Mike Schneider: Managing Director, Bunnings

Published 17th December, 2024.

Episode 186 features Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings in a rare in-depth interview. Bunnings is a juggernaut in the retail world with nearly $20B in revenue and over 50,000 employees.

In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Mike Schneider reflects on growing up in a financially strained household, facing bullying and early adversity, and how those experiences shaped his empathy and leadership style as Managing Director of Bunnings, leading nearly 53,000 people.

He walks through pivotal career decisions across almost 30 years in retail, from leaving Target for Westpac to finding his edge at Bunnings, and shares hard-earned lessons from setbacks including the UK exit, personal loss, and navigating leadership under pressure.

Mike unpacks how he builds trust, invites feedback, balances humility with confidence, and sustains energy over the long haul, offering a candid, grounded look at what modern leadership really demands.

Enjoy!

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The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most relatable role models in business, tech, finance, government and sport in the US, Australia, Singapore, India and New Zealand.

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