Our New Chapter
AVENIR was borne from a desire to develop leaders that would shape the world for good.
It started in 2020 when we — Brian Harris, Jennifer Argue, and Jon Bergmann — sat around a board table to imagine what it might look like to launch an organisation dedicated to the development of kind, thoughtful, and compassionate leaders.
Nearly five years later, we couldn’t have anticipated how meaningful the journey would have been.
As a team, we’ve had the privilege of working with some of Australia’s leading organisations to develop life-serving strategies and build healthy and vibrant work cultures. We’ve spoken at conferences all over the country, been entrusted with long-form IP projects, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners. We’ve coached, managed, facilitated, and written oh-so-many pages of reports and recommendations.
Every day has been different, and we’ve loved the opportunity to do it all.
But from today, AVENIR steps into something new.
AVENIR 2.0:
Same, same. But different.
There are a couple of methodologies that define our leadership approach. One of them is Narrative Theory — the idea that we see the world through stories, and understanding which chapter we are in is a crucial task.
Today marks the beginning of AVENIR’s next chapter. So much of the founding vision of AVENIR remains the same, but there are some significant changes.
Since its inception, Brian has led the team, with Jennifer and Jon occupying a variety of different roles. From today, these roles change.
AVENIR is stepping into a new formal structure, with Jon and Jen taking on roles as Directors. Brian will still be involved as an Executive Consultant and will continue to bring his wisdom and insight to the work that we do.
Jon steps into the role of Managing Director and takes over leadership of the organisation. This has been the plan from the beginning and now is the right time to make the change. Jon brings both experience and energy to the work of AVENIR, and under his leadership we expect this next chapter to be one of both impact and depth.
In her role as Director, Jen will continue to work with executives and organisations, bringing her skills and expertise in coaching, mentoring, mediation, and building healthy cultures. Jen’s contributions to AVENIR are incalculable, and she will continue to shape the organisation’s growth into this next chapter.
As always, we will continue to partner with industry leaders and experts in their field.
“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.
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Our VISION, refined.
If you’ve ever started something from scratch, you’ll know that it can be an iterative process. At AVENIR, we’ve always had a strong internal drive, and we wanted our next chapter to start with a clear statement of intent. Through all the varied work that we’ve done over the years, we’ve been able to distil who we are as an organisation:
At AVENIR, we are The Leadership People.
We develop leaders who shape healthy organisations.
Whether it’s through keynoting a conference or managing a project, our goal is to instil a vision of what the world could be, and cultivate the kind of leaders who can build that kind of world.
A world of kindness, goodness, and creativity.
A world where culture and strategy aren’t mutually exclusive.
A world where leadership isn’t about power or position, but service.
And so, as we get started on this exciting new chapter, we invite you to join us.
Let’s lead well, together.
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