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"Don't chase everything": Davidson CEO on business transformation

Building out its business advisory capability has helped Davidson transform from a $150 million staffing provider to a $250 million 'workplace performance' company, says group CEO Trent McMahon.

"Our strategy has been fairly simple, but simplicity is complex, because it's an industry where there are a lot of great ideas and you can chase everything," McMahon tells Shortlist.

Davidson, which now has about 1,000 contractors and 160 staff, has shifted away from "multi-brand, multi-services, and multi-divisions" over the past two years.

"What that essentially means is we stick with the one client and offer multiple services. It's not a 'do a role, move to the next client, do a role' [business]. It's really looking at: what challenges do they have, what is their strategy, what's preventing them from delivering that, and how can we help?"...