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This conversation with John Cooke who has had a long career in the Manufacturing sector explains how he started, key challenges, and interests that drove his career.

John is passionate about strategic business improvement achieved through transformational leadership and leader development, leadership of change, and the 'management' of a 'culture of innovation'. My successes have come from utilising evidence-based management, leadership, and growth-oriented business principles to fully leverage the benefits of applying tried and tested business, business strategy, and manufacturing improvement oriented methodologies (LEAN, TQM, 6-Sigma, SMED, JIT - or 'continous improvement) to real-world applications. These pragmatic and effective initiatives have succeeded in rendering businesses in which I have worked/managed strategically focused, managerially competent, and growth-oriented. This 'two-dimensional' approach generates strategically relevant change/improvement initiatives aligned to re-fitting/maintaining a 'fit' between the business and its ever-changing competitive environment, but applied in a balanced fashion rather than led out in mistaken 'religious fervor' wherein most one-dimensional 'tool' applications under-deliver and/or fail.

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In this conversation, I speak with Fraser Nelson about his career from doing an apprenticeship in a carpet manufacturing firm as a Fitter and Machinist and his journey to become one of the most respected and knowledgable people in the Vocational Education system in relation to Manufacturing and Engineering Standards.

Fraser has been at the forefront of working with industry to develop industry training standards in partnership with industry stakeholders.

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David Tiller is an Ai Group Senior Adviser, Workplace Relations, Hunter Office

With strong connections to the manufacturing industry and previous experience in engineering, David understands the challenges faced by many in the industry at a practical and technical level. David provides Ai Group members with advice and solutions on a wide spectrum of Workplace Relations’ issues. This includes procedure and policy development, employee classification, performance management, dispute resolution and enterprise bargaining.