IPAA’s Top 5 Q&A with Mike Kaiser
On the 30th November 2022, IPAA Queensland was delighted to host our final Stewards on the Couch session for the year.
This event saw Mike Kaiser, Director-General, Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, take to the couch to have a conversation with Russell Fairbanks, Managing Director of LuminaryTM.
During this conversation, attendees heard more about Mike’s diverse career, his leadership journey, career challenges, and priorities for his portfolio.
An engaging and honest conversation about the highs and lows of Mike’s career and his approach, this is one of many articles sharing the insights and learnings received by the participants in the room.
IPAA Queensland took a moment in the lead up to the Stewards on the Couch event to ask Mike a few questions and share a few key insights:
- With a career spanning public purpose organisations and sectors, what have been your observations about the role different actors play in bringing purpose to life?
Great things happen if the public and private sectors play their respective roles with respect and in partnership and harmony. The private sector needs to become more purpose driven and pursue stakeholder capitalism not shareholder primacy (like it once did. Ask any founder why they set up their company and they’ll rarely say to pursue profit. It’s usually to solve a societal problem). And the public sector should accept a more entrepreneurial role. Government can and does innovate. It can tilt playing fields in favour of competitive advantages. It can create markets, not just fix market failures. And it should take appropriate risks. Take Tesla for example. Outstanding products that solve a societal problem, built by a company leveraging publicly funded research and industry development grants.
- What are the qualities you see as being most important for younger public purpose workers to develop?
Get familiar and conversant in the role the public and private sectors playing in advancing society. Don’t be suspicious of the private sector. Learn to harness what its best at for public good.
- What are the leading priorities for your department, and what role does your department play in progressing Queensland’s recovery agenda?
This department pursues responsible economic development while also maintaining the liveability of the state. You can have either really easily. Let economic development rip through our environment and destroy lifestyle. Or all live in trees with low economic prosperity. The challenge is achieving both simultaneously. We live in a community, not just an economy. That’s why our purpose is to “Think ahead and act now to secure responsible economic development and liveable communities”. That’s what Queenslanders rely on us to do.
- What career advice would you tell your 25-year-old self?
Don’t be photographed with that mullet and in flares and apricot jacket.
- What is your approach to work-life balance?
The term “work-life balance” suggests there’s a trade-off. For me (and everyone I think) work is a part of life. My approach is not to “balance” them but to try to find joy at work and at home. Joy at work comes through using my strengths for purpose. And joy at home through spending time with loved one. Maximising joy regardless of what you’re doing is so much more constructive and so much less exhausting than trying to trade off life with work.
IPAA Queensland members can watch the entire event recording on the members portal.
About IPAA Queensland:
Like these insights? Join as an individual member to enjoy these insights and more.
IPAA Queensland advances the professionalism, capability and integrity of public administration and public purpose work and promotes pride in service.
If you’re a public servant or engaged in public purpose work, we encourage you to get to know and connect with IPAA Queensland.
About IPAA Queensland’s Stewards on The Couch Series:
Stewards on the Couch is a regular and highly popular feature of IPAA’s annual event program, where one or more chief executives is joined by a respected journalist or facilitator ‘on the couch’ for an informal, conversation-style interview.
These events provide the IPAA community an opportunity to learn more about the influences, priorities, and core values of stewards leading public purpose work along with the key challenges and opportunities facing their organisation and/or sector. Guests are invited to stay for networking and refreshments after the interview.
About Mike Kaiser:
Mike Kaiser is Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning. He leads the department which oversees the Queensland Government’s agenda to drive economic growth and enhance the state’s lifestyle through good infrastructure and planning outcomes.
He brings more than 30 years’ experience to the role, having built a successful career in private and public sector leadership and consultancy.
Most recently, Mike was Director-General of the Department of Resources. Other public sector experiences include working as chief of staff to premiers in both Queensland and New South Wales.
In the private sector, Mike was a partner at KPMG and contributed to the Queensland COVID-19 Taskforce Economic Recovery Plan in that capacity.
Known as a strategic thinker and inclusive leader, Mike demonstrated strong customer focus throughout his time at NBN Co, where he led the business change and improvement function and introduced processes to measure and enhance customer satisfaction.
Mike completed his academic qualifications at the University of Queensland, earning bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and economics as well as a Graduate Certificate in Management.