Max Knobel - Communications Manager

CRICHTONA — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:26:48 +0000

My name is Max Knobel and my role at CRC for National Plant Biosecurity is the Communications Manager.

I am originally from the UK (but please don’t hold that against me) and the thing I miss the most is, apart from my family and friends, the British pubs as they have their own distinctive feel and atmosphere.

Living in Murrumbateman is very peaceful and it has wonderful big night skies due to the lack of light pollution. If you don’t know where Murrumbateman is, it’s a small village about 40mins from Canberra CBD and has about a dozen wineries - of course I try and support the local industry as much as I can!

My favourite or ideal holiday destination is either a ski resort overseas because the runs in Australia are too short and overcrowded, or a touring holiday where I can combine something cultural with some fine eating, sight-seeing and shopping. However, it must be a holiday I’ve planned and booked myself as I’m not into organised package tours.

In my spare time, I enjoy trading the financial markets, in particular, currency markets. Enjoy is actually an understatement. My way of relaxing in the evenings is analysing charts of the major currencies and trading them. It’s not the money aspect that attracts me (although that’s nice, too!), but rather the analysis process and the psychological aspects of trading. I also mentor some newbie traders in the hope I can help them avoid the mistakes I made when I started.

My favourite movie is Slumdog Millionaire because the story is, ultimately, very uplifting and the movie is visually stunning. Having said that, I’m also partial to Chinese epics or anything based on Jane Austen books!

At the moment I am listening to (I don’t have time to read, so hence I listen to audiobooks when I’m driving) The Levity Effect by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher which shows the remarkable power of fun and humour in the workplace and that organisations incorporating laughter and fun are more effective and have lower staff turnover. You’ll be glad to know that the CRCNPB staff in Canberra have been following this practice for a while...

If money was no option, I would spend as much time as possible travelling and seeing/doing the things that are still on my long bucket list.

A quality I would most like to be remembered for is my positive nature and joie de vivre. I believe life is for living and should never be viewed as a dress-rehearsal.

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CRC for Plant Biosecurity - Max Knobel

Max Knobel - Communications Manager