In Part 2, Dave continues the conversation with David Griffin, CEO of 5B, diving deeper into leadership, resilience, and the future of the energy transition.

David shares how he builds high-performing teams in complex, high-pressure environments, the role of intelligence and psychometric testing, and what it takes to lead highly technical teams with clarity and trust.

We cover:

⚡ What makes a high-performing team in energy and infrastructure
⚡ Using psychometric testing to build diversity of thought
⚡ Leading technical experts without being the technical expert
⚡ Managing pressure, resilience, and mental wellbeing as a CEO
⚡ Why ex-military talent transitions so well into corporate careers
⚡ The policy, network, and innovation challenges shaping the next phase of the energy transition

🎧 Episode – Part 2 out now!

Episode 015 - Part 1 - David Griffin, CEO of 5B | Powering Your Career

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, David Smith sits down with David Griffin, CEO of 5B, to explore the foundations of an extraordinary and deeply non-linear career in the energy sector.

David shares his early life and formative years in the Australian Army, reflecting on how military leadership, resilience, mateship, and exposure to complex systems shaped his confidence to take risks and build businesses beyond traditional career paths. He opens up about the decision to leave the Army after 13 years, and the mindset shift required to step into the commercial world with no clear roadmap.

The conversation traces David’s early move into carbon trading and Japanese investment markets, a challenging first foray into clean energy that required persistence, relationship-building, and personal financial risk. From there, David recounts the pivot into wind farm development, including the hands-on realities of Australia’s early renewable projects and how dramatically planning, approvals, and costs have changed over time.

David walks through the development of some of Australia’s earliest wind and solar projects, offering candid insights into the evolution of the renewable energy market, the growing complexity of network connections, and the increasing impact of policy and bureaucracy on development timelines. He contrasts the speed and simplicity of early approvals with today’s environment, highlighting why these challenges now represent one of the biggest constraints on the energy transition.

The episode culminates in the origin story of Sun Cable, including the moment the idea crystallised, the scale of ambition behind exporting renewable electricity from Australia to Singapore, and the immense technical, economic, and political complexity involved. David explains how the project became a vast optimisation challenge, requiring world-class expertise across engineering, economics, finance, and government engagement.

This episode offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how large-scale energy ideas are born, the courage required to pursue them, and the mindset needed to operate at the frontier of global energy transformation.

EP014: Petrea Bradford, Group Executive Operations, APA Group

Petrea Bradford joins David Smith to discuss her three decade career across energy and aviation, the leadership lessons she gained guiding Qantas through COVID, and what drew her back to the energy sector. Petrea shares insights on leading a national workforce, building a strong safety culture, taking calculated career risks, and the skills needed for the future energy transition. A grounded, practical conversation on leadership, balance, and purpose in a fast changing industry.