What Makes The New Deputy CEO Tick?

In hindsight, Covid-19 provided the perfect ‘trial by fire’ for Owen Webb to take on the burdens of being Deputy CEO of the AHA|SA.

By his own admission, the 24/7 demands of the pandemic took him “right to the edge and almost broke me”.

“Now that I look back, it felt as though if we could get through that period as an industry, we could just about get through anything,” he said,

“I personally had never been busier than during the pandemic. It was unrelenting, amendments were being made to IR legislation on a regular basis and at a state level the goalposts were constantly changing through changes to the emergency management directions. Trying to decipher the changes and how they applied in practical terms to members and their employees was a huge challenge.

“It wasn’t just me. The whole AHA|SA team were magnificent the way they worked so cohesively together and thought of ideas “outside of the box”. The team carried a huge workload for the industry, and in the end we were able to provide really succinct, timely advice and support to our members.

“That was greatly appreciated by the members and that appreciation made it all worthwhile.

“We were nimble and adaptable as an association, and in the end we came out of the Covid period with higher levels of membership than we’d ever had before, because more than ever hotels could see the benefits of being a member of the AHA.

“What I took from our members during that period was their positive outlook. I was earning a salary and still had a job, but for the hoteliers they were riding the wave of emotions having to deal with constant change and not only having to think about how they were going to keep their business afloat but also how they were going to try and keep their staff employed. They didn’t mope around; instead, they asked ‘How can we make this work?’ They had to come up with innovative ideas to maintain trade – who would have thought we would have served so many meals through the drive thru bottleshops ! They were incredible”.

Personal

Looking at his lean, clean-cut appearance, you might not be surprised to learn that Owen has run a staggering 11 marathons (42.2km) and assures me that this year’s Adelaide Marathon will be number 12. But few would suspect that he has cleaned hotel rooms and worked alongside farmers and roo shooters to earn a living.

That was many years ago in more carefree times after leaving school. However, he has retained the skills learned from working with people from all walks of life, especially when it comes to understanding employee and IR matters.

Adelaide born and bred - “my parents were 10-pound Poms” – he spent an impromptu gap year after school, working around Australia in a winery, in hospitality and travelling overseas.

He went on to complete a Bachelor of Management in Labour Relations at the University of South Australia in 1999.

Married to Vesna, he has a daughter Amelia aged 19 and a son Aleksander aged 14.

Owen has been at the AHA|SA for a total of 14 years. However, this is his second stint, his first being between 2001 and 2003. He has also worked in hotels in HR roles, for both the RD Jones Group in Adelaide for five years and Mantra Accommodation Group for four years.

Throughout his career he has forged a formidable reputation for being a cool head under pressure, with more than five years as Workplace Relations Manager and six years as an IR advocate.

“I love the idea of helping people with problems, which is part of the appeal of IR,” he said.

“If there is a problem, I enjoy the idea of trying to work through it and seeing if there is a solution.

“That’s why I like the membership association work. We can work through a member’s problem, assist them (hopefully), and enjoy the feeling of satisfaction when the member is happy with the outcome.”

Owen clearly has the rare ability to cut through complexity and provide clear and simplified advice.

He is also adept at dealing with pressure and multiple inputs, two traits he will need as the Deputy CEO.

New Position

Describing how he sees his role, Owen said: “David (Basheer) and Anna (Moeller) are the spokespeople for the industry.

“At this stage I'm more behind-the-scenes. I'm there to assist to work across our projects, services and advocacy, and to get a strong handle on the issues affecting our industry.”

In addition to IR work, Owen assists with regional meetings, and meets with the likes of Liquor and Gaming, and ministerial advisors to gain an understanding of proposed legislation and changes to guidelines, and to provide input.

He also sits on the Industrial Relations Consultative Council, which mainly comprises employers and unions, who provide input and feedback to the Minister for Industrial Relations on any proposed changes the state government is seeking to make in IR and Work Health and Safety.

In his words, he’s “adding depth” to the association.

“For the AHA|SA team, our key function is to assist members work through the challenges they face from a legislative and compliance perspective, and provide them with the necessary support and tools to help them successfully run their businesses” he said. These challenges include labour shortages, rising cost of business, compliance and red tape… to name a few.

“The labour shortage, particularly post Covid, has been crippling for our industry. We have instances of members not getting a single applicant for a job, and hotels having to reduce trade and services because they simply don’t have the staff to service customers.

“There remains a real challenge to promote our industry to younger generations and to promote the industry as providing an exciting and fulfilling career.

“We have recently put in submissions to the state government for funding that can be used to try and promote and attract individuals into our industry”.

“As an industry association we will also continue to support the government to attract major events and boost tourism, and importantly advocate for an increase to the budget for the tourism commission to attract those visitors from interstate and overseas through appropriate campaigns.”

Vision

Those who know him say he is patient, a good listener and above all, a problem solver.

But that patience can be tested.

“From an industrial relations perspective, there is no doubt in my mind that we are overregulated,” explained the 47-year-old.

“It would be nice if we made life easier and less complex, especially industrial relations for small business, so it’s not overwhelming for them.

He would also like to be part of a societal change where a hospitality career is at the forefront of young peoples’ minds, with a higher level of skills and training.”