Dr Hussein Rifai · October 21, 2026

Global Business Leader, Investor & Author of The Chaos Theorem
40+ Years in global business leadership85 Countries worked or conducted business inStanford Supply Chain Management qualificationSPC Turnaround leader
Dr. Hussein Rifai is an Australian entrepreneur, investor, chairman, author and lifelong student of people whose extraordinary journey has taken him across more than 85 countries, multiple industries and some of the most challenging boardrooms in the world.
Born in Nablus and raised in Jordan by a respected judge and an award-winning poet, Hussein grew up at the intersection of discipline and imagination - two influences that would shape a life defined by curiosity, reinvention and a willingness to challenge convention. His career has taken him from engineering and senior roles with global organisations including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Ernst & Young, to entrepreneurship, private equity, investment banking and corporate leadership.
He later founded investment businesses, advised companies and governments internationally, and became widely known in Australia for helping lead the turnaround of SPC, one of the country's oldest and most recognised food companies. His leadership has also placed him at the centre of difficult public conversations, from workplace decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic to going undercover to help expose the exploitation of migrant workers and modern slavery within food supply chains.
But Hussein's story extends far beyond business.
Lifelong learning isn't just a career tool; it's the ultimate survival guide for an unpredictable world.
Hussein Rifai has lived in a dozen places, visited 85 countries, and reinvented himself more times than he can count. Born in the West Bank and now based in Australia, he is an entrepreneur, investment banker, and author of "The Chaos Theorem."
He joins Brigitte Cutshall to talk about resilience, never pausing your curiosity, and finding humor in the absurd. They also cover the AI-writing debate, lessons from loss and betrayal, and why scars are worth showing.
3 Takeaways:
(1) Don’t resist the wave. Accept the change, study it, and find your place in it.
(2) Never press pause on learning. Curiosity keeps your mind (and life) moving at any age.
(3) Be the bamboo. Gather input, step back, analyze honestly, and stay flexible instead of rigid.
Visit Hussein’s website to read his articles and follow his book launch, "The Chaos Theorem"
Website: https://www.husseinrifai.com/
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/bpa3jsf6
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Guest: Dr Hussein Rifai
3+ podcast & stage appearances. Remote or in studio, broadcast-grade audio.