Who We Are
Core Values
Our values govern who we are, what we stand for and they underpin how we make decisions:
Egalitarian: We fundamentally believe in a "fair-go" for everyone
Quality: We seek to produce something of enduring utility
Integrity: Courage to do the necessary
Core Purpose
Our purpose is to close the gap between talent, opportunity and impact. This is the reason Sky Blue Collar exists and it is our North star when we face tough grey-area decisions.
Core Vision
In our vision the Australian ideals of integrity, quality and the "fair-go" will form the bedrock of a globally shared understanding of what it means to achieve organisational excellence.
Organisations instinctively create and respond to disruption with effective, lasting solutions.
Origin Story: Our Name
Growing up in a small farming community, I was immersed in the world of blue-collar work. I learned to appreciate the satisfaction of a job well done, the importance of outcomes over adherence to process, and the quiet pride of calloused hands. However, I also experienced the limitations – constrained aspirations, a reliance on gut instinct, and scepticism towards strategic planning.
Academic research, corporate work and executive education at Harvard Business School stood in stark contrast. Powerful business models, strategic frameworks and influence driven decision-making. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that something is missing. The relentless pursuit of consensus often stifled creativity, and theoretical models sometimes seemed disconnected from the actions required for real-world success.
Sky Blue Collar joins the best of these two worlds together - top business school thinking fused with quiet pride in tangible outcomes. Our approach is unconventional. We focus firmly on developing your capacity to connect, and reconnect, the dots.
Richard Jones - Founder & CEO
Our Team
Founder & CEO
Richard is the creator of Sky Blue Collar, translating his professional experience across four industries into a generalised business system. Richard is a Harvard Business School alum and holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Adelaide.
Principle Coach
Brendan is a high performance coach, with several years experience coaching professional sports teams and corporate leaders. Brendan holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Monash University with a further 5 years of postdoctoral clinical research experience.
Principle Coach
Simon has over 20 years experience as general manager and non-executive director across building services, energy and resources industries. Simon has led organisational growth from founding to 300 people, increasing revenue by avg. 55%p.a for 18 continuous years.