Shaun Wilson talks business education and co-founding Bondi Sands

Shaun Wilson knows business. The Bondi Sands co-founder and Deakin Master of Business alum sat down with us to talk about his education and business journey. Read more about Shaun’s story. Click here to watch a video of this episode. Click here to view the episode transcript. (00:00) - From Deakin to Bondi Sands (00:31) - Meet Shaun Wilson (Founder, Bondi Sands) (00:53) - Early entrepreneurial mindset & family influence (01:51) - Lessons from sport, family & growth mindset (03:03) - Leadership journey (05:12) - Managing teams & learning people leadership (05:55) - Why Deakin and postgraduate study? (07:43) - Key business principles still used today (10:58) - Applying Deakin projects to real-world business (12:14) - Building confidence & leadership frameworks (13:43) - What makes a great CEO? (15:59) - Was the degree at Deakin worth it? (16:48) - Why beauty? Choosing the self-tanning market (18:56) - Identifying gaps & building a better product (21:00) - Product innovation: solving real problems (23:20) - From idea to product launch (25:12) - Going all-in: when to leave your day job (28:04) - Getting into retail (31:00) - Major setback: product recall crisis (33:23) - Why honesty & integrity matter in business (37:12) - Lessons from building Bondi Sands (40:01) - What makes a great leader? (41:26) - Sustainability & brand values in action (44:42) - Selling Bondi Sands – how it happened (49:01) - Selling a company: what founders should know (52:24) - The emotional side of selling a business (56:59) - What's next for Shaun Wilson? (58:00) - Sol Rise: investing in the next generation (59:55) - Mentors who shaped Shaun’s career (01:03:42) - Quickfire questions Please note: The individual views and opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of Deakin as an organisation. Deakin is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where both freedom of speech and academic freedom are vigorously upheld. Our community thrives on diverse opinions and perspectives, with open-minded inquiry and respectful disagreement essential to our university culture.