Chris Gaborit
Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Learning
Factor
Chris
attended CBSHS from 1969 – 1971
Developing a company that
makes a difference is what is important to Chris. His passion is learning and
he lives to see The Learning Factor supporting learning teams in companies
around the world.
The Learning Factor are specialists
in eLearning. They design compliance eLearning, product eLearning and systems
eLearning for Fortune 500 and ASX100 companies and also design and deliver virtual,
face to face and social learning as well as learning Apps. The Learning Factor have won many awards including
twelve Global Awards for Innovation, Creativity and Quality.
Chris always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and started his
career after school by quickly securing a role in a bank. He credits his positive experience at CBSHS
with giving him the skills and belief in himself to secure a job so soon after
leaving school.One teacher in particular had a
major impact on his time at school and in turn on his future life. Mr Buckley was Chris’s Mathematics
teacher in Year 9 and Chris says ‘he saw the good in me, my potential and as a
consequence I received top grades while I was being taught by him’.
Many years after he left school Chris was playing an amateur
golf tournament and one of the players in his group was Mr Buckley. Chris was
three under par hitting off the 14th hole (best ever!) and ended up
winning the event. Mr Buckley’s encouraging spirit was still able to bring out
the best in him even as an adult.
Chris’s advice to any student
thinking of attending CBSHS would be to realise there will always be
greater and lesser people than yourself in life including at school. But you shouldn’t allow this to make you
insecure or threatened, everyone has been given unique talents and this is what
will bring you success in your life - whether this is as a CEO, bricklayer,
sports person or nurse. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about finding
your passion and following this to the point that it opens doors for you.
His best memories of his time at CBSHS are of
hot days in summer and playing tennis and basketball with his mates, laughing
and having fun. Chris says he has always
been proud of his schools (Clontarf State and Clontarf State High) as the
teachers gave their best and were always helpful, respectful and caring. He particularly remembers that although CBSHS
is a big school it has the spirit and warmth of a small school.
The advice Chris would give to his sixteen
year old self would be that you have been given genetics from your ancestors
and a DNA unique to you, don’t listen to the doubters, listen to the positive
advice that your mother gave you that you can do anything that you set your
mind to. You will have heartbreaks, hurts and disappointments however every
goal you set you will achieve in your life, so dream big, work hard and believe
in yourself.