In Episode 27 of the Little Black Book, we speak with Andrew Downs, founder and executive director of Sage Group.

Andrew’s vision, leadership and passion underpins the success and culture of the entire organisation, growing it from a backyard business to a group employing over 600 people.

Andrew speaks about his lifelong journey of learning and how that influences much of the growth initiatives for the business. He also discusses how he has used the shared values of the business to build an aligned team of executives, team members and advisors.

He details the ups and downs of the business, including nearly losing the company during the GFC and how a clear plan provided comfort to external bankers providing support.