Tony Sheedy on Driven The Podcast

Tony Sheedy | General Manager of Product at Ryco Filters In this episode of Driven The Podcast, Will Hamer sits down with Tony Sheedy, General Manager of Product at Ryco Filters and former Australian Army tank gunner, for a conversation about discipline, persistence, leadership and the evolution of a career in the automotive industry. Tony shares the story of his early years in the Australian Army, where he served as a gunner in Leopard 1 tanks with the 1st Armoured Regiment. His time in the military gave him a strong foundation in teamwork, safety, self-discipline and professionalism, shaping habits that he still carries today, including arriving early, being prepared and maintaining a regimented approach to the way he works. After leaving the army, Tony’s exposure to tanks and machinery led him into mechanics, where he became a qualified mechanic before moving into the automotive aftermarket sector. He reflects on his time at Logikar in the mid-1990s, where a major sourcing challenge forced him to learn how to deal directly with overseas suppliers, import products and find solutions when traditional channels were no longer available. Throughout the episode, Tony explains why he believes “persistence beats resistance,” sharing stories of repeatedly approaching potential American suppliers at trade shows until they eventually agreed to work with his business. He also opens up about the importance of making decisions with imperfect information, following a 70% information rule rather than waiting until every detail is known and opportunities have already passed. Will and Tony also explore Tony’s major role in Ryco’s relationship with V8 Supercars, from shifting the brand from a passive participant to an official filtration partner and control part supplier, to developing racing filters that improved performance and helped extend engine life. Tony discusses how Ryco’s filtration technology contributed to increasing Supercar engine life from around 4,000 kilometres to 10,000 kilometres, and how consistent collaboration with engine builders and technical directors helped cement Ryco’s position in the Gen 3 series. The conversation also covers Tony’s leadership style as General Manager of Product, including the importance of role clarity, ownership and empowering people to make decisions. He shares why he encourages his team to seek forgiveness rather than permission, creating a culture where people feel safe to act, learn and take responsibility. This episode is about discipline, persistence, innovation, motorsport, leadership and the drive to keep pushing through resistance until progress is made. Hosted by Will Hamer.