Wiley author, 25‑year global CEO and keynote speaker on disciplined leadership

Vision inspires. Discipline delivers. Those words have shaped Dane Hudson's leadership journey, inspired his Wiley-published book, Discipline Beats Vision: How to Be the Leader Your Company Needs Starting Monday, and now underpin his work as a CEO mentor, keynote speaker and internationally recognised authority on disciplined leadership.

Throughout his career, Dane has led organisations through rapid growth, transformation, acquisitions, restructures and crisis. During a 25-year international CEO career spanning five industries, he served as CEO of ASX-listed Australian Vintage before becoming Regional CEO of ISS Asia Pacific, where he was ultimately responsible for more than 200,000 employees across the region. Earlier in his career he was a management consultant, and a CFO and SVP with Yum! Restaurants International. Few leadership advisers combine such breadth of experience across strategy, finance, operations, supply chains, acquisitions, organisational transformation and international leadership.

Today, founders, CEOs, boards and executive teams seek Dane's advice because he has sat in their chair. Since founding Impactful Leadership, he has mentored more than 150 CEOs and founders, advised organisations ranging from high-growth scale-ups to multinational businesses with revenues of up to US$3 billion, and delivered leadership development programmes to more than 900 senior executives. His work helps leaders build disciplined organisations that scale, strengthen leadership teams, improve execution and create cultures where trust, accountability and performance thrive.

Dane's insights on disciplined leadership have been featured in leading international business media, including Forbes, The Times (UK), The NY Observer, CEO World, The CEO Magazine, Entrepreneur UK, Arab Times and the Australian Financial Review. He is a regular television commentator, sought-after keynote speaker and has appeared on more than 30 business and leadership podcasts. Together, his practical leadership philosophy, global executive experience and body of published work have established him as an internationally recognised authority on disciplined leadership.

The framework

Drawing on his executive experience and years mentoring CEOs, Dane developed the Impactful Leadership Framework, a 1,000-page practical leadership system built around three pillars: becoming a disciplined leader, driving change and being a hands-on operator. The framework gives leaders practical disciplines, proven frameworks and operating rhythms they can implement immediately to improve individual, team and organisational performance.

Dane holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Sydney and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York. He completed the executive education program at Stanford University, is an EMCC Senior Practitioner executive coach, holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Executive Coaching from Hult Ashridge Executive Education (UK), is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), a certified Everything DISC Facilitator, and has been a member of YPO for more than 25 years.

Away from his work with CEOs and leadership teams around the world, Dane enjoys spending time with his family. He has been married to Melinda for almost 40 years, and together they have three daughters who have built successful careers while maintaining balanced and fulfilling lives.