Happy Birthday Proteus - 33 Years

It is so humbling to know that on 9^th April 2026, my company, Proteus Leadership, turned 33 years of age.

That means that almost half of my life has been spent building this amazing company with my team, creating great leaders across Australia and beyond.

If I had to sum it all up, I would simply say – what a privilege!

I started Proteus in 1993 in the middle of a global recession and since then have experienced the best and worst of economic times, led the business through a global pandemic and as I write this, we are faced with wars and a fuel crisis across the world, and yet nothing has managed to stop us.

I have seen competitors and start up consultancies come and go as they struggle with the challenges of running and maintaining a business.

I have similarly seen team members come and go. Some have flourished and gone on to do great things, while others realised that the pressure and commitment to be successful in this industry was not for them.

But one thing has stood firm for 33 years at Proteus and it is this.

We did not get into this to make a quick buck or to be guru superstars, the Proteus team do it because it is our calling to create great leaders across Australia and beyond and in turn change the lives of individuals and businesses alike.

What a privilege!

Although I might be getting older now, one thing that I know for sure is that the fire in my belly to help create better people and workforces burns as bright and as strong as it ever has.

Yes, we are experiencing some of the most challenging times we have ever known right now, but all that means is that we need great leaders in our businesses, more than ever before.

Around us a new world order is being created where people are disconnecting from each other and at the risk of being unpopular, I will continue to fight against that as much as I can.

People need people - not space!

Businesses and governments and community groups need to work together like never before and leave egos and lies behind. That really is the only way any of us can be successful and fulfilled.

However, if we only focus on the problems around us then we will continue to walk the fast track to nowhere and that is not an option at Proteus.

So, thank you for being there with us over the past 33 years and thank you to my team for helping to make it all happen. I trust that there will be many more years to come and I can’t wait to present to you all of the new initiatives that we have in the pipeline.

So, here’s to the next 33 years of creating great leaders!

Des Penny
Founder & Director of Innovation and Growth
Proteus Leadership