Senior Partner Manager at Hootsuite | Enterprise Alliances with MarTech SaaS | Head of Sales & Marketing at MyRisk | Board Director | Author of "Connect & Act - Systematic Social Selling"

I spend my days working with boutique marketing agencies across Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific helping them build businesses that feel lighter, clearer and more scalable.

Agencies don’t struggle because of a lack of talent; they struggle because they’re carrying too much alone. That’s where I fit.

ActiveCampaign gives them the tooling. I help them build the engine, the rhythm and the confidence to grow.

After moving to Australia nearly a decade ago, I found myself drawn to the agency world — the conversations, the creativity, the honesty, the challenge of wearing ten hats at once.

One thread that runs through everything I do is the belief that business moves at the speed of human connection. It’s why I’ve created my #42coffees series: slowing down enough to hear people’s stories, understand their direction and find the right doors to open for them.

The same energy shows up in the in-person events I run across Asia Pacific. When people meet in real rooms, things shift: ideas get clearer, partnerships form faster and growth feels more human.

Since then I’ve supported partners at ActiveCampaign and beforehand at Hootsuite, GoTo, Noggin, KeepItSafe and across the broader MSP and MarTech landscape. The work is always a mix of:
→ partnerships (finding the right doors)
→ automation & lifecycle systems (removing friction)
→ Social Selling (building visibility without becoming someone you’re not)
→ productised services (so the business stops feeling heavy)

What I enjoy most is watching agency founders realise they don’t need to grow through burnout — they can grow through structure.

Moving to Australia was not a straight line. A layoff opened a moment of pause which became an inflection point. I studied leadership using the time to understand the emerging SaaS ecosystem. That allowed me to transfer my experience into a new market, build a partnership-focused identity from the ground up, and develop the human-connection mindset that defines how I work today.

I’m also a long-time writer with 28 books from travel guides to Social Selling and personal development. Writing helps me make sense of things and help others do the same.

Outside work, I serve as a Board Director of Sydney’s historic Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. It’s a role rooted in community, heritage and looking after something that matters — values I try to bring into my work with agencies as well.

If you’re a boutique marketing agency founder trying to shape the next stage of your business, I’d love to hear your story. Every agency journey starts differently and no one builds it alone.

Gunnar Habitz

Collaboration rarely starts with a contract but with showing up, sharing the space, and building something together, one small step at a time.

Collaborating is one of the best #habits to develop - and the core of true #partnership.

Successful collaboration rarely starts with a big announcement or a formal partnership.
Most of the meaningful collaborations in my corporate work and my writing business didn’t begin with strategy decks or contracts.

Instead they started with curiosity, generosity, and a simple willingness to build something together before knowing exactly where it would lead.

Over time, I noticed something important: People who collaborate well don’t wait for the perfect opportunity, they practice collaboration as a habit in small and repeatable ways.

Here are some of my recent examples:

1. LinkedIn Power Lab: Since I added a co-facilitator into my webinar series with Natalie Tran (she is on the photo above) it opened broader opportunities for my network.

2. Company Events: Why should I talk during the whole event when I can introduce a fireside chat with a fellow expert as in my next event with Deanna Notice in Brisbane.

3. #42coffees: My networking series is running in its third season to showcase interesting people and their passions with my network on LinkedIn nearly every Friday.

Find more stories alongside mini-insights and actions in my latest 4-2-1 Habit blog here: https://lnkd.in/gU3hxJsh

What's your secret in winning collaborators for doing something together?

Helping boutique marketing agencies scale through human connection, automation & AI-powered workflows | Agency Ecosystem Lead @ ActiveCampaign (APAC) | Ghostwriting educational email courses for authority & conversion

🇦🇺 Agency Leaders: Join us in Brisbane for our Partner Event on Tuesday 10 February.

The marketing agency landscape is evolving fast. Are you keeping pace?

From Denver to London to Brisbane: the #EvolvingAgency Series consists of collaborative workshops designed for agency leaders who want practical strategies for scaling, retaining clients, and leveraging #AI without burning out.

What you'll gain by attending:
→ Learn how to productise your services for scalable, recurring revenue
→ Discover AI workflows to implement immediately (not just as theory)
→ Explore the agency partnership opportunities with ActiveCampaign
→ Connect with peers tackling quitesimilar growth challenges you face
→ Listen to the practitioner view in my fireside chat with Deanna Notice

Honoured to run this event in the HQ of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand which was my first professional organisation in Australia to be part of (nearly 10 years!).

