CASE STUDY
A.H Beard
A.H. Beard is one of Australia’s great family business success stories. For over 120 years, the Beard family has grown the company into Australia’s second-largest mattress manufacturer, with over 450 employees and operations across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Chairman Garry Beard, now in his fourth decade, rose through the ranks—from working in upholstery to leading a global wellness brand dedicated to improving lives through better sleep.
Family values and long-term relationships, like their 60-year partnership with Harvey Norman, remain central to A.H. Beard’s success. But as the business evolved, so did the need for leadership.
The Problem
The Leadership Challenge
In 2000, Garry and his brother began bringing in external leadership, starting with a new CEO. This continued in 2017 when they stepped back from daily operations and appointed Tony Pearson as CEO. Aware that many family businesses fail due to internal dynamics, Garry noted, “It’s not the business destroying the family. It’s the family that destroys the business.
Garry and CEO Tony recognised the need to align leadership with the company’s expanding vision. Tony discovered strategic misalignments and inconsistencies across the organisation. To support growth, he asked: What do our leaders need to evolve both personally and professionally?
Despite having a capable leadership team, a lack of collaboration was limiting performance. To address this, Tony sought out executive business coaching and a strategic leadership program grounded in experience and results.
“While functionally competent in their core roles; there was a lot of siloed activity in the Leadership Team. I felt we had a leadership competency gap which we needed to overcome rapidly. This was one of the main reasons for engaging Integrity and Values.”
The Solution
The Integrity and Values Leadership in Action Program
Tony partnered with Integrity and Values, an industry leader in executive coaching in Australia, founded by the highly respected Jennifer Elliott. The goal: build the leadership “muscle” to lead growth and change.
Eight leaders from the A.H Beard team enrolled in the Leadership in Action Program—a year-long journey combining monthly workshops with one-on-one executive coaching. The focus: instilling accountability, values, and communication skills critical for transformation.
Even the CFO Adam Gorczyca, initially sceptical of leadership development programs, found the structure compelling—likening it to a business degree rather than the regular leadership training and workshops he had scoffed at in the past.
Processes and Outcomes
The program delivered several core benefits aligned with it being one of the best leadership courses in Australia:
1. Facing Accountability
Each leader was individually challenged in a trusted environment. While the process was intense, every participant agreed it led to personal growth and stronger leadership capacity.
2. Improved Communication
The team learned to move beyond surface-level “everything’s fine” conversations. Integrity and Values introduced the concept of “Inoculation”—a framework for difficult but essential discussions, grounded in honesty and vulnerability.
Gillian Wise, the A.H Beard Group Education and Development Manager, saw a transformation in how she led remotely through the pandemic. Authentic communication became a powerful leadership tool.
3. Filling the Gaps
The program helped the executive leaders uncover and address personal and professional blind spots. Shared group experiences built deeper trust, creating stronger collaboration and real-time issue resolution across departments.
What once was referred to as the “Lovely Club” became a high-performing leadership unit, driving improved business outcomes and fostering deeper team alignment.
The Results
a different journey for each leader
The advantages of leadership development programs have been tangible across A.H. Beard:
- The sales team is now more efficient than ever.
- The A.H Beard team continues to be coached using with Integrity and Values frameworks.
- The leaders are living a healthier, more balanced life post-transformation.
- The senior executive leaders are now rolling out training to their own team leaders.
- A second leadership tier is now being prepared to join a similar program.
This executive coaching experience has not only built stronger leaders but also strengthened the company culture and long-term strategy.
Conclusion
Investing in Leadership for the Future
A.H. Beard proves that even the most established family businesses benefit from intentional, values-based leadership transformation. Through strategic leadership programs, one on one executive coaching, and by doing one of the best Australian leadership courses, they’ve turned challenges into opportunities for growth and succession.
For any executive leader or business owner aiming to future-proof their team, A.H. Beard’s journey is a masterclass in leveraging our executive business coaching programs from Integrity and Values to build lasting impact.
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