168 - Shane Mulholland - Investor, ITAD Business Leader & Company Director - Greenbox

Arete Podcast with Richard Triggs

Have you ever wondered what happens to your computer hardware when you don’t need it anymore? We speak to someone whose company offers a landfill-free recycling solution, and the all-important peace of mind that sensitive data will be erased thoroughly. Since Shane Mulholland founded Greenbox in 2000, he has seen it grow into one of the leaders in the marketplace with five facilities across Australia and New Zealand. He has an impressive list of large corporate and government clients, including the Department of Defence. There are some interesting chapters in Shane’s story. While working at Macquarie he saw an angle for reprocessing IT systems, went out on his own, and then impressed Macquarie enough to acquire them as a new client. He also made the decision to detach himself from the business and hire a CEO. Episode Highlights: - How you can still make money from old computer hardware - The level of security required to be safe with your IT systems - How Greenbox started - How Shane converted his corporate experience at Macquarie and went out on his own - How Shane ‘winged it’ when he went into business on his own - How Shane left his employer but managed to use them as his number one client when he was starting out - The importance of listening to a client, rather than simply selling your own formula - How Shane recognised he needed to replace himself as a CEO - Why Shane needed a global perspective in order to succeed in Australia - How difficult it was for Shane to step away from the business - How Shane developed the “director’s mindset” - How Shane benefited from the AICD Company Directors course - The environmental benefit of recycling/reselling computer hardware properly Have you ever wondered what happens to your computer hardware when you don’t need it anymore? We speak to someone whose company offers a landfill-free recycling solution, and the all-important peace of mind that sensitive data will be erased thoroughly. Since Shane Mulholland founded Greenbox in 2000, he has seen it grow into one of the leaders in the marketplace with five facilities across Australia and New Zealand. He has an impressive list of large corporate and government clients, including the Department of Defence. There are some interesting chapters in Shane’s story. While working at Macquarie he saw an angle for reprocessing IT systems, went out on his own, and then impressed Macquarie enough to acquire them as a new client. He also made the decision to detach himself from the business and hire a CEO. Episode Highlights: - How you can still make money from old computer hardware - The level of security required to be safe with your IT systems - How Greenbox started - How Shane converted his corporate experience at Macquarie and went out on his own - How Shane ‘winged it’ when he went into business on his own - How Shane left his employer but managed to use them as his number one client when he was starting out - The importance of listening to a client, rather than simply selling your own formula - How Shane recognised he needed to replace himself as a CEO - Why Shane needed a global perspective in order to succeed in Australia - How difficult it was for Shane to step away from the business - How Shane developed the “director’s mindset” - How Shane benefited from the AICD Company Directors course - The environmental benefit of recycling/reselling computer hardware properly Useful Links: Greenbox website: https://www.greenbox.com.au/ Connect with Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemulholland/ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs/