Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: What Really Builds Great Companies

At the second Young Leaders Program sundowner for 2025, emerging leaders from across AICC’s membership will hear Larry Diamond reveal the real power behind the phrase 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast.' Far from being a cliché, Larry will show how this mindset serves as a true competitive advantage and how the next generation of leaders can shape the future of work by prioritising people.

From the soul-destroying world of corporates to the rollercoaster of startup life, Larry has lived both sides. In his early career, he saw firsthand how even the best strategies fall flat in cultures that lack soul, trust, or purpose. That experience lit a fire in him — not just to build Zip but to build it differently. 

At Zip, they didn’t just obsess over growth, product, or funding — they obsessed over people. Over culture. Over creating an environment where people feel safe, empowered, and genuinely excited to come to work. Humanism wasn’t just a philosophy; it was a strategy in itself. And, ironically, that’s what helped them scale. 

OUR GUEST SPEAKER

Larry Diamond co-founded Zip Co in 2013, growing it into an ASX 200 company and one of the world’s leading consumer finance platforms. Under his leadership, Zip expanded across Australia, the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, and Europe — serving over 12 million customers and powering more than $10 billion in transactions each year. At its peak Zip employed close to 2000 staff in 14 countries. In December 2024, he stepped down from his executive roles at Zip to launch a family office and philanthropic foundation focused on meaningful social impact — but he remains a proud shareholder and advisor to the company he helped build. Also loves Zip merch!

Before diving into the world of startups, Larry cut his teeth in investment banking at Macquarie Capital and Deutsche Bank.