The University of South Australia’s Centre for Business Growth (CBG) has appointed entrepreneur and co-founder of software development company Gold Systems, Terry Gold, as its first Growth Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Relocating from Boulder Colorado to Adelaide, Gold will play a pivotal role in teaching Growth Assessment Clinics and Growth Modules at the University and will help to digitally enable CBG content.

UniSA’s Centre for Business Growth delivers world-class business growth programs for CEOs/MDs and executives of small and medium companies. The programs enable executives to gain the knowledge and skills they need to accelerate company growth and compete in a global marketplace.

Since launching in 2014, the Centre has worked with more than 150 Australian companies to enable them to unlock their growth potential.

The Centre’s pilot program enabled ANZ Bank Business Customers to increase profits by 24 per cent, revenue by 29 per cent and create more than a hundred jobs.

Of the CEOs who completed the Centre’s recent rounds of the one-day Growth Assessment Clinic, 91 per cent said they now believe their companies have opportunities to grow, know how to accelerate that growth, have learned what to do, what to stop doing, and plan to implement the concepts they learned at the Clinic. 99.5 per cent said they would recommend the Clinic to other CEOs.

An experienced startup and growth entrepreneur, Gold left Bell Labs to found Gold Systems, a communications software company.

He bootstrapped the company from two people, raised venture capital money, and grew it into an industry leader serving global enterprises. He was an early member of the Boulder entrepreneurial community and has served as board member, mentor and supporter to many startup and growth entrepreneurs.

Gold Systems was on the list of the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the United States, was on Deloitte’s Colorado Fast 50 Technology Companies (seven times), Esprit Entrepreneur of Distinction, and Gold Systems was voted ‘Best Place to Work’ in Boulder, CO.

“We’re thrilled to have someone with Terry Gold’s experience join the Centre,” says Dr Jana Matthews, ANZ Chair in Business Growth and Director of the Centre for Business Growth on the appointment.

“Terry was an early adopter of the content we teach, and can attest to its relevance in helping his own company grow. He will play a crucial role in the Centre’s development as we expand our reach, offer programs in various locations around the world, and make our content digitally accessible.”

Gold has been to Adelaide three times, each time to work with Dr Matthews and the entrepreneurs in the programs she was directing.

“I’m excited to be moving to Adelaide and honoured to be the first Growth Entrepreneur at the Centre – the only Centre in the world that has Clinics, programs and results,” Gold says.

“I bring both entrepreneurial and growth experience to this position, and know firsthand how hard it is to start and grow a company. I look forward to helping more CEOs on their journey.

“The Centre has already shown that its programs are effective in Adelaide, South Australia, and Australia. But just as our client companies need to be ‘global’, so do we.

“Our Centre is in a position to scale and grow outside our region, and I look forward to helping do that. While there will always be differences in culture and business customs among countries, the basic content that Dr Matthews has developed is applicable to entrepreneurs everywhere in the world.

“I am excited by the challenge of helping to grow 240 South Australia companies, several hundred ANZ Business Customers, and many more entrepreneurs throughout Australia – and the world. CBG has gathered an amazing team of people with different skills and experiences, but all focused on company growth. I am honoured to join them in their efforts to research, identify, teach and disseminate the critical knowledge and skills that enable CEOs and leaders of small and medium companies to be successful.”