How HARWELL. became one of Australia’s fastest-growing companies in under three Years

They first met at 14 years old in a football locker room at Hereford United in the UK, waiting for team try-outs to begin.

Both would go on to become professional footballers, spending years inside elite performance environments where discipline, accountability, and execution were non-negotiable. Those early experiences shaped how Harvey Rivers and Adam Powell approached leadership long before business entered the picture.

That foundation eventually became HARWELL.

Today, HARWELL. has been ranked number five on the Australian Financial Review Fast 100 List, a significant milestone for a company operating for less than three years. The business was founded by Rivers and Powell, both now aged 30, and has quickly established itself as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country.

After stepping away from professional sport, the founders noticed a recurring problem in business. Many capable founders had ambition but lacked the systems, structure, and team capability required to scale sustainably. HARWELL. was built to address that gap.

Based on the Gold Coast and working with companies across Australia, HARWELL. helps elite founders and leadership teams recruit A-players. The company specialises in finance, construction, e-commerce, and trades and labour, sectors where execution, reliability, and leadership depth are critical.

Rather than operating as a traditional recruitment firm, HARWELL. takes a performance-led approach to talent. The focus is on alignment, capability, and long-term fit, ensuring teams can grow alongside the business rather than slowing it down. This approach has supported rapid, organic growth without compromising standards.

From a two-founder operation, HARWELL. has grown into a team of 11, built deliberately to support scale and performance. Its culture-first mindset has been recognised nationally, including winning the MAYA Breakthrough Culture Award in 2025, highlighting the company’s commitment to building high-performing teams from the inside out.

Beyond the business itself, Rivers and Powell contribute to the broader entrepreneurial community through their podcast Two Blokes One Business, a podcast that welcomes founders, operators and leaders to share honest conversations about building, leading, and scaling businesses. The platform reflects the founders’ belief in transparency, learning, and shared experience.

Their leadership has also been recognised through nominations for Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year in two consecutive years, reinforcing their growing influence within the Australian business community.

HARWELL.’s placement in the top five of the AFR Fast 100 reflects not only exceptional growth, but an operational maturity rarely seen in companies of its age.

For Rivers and Powell, the focus remains consistent. Performance comes from clarity, discipline, and surrounding yourself with the right people. As HARWELL. continues to grow, the company remains committed to helping ambitious founders and leaders build teams that perform, scale, and endure.

Website: https://www.harwell.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harwellconsulting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harwellgroup
Two Blokes One Business Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness