Seventeen CFOs and senior executives from powerhouse organisations, including IKEA, DHL, Randstad and Honey Birdette, gathered behind closed doors at Sydney’s prestigious Rockpool private room for an invite-only Executive Roundtable hosted by Appellon.
The topic: “The Unseen Cost Line: Reclaiming Performance Lost to Attitudinal Behavioural Drag.”
Why This Roundtable Mattered
CFOs are experts at managing visible costs: optimising systems, streamlining technology, and cutting waste. But as moderator Mark Sewell highlighted, there is a structural inefficiency that slips under the radar: attitudinal and behavioural drag.
This invisible cost silently erodes performance, retention, and connection. Research shows it’s costing industries billions every year
Appellon’s mission is to change that.
The Appellon Methodology: From Invisible Costs to Measurable ROI
Appellon is not another engagement tool or morale initiative. It is a psych-tech operating system designed to:
- Reinforce performance-aligned behaviours weekly.
- Flag psychological and leadership risk early.
- Improve wellbeing, connection, and performance outcomes.
The methodology is grounded in neuroscience and over two decades of research into human universals. By delivering 10 minutes per week of micro-learnings, Appellon rewires neural pathways, shifting workforces from high-cortisol (stress, disconnection, inefficiency) to high-oxytocin (trust, achievement, connection) environments
The result? Tangible improvements in safety, retention, operational performance, and ultimately EBITDA.
Insights from Our Guest Speakers
Sue Jauncey, Founder & CEO, Appellon
Sue, a globally recognised psychologist, unpacked how traditional measures like engagement surveys fail to capture the real drivers of performance. Instead, consumption of content is the new people metric.
Her message was clear: “Attitudes and behaviours are not soft issues, they are structural inefficiencies. With the right system, we can reframe them at scale.”
Stephen Becsi OAM — former Navy Captain, CEO & Co-Founder, Apollo Care Alliance
Stephen drew on his unique experience leading both the Royal Australian Navy’s Strategic Reform Program and Australia’s fastest-growing aged care provider.
His challenge to CFOs was powerful: “If culture can sink a Navy, or cripple aged care, what is it silently costing your organisation?”
He shared case studies where treating culture as a measurable system, not a slogan, delivered dramatic results including $308 million in recovered costs for the Royal Australian Navy.
Professor Michelle McKay — Former CEO of UK NHS now CEO, Adelaide Primary Health Network
Michelle highlighted the human and financial cost of workforce disconnection, from her time leading NHS hospitals in the UK through to health networks in Australia.
Her turnaround stories proved that even the most underperforming organisations can shift when leadership tackles behavioural drag directly. Within five years, hospitals once rated as “inadequate” were restored to “good,” with performance improvements sustained long-term
Key Takeaways for CFOs
- Culture is not morale, it’s about structural efficiencies hidden in attitudes and behaviours.
- 10 minutes per week works micro-learnings rewire neural pathways and shift workforce outcomes measurably.
- Measurement matters and consumption replaces satisfaction surveys as the new people KPI.
- The ROI is real Appellon has already delivered $308M in cost recovery for large institutions.
Final Thoughts
The roundtable reinforced a critical truth: attitudinal behavioural drag is the invisible line item CFOs can no longer afford to ignore.
Appellon’s methodology brings these hidden costs to light, equipping executives with the tools to rewire workforce behaviours, reclaim performance, and protect long-term value creation.
The question every CFO should be asking is: What attitudinal behavioural costs are currently invisible on my balance sheet — and how much performance could I reclaim by addressing them?
To learn more, speak privately with Appellon Founder Sue Jauncey or book a 1:1 discovery session today.