FOUNDER & CEO
KOVESS INTERNATIONAL
AUSTRALASIA’S PASSION PROVOCATEUR©
Charles Kovess graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 1973, and gained his Master of Laws from Monash University in 1980. After six years of practice, including over three years with Mallesons, he established his own law firm which subsequently merged with Barker Gosling, a national law firm. Charles was Head of the Commercial Law Department.
Charles has been a director of both public and private companies which has given him business experience in fields as diverse as hotels and motels, tourism facilities, restaurants, oil, gas and gold exploration, manufacturing, primary production exports, media, both print and video, and timber milling. He has also advised a number of Australian organisations on international expansion opportunities in Hungary, Central Europe, and Asia.
As a lawyer, Charles made a significant contribution to his profession. He was active in the Law Institute of Victoria, being a member of its Council for three years, Chairman of the Legal Practice Management Section for four years, and member of the Specialisation Board and the Legal Education Committee for three years each.
After practising law successfully for 20 years, Charles took a huge risk and left the law in June 1993 to pursue his passion for increasing passion! He believes that accessing and harnessing passion is the fundamental key to leadership and business success in changing and challenging times. In March 2001, Charles earned the coveted *‘Certified Speaking Professional’ accreditation, the highest international qualification for speaking professionals.
Charles graduated from the Business School for Entrepreneurs in Hawaii, co-facilitated by Robert Kyosaki, and completed the ELI Super Teaching Course in August 1993. This Course reinforced the accelerated learning methodologies that Charles uses in his keynote presentations, seminar and workshop programs. He has presented speeches and programs to 35 of the 350 largest organisations in Australia.
Kovess International’s extensive client list includes Sanitarium; BMW Finance; Telstra; Leonard Joel; City of Greater Dandenong; ANZ Banking Group; Tourism Victoria; CBA Bank; National Australia Bank; Optus; Essendon Football Club; Brisbane Lions Football Club; Wests Tigers Rugby League Club; AXA; Australian Federal Police; Tower Life Group; Victorian Government’s Department of Treasury & Finance, Australia Post, Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
Among a lifetime of voluntary positions in which Charles has made significant contributions, he is President of the Australia-Hungary Chamber of Commerce, Trustee and Past President of Global Energy Network Institute, Past National President of the National Speakers’ Association of Australia, former Board Member of Save the Children Victoria, and former Chairman of the EC Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Vic.) Inc.
Charles is not only passionate about business: he loves sport. He is now competing in his 28th consecutive season in triathlons, he has completed the Ironman Triathlon, he has run 9 marathons, and he is an internationally qualified water polo referee. He is the father of five passionate children, Rebecca, Matthew, Timothy, Nicholas and Isabella (who was born on 01/11/10).
His first book, 'Passionate People Produce', was published in October 1997. It was a best-seller and is now in 2011 updated, revised and published in the USA, UK and Canada. His second book, 'Passionate Performance', was released in March 2000, and is now in its third reprint. Charles is the co-author of 'The 7 Heavenly Virtues of Leadership'. Published in July 2003, by McGraw-Hill Australia.
So if you need a motivational speaker for your corporate function or special event Charles Kovess is the speaker for you.
Key Note Speech Topics
1. Passionate performance: your keys to mental, physical & spiritual wellbeing in business.
2. The power of visionary leadership
3. The 7 key steps to create outstanding teams
4. How to retain the best people in your organisation
5. Passion: the key to your sustainable competitive advantage in the 21st century
6. High performance business leadership in the knowledge age
7. Change: make it an inspirational game!
8. A passion for life, and living it!
9. Key principles of personal and environmental sustainability
10. 7 Strategies that guarantee loyalty from employees and customers
