2009 TELSTRA BUSINESS WOMEN’S AWARD NATIONAL WINNERS
2009 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year and Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Georgina Rinehart, Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (West Perth)
Georgina Rinehart has successfully transformed a small prospecting company to a mining house recognised on a global scale. Georgina is Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, an exploration and mining company founded in 1955 by her father, Lang Hancock. She took over the business in 1992 turning the company, then in difficulties, into a mining enterprise which is now the fourth largest exporter of iron ore in Australia, and is progressing further major iron ore projects. A mother-of-four, Georgina is active across all aspects of the business and is responsible for the strategy and direction of the company, currently focusing on joint venture projects with Rio Tinto.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Rhonda Brighton-Hall, Luxottica (Macquarie Park)
As Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communication, Asia Pacific and Africa, Rhonda Brighton-Hall influences the working environment of 8,500 employees regionally. Rhonda leads the development and implementation of strategy in people, culture and communication for a company that in her region alone has a turnover of more than one billion euros.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Romilly Madew, Green Building Council of Australia (Sydney)
As CEO of the Green Building Foundation of Australia, Romilly Madew’s biggest business achievement has been growing a small industry association into an influential, internationally recognised organisation tackling the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The GBCA aims to develop a sustainable building industry and promote green building practices.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Dr Catherine Foley, CSIRO (Lindfield)
Dr Catherine Foley is a Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO, Australia's largest government research organisation. As one of Australia’s top applied physicists, she has achieved international recognition in her field, particularly for the commercialisation of systems for mineral exploration, which has contributed to the discovery of more than six billion dollars’ worth of mines worldwide.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Dr Emma Cassar, Corrections Victoria, Department of Justice (Deer Park)
Dr Emma Cassar, 32, was the first female and youngest person to ever transition from forensic psychology to an operations management role within the Victorian prison system. Innovative policy and astute decision-making has seen Emma promoted rapidly over a five year period, and she now finds herself General Manager of the Women’s Prison System in Victoria with responsibility for all functional areas of the Victorian women’s prison system, managing a budget of $22.3 million.
South Australia
2009 Telstra South Australian Business Woman of the Year and Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Susan Chase, Cowell Electric Supply (Cowell)
Sue Chase is the determined Managing Director of Cowell Electrics which provides powerline, water, gas and communication infrastructure systems to remote and regional Australia. Sue took over the company when it was close to liquidation in 2000 and five years later injected more capital to ensure the company’s survival. Despite stiff competition from larger companies, Cowell Electric has quadrupled sales, lifted profitability and now employs 35 people.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Ann-Marie Chamberlain, NAB Retail (Adelaide)
After starting her career as a clerk typist, Ann-Marie now holds the equal most senior position at NAB South Australia and nationally is among NAB’s most senior female employees. As State General Manager, Ann-Marie is responsible for $6.4 billion in personal and small business investment in SA and NT. She has helped grow the business by 20 per cent in the past two years alone, with customer numbers growing 6 per cent.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Annapurna Nori, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc (Adelaide)
As a Public Health Physician at Nunkuwarrin Yunti (NY), an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Annapurna Nori’s focus is on the health of Adelaide’s Indigenous community. Annapurna is passionate about seeing Indigenous youth become Australia’s future leaders and hopes to see a noticeable improvement in health standards among the Aboriginal community.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Susi Tegen, FREE Eyre Limited (Stepney)
Susi Tegen is the dynamic Managing Director behind FREE Eyre Limited, an Agribusiness predominantly based in the rural Eyre Peninsula. Having witnessed the demise of agriculture on the drought-ravaged Eyre Peninsula, Susi joined a pro-active group of farmers determined to forge a way forward. As an unlisted public company with 270 shareholders, FREE Eyre focuses on returning profits to the local community.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Stephanie Horlin-Smith, Clarion Hotel Soho (Adelaide)
A fifth-generation hotelier, Stephanie Horlin-Smith feels at home in the Clarion Hotel Soho. The 27-year-old General Manager of Adelaide’s newest five-star boutique hotel was instrumental in the hotel’s creation and design. In addition to aesthetics, she controls strategic direction and human resources for the property.
Northern Territory
2009 Telstra Northern Territory Business Woman of the Year and White Pages Community and Government Award
Vicki Taylor, Alice Springs Hospital (Alice Springs)
General Manager of Alice Springs Hospital, Vicki Taylor, and her highly trained staff provide medical services to a population of 55,000 across more than four million square kilometres of central Australia. Vicki has overseen an expansion in the size of the hospital and is now planning a $22 million emergency department.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Yvonne Bradley, Bradley Seafood (Borroloola)
Since 1994, Yvonne Bradley and her husband have triumphed over extreme hardship and isolation in the remote Gulf of Carpentaria to build a successful seafood business. She has doubled the size of the family’s fishing operation over the past three years and now hopes to package and market seafood under the company’s own name to restaurants in the southern states.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Wendy Oldham, NT Gas / APA Group (Rapid Creek)
As General Manager of NT Gas, Wendy Oldham leads a team that delivers gas to some of the most remote areas in the Northern Territory. Wendy’s team of 50 maintains more than 2000 kilometres of pipeline carrying natural gas that is used, amongst other things, to generate the Territory’s electricity supplies.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Charmaine Barrett, NT Industry Capability Network (Winnellie)
Charmaine Barrett, 30, is Marketing and Project Coordinator of the Northern Territory Industry Capability Network (NTICN), responsible for showcasing the strength, experience and ability of NT businesses and matching them to relevant project and business opportunities around the country.
Queensland
2009 Telstra Queensland Business Woman of the Year and White Pages Community and Government Award
Sue Scheinpflug, United Synergies(Tewantin)
As CEO of United Synergies, Sue Scheinpflug prides herself on the positive change her organisation brings to the lives of families, communities and young people in need. Providing accommodation, mentoring, family support, financial management, educational support and suicide intervention across Australia, United Synergies has grown from a Noosa-based youth service into a nationally recognised leader in the provision of a broad range of family and community services. Using herself as an example, Sue sees the not-for-profit sector as a breeding ground for the leaders of tomorrow.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Selena Cartwright, Baldwin Cartwright Lawyers (Gympie)
Twenty-seven-year-old Selena Cartwright turned the dreams of her school days into a reality after studying law by correspondence. Within three years of being admitted as a solicitor, Selena became the first female sole Principal of Baldwin Cartwright Lawyers in Gympie. Outside the practice, Selena is extremely committed to her family and local community by supporting community organisations and volunteering with the Community Legal Service.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Karen Read, Xstrata Copper (Brisbane)
Karen Read is the General Manager of Business Planning and Reporting for Xstrata Copper's copper business. Her career has spanned over 20 years in the mining industry traversing the world in a wide variety of finance and management roles in coal loading, exploration, petroleum, financial services, marketing and business planning across countries including Argentina, Peru, Chile and Canada.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Nicole Lander, Battlefield Sports (Eight Mile Plains)
Nicole Lander is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Battlefield Sports, a world leader in combat entertainment. Business-savvy Nicole grew the outdoor laser tag company from a niche hobby to a thriving international business. Having first been exposed to table-top role playing games in the 1980s, she moved onto computer simulation games before creating her own company focused on live gaming.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Michelle Weaver, Voc Ed Learning Group (Wavell Heights)
Establishing her business from home in 2003, Michelle Weaver is the Director of Voc Ed Learning Group, a national leader in providing vocational education and training, professional development programs and consulting. Michelle is considered a ‘standout’ leader in her profession and is renowned for her passion to increase the skills of vocational education practitioners for the benefit of the Australian workforce.
