25 years of Business Fitness: Brad Geelan on growth and relationships

Brad Geelan, Chief Revenue Officer, 23 years at Business Fitness

As Business Fitness celebrates 25 years, few people have had a closer view of its journey than Brad Geelan.

Across 23 of the 25 years, Brad has seen Business Fitness evolve alongside the accounting profession itself. From its early focus on documenting best-practice procedures to today’s approach to compliance automation, he has remained closely connected to the firms, individuals and industry changes that have shaped that evolution.

Now, as Chief Revenue Officer, Brad brings that long-term perspective to how Business Fitness listens to the market, builds trusted industry relationships and helps firms respond to change. Central to his experience has been the Good, Bad & Ugly Benchmarking Survey, an initiative that helped firms examine their performance, challenge their thinking and better understand the drivers of success.

“The Good, Bad & Ugly gave us a unique view into how firms were really performing,” Brad reflects. “It created a common language around benchmarking and encouraged firms to look beyond instinct and consider what the numbers were telling them.” The survey became an important reference point for firms seeking to understand their performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Its continued recognition across the profession is something Brad remains proud of. “Even today, people still refer to the Good, Bad & Ugly. For me, that speaks to the lasting value of giving firms meaningful insights they can use to make better decisions.”

That direct connection to the profession has also shaped the evolution of Business Fitness.

“When I joined, our focus was on helping firms standardise and document best-practice procedures. Today, we’re a technology company helping firms automate and streamline their compliance workflows.” Brad has seen firms move through desktop software, and now into a new era shaped by AI. While the tools have changed, his leadership philosophy has remained grounded in a consistent question: how can we help firms build stronger, more successful businesses?

“Our commitment to helping firms become more productive, profitable and successful hasn’t changed. Technology gives us new ways to deliver on that commitment, but the purpose behind it remains the same.”

For Brad, leadership has always been closely tied to relationships. Over the years, he has worked with people at every stage of their careers and watched many grow alongside the profession.

“I’ve worked with people who began their careers as junior accountants and have since become partners and leaders in some of Australia’s largest firms. Being able to support those relationships over many years, and see the businesses and people behind them succeed, has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.”

Looking ahead, Brad believes the greatest opportunity lies in technology and how firms use it. “AI and automation have enormous potential to help firms work smarter, but the real value is what that makes possible. It gives people more time to strengthen client relationships, develop their teams and focus on the work that drives their firm forward.”

With Business Fitness expanding into new markets and continuing to evolve its technology, Brad is confident about the next chapter.

“We’ve spent 25 years listening to the profession, learning alongside it and helping firms turn insight into action. With the team and opportunities we have today, I believe we can make an even greater impact in the years ahead.”

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