Steve Cuswoth
Managing Director
What is the last book you read?
‘Five Presidents’ - a fascinating book by Clint Hill who was a Secret Service agent for five US Presidents from Eisenhower to Ford. Hill was the agent on the back of the Kennedy limousine when President Kennedy was assassinated, and his book also outlines his perspective on a range of historical events. My favourite was when he was on the golf course with President Eisenhower when the U2 spy plane coverup was blown wide open when the Soviets indicated they had the pilot in custody. To read how Hill witnessed the exact moment when Eisenhower found out and the Presidents’ explosive reaction provides a fascinating personal insight into such key historical events.
Can you play any instruments?
No but I can belt out an excellent lounge number in the shower.
Which sport team do you support?
Liverpool Football Club of course – the good thing about being the boss is I can decorate the office with my Liverpool memorabilia!
Where is your favourite place in the world?
I really enjoy the South-West of WA – growing up in Perth, it was always good for a quick get away and while I am lucky to get over there every second year, it brings me great peace to head down to Busselton and have the Margaret River wine region a stone’s throw away.
What event has changed your life?
Having an awesome son! You know having a child will dramatically transform your life, but you don’t really understand it until it happens. Junior is also old enough now to have taken on his old man’s obsession with football.
What was your first job?
My first official job at 13 and nine months was working the register in a supermarket. I remember my first day and doing training on a ‘dummy register’ and the store manager was next to me doing something else. Naturally I was terrified and couldn’t tell a cucumber from a pumpkin and the big boss there made it even worse. After a couple of minutes he said to me that I should relax and don’t expect to get it right for some time and that simple intervention changed my whole perspective – it was okay to stuff up as you learn. He turned out to be a great boss and I wouldn’t realise it for years later but some of how he dealt with people (both staff and difficult customers) I carried with me as both an employee and a manager so it goes to show every job teaches you something.
What was your life goal when you were 10?
I had two – to play for Liverpool and jump the creek near where I grew up on my BMX. I didn’t achieve the former and partially achieved the latter - I still have the scars to prove it.
What skill do you wish you had?
I would love to be fluent in multiple languages – despite school era attempts at French and Japanese that I never followed through, I remain stubbornly monolingual. Learning a second and third language remains on the bucket list.
What attracted you to your role?
I have spent the last 12 years building the kind of workplace where I want to work – smart, dedicated people fixing curly problems but not taking ourselves too seriously on the way through. It is wonderful to be able to give people opportunities in their careers and to work as partners with clients on meaty projects.
How would you describe your job to a 5-year-old?
I get to work in an office of super smart people to fix problems, talk about lots of interesting ideas and have a lot of fun along the way.
Find out more about Steve here: http://www.fpladvisory.com.au/about-us
or check our his LinkedIn profile: http://linkedin.com/in/stevecusworth