GOVERNANCE, CULTURE—AND THE NEXT HANDOVER Family businesses live or die on governance and culture. Johnson Group treats both as working verbs. There is a formal family constitution, reviewed and refreshed every five years, that keeps family governance and business governance aligned— but distinct. A family board meets regularly to communicate expectations and realities, and there’s an explicit norm of early, honest feedback. “If a good mate is drifting, you call it early,” Johnson says. “We try to do that in the family too—head off issues before they compound.” Culture, meanwhile, is tight-knit by design. Many of the firm’s leaders grew up with Mark and his brother, Robbie, who leads operations; others have logged 20, 30, even 40+ years at Johnson Group. That longevity breeds trust—and a responsibility to develop the next cohort. Upskilling internal talent is a priority, especially in regional communities where recruiting specialists from the city is a harder ask. “We’ve built a smart team around our own gaps,” Johnson says. “Now we’re leveling up the B-graders into A-graders with targeted training, tech exposure, and leadership support.” COMMUNITY AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Kapunda is a 4,000-person town with a big footprint in Johnson Group’s story.The company sponsors arts and sport, supports surrounding communities, and turns relationship-building into a business practice— from informal BBQs to something more unusual: wine. 94 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 07, ISSUE 11
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