Risk and reward: Turning global experience into business success

15 April 2026

Scott Cairns traded spreadsheets for helicopters and high-risk assignments in Afghanistan. The lessons he learned laid the foundation for an international consultancy helping businesses grow and thrive across the Middle East.

When Scott Cairns finished his accounting degree at Monash Business School, he expected to be wearing a pocket protector, not a bulletproof vest.

Ten years later, as a senior consultant for Deloitte in Afghanistan, he was flying in helicopters, coordinating with US military colonels and government officials, and navigating the Tora Bora mountains accompanied by an eight-person security detail.

“I’d be loaded into an armoured Land Cruiser to attend meetings - I must have looked like the president, but I was a skinny accountant in a bulletproof vest and helmet,” Mr Cairns said.

He acknowledges it was “probably more dangerous than I realised at the time”.

“But it was an unforgettable experience,” he said.

“I met incredible people, and coming from a sheltered background growing up in the country, it really opened my eyes to a world that’s far more complex and multi-faceted than I could have imagined.”

Mr Cairns was the recipient of the Professional Achievement Award at Monash Business School’s 2025 Dean’s Alumni Awards.

From market insight to business impact

Mr Cairns had been working in CFO and technology roles for more than a decade when he joined a corporate services firm in the UAE.

He was struck by how commoditised the market was.

“Companies were being sold without thought to legal or ethical implications,” he said.

“I saw a clear gap: people needed high-quality tax and corporate structuring advice. I wanted to create a business with purpose that addressed that need.”

That insight led him to establish Creation Business Consultants (CBC), a firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, SMEs, and multinational companies enter, expand, and restructure across the Middle East.

Today, the company employs more than 40 staff members across Dubai, Riyadh, Hong Kong, and Melbourne, with plans for further international expansion.

The firm has advised more than 5,000 clients across over 30 industries, helping startups reach revenues exceeding $350 million, and advising NASDAQ-listed and Fortune 500 companies.

“No two businesses are the same, every business is unique, and so I’m constantly learning about their challenges and spotting opportunities,” he said.

“I love that the work we do can lead to such tangible outcomes.”

‘There is always more to learn’

Beyond CBC, Mr Cairns’ professional influence is wide-ranging.

He serves on 10 non-executive boards across logistics, fintech, healthcare, and real estate, providing strategic oversight and governance.

He is a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) and has twice been nominated for Australian Business Person of the Year (2022, 2024).

A committed mentor, he has supported Monash MBA students since 2016 – an opportunity he wishes had been available to him as a student.

“Mentoring is really important to me. I never had that opportunity, and I wish I had, because it would have helped immensely,” he said.

“Now, I like to pay it forward and hope the people I mentor will do the same for the next generation.”

He credits Monash for instilling the continuous learning mindset that has guided his career.

“At graduation, our keynote speaker said that graduation was not the end of your learning journey - it’s just the beginning,” he said. “For me, that has proven to be absolutely true.”

He believes curiosity is a defining skill for future business leaders.

“You only know what you know today; there is always more to learn,” he said.

“If you’re inquisitive, you’ll never stagnate; you’ll always grow. The people who excel are the ones who challenge the norm, ask the tough questions, and seek to understand.”

Learn more about our annual alumni awards.