'Where to’ for Western Sydney? Legacy in business, sport and the community

About this episode: ‘Where to’ for Western Sydney? Legacy in business, sport and the community Lea Hicks and Richard Fox reflect on the roadmaps that have guided them to success throughout their careers in Western Sydney. Lea Hicks co-founded the Hix Group with her husband in 1992. From its base in Penrith, the business grew into a multi-trade organisation servicing customers across New South Wales before being successfully sold in 2024. Lea shares the importance of having the courage to take the first step, learning from those who have gone before you, and keeping family at the centre of business decisions. Richard Fox arrived in Australia in 1998 alongside his wife, Myriam, with both pursuing elite careers in canoe slalom. Today, Richard is President of the Penrith Chamber of Commerce, Executive General Manager Engagement & Partnerships at Paddle Australia, and proud father of Olympic champions Noemie and Jess Fox. Drawing on his experiences in high-performance sport and leadership, Richard explores the parallels between sport and business, highlighting the power of community and the reality that success in any field is rarely achieved alone. In this special episode of Beyond the Numbers with Grant Thornton, Private Enterprise Partner Beau Chaperon hosts the show and sits down with Lea Hicks and Richard Fox to discuss resilience, leadership and the relationships that help individuals and organisations navigate change and achieve lasting success for Western Sydney. 🎙️ Learn more about our guests: Beau Chaperon – https://bit.ly/4iMk2wV 📝 Read the transcript: https://bit.ly/4iN0Mzj This podcast is a part of our Beyond the numbers with Grant Thornton series: https://shorturl.at/JMVno From business strategy to industry innovation and economic landscape analysis, we’ve brought together our experts to unpack how Australian businesses are doing things differently at magnitudes never seen before in Australia. 🎧 Where to listen: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0g3cgsR... 📲 Follow us on socials: LinkedIn -   / grant-thornton-australia   Facebook -   / grantthorntonaustralia   Instagram -   / grantthorntonaustralia   About Grant Thornton Australia: Your business deserves remarkable support. No matter your industry, business lifecycle stage, market or growth plans, our experienced audit, assurance, tax and advisory professionals are dedicated to achieving the best outcome for you and your stakeholders. © 2025 Grant Thornton Australia Limited – All rights reserved. “Grant Thornton” refers to the brand under which the Grant Thornton member firms provide assurance, tax and advisory services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms, as the context requires. Grant Thornton Australia is a member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. GTIL and each member firm is a separate legal entity. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL does not provide services to clients. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another’s acts or omissions. In the Australian context only, the use of the term ‘Grant Thornton’ may refer to Grant Thornton Australia Limited ABN 41 127 556 389 and its Australian subsidiaries and related entities. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.