The Details:
📍 Level 29/10 Eagle Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
🕙 10:00am – 3:00pm incl. lunch
💰 Free (limited to 2 attendees per agency)

🚀 Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gBWBMqRh

See you in Brisbane ☀️

#MarketingAutomation #AIAgents #MarTech #Marketing

Can you post the same content across multiple platforms? And can you simply repurpose the same by using email marketing?

You might think the simple answer is "no". But there is a better way.

Yes, you can be active on more than one platform if you position them well.

Like Facebook and Instagram have similarities so you know what to post one the one and how to tweak on the other side.

You can also position yourself on Substack from a personal side while keeping LinkedIn your professional self as the only serious reference checkpoint.

Preparing my webinar with public speaking expert Veronica Llorca-Smith🎤 next Monday about the LinkedIn Substack flywheel, here are my tips in this 373rd episode of #socialsellingmonday.

1. Position yourself with clarity on LinkedIn and on Substack, ideally in a different while congruent way attracting different audiences.

2. Define which types of content works best on which platform, sometimes it can be a different take of the same topic.

3. Engage with your audience in direct messaging on both platforms instead of just subscribing them to the other side.

4. Learn #emailmarketing on the Substack side by building your email list - your business or corporate role will thank you.

Want to learn more? Veronica and I are running a webinar "From LinkedIn Content to Substack Flywheel".
📅 Monday, 19 January 2026
🕖 7:00 PM Sydney/Melbourne time
🕖 4:00 PM Hong Kong/Singapore time

Please register here: https://lnkd.in/g8yej9QS

See you there!

Main advantage of the more silent days during the festive season? We have time to reflect and reassess.

I took that time to create the Habit Reflection Assistant. It was the missing piece where technology can help us to... slow down.

As you might have experienced as well, you don’t perform reflection on command because someone or even yourself told you so.

Reflection rather shows up when there’s enough space and time, otherwise it disappears when things are forced.

While writing my book Happy Habits last year, I realised something: Most available habit tools are designed to push people forward. Think about productivity or efficiency gains.

Very few are instead designed to help people pause without pressure, reflect without results and just stop without push to continue.

The Habit Reflection Assistant is a guided reflection space, inspired by the ideas in Happy Habits being designed for short, honest check-ins.

Maybe the only custom GPT you can imagine that suggests you to be less productive...

Read more about it in my latest Sunday Habit article: https://lnkd.in/gF_GTTqW

What's your tip about reflecting?

Next week I’m restarting my #42coffees ☕️ - the series that connected people.

Before I do that, I looked back at what the previous 88 conversations have actually taught me (and my network).

Here are my top 8 learnings with patterns that keep repeating, no matter the industry:

1️⃣ Relationships compound: One coffee today becomes an open door two years from now.

2️⃣ Offline–Online–Offline works: Meet once, stay in touch online, meet again with trust already built.

3️⃣ Great connectors listen first: The superpower isn’t talking, rather remembering, noticing, and connecting dots.

4️⃣ Content should sound human: AI can help, but heart and story are still the differentiator.

5️⃣ Data without intent is noise: If you don’t know why you collect it, you can’t improve anything with it.

6️⃣ Change is the real job now: Whether it’s cybersecurity, hybrid work, or growth—strategy means choices + change.

7️⃣ Clarity beats hustle: The best operators turn chaos into simple systems people can actually run.

8️⃣ Trust is the real growth engine: Partnerships, referrals, community are all about that with different words but the same truth.

I’m bringing the series back because these learnings matter more than ever in a noisy world.

If you’ve ever met someone over coffee and thought “this conversation might change something”… you know exactly what I mean.

What’s the best thing a coffee conversation has taught you?

Do you also observe that many professionals post consistently on LinkedIn, yet everything disappears in the feed within hours?

At the same time, many of them heard that Substack could be the right place to build a real audience… but they struggle to connect the two together.

Are you on both platforms as well but never connected the dots?

This is where my new webinar episode comes in - delivered together with Veronica Llorca-Smith🎤, one of my favourite authors and public speaking experts.

📅 Monday, 19 January 2026
🕖 7:00 PM Sydney/Melbourne time
🕖 4:00 PM Hong Kong/Singapore time

This is what we will cover in this episode:
1️⃣ LinkedIn: How to write content to spark curiosity
2️⃣ Substack: How to turn curiosity into a community
3️⃣ The Flywheel: How to leverage both to your advantage

Please register here to receive the Zoom link and the recording afterwards.

