Lachlan Ward is the Australian CEO of ST. ALi Melbourne. Having recently visited Manila for the café’s opening at Opus Mall, the young C-Suite correctly notes that, “Good coffee is globally desired.” Though an executive today, Lachlan first began his career at ST. ALi on the ground, within the café’s coffee machines and baristas. As such, his passion for coffee is undeniably palpable.
He speaks with an affinity for coffee culture, noting the social aspects of coffee in Asia. “There’s a stronger and busier takeaway culture in Australia,” he shares. “Meanwhile in places like Manila, there’s much more dwell time where people like to drink and enjoy their coffee.” Despite these varying habits, however, the C-Suite acknowledges that there is a connective power to freshly brewed cups of joe – particularly in melting pots such as Melbourne.
“Coffee is a great connector,” the C-Suite says. “It attracts different people from different walks of life.” A nod to his multi-cultural team, Lachlan had introduced his diverse and passionate colleagues to excited press in Manila. There is Head Chef Lee Joosun, Head Barista Alex Wang, and Executive Chef Greg McFarland, all of whom flew over to the metro to introduce their talents and philosophies to the local team. “The coffee and hospitality industries tend to attract creative and product-focused people,” he acknowledges. “And when you have a group of people together like that, you can do a lot of fun things.”
Ideas flow much more seamlessly when a team carries different perspectives; and ST. ALi, as a brand, has always flaunted an inclusive and creative ambiance. They welcome people from all walks of life. That’s why expanding into Southeast Asia – from Bali to Manila – makes so much sense for them.
Of course, that’s not to say that handling a diverse group of people comes without challenges. As CEO, Lachlan admits that letting go is often the hardest thing for business owners to do. “But also,” he clarifies, “it’s important to give your team the space to learn and fail.” Everyone makes mistakes, but as Lachlan observes, it’s all part of the process. “You have to trust and believe that your team might get to the same results in a slightly different way than you would,” he says.
So how exactly does one build a team in the first place? While diversity can be enriching, choosing the best colleague can become something of a dilemma. Surprisingly, Lachlan advises deprioritizing skills searching. “These things [skills] can be taught,” the CEO states firmly. “But values and personality are the most important starting points.”
As ST. ALi Melbourne continues to grow and expand into new territory, Lachlan hopes to spotlight not just his diverse and talented team, but the people behind their coffee as well. Having acted as a barista on more than one occasion, the executive notes that there is much work being done even before coffee beans get to a café. “Good coffee starts with high-quality raw materials,” he says. “There is so much love, attention, and care that goes into the production of coffee, but all that sadly goes unrecognized. Honestly, I feel like roasters like us get too much of the attention; this is why we try to put the spotlight on people who actually grow the coffee.”
At almost 20 years old, ST. ALi is already considered quite established. They have multiple branches in Australia and Indonesia; yet, Lachlan says that he considers them to be quite young. “We’re really just getting started,” he says. “We have aspirations to be a global business within the next 5 to 10 years and this new café in Manila is just the start of an exciting new chapter for us.”
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