“Taking over the nursery, it was either sink or swim – my parents taught me that if you work hard enough and long enough eventually rewards will come to you.” –Estelle Cornell.

Estelle Cornell acquired her truck driver’s and pilot’s licences and ran a transport business before a deserted Darwin nursery offered her a change of career. Launching into what she called an “adventure into the unknown”, Estelle completed a plant propagation course at Charles Darwin University and created Allora Gardens Nursery. Starting with no stock on two hectares of land, 10 years later every square metre generates income and customer orders from as far away as Melbourne and Mount Isa. As managing director of the Berrimah business, Estelle has won national garden centre awards and recognition, joining the Nursery and Garden Industry Hall of Fame in 2008 and becoming a national judge for industry awards. Estelle said she supports her eight full time employees in the same way she nurtures her plants – Allora Gardens staff have won NT Young Leaders Awards in the nursery industry five times in the past six years.

“Growing up in East Germany taught me to be self reliant and resilient – now in my chosen country of Australia, I relish the opportunity to make my mark by taking on projects that help others rise above adversity.” – Nicole Schemionek.

Nicole Schemionek was a technical support team leader for a major software company in Europe before she arrived in Alice Springs in 2005. Starting work as a projects officer with Central Desert Training (CDT), she travelled 2000km a week to deliver information technology training to Aboriginal Australians in remote communities. She also worked as Art Centre Manager at Keringke Arts at Santa Teresa. Nicole delivered her first accredited training course in Rural Operations to 22 men at Ti Tree over six months in 2008 when she was pregnant with her first child. Now as Training and Projects Manager and 50 per cent shareholder in CDT, Nicole manages 15 staff across eight locations. CDT delivers specialist training services and intensive pre-employment programs in Central Australian communities for Aboriginal adults who are preparing for work in defence, mining and construction industries. Its services include literacy and numeracy support, structured mentoring, IT and construction training.

“Working within a self-funded, economic development organisation, that promotes self-empowerment through employment, appealed to me.” – Henriette Grose.

Henriette Grose is Group Operations Manager for the Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC), one of Australia’s largest and most progressive Aboriginal organisations. Starting as a wealth creation vehicle for the benefit of all Larrakia people, it has grown since incorporation in 2001 into a successful property developer and multi-faceted business that provides employment and apprenticeship opportunities. Henriette is responsible for daily management of the business, including cost control and productivity analysis. She oversees applications and payments from the Corporation’s Distribution Policy which directs a proportion of LDC profits to scholarships, first home buyers, business start-up costs and other services. Henriette manages three subsidiary companies within the group including Larrakia Homes. Since 2006, she has managed LDC’s Employment Referral Service which has placed more than 60 people into full time employment each year. With her husband Peter, Henriette also operates three businesses that are managed by two of her six children.

“Success doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes persistence and the ability to deal with criticism, rejection, adversity and prejudice along the way.” – Tanya Kirker.

Tanya Kirker is director, partner and part-owner of HAS Business Solutions, an Alice Springs-based accounting and business advisory practice. Tanya joined HAS (formally Horwath Alice Springs) in 2000 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Auckland University and spending a decade in office administration in Queensland for a wide range of businesses. Gaining chartered accountant and tax agent qualifications led to Tanya becoming a director and holding 35 per cent equity in the Alice Springs business. Tanya leads a team of 16 with business partner Marc Loader. HAS Business Solutions has more than 350 small and medium business clients and offers a development program aimed at keeping business and financial improvement simple. HAS also provides tax returns, wills, financial planning and personal insurance to 2000 individual clients. For five years Tanya, a nine-handicapper, has been treasurer of the Alice Springs Golf Club, a body with 600 members and a $2 million turnover.

“I have learnt the importance of reflection and personal feedback in a management role and I am fortunate to have business colleagues, friends and guests who provide honest feedback and insight into our business model.” – Jodie Milne.

For Jodie Milne, a role as a receptionist at Quest Darwin while studying at Charles Darwin University was her first step in a career with the national serviced apartments group. Jodie then worked in Victoria with Quest’s national sales team as an account executive before returning to the NT to buy the Quest Palmerston franchise with partner James Watson. Quest Palmerston provides 4.5 star accommodation for extended stay corporate travellers only 15 minutes from Darwin’s CBD. Jodie is co-owner and operator as well as property manager and business development executive for the new serviced apartment property that offers studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments. She is also responsible for managing the six full time and 12 casual staff. By developing a portfolio of national and international customers by meeting clients in Perth, Alice Springs and Melbourne rather than focusing on local area marketing, Jodie says the business is experiencing high occupancy figures from targeted corporate clients.

“Within my Navy service I have adopted Navy values of honour, honesty, courage, integrity and loyalