TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.
I was born and bred in Melbourne and haven't drifted far from the Northern Suburbs where I grew up. I always loved sports and training throughout high school, which led me to pursue a career in the fitness industry as a Personal Trainer and Strength & Conditioning coach upon finishing year 12. I stayed in this industry for almost five years - this was a great industry to be in my early 20s as it allowed me to meet a lot of different people and provided plenty of flexibility to take time to travel.
Upon returning from a gap year in Canada, I moved into a career in recruitment with a boutique firm specialising in the Construction, Engineering, and Mining sectors. I moved into a leadership position early on, which I held until I left to take up a role with a global human capital consulting firm. I was predominately responsible for business development, client management, advisory, and project delivery for several human capital projects, including remuneration, reward, talent mapping, and talent intelligence. I also delivered bi-annual market insights webinars and conferences to update my audience on the state of the talent market for the Australian Resources, Construction and Engineering sectors. I studied in my own time for over six years, completing my MBA in 2021, with a major in Managing and Leading People. My final thesis was titled: 'The Factors influencing Worker Shortages and Employment Cost Inflation in Australian Mining and Engineering Construction.'
WHAT INITIALLY ATTRACTED YOU TO JOIN QA?
Having worked on talent projects whilst working in consulting, I knew that search was a career I would eventually pursue full-time. However, having a strong passion for the sectors I had serviced in my career to date, I wanted to ensure that I would be doing it for a specialist firm. QA ticked all the boxes for where I wanted to go with my career, industry focus, and the type of environment I wanted to work in. The opportunity to work alongside James Simpson and Nick Hutchinson to grow QA’s Energy practice in the Southern Region was also a big draw card.
In all my interviews and meetings with Sergio Floyd, Nick, Warren Rushbrook, and James, a big emphasis was made on the company values and culture, plus focus on giving back to the community. One of the first things Sergio and I connected over was a fundraiser I’d facilitated for Myeloma Australia in honour of my late Mum. I was confident that whilst I would be supported to be successful in my role, I’d equally be supported to look after my family.
WHAT INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AND NETWORK DO YOU BRING TO QA?
I have almost seven years recruitment experience, which started with sourcing volume roles at sub-contractor level and finished with sourcing senior technical and management staff for head contractors. This experience, coupled with my two years of consulting experience, provided me with a foundation of the core skills required in search. Whilst working in consulting, I had to research macroeconomic conditions and workforce challenges to inform my webinar and conference presentations, which built on my established industry knowledge from my recruitment days.
My network includes contacts from all of QA’s specialist sectors, including ASX Listed mining and resources organisations, national construction and infrastructure contractors, start up renewables and energy firms, global engineering consultancies, and public sector utilities and infrastructure bodies.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR CAREER AT QA WITH LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I am a big AFL fan and Carlton supporter, so my winters in Melbourne revolve around footy. I am still very active and either run, cycle, lift weights or do yoga most mornings. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and I usually have one of them in my ears whilst running or in the gym. I am engaged and a dad to two young girls who are three and six - this does not leave much free time on the weekends. If I do have spare time, I like to catch up with my friends for a beer or a meal.
IF YOU COULD INSTANTLY BECOME AN EXPERT IN SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Stock trading and investing.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE PROFESSIONAL SEARCH MARKET IN MELBOURNE?
The acceleration of the energy transition is influencing a raft of promising opportunities for management and senior technical professionals. Contractor organisations who have traditionally delivered infrastructure projects are restructuring and/or facilitating the addition of new business units focused on supporting the energy transition, creating new opportunities that weren’t available a few years ago.
Established utilities organisations, both public and private, are also developing new business units focused on alternative and unregulated energy sources, whilst local and overseas investment is facilitating the first establishment of internationally headquartered renewable energy organisations in Australia. All this activity creates a lot of opportunity for professional candidates and a great deal of work for professional search consultants to be involved in.
BIGGEST PET PEEVE?
Indecisiveness - there is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in a queue behind someone that can't decide what to order.
WHAT DOES BEING A 'TRUSTED ADVISOR' MEAN TO YOU?
A trusted advisor should be a well-researched and knowledgeable expert in their field, whose ethics and values guide their interactions, advice and decision making. They are someone who provides informed and detailed independent advice that is tailored to the receiver’s best interests without the expectation of anything in return. The relationship should be a partnership, not transactional.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF PROFESSIONALLY IN 5 YEARS?
I will be working at QA as the Energy, Utilities and Renewables sector leading search consultant in the Southern Region. I’ll be supporting James Simpson, QA’s Practice Director in Utilities, who has already entrenched our reputation in the Northern Region, to continue to build QA’s national Energy & Utilities practice.
Ideally, I will also support Nick Hutchinson, Managing Partner, Southern Region, to continue growing our Melbourne team. We will have another two Partners, two Delivery Partners and corporate staff working alongside us.
WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED, AND HOW HAS IT IMPACTED YOUR LIFE?
“It’s not what happens to you that matters - it’s how you react to it.”
I read this piece of advice from Mark Manson’s book “The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck.” Whenever I am in a situation where I might get angry, frustrated or emotional, I do my best to repeat this to myself. I’ve found it’s helped to ground me in stressful and challenging situations.
NAME FOUR PEOPLE, LIVING OR DEAD, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE OVER FOR DINNER.
If we’re talking celebrities, it would be Ricky Gervais, Andrew Forrest, Chris Judd & Louis Theroux – the perfect blend of humour, business success, sporting success, and someone who has met a lot of interesting people and been in a lot of interesting situations. Outside of those four, my mum would be number one.
WHAT'S ONE PASSION PROJECT OF YOURS?
I’ve only recently taken up road cycling because of consistent running injuries, so there is a lot of improvement in me in this regard!
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View Phil's full profile on LinkedIn or for further information, contact him at phillip.strangis@quintonanthony.com.
IF YOU COULD INSTANTLY BECOME AN EXPERT IN SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Being fit without exercising.
BIGGEST PET PEEVE?
People who walk slow in Sydney.
BIGGEST PET PEEVE?
It was slow walkers, but now that I am one, it's people who use too many buzzwords.