Scaling a business is often viewed as the prize for early success – proof a company has found its stride. Yet for many leaders, growth brings greater complexity, harder decisions and rising pressure.

“During scaling, the first biggest blind spot is often failing to recognize the need to do things differently,” Claire Mula, Founder of Made for Scale, tells The CEO Magazine. “Founders and business leaders tend to hold on to things for too long.”

That reality is why Mula, a Scaling Up coach, is determined to give leaders across Australia access to world-class scaling knowledge. After attending the CEO Summit at Harvard University in Boston in 2024, she saw how transformative it could be.

“Attended by more than 250 CEOs, the caliber of educators and speakers, as well as who was in the room, was a level beyond previous business events I had seen,” she reflects.

Inspired, she set out to bring the same experience closer to home.

The result is CEO Summit 2026, hosted by Scaling Up and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. Held in the Frank Gehry-designed UTS Business School, the two-day event, scheduled for 19–20 May 2026, is designed to help scale-ups thrive when growth often gets toughest.

Addressing the gap for scale-ups

Australia has no shortage of conferences for startups and corporates, but Mula believes scale-ups have been overlooked.

“It’s surprising. Scale-ups are often the fastest-growing companies – they create more new jobs and are often the most productive companies in the economy,” she points out.

Yet very few companies successfully achieve scale. And for those that do, growth can be overwhelming. Scaling Up Coaches aims to change that statistic by helping founders master the unique demands of the stage from sharpening strategy to building the right team.

“Leading a rapidly growing scale-up stage company requires ambition and learning to go hand in hand across critical learning areas – people, strategy, execution and cash,” Mula explains.

Innovation is just as vital. With generative AI reshaping industries, she believes the next decade will redraw the leaderboard of business.

“Where your company lands on that leaderboard depends on today’s strategic thinking and decision-making,” she says.

Global expertise with local relevance

Modeled on the Harvard event, Sydney’s CEO Summit brings the same level of international expertise while weaving in regional experience.

“We are bringing together the sharpest minds in the world in scaling and innovation in one room,” Mula says.

The lineup includes bestselling author and Scaling Up Founder Verne Harnish as well as Shuya Gong, Creative Director at IDEO CoLab Ventures and Preceptor at Harvard School of Engineering.

“I have seen both Verne and Shuya speak, and they are mind-blowing,” Mula reveals.

“Verne never fails to inspire with plenty of Scaling Up cases and strategies, and Shuya opens minds to a world of new, future possibilities with her thought-provoking observations when it comes to tech, AI and human interaction.”

Local CEOs will also be there, sharing their battle-tested lessons. Craig Scroggie, CEO of NEXTDC, for example, will discuss leading one of Australia’s fastest-growing tech companies through an unprecedented growth in demand.

And UTS professors Jochen Schweitzer and Natalia Nikolova will deliver workshops on strategic innovation, focusing on how to lead and govern at scale without losing the ability to experiment.

Beyond your typical conference

CEO Summit is designed for CEOs and founders of scaling businesses – a point of difference Mula insists sets it apart.

“Everyone in the room is more or less facing or has faced similar challenges,” she explains.

She adds that the peer learning environment is reinforced by CEO Mastermind sessions, where participants have the opportunity to exchange insights in smaller, more intimate groups.

The two-day format mixes masterclasses, fireside chats, interactive workshops and networking opportunities, including rooftop cocktails and VIP lunches with speakers. Mula emphasizes that the return on investment is significant.

“Two days out of business to change the entire trajectory of the business is nothing,” she says. “What you get for the ticket price is tremendous value in terms of inspiration, practical strategies and peer-to-peer exchange and learning.”

Tools to execute

Beyond inspiration, CEO Summit aims to provide frameworks leaders can begin to use immediately.

“Attendees will leave with inspiration and strategic clarity,” Mula says. “The decisions and tools critical to scaling up and their next stage of growth and valuation are all part of the experience.”

Those in attendance will explore how AI can open up new opportunities, and discover tools that will align leadership and governance for sustained growth, as well as stress-test strategies with peers.

Speed is another theme.

“Done is better than perfect when it comes to implementing goals and priorities,” Mula insists.

Clear, long-term vision paired with rapid execution, she argues, is the key to surviving today’s environment.

Avoiding the traps of complexity

Many scaling companies stumble because they try to take on too much.

“It’s really hard to scale many things at once,” Mula says, empathetically. “Complexity creeps in – and complexity is the enemy of scaling. But what makes it easier is having a laser-focused, sharp strategy and the discipline to stick to it and execute on it.”

According to Mula, talent is also critical.

“Average is unlikely to get you where you want to be. But incredible talent – aligned with organizational core values and stage of growth – is what keeps scaling sustainable,” she points out.

With these demands in mind, Mula believes CEO Summit is best suited for those navigating the complexities of scale.

“Any CEO, founder or business owner who is scaling or planning for scaling their business should consider attending,” she says.

More than an event, the summit’s first outing in Sydney is about setting a new standard for the region.

“Bringing CEO Summit to this region as a truly world-class event for the benefit of Scaling Up’s network, UTS alumni and scale-ups from our region is something I’m really looking forward to,” Mula says.

Early bird and VIP tickets are selling fast, with limited capacity to 200 CEOs, owners and their executive teams. Find out more and secure your spot at CEO Summit 2026 here.