New South Wales
2009 Telstra New South Wales Business Woman of the Year and Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Rhonda Brighton, Luxottica (Macquarie Park)
As Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communication, Asia Pacific and Africa Rhonda Brighton oversees Luxottica Asia Pacific’s 8500 employees regionally. Rhonda leads the development and implementation of strategy in people, culture and communication for a company that in her region alone has a turnover of more than a billion euros.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Annalise Law, The Kanga Group (Northbridge)
After Annalise launched The Kanga Group, it quickly became a leading promotional products company and was responsible for Australia’s largest ever order of promotional products, the Australian government’s ‘Be Alert But Not Alarmed’ fridge magnets. Annalise opened a UK office last year, and now offers around the clock, international services supplying anything with a company logo on it.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Romilly Madew, Green Building Council of Australia (Sydney)
As CEO of the Green Building Foundation of Australia, Romilly Madew’s biggest business achievement has been growing a small industry association into an influential, internationally recognised organisation tackling the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Romilly’s next challenge is extending the green building message into Asia.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Dr Cathy Foley, CSIRO (Lindfield)
Dr Cathy Foley is a Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO, Australia's largest government research organisation. As one of Australia’s top applied physicists, she has achieved international recognition in her field, particularly for the commercialisation of systems for mineral exploration, contributing to the discovery of more than six billion dollars worth of mines worldwide.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Andrea Culligan, Unimail Pty Ltd (Sydney)
As Managing Director of Unimail, Australia’s only graduate communications, publishing and design agency, Andrea Culligan has developed a successful business that understands how to talk to the ‘hard to reach’ graduate market. From the development of graduate job directories that go to over 70,0000 students each year, an integrated jobsite receiving over 25,000 unique hits every day, to building targeted employment campaigns through text messages, email and advertising, Andrea has built a successful niche market for connecting students with employers in Australia.
Australian Capital Territory
2009 Telstra Australian Capital Territory Business Woman of the Year and White Pages Community and Government Award
Veronica Wensing, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (Dickson)
Veronica Wensing is Executive Officer of Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. The Centre provides 24/7 phone support for people affected by sexual violence; legal and medical advocacy services; face-to-face counselling for women, children and men; community education and input into government policy and reforms. Veronica holds four significant posts in advisory groups, including the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence, the ACT Independent Law Reform Advisory Council and Ministerial Advisory Council on Women.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Vicki Berry, Easycare Landscapes (Garran)
A green thumbed entrepreneur, Vicki Berry is passionate about protecting the environment, and developing native landscapes for our harsh Australian climate. Vicki identified a niche for low maintenance, sustainable gardens and started her business in her home office in 1999. Easycare Landscapes now has a purpose-built office, a turnover of $2.5 million, four cars, a truck, and staff of 20.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Joanne Metcalfe, GHD (Canberra)
Jo Metcalfe is Business Group Manager for GHD, Canberra’s largest consultancy firm of 220 professionals with global operations of 6000 people turning over $1 billion a year. She is responsible for the performance of the Management and Property group, which comprises 40 project managers, management services consultants, planners, community consultation experts and landscape architects, and has an annual turnover of $7.2 million.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
There were no finalists in this category.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Kelly Tunney, Kelly Tunney Photographer (Belconnen)
At just 21, Kelly Tunney established her freelance photography business in her lounge in Belconnen. Nine years later, and Kelly Tunney Photographer has become a full time business. Within two years, she created another two photography studios to meet the growing needs of her clients. She now shoots over 55 weddings and 40 portraits a year and has three studios.
Western Australia
2009 Telstra Western Australian Business Woman of the Year and Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Georgina Rinehart, Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (West Perth)
Georgina is Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, an exploration and mining company founded in 1955 by her father, Lang Hancock. She took over the business in 1992 turning the company, then in difficulties, into a mining enterprise which is now the 4th largest exporter of iron ore in Australia, and is progressing further major iron ore projects.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Liz Harris, Challenger TAFE (Fremantle)
Liz Harris is the first female managing director of Challenger TAFE, WA’s most diverse training provider offering over 400 courses to 26,000 students. Under her leadership, Challenger has adapted to the changing demands of the economic environment, increased its national and international standing and has become one of only six large training providers to receive Gold accreditation against the Australian Quality Training Framework business excellence criteria.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Vanessa Torres, BHP Billiton - Nickel West (Perth)
Originally a process engineer in Brazil in the 1990’s, Vanessa Torres migrated to Australia in 2007 and joined BHP Billiton, the world’s third major nickel producer. Now the Vice President of Business Development and Projects at BHP Billiton Nickel West, her proudest career achievement to date was playing a key role in the development of her former employer’s nickel business through a greenfields and acquisition strategy.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
April Jorgensen, Australasian Academy of Cosmetic Dermal Science (Subiaco)
April is the Managing Director of the Australasian Academy of Cosmetic Dermal Science, a Registered Training Organisation delivering postgraduate vocational education in the new field of dermal therapies. In 2004, April commenced writing an Advanced Diploma curriculum, which builds theoretical and practical competencies in cosmetic treatments such as intense pulsed light, laser and chemical peeling.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Yvette Manolas, Woodside Energy Ltd. (Perth)
At 28, Yvette Manolas is a Senior Engineer at Woodside Energy, Australia's largest publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production company. One of only four recognised global Perforating (explosive) Subject Matter Experts, she also recently developed a software package now used by major oil and gas companies around the world.
