Success in business comes from being able to understand people and tell a story and a great way to learn how to do those things is by studying an Arts degree.

That’s the view of Aussie Broadband CEO Brian Maher who completed a Joint Honours Bachelor of Arts in History and Politics and went on to become one of Australia’s most successful corporate leaders.

“Finance is more than numbers. It’s about people and storytelling,” he told DASSH.

“Managing and producing numbers is the easy part. It’s mechanical in many ways and only one aspect. Being able to communicate what those numbers mean is much more important.”

Maher’s career has spanned telecommunications, insurance, materials handling, professional and industrial services, mining and waste management. He has held executive roles in leadership and finance across his 30-year career.

The company he now leads, Aussie Broadband, has become a nation-wide household name as the fourth largest retail internet and telecommunications service provider in Australia.

In 2020 he was pivotal in the company’s public listing and says when building any business case, you must tell the story of what you are trying to achieve and how you arrived at what you are recommending.

“It’s about understanding patterns and developing strategies. This all comes back to context,” he said.

“The best financial or business people are the ones who communicate messages and are storytellers.

“They can explain the numbers and can make informed decisions based on history and context but also based on what the possibilities and potential pathways are.”

Maher’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) was pivotal in building the skills that have underpinned his success.

He says while he intended to pursue a career in business and went on to do further study in accounting and corporate governance, his choice to study a BA did not conflict with those career ambitions but supported them.

“I was not closing off anyway potential career pathways. I chose to do a degree in something I knew I loved,” he said.

He learnt about the benefits of deep research and being able to approach complex situations from multiple viewpoints. They’re skills he’s drawn upon throughout his career in the world of business and finance.

“What I gained from my arts degree was understanding the importance of context,” he said.

“What is the context of the story you are trying to tell? What are the consequences of decisions made and not made? What are the practical considerations in the situation, and the alternative decisions?

“Why is the revenue and profit what it is? How did you arrive at that point, what could be a better or different outcome or what could have been achieved differently?”

Maher recalls reading texts during his BA about alternative philosophies and conceptualisations of society.

He says throughout his career he has understood that getting the best outcome often comes when engaging with and being challenged by different perspectives.

The Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences encourage students to question their assumptions and approach, and to be open to other alternatives and different points of view.

Maher says this is fundamental in business.

He says you make the best decisions when you have a broader understanding of the implications and potential outcomes of what you are recommending.

Reflecting on higher education, Maher says he would like to see Australians place greater value on the broad range of skillsets including conceptual and critical thinking gained through studying Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

“These are foundational for a healthy nation and workforce,” he said.

While many appear to believe what you decide to study when leaving school cements your career pathway he says this thinking limits the potential for the skills and knowledge people can learn.

Maher majored in history because of his keen interest in it and because of its broad application.

“It was really a case of not narrowing down options, or boxing myself into a career that I might not enjoyed. So I wanted to do what I enjoyed and go from there,” he said.

The flexibility of the BA program also meant that he could major in politics and he was motivated by understanding how and why certain situations evolve, and exploring alternative pathways and perspectives.

Maher says the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities are unique. Studying is not about just getting a degree or a career – the skills gained in these areas can be applied to many different careers and industries.

“It’s all about foundational learning to help you understand and create the avenues you want to pursue, rather than acting as a funnel into specific jobs or careers.”

His advice to current and future students is to not be afraid to study something which brings enjoyment.

“Don’t be afraid to supplement your education to round out your learning, or to study and learn something which you enjoy…If you do what you enjoy, you engage with it and perform better.”

When looking back over a successful and diverse career, Brian says the Arts did not close any doors for him. Rather his BA provided key learning and skills that kept options open for continual learning and adapting to dynamic environments.