See you on Monday 19th!

Veronica & Gunnar

View event: From LinkedIn Content to Substack Flywheel

From LinkedIn Content to Substack Flywheel

What can #marketing agency leaders expect from our #EvolvingAgency Series event in Brisbane on 10 February?

Yesterday I announced my upcoming ActiveCampaign event calling for marketers from Byron Bay and Gold Coast up to the Sunshine Coast.

Already hosted in multiple cities on the globe, I will cover what matters to our existing and protective partners for wining clients in the age of AI such as:
- Scaling and sustaining agencies
- Productising tools & services
- AI for agencies

One of the highlights will be my fireside chat with our regional specialist Deanna Notice.

We will take our initial discussion from Sydney to the next level for 2026. Deanna works closely with clients and fellow partners to ensure everyone can make the best out of the technology we all use.

Now to forget: the best software won't help achieve anything when it is not implemented properly. She and her team optimise #marketingautomation success at every step to ensure clients improve their business.

The Details:
📍 Level 29/10 Eagle Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
🕙 10:00am – 3:00pm incl. lunch
💰 Free (limited to 2 attendees per agency)

🚀 Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gBWBMqRh

See you in Brisbane ☀️

Who do we want to have in our networks? Only selecting clients means missing out.

A LinkedIn guru told me last year he only connects with existing or prospective customers from his target geography - not with anyone else.

He is totally missing the mark and ignores that my network is full of his targets, just I moved down under and don't qualify for his criteria anymore.

In my view (and proven over years) it's much better to define who we attract AND also add those surrounded by that. Think about suppliers, partners, customers of our customers and fellow experts in the industry.

That mentioned guru totally overlooked that people are moving within their industry.

Here are my tips in this 372nd episode of #socialsellingmonday - the series that taught me all about consistency.

1. Rewrite your profile's About section being clear about your value for your target audience. Rewrite it based on your anchored identity, not just role or activity based.

2. Define your ICP = Ideal Customer Persona, the ideal person you serve (some also call it ICA for Avatar). Then describe who belongs to their network.

3. Build a list of important players in that market and bookmark their profiles activity by adding "/recent-activity/all" to their profile URL and saving those to your browser for easy access.

4. Engage with the content of your direct ICPs and some of their frequent networkers to enhance your visibility in the target market.

Your business will be thankful if you do that consistently for the next four weeks when business is not yet fully back to speed.

What's your tip to define the target network for outreach and engagement?

Starting the year with a bit of fun...

Most people connect AI with unlocking creativity or efficiency.

But there is more to it - at least when it comes to Active Intelligence.

What ActiveCampaign built over last year is a stunning example that AI can be a true, proactive companion - a really good mate!

I use it regularly for activities as described in the bingo card below, such as:
- setup a 5-day welcome sequence
- figure out how I can connect a certain app
- find out if my 56% open rate is actually good or not

Gone are the days where I would go to Unsplash for selecting a base image, then to ChatGPT for crafting some copy and finally to Canva for merging that together.

It's all there - within one platform.

That's why I love working with marketing agencies - doing by myself helps to understand their challenges.

How do you use #AI in #marketing?

Breath Space with Thomas

Workshops for the workplace and individuals. Certified Wim Hof Method Instructor teaching breathing techniques in Sydney, to improve physical and mental wellbeing.

Influence your immune system, mindset, performance & relationships. Reduce stress & anxiety, & boost energy & power for peak performance

Breathwork workshops help you care for your people, help their mental & physical wellbeing, & encourage a return to the workplace & avoid the #greatresignation

Chief Breathwork Officer

Re.Group Pty Ltd

Focussing on Automation, Transformation, and Process Improvement projects across the group, as well as leading the AP, AR, and Payroll teams as the organisation experiences rapid large-scale organic growth.

- Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Project for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable to transition the company from a manual-based process to an automated process with manual intervention for exceptions only.
- Automation of key internal reports such as P&L’s, Balance sheets, TB’s, Intercompany transactions. After extensive gap analysis, opportunities for improvement identified and implemented which led to significant time saving across the team of 21.5 staff hours per month, as well as a 50% reduction in time taken for bank recs and Interco transactions
- Cash management across Australia (over $AUD 1million per week), 3rd party supplier management and working closely with main banking partner (Westpac) to devise a streamlined, efficient, and fit for purpose solution that ultimately reduced costs by 83%
- Time system overhaul, configuration, and automation of timesheets which significantly reduces manual processing time of paper-based timesheets.
- Monday.com – self-taught power user and recognised by external supplier as valuable face of the company. 
- Accounting system improvement & negotiated significant cost savings with supplier (over 35%)
- Invoice management, Purchase Requests and Purchase Orders – overhaul and redesign entire process across the organisation by simplifying, standardising, streamlining the process (including sufficient and appropriate Internal controls that are fit for purpose)
- Staff training – onboarding new staff into the finance team, training videos for Monday.com, and training videos for cash management process handover.

Finance Project Manager

Re.Group is an Australian development and management company focused on providing high quality services for the recovery and recycling of resources from waste.

Group Financial Controller

TAK Advisers Ltd

Provided commercial insights, analysis and support across financial, management and strategic functions working remotely to support teams in multiple jurisdictions of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Cyprus, the Isle of Man, Malta and Poland. 

Key deliverables through 2 long-term project engagements

- Linchpin Role, holding a crucial space during a period of cultural, staffing and operational transition
- Assessed and reviewed Business Plans and finance applications.
- Assisted with complex business and legal negotiations, contracts and agreements in order to support business growth across the organisation.
- Devised financial and strategic solutions by working closely with customers to ensure needs were met for all parties involved.
- Analysed P&L forecasts, Balance Sheet forecasts, Cash Flow Forecasts, sales metric projections, market forces and KPI’s, in order to assess variances and movements against forecast, assess suitability via testing key assumptions and line drivers and provide insights, commentary and recommendations as appropriate.
- Provided SWOT analysis and subsequent strategic plans to ensure business growth towards stated goals.
- Managed Cash-Flow Forecast and Loan Portfolio.
- Assessed and reviewed investment performance including ROI, performance against forecasts and implications for future strategy (investments in Dutch company as well as loans advanced to borrowers.
- Lead and managed of the change between Managing Directors and finance teams by effectively working with key stakeholders (financial and non-financial) including Ultimate Beneficial Owners and C-Level.
- Managed high-quality stakeholder relationships during difficult transition period.
- Business as usual tasks and support such as: Accounting, IFRS Statements, monthly, quarterly and annual Management Information Review.

Commercial Project Consultant

Banasino Investments Limited (part of the Kronospan world)

Internal promotion and relocation to work closely with the Group Finance Director in Cyprus and continue my oversight and support of all the Central Finance Companies (4 large companies) in various jurisdictions.

- Worked as a linchpin where I proactively supported, assisted and collaborated with senior and junior stakeholders (as well as internal and external) on a broad spectrum of business and finance projects and tasks in different geographical regions.
- Provided daily analysis, recommendations and insights on financial performance of divisions across the organization – primarily P&L, Cash Flow Forecasts, Budgets and Business Plans (KPI’s, markets, sales projections and key assumptions).
- Devised, created, set up and then lead the Internal Credit Committee across Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Switzerland the Netherlands and the UK.
- Supervised, supported and reviewed a Multi-Jurisdiction Finance Team supervision, support and review across Cyprus, Malta, the Isle of Man, Switzerland and the Netherlands, often travelling to meet with teams and managers.
- Identified the need for, and then created and lead the Cash Flow forecasting improvement project.
- Identified the need for, and then created projects to improve internal processes and reporting frameworks such as inter-company loan reporting, management accounts, budgeting, and internal controls.
- Project leader to transfer finance functionality and processes from Switzerland, develop and grow the presence of finance function in Rotterdam, then handed over to team I helped build there.
- Oversight, consolidation, reporting and management of vast internal loan and financing portfolio.
- Designed, produced or reviewed business plans for new large-scale investment projects in Romania, Spain, Serbia, Russia and Belarus.
- Mentored, supported and lead existing and new staff across finance team jurisdictions. 
- Production of single entity and consolidated accounts under both IFRS and UK GAAP frameworks.

