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Meet Russell Gibbs
Russell Gibbs has spent thirty years with the Wen family and Hawaiian, growing from a junior leasing agent into the chairman of one of Western Australia’s most recognisable and community-minded property groups. The journey took in a brief stint as a roof tiler, four years in the classroom, and a redundancy he survived only because he was the cheapest person on the payroll.
As chairman of Hawaiian and former chair of the West Coast Eagles, Russell reflects on what he has had to unlearn moving from CEO to chairman, why business and community impact are not mutually exclusive, and how Hawaiian’s shopping centres are being reimagined as village squares at the heart of the communities they serve.
His perspective is grounded in authenticity, relationships and the belief that the harder you work, the luckier you get. Whether building Hawaiian’s community impact from the ground up, chairing a football club, or reflecting on what he would tell his 18-year-old self, Russell’s advice is consistent: take more chances, worry less about what people think, and never underestimate the value of genuine connection with people.
