveEx.com, which traded $100 million in its first year. More recently, Fred is led the Finder App launch on February 2, 2020, which is an Australian-first that will connect your bank accounts and automatically compare products for you. Fred speaks at events around the world, is a regular media commentator and columnist, and launched a startup community called The Disruptors' Club.Fred talks about his journey, challenges and learnings from building startups without funding, growth hacking, brand, culture, being bold, innovation & the finder App..

Fred is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, most famous for co-founding Australia's leading personal finance comparison website Finder. With business partner, Frank Restuccia, the pair bootstrapped Finder in 2006 and grew the business to be worth about $250 million, operating in 83 countries, seeing 10 million unique visitors each month &ndash; all with no funding! Fred spearheaded the group's venture capital arm, Finder Ventures, to launch new business ideas. The first was a cryptocurrency brokerage, HiveEx.com, which traded $100 million in its first year. More recently, Fred is led the Finder App launch on February 2, 2020, which is an Australian-first that will connect your bank accounts and automatically compare products for you. Fred speaks at events around the world, is a regular media commentator and columnist, and launched a startup community called The Disruptors' Club.Fred talks about his journey, challenges and learnings from building startups without funding, growth hacking, brand, culture, being bold, innovation &amp; the finder App..

Fred Schebesta Co-Founder of Finder.com.au

Insync Network Group is an Australian-based community of returned expats. A recent study found that the majority of Australia's returning expats struggle to re-settle in Australia, which is one of the reasons why this community was started three years ago. Since, it has grown to cover three cities (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane).  Margot is an expert in career and leadership management, who also lived and worked in London for 7 years. Upon returning to Australia, Margot noticed that re-settling at 'home' was more challenging than she had anticipated and underestimated the need to both translate international experience in the local Australian market, and re-integrate socially and emotionally in her home country. These are common challenges faced by many returning expats, which continues long after the jet-lag subsides. She also discusses her ‘Talentinsight Australia’ business. ‘They work with both individuals and businesses alike and are passionate about assisting senior professionals and executives understand their true value and how they can in turn maximise both their contribution and personal fulfilment. They work with organisations to support leaders maximise their own career performance so that they can in turn genuinely support the success and capability of both the business and those within their own teams’. 

Insync Network Group is an Australian-based community of returned expats.&nbsp;A recent study&nbsp;found that the majority of Australia's returning expats struggle to re-settle in Australia, which is one of the reasons why this community was started three years ago. Since, it has grown to cover three cities (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane).&nbsp; Margot is an expert in career and leadership management, who also lived and worked in London for 7 years. Upon returning to Australia, Margot noticed that re-settling at 'home' was more challenging than she had anticipated and underestimated the need to both translate international experience in the local Australian market, and re-integrate socially and emotionally in her home country.&nbsp;These are common challenges faced by many returning expats, which continues long after the jet-lag subsides. She also discusses her &lsquo;Talentinsight Australia&rsquo; business. &lsquo;They work with both individuals and businesses alike and are passionate about assisting senior professionals and executives understand their true value and how they can in turn&nbsp;maximise both their contribution and personal fulfilment. They work with organisations to support leaders maximise their own career performance so that they can in turn genuinely support the success and capability of both the business and those within their own teams&rsquo;.

Margot Andersen CEO and Founder of Insync Network Group and Owner & Managing Director of Talentinsight

Daniel is the Managing Director of Chironix which operates throughout A/NZ and the USA. He has a deep interest in artificial intelligence, space technologies, mobile robotics, human memory, cyber operations, cognitive studies & social processes. Daniel also served for two years in the Navy Strategy Executive in the Office of the Chief of Navy as the Deputy Director of Technological Solutions. Chironix’s Machine Learning and Data Engineering team provides consultancy services with significant expertise in delivering effective solutions to our clients through the process of human machine teaming. This forms a core capability from which their product arms interact. Augmenting this centralised capability are two product verticals: Robotics and wearables. The Robotics capability is focussed on autonomous field robotics performing tasks that either humans should not be doing (as we do not do them well), or roles which are dangerous too humans. The final vertical is in wearables, where they have collaborated with Google X as a foundation partner with Glass for Enterprise — the new Google Glass. Daniel is also a Research Fellow with the Perth USAsia centre where he writes on strategy (both national and military).

Daniel is the Managing Director of Chironix&nbsp;which operates throughout A/NZ and the USA. He has a deep interest in artificial intelligence, space technologies, mobile robotics, human memory, cyber operations, cognitive studies &amp; social processes. Daniel also served for two years in the Navy Strategy Executive in the Office of the Chief of Navy as the Deputy Director of Technological Solutions. Chironix&rsquo;s Machine Learning and Data Engineering team provides consultancy services with significant expertise in delivering effective solutions to our clients through the process of human machine teaming. This forms a core capability from which their product arms interact. Augmenting this centralised capability are two product verticals: Robotics and wearables. The Robotics capability is focussed on autonomous field robotics performing tasks that either humans should not be doing (as we do not do them well), or roles which are dangerous too humans. The final vertical is in wearables, where they have collaborated with Google X as a foundation partner with Glass for Enterprise &mdash; the new Google Glass. Daniel is also a Research Fellow with the Perth USAsia centre where he writes on strategy (both national and military).

Steve Layton Founder & CEO of Sofabrands

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