Global CEO, Multi Leadership Award Winner, Author, Migrant, Business and Social Entrepreneur

Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Speaker and … Mother of 9!

When it comes to contemporary leadership, Sadhana Smiles is a trailblazer. As CEO of Real Estate Industry Partners (REIP) and Director of Harcourts Move, she has a focus on People, Planet and Profit. In a world where business evolution is accelerating, she believes re-invention is the new normal.

Sadhana’s first two books – People Power Did You Have Them @ Hello and I Want What She’s Having are both critically acclaimed and inspire people to blaze their own trail in business and in life.

As the founder of Links Fiji and Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, Sadhana’s journey as a migrant from the cane fields of Fiji (where her Grandfather was a slave) to leading Property Management at Harcourts as Global CEO will leave your audience enthralled with her insights and wisdom.

Sadhana is a captivating speaker who draws people into her story and encourages them to look at their own leadership opportunities and what they can contribute to make this world a better place.

Sadhana Smiles will make your audience smile, laugh, cry but most importantly they’ll leave ready to tackle the world.

Victorian Telstra Business Woman

AFR/WBC 100 Women of Influence Winner

Institute Manager and Leaders Victoria Leadership Winner

AREA (Australia Real Estate) most influential women in business.

Global CEO Harcourts Property Management experience working across 6 countries with an in-depth understanding cultural uniqueness

Held senior and strategic positions across top brands in property sector driving cultural and financial success

Creator of the Ambition Report – study on what women in business need to succeed

Franchise experience and in addition to her CEO role Sadhana is the Director- Harcourts Move a boutique Property Management Business

Founder of Links Fiji – focusing on improving women’s health in Fiji, established in 2008

Founder of Harcourts Walk a Mile in Their Shoes

Advisory Board Member – Bank of Melbourne Migrant and Multicultural Banking

Australia Centre Human Rights and Heath Ambassador - Dowry Abuse

Author of People Power did you have them @ hello – best seller in property sector on how to create performance driven teams

Author – life journal – I want what she’s having – a beautifully presented journal to write your most precious thoughts and goals

Contact or to book Sadhana 0403 271 676

Wow! "I am woman". She owned that room. Brave, powerful, inspiring. I could go on. She oozes leadership. She knows her brand. She knows who she is. She knows what she wants. She is the ideal role model for every one of us! The world would be a much better place with more leaders like Sadhana.

"Diversity isn’t about women it is about people."

"We are entitiled to doona days... just not too many of them."

"Do the right thing by yourself and you will always do the right thing by others."

"Be authentic, be vulnerable, be unconventional."

"When someone says no to you its because you haven’t given them a good enough reason to say yes."

Topics

Blaze your own trail – how to make your mark in business and life

Sadhana is one of a handful of culturally and linguistically diverse leaders in the country, using her influential position to make a difference in Australia and Fiji.

She believes there are untapped opportunities in the business world today, where anyone at any level of the organisation can step up and become a leader for change.

We need empowered, driven, inclusive innovations but more importantly we need people to believe that they have the power to be heard and make a difference.

In this keynote Sadhana will give you the playbook for how to blaze “your” own trail and create your own career path by being brave enough to speak up and shake things up.

Sadhana arrived in Australia as a young 16-year-old migrant, with only one thought in her mind – freedom from a culturally oppressive environment.

Two years in boarding school, 1 year in TAFE and she made the decision to get married to stay in Australia. (as you do!)

In 6 short years she took on the role of CEO, won the Vic Telstra Business Woman award, was named one of 100 Women of Influence and turned Harcourts Victoria from a virtual unknown company to the fastest growing network in Australia.

Blaze your own trail is her journey, sharing her lightest and darkest days, rebuilding her life and relationships to become on of the most respected women in her industry and a role model to women in the many diverse communities in Australia.

People, Planet and Profit - How to make your people and customers love you

When Sadhana took on the role of CEO for Harcourts, her focus was three-fold: People, Planet and Profit.

By re-inventing the business model, she increased revenue by 53% and EBIT by 24% - however, profit without equal focus on people and planet is … pointless.

So, in this keynote Sadhana shares her formula and strategy for building a successful business that connects with the community, celebrates diversity and delivers on performance through a robust culture of respect and a burning desire to be number one.

Over a 6.5 year period, she turned the business around to become one of the most profitable, fastest growing, most recognised and quoted brands in Victoria.

So that’s people and profits but what about planet? Well Sadhana has that covered too. In 2012 she founded the Harcourts Walk a Mile in Their Shoes movement, where men put on high heels across the country – and walk together to say no to domestic violence.

In 2017 Sadhana successfully negotiated a joint venture deal with herself and Harcourts Group Australia to set up a Harcourts Move - A property investment business.

Today she is helping leaders within corporate Australia to ethical businesses based equally on people, planet and profits.

The diversity and inclusion challenge – lessons from a migrant leader

Did you know that organisations that have a clear diversity and inclusion policy are 21% more profitable! So why are our organisations not embracing the change rapidly.

Sadhana believes if she can reach a leadership position in Australia, having landed on our shores (alone) at the ripe old age of 16 from Fiji, with no university degree and no real plan for her future then anything is possible for any of us!

Sadhana is one of a handful of culturally and linguistically diverse leaders in Australia. She is well known for challenging business leaders on their understanding of diversity and believes it’s not just about more women in leadership roles but about people who come in different packages – ethnicity, ability and sexuality.

Culturally diverse people often have double glazed glass ceilings to break through - one in their own culture and the other in their business.

Sadhana was recently appointed to the Bank of Melbourne Migrant and Multicultural Banking Committee to help them understand their customers and build stronger connections.

Leaders today must ensure that they we have organisations that reflect all the colours of the communities we work in. This is the only thing that will future proof your company and set you apart, locally, nationally and globally.

In this challenging and riveting keynote, Sadhana shows you how bring more spice and colour to your organisation, make deliberate hiring decisions and understand the value different people bring to the table.

Sadhana shares with you her challenges, how she used her difference to create a competitive advantage and how you can do the same.

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