Join us at these invitation-only Business Lunches across Australia, hosted by Chamber President Jeff Doyle, aimed at providing Corporate Members and Sponsors with the opportunity to spend quality time over lunch with fellow business leaders in a private boardroom setting.
You’ll gain insights from senior leaders, hear about their challenges, how they’ve overcome adversity, created success and delivered ambitious plans. No topics are off the table, and there will be a chance for questions from all present, under Chatham House rules.
It’s a great opportunity to build your senior network across cities and sectors, spending time with decision makers from some of Australia’s leading businesses and organisations.
Dress code: Business
About our Speaker:
Joe Schmidt’s career spans decades of remarkable achievements across provincial, club, and international rugby. He began as a player for Manawatu in New Zealand’s National Provincial Competition before moving into coaching, guiding the NZ Schoolboys in 1997 and on their UK/France tour in 2001. As Assistant Coach of Bay of Plenty in 2003–2004, he helped secure the province’s historic Ranfurly Shield victory—their first and only to date.
From 2005 to 2007, Schmidt served as Assistant Coach of the Auckland Blues, then moved to France where he was pivotal in ASM Clermont Auvergne’s rise, reaching three consecutive Top 14 finals and winning the title for the first time in the club’s history in 2010. His success continued in Ireland as Head Coach of Leinster, where he delivered back-to-back European Cups (2011, 2012), a European Shield (2013), and a Celtic League title (2013).
Appointed Ireland Head Coach in 2013, Schmidt transformed the team from ninth in the world rankings to back-to-back Six Nations champions (2014, 2015), a Grand Slam in 2018, and historic victories over the All Blacks in 2016 and 2018. Under his leadership, Ireland reached No.1 in the world for the first time in 2019, and Schmidt was named World Rugby Coach of the Year.
After retiring in 2019, Schmidt briefly returned as Assistant Coach of the Auckland Blues in 2022, then joined the All Blacks coaching staff through the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where the team won consecutive TRCs and finished runner-up by a single point. Though intending to retire again, he was persuaded by Australia’s High Performance Director Peter Horne to take charge of the Wallabies in March 2024. His first test as Wallaby Head Coach was against Wales at Allianz Stadium on July 6, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his storied career.