ReportsThe six winners have ambition, show team leadership ability beyond their years, know how and when to deploy technology and are skilled at driving change.7 stories or Subscribe to save articleEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookThe four traits that stand out among this year’s BOSS Young ExecutivesA formal exercise found that the six winners for 2026 were particularly adept at leading change.Jul 24, 2026Sally PattenThis exec thought she’d be a hairdresser. Her first job? MacquarieNisha Pradhan, acting chief development officer at PanAust, grew up in Mackay and Wollongong. All the girls wanted to be hairdressers, but Pradhan loved maths.Jul 23, 2026Sally PattenMeet the senior CBA exec who started his career as a bank tellerAaron Bergstrum, the premier banking state manager for Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, started from a role directly serving customers.Jul 22, 2026Sally PattenAdvertisementWhy this top lawyer’s workday starts at 8pm the night beforeFor Ironbark Financial Group head of legal Elizabeth Cameron, caring for two toddlers – including her autistic son – is all part of a “joyful juggle”.Updated Jul 20, 2026Tess Bennett‘You mature instantly’: Why this top young exec grew up so quicklyHayden Radic, director of technology at Sydney’s Powerhouse museums, was working and studying his degree part-time. Then everything changed.Jul 23, 2026Sally PattenThe PhD student who traded academia for a start-up, and raised $150mA chance encounter at university led Vanessa Vongsouthi to co-found Samsara Eco, a recycling firm hoping to eliminate the manufacturing of new plastics.Jul 22, 2026Tess BennettThis young exec attributes his success to one key traitA solo move across the country at age 17 set James Koval on the path to becoming the (frugal) policy chief for the $4.5 trillion superannuation sector.Jul 21, 2026Tess Bennett