Victoria
2009 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year and White Pages Community and Government Award
Pauline Nugent, Australian Catholic University (Fitzroy)
Professor Pauline Nugent’s passion and dedication to health sciences has seen her champion major changes to how our professionals are educated. As Dean of Health Sciences at Australian Catholic University Pauline has been responsible for a rapid expansion in health courses and research activity. Her strong leadership role in a number of national and global nursing organisations has driven immeasurable changes to health science education.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Karen Cariss, PageUp People (Wildwood)
Karen Cariss, CEO of PageUp People, an online integrated talent management company, helps large global corporations find people, develop and keep them. She has grown the company into an $8 million industry-leading business, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, New York, London and Shanghai. The ambitious entrepreneur plans to expand her company’s profile even further, opening 13 more offices globally.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Monique Conheady, Flexicar (Melbourne)
Co-founder and CEO of Flexicar, Monique Conheady, positioned her sustainable transport service as a cheap, green, easy alternative to personal and business car ownership. In just a few years, Flexicar grew from a pilot with two cars and ten members to a profitable industry leader with 80 vehicles and over 2,000 members. Monique hopes to integrate Flexicar with a similar scheme using bicycles into every major Australian city’s public transport system.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Tamara Jackman, Underdog Training & Behaviour Consulting (Southland)
At just 24 years old, Tamara Jackman is Managing Director and co-owner of Underdog Training and Behaviour Consulting. With 1,200 clients nationally, Tamara is responsible for a number of innovative programs including helping pregnant mothers and new parents create a happy and safe environment for their dogs and newborn children. Tamara also hopes her work will help prevent dog bites and related deaths of young children.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Emma Cassar, Corrections Victoria, Department of Justice (Deer Park)
Dr Emma Cassar, 32, was the first female and youngest person to ever transition from forensic psychology to an operations management role within the Victorian prison system. Innovative policy and astute decision-making over a five year period has seen Emma promoted rapidly and she now finds herself General Manager of the Women’s Prison System in Victoria with responsibility for all functional areas of the Victorian women’s prison system, managing a budget of $22.3 million.
Tasmania
2009 Telstra Tasmanian Business Woman of the Year and Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Fiona Reynolds, The Examiner Newspaper (Launceston)
For more than two decades Fiona Reynolds has been pursuing and delivering the news. She is currently Tasmania’s first and only female daily newspaper editor, after bringing her extensive experience in print, radio and TV to The Examiner. She returned to the Launceston-based newspaper 20 years after it first hired her as a cadet. She now manages 68 dedicated staff across four locations, working on seven publications for Australia’s third largest regional daily.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Lee-Anne Levett, The Travel Studio (Hobart)
Lee-Anne Levett’s passion for travel and exceptional customer service has paved the way for her success as Managing Director of The Travel Studio, a boutique travel agency which she co-founded in Hobart in 1997. In the past 12 years, Lee-Anne has grown her business from a staff of two to eleven highly valued team members, with a multi-million dollar annual turnover.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Janis McKenna, Carers Association of Tasmania Inc (Kingston)
Accomplished business woman Janis McKenna is CEO of the Carers Association of Tasmania. A non-profit incorporated association and registered charity, the Association is dedicated to improving the lives of an estimated 69,500 family Carers living in Tasmania. In 2006, when Janis started with carers Tasmania, the organisation was on the brink of losing State and Federal funding. Janis used her entrepreneurial skills to re-structure Carers Tasmania and increase funding from $650,000 to $940,000 in just two years.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
There are no winners in this category.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Kellie Wilkie, Bodysystem Pty Ltd (Hobart)
After working long hours and with a high turnover of patients in a typical physiotherapy practice, Kellie Wilkie, 33, founded BODYSYSTEM in 2001 as a way keeping her happy, healthy and passionate about sports physiotherapy. Kellie dreams of going to the Olympics to provide physiotherapy support to the Australian Rowing Team.