Winning against the odds with Americas Cup-winning skipper

With a blend of humility, humour and insight, Mr Bertrand reflected on his decades at the elite level of international sport and business, drawing connections between competitive sailing and today’s commercial real estate landscape.

“I brought in the philosophy of the America’s Cup, which was a result of three losing efforts in 12 years,” he said. “Eventually we got together to win, and became part of this country’s history.”

That victory wasn't just a sporting milestone, it was a moment of national pride during one of Australia’s most difficult periods.

“In 1983, we were going through a tough global recession. There were floods, bushfires, the country was on its backside in many ways. And we were taking on the one country that had never lost the Cup. That win meant more than sailing to many people.”

At the core of Mr Bertrand’s message was the psychology of elite performance, and the value of persistence, preparation, and bold thinking.

“Losing teaches you more than winning,” he said. “And the beautiful thing about youth is there is no fear. Older people are cautious because they know too much. But young people just go, and we can all learn from that.”

“I competed at two olympic games; there is nowhere to hide at the Olympics. Every Olympics that goes by, we see a slight increase in performance. All the world records and Olympic records are smashed over a 10 year period.”

He reflected on his time as president and chairman of Swimming Australia, where the team adopted a visionary approach. “We asked ourselves, ‘What is the game going to look like in 20 years, and how can we get there faster?’ That mindset, especially for young athletes, gave them permission to move without fear.”

Mr Bertrand also spoke about his exposure to innovation in Silicon Valley, where the mantra of “fail fast, learn, succeed” continues to shape entrepreneurial thinking. He also shared strategies and tips he learned from years of working with a sports psychologist.

Mr Bertrand share a philosophy that he has carried through every chapter of his life
“‘I am going to give this my personal best’ that’s the best way to approach life and business.”

He closed with a reflection on what really makes great leadership last after his experiences in sport and business. “Trust is a beautiful word,” he said. “It comes from integrity, honesty, and respect. It’s basic, but it’s everything.”

RWC - A bold new chapter

The next commercial breakout session “RWC - A bold new chapter” set a confident tone for the year ahead. Led by James Linacre, head of commercial, and Luke Dixon, head of institutional capital and research at Ray White Capital, the session offered a candid and inspiring reflection on what has been the RWC network’s biggest year to date.

Mr Linacre and Mr Dixon unpacked the performance of the RWC network over the past 12 months, celebrating consistent strength across the board and outlining a clear strategic vision for the future.

“FY2024/2025 will go down in history as the year that we came of age,” said Mr Linacre. “Our top performers aren’t just doing well, they're leading the way and setting the industry standard across Australia.”

The presenters emphasised RWC’s commitment to quality over quantity. “We would rather have 50 strong businesses than hundreds of mediocre ones,” Mr Linacre said. “To survive and thrive in this new market, you need to be constantly growing.”

They also pointed to the power of leadership within the network. “We have a great bench of leaders who are investing in their teams and creating environments where performance is not optional, it’s expected,” Mr Dixon said.

A surge in national media presence has also amplified RWC’s momentum. “The agents who are investing time with our media team are reaping the rewards, the coverage we’ve achieved has lifted the whole network,” Mr Linacre said.

The session concluded with a declaration of intent; RWC is going after market leadership. “We will defend our position and grow it further. We will be the leading auction house in commercial property across Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Linacre said.

Inside the RWC network - stories of success and strategy

The next breakout session “Inside the RWC Network: Stories of success and strategy”, offered a rare and inspiring look into what’s driving some of RWC’s most impressive performers.

The session featured candid interviews with four standout agents, each sharing their unique paths to growth and what’s fuelling their momentum heading into FY25/26.

“This session is all about real-world insight,” said Mr Linacre. “Each of these agents has experienced exceptional growth, but their strategies are grounded in discipline, focus, and a deep connection to clients.”

Samuel Hadgelias - RWC SC

Mr Hadgelias (pictured above) shared a powerful message around systemising success. “We used Pulse to reverse engineer how many calls we need to make,” he said. “We really systemised the process with our staff to ensure they’re doing enough, but always keeping the psychology of the client at the centre of everything we do.”

He reflected on the growth of his business, which began with just two people three years ago and has now expanded to a team of 11. “Our goal is to be in the top 10 businesses,” he said. “Our ambition is to run a big business across different markets.”

Mr Hadgelias credited his father, George Hadgelias, a real estate veteran of 40 years, as a key influence. “His best advice to me was: ‘just be a sponge.’ And honestly, you don’t have to look too far outside our group to find the very best operators.”

Tom Balcombe - RWC Tasmania

Having only opened the new RWC business a few months ago, for Tom Balcombe it was all about belief, people, and leveraging the broader group. “The offering at RWC is obviously fantastic,” he said. “From the get-go, James Linacre’s involvement and excitement about getting started in Tassie was infectious.”

He spoke about the power of tapping into the RWC network to build momentum. “We used the processes and tech of Ray White to back us up, and already the strength of the network is clear, we’ve had other agents help us pitch and collaborate on institutional assets.”

Looking ahead, Mr Balcombe shared his vision for expansion. “We’d love to jump into other Tasmanian markets in the next 12 months when we are ready to extend beyond Hobart.”

Jackson Rameau - RWC Gold Coast

Jackson Rameau spoke about the importance of working smart and specialising. “We are system driven. I spend my time where it’s best spent, which is talking to vendors,” he said. “Specialising and focusing on what you know is the key to my success.”

Drawing inspiration from the residential side of the business, he emphasised the power of clear territory and asset class focus. “We can learn from the resi network. Focusing on a group of suburbs or a specific asset class helps sharpen your edge.”

He also offered auction tips, centred around vendor confidence. “I use wording like: ‘I truly believe that a systematic process, an unconditional result at auction, and a time-constrained campaign will get us the best possible price.’”

At just 24 years old, Rameau has already been named the third top-performing agent internationally at the RWC awards. He attributed much of his grounding to his upbringing.
“I was blessed with two father figures in my life, my stepdad, Michael Willems, who’s a veteran commercial agent, and my dad, who is an incredible operator in the property industry as well. They taught me about respect, trust, humility, and to treat everyone with integrity.”