The High Flyers Podcast with Vidit Agarwal

Episode #246 features a rare and candid conversation with David Neal, CEO of IFM Investors, a global asset manager overseeing more than A$240 billion. He previously served as inaugural CIO and later CEO of Future Fund, Australia’s sovereign wealth fund managing more than $200 billion in assets globally on behalf of the Australian Government.

In discussion with Vidit Agarwal, David reflects on his journey from a small English town to leading one of the world’s largest infrastructure investors, unpacking values in finance, trust and professionalism, building Australia’s $200B sovereign wealth fund through the Global Financial Crisis, the operational realities of the CIO job, the tension between purpose and price, and the future of infrastructure in an AI-driven world.

Please enjoy exploring your curiosity.

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Get in touch with us via email at [email protected]

Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Macquarie Capital, City of Sydney and more. 

Show notes and more episodes here

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Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here

Contact us via our website

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The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.

Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Jodie Auster (Uber's Global Head of Travel), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Episode #245 features a rare public interview with Jodie Auster, Global Head of Airports & Travel at Uber, and recently the Strategic Advisor to Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.

In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Jodie reflects on her journey from a risk-embracing Melbourne upbringing and early career in emergency medicine to leadership roles across Bain, Scoopon, Thumbtack and Uber, where she scaled Uber Eats through bold marketing bets and later worked directly with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

She speaks candidly about burnout during COVID,  the craft of executive facilitation, influence without authority, risk as a two-way door, stepping away from a high-profile Regional GM role, and the questions she asks new team members to create the best team culture.

Please enjoy exploring your curiosity!

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This episode is part of a special limited series showcasing Innovation supported by the City of Sydney. Visit the City’s website here: cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:

→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high

If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at [email protected] today!

Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more.

________

Show notes and more episodes here

Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter

Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here

Contact us via our website

________

The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.

Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Jodie Auster (Global Head of Travel, Uber), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Episode #244 features Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of Xero — the publicly listed small business platform serving ~4.6 million subscribers across 180+ countries.
In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Sukhinder reflects on her journey from growing up in a deeply values-driven Sikh household in Canada to leading global teams at Amazon and Google, founding three companies, and now steering Xero through its focused 3×3 strategy, US expansion, and AI transformation.
She speaks with rare candour about intensity as both her superpower and her kryptonite, taking time off before every job and how lessons from banking, Google and her founder missteps now shape her leadership at Xero. Sukhinder also unpacks Xero’s focused 3×3 strategy, the secret to unlocking further growth in the US, Building product in the AI era, filtering customer insights and more.
Please enjoy exploring your curiosity!
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To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:
→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high
→ Find out more about the Law Firm Allens and how they can help your company today at www.allens.com.au
If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at [email protected] today!
Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more.
________
Show notes and more episodes here
Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter
Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here
Contact us via our website
________
The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.
Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Tushar Apte is a multi-platinum, award-winning Australian songwriter, producer and composer based in Los Angeles, with credits spanning artists including Benson Boone, Demi Lovato, BLACKPINK, BTS, ZAYN, Nicki Minaj and more.
In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Tushar reflects on growing up in suburban Sydney with Indian heritage, years of obscurity grinding in LA, and the late-breaking moments that finally changed his trajectory. He unpacks how global pop hits are actually written, why taste matters more than technical skill, and how AI is reshaping music creation, plus candid reflections on identity, resilience and building a career measured in decades, not hits.
Please enjoy exploring your curiosity!
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To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:
→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high
If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at [email protected] today!
Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.
________
Show notes and more episodes here
Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter
Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here
Contact us via our website
The High Flyers Podcast is one of the five products at the Curiosity Centre
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This is the eighth episode in our special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, spotlighting the growing Australia–India relationship across technology, business, media, culture and sport. Previous guests include Philip Green, Peter Varghese, Sweta Mehra, Brendan Dowling, Bharat Sundaresan, Lisa Stahlalekar and Sanjeev Gandhi, reflecting the breadth of Indian-Australian leadership at the most senior levels.
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The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.
Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are our favorite episodes from the past 5 years, published as frequently as possible. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. This is a replay of Episode 153, originally released in 2024— one of our most loved classics.
Mark Suster is General Partner at Upfront Ventures, one of LA’s leading early-stage venture firms. Prior to leading Upfront, Mark was a serial entrepreneur having founded two software companies, selling both with the last selling to Salesforce. Mark is also a prolific writer and one of his favourite pieces, Lines Not Dots is a renowned article.
In conversation with Vidit Agarwal — Mark Suster shares his path from a restless, ADHD-driven childhood to founding companies through the dot-com era, selling to Salesforce, and ultimately shaping Upfront Ventures over nearly two decades. Mark breaks down how elite founders decide when to sell, how venture capital really works at seed versus growth, and why discipline, timing, and trust outperform hype, especially in volatile markets.
It’s time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.
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To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:
→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high
If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at [email protected] today!
Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more.
________
Show notes and more episodes here
Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter
Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here
Contact us via our website
________
The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.
Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary/Chief, Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.