Senior Commercial Financial Manager

Jacatin BV (part of the Kronospan world)

Initially seconded to the Netherlands for a project and then subsequently promoted to Finance Manager of major Central Finance Company in order to carry out a multi-jurisdiction business partnering / commercial partnering role (becoming a linchpin)

Initial secondment – 12 months
This had 4 Core functions:

1.	Project Leader to transfer all finance processes and reporting from Switzerland to the Netherlands.
-	All management reports and management information production including Management Accounts, Cash Flow Forecasts, Budgets, Borrower Recoverability Reviews, Loan Agreements, Loan statements 

2.	Management Accounting and Management Reporting.
-	Preparation of Key Management Reports; 12-month Cash Flow Forecast, Annual Budget, monthly Management Accounts
-	Performance analysis against targets, budgets, KPI’s and reporting findings & recommendations to MD and C-Level Management.
-	Management and execution of all year-end processes and tasks

3.	Loan Portfolio Management.
-	Business Partnering with key management at borrowers
-	Management of Loan Agreement and loan Statement processes

4.	Develop and grow the presence of Central Finance Company function in Rotterdam
-	Assist in identifying & defining staffing needs, write job descriptions, perform interviews, recommendations for hiring of Management Accountant for the office and then support and nurture the development of the new Manager.


Finance Manager (Business Partnering role) – Internal Promotion

Building on the core work I performed on my secondment, I was to take more responsibility and a higher-level central reviewing & advisory capacity of the ‘business as usual’ activities.

-	Multi-Jurisdiction Finance Team support in Cyprus, Malta, the Isle of Man, Switzerland and the Netherlands
-	Review and analysis of Business Plans for new large-scale investment projects in Romania, Spain, Serbia, and Belarus
-	Business partnering with key managers to ensure optimised cash flow back to central finance companies

Commercial Finance Manager

Finch Holdings Limited - Part of the Kronospan Worldwide Organisation

Management accountant and leader of a small finance team in a family office with oversight of 6 companies to support and reduce the workload of the Managing Director.

Key Responsibilities:
-	Management accounting: Reviewing General Ledger and journal entries, review of monthly management accounts before issuing to MD
-	Year-end Processes: Production of year-end UK GAAP and IFRS statements, liaising with local auditors (such as fielding queries, resolving issues and managing the working relationship)
-	Loan Portfolio review oversight: daily review of loan portfolios to identify issues of non-repayment or cash flow difficulties of borrowers
-	Cash flow forecast (CFF) review and oversight: monthly review of CFF to identify issues, surpluses and deficits and then make recommendations to MD, liaising with borrowers to find solutions to identified issues
-	Loan Agreements: Review of all loan agreements with borrowers
-	Loan statements: production and maintenance of monthly loan statements issued to borrowers
-	Process and reporting improvement: Improved the usefulness, readability and timeliness of management accounts, loan portfolio summaries, loan statements, CFF to raise the profile of the office and support management.
-	Leading, supporting and nurturing: Essentially leading a small team consisting of one bookkeeper and one trainee ACCA and being the buffer between them and the MD and C-Level Manager

Finance Executive

KPMG Isle of Man

Audit Senior

Edexcel & Pearson UK

Writing National A2 examinations in Physical Education and leading the examining team. As well as providing inset training around the UK for both Advanced Physical Education, and teaching in general.

Principal Examiner for Advanced Level Physical Education (A2)

Ballakermeen High School

Teacher of Physical Education, Head of Year, Head of Advanced level Physical Education

Hi, I’m Thomas — a commercially minded leader, Chartered Accountant, and EQ strategist who thrives in the space between vision and execution, data and people, analysis and emotion.

Over the past 17+ years, I’ve worked across finance, strategy, and leadership — partnering with senior executives to solve high-stakes challenges, optimise performance, and lead with emotional intelligence. I’m not your typical Chartered Accountant (still no grey suit!); I bring curiosity, compassion, and clarity to complex environments where growth, transformation, and culture intersect.

After my daughter was born in 2021, I made the deliberate choice to pause my corporate trajectory to be present during her formative years. While on this journey, my position was made redundant — but rather than see this as a setback, I leaned into my lifelong fascination with resilience, leadership, and well-being. I launched my passion project, Breath Space with Thomas, to help others manage stress and avoid burnout through science-backed tools like breathwork, nervous system regulation, and energy optimisation.

Now, I’ve returned to the corporate world as a Director and Commercial Manager, helping a global leader grow their presence in the Australian market. I bring the same energy, empathy, and excellence to this work — driving strategic outcomes while championing a more human, sustainable way to lead.

Untangling complicated strategic or financial challenges, guiding teams through change, or supporting high-performing professionals to do their best work — my goal is to be a trusted partner. 


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Gunnar Habitz

Thomas Beresford - Burnout and Stress Specialist and Keynote Speaker

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The Battle

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Thomas Beresford - Burnout and Stress Specialist and Keynote Speaker

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