Jarrod McGrath is a proud people advocate who promotes the importance and value of people tirelessly through his thought leadership writing and speaking around the world.
Jarrod grew up in the small country town of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. He has always been an entrepreneur and has founded and run multiple businesses spanning across the arts and consulting.
As the CEO of Smart WFM, a global Workforce Management and Human Capital Management consultancy he knows well what organisations need to provide superior people experiences and thrive in a modern digital age.
Jarrod is a two time author of ‘The Digital Workforce’ and ‘The Modern CEO’. He is currently planning his third book, ‘The Digital Operating Model’.
Jarrod is a regular media commentator and his thought leadership has been featured in many of the world’s leading publications including The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, HRM, CEO Magazine, Forbes, The Mandarin and many more.
Jarrod has a strong focus on philanthropy and regularly contributes to people-related causes.
Jarrod can be contacted at jm@jarrodmcgrath.com
"Brimming with honest and actionable insights, this book is a rare and timeless imperative for any person in business. It is an invitation to adopt a human-centred approach as fundamental to leadership. The Modern CEO is a self-benchmarking tool you can use to measure your ability to successfully lead the current and future workforce."
Jason Averbook, Former CEO and Co-Founder, Leapgen Global Leader, Mercer | Leapgen
"As a CEO in today’s constantly evolving world, it’s crucial to have a dynamic, people-focused leadership approach. Navigating the complexities of the digital age can be challenging, but Jarrod’s book provides invaluable insights that will equip CEOs with the tools they need to succeed. Whether you’re a current CEO or aspiring to take on the role in the future, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills."
Christine Mikhael, CEO, LJ Hooker Group
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"The world – and the world of work – has changed for us all, and business leaders must evolve their thinking and their leadership styles in order to meet business objectives in an environment where people and talent are the true source of competitive advantage. Through research, his own experiences, and interviews with global experts and thought leaders, Jarrod has created an immensely valuable handbook for CEOs and business leaders that can help them understand the skills and approaches necessary to lead their teams well. The future of work will certainly be volatile and uncertain, but it is also full of opportunity for those who lead their teams and their businesses well."
Jennifer McClure, CEO, Unbridled Talent, and Chief Excitement Officer, DisruptHR LLC
"Jarrod has provided practical insights around the importance of aligning purpose and people to drive results amid so much change and uncertainty. This is a must-read for any leader navigating through these complex and challenging times."
Alicia Roach, Founder and Joint CEO, eQ8
"In The Modern CEO, Jarrod brings additional awareness of Indigenous and First Nations learnings, especially around system thinking and the connection of people, family, community, society and planet. These do not have to be competing priorities; they can coexist and provide benefit in the modern corporate world."
Ben Bowen, CEO, Indigenous Literacy Foundation
"I commend Jarrod for providing CEOs a practical, must-read playbook for leading with a people-centric philosophy. At the core of this is the alignment of organisational purpose with people’s purpose."
Tracy Angwin, CEO, Australian Payroll Association
"Jarrod shifts the focus on people from HR to the CEO, and gives leaders a practical guide to drive results. A must-read."
Marc Havercroft, President, Go1
"Jarrod shares valuable insights and practical tools to help business leaders align people with organisational purpose."
Amanda Simms, CEO, Simms & Associates
"The modern CEO has to navigate the hard and soft side of business and people simultaneously, being candid yet showing care. The CEOs and business leaders who build and tap into their people and cultural intelligence will stand out."
Anoushka Gungadin, Experienced CEO, FemTech Executive and Non-Executive Director
"Jarrod has captured evolution and innovation and leadership brilliantly in The Modern CEO. A modern CEO is on an evolution of self-awareness bringing human-centred philosophy with commercial practice into business. Leaders will do well to leverage the insights from The Modern CEO and the four foundations of purpose, people, leadership and operations. Should they do so they will create sustainable success, grow the best talent and make a meaningful contribution to their community. Isn’t that what great leadership is about? Thank you, Jarrod, for bringing The Modern CEO to life, as I have no doubt leaders will be thanking you for many years to come as they learn to futureproof themselves and their organisation."
Monica Watt, CEO, Incredible Buzz, and former Group Chief HR Officer, ELMO Software
"This book is designed to help people on their journey, and I know you will be drawn in by the way Jarrod brings this to life."
Chris Wilesmith, Group CEO and Managing Director, Jaycar Group
We recently had the pleasure of having Jarrod speak at our business networking event and could not have asked for a better speaker. Jarrod, a consummate professional, connected well with the audience and delivered a presentation that was insightful and authentic. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with people deeply impressed with his knowledge, experience, and passion for the topic. Working with Jarrod was a pleasure; he helped make our event a resounding success. We would highly recommend Jarrod to anyone looking for a dynamic and impactful speaker.
Dr Penny Sweeting, BN, MN, PhD she/her
Associate Vice Chancellor Sydney Region
"Leadership is only as valuable as the followership it garners. Human to human inspiration and connection is the competitive edge that creates the performance advantage in the market. It is at the heart of the Modern CEO’s toolkit."
Nicky Sparshot, Global Chief of Transformation Unilever, former CEO & EVP, Unilever Australia & New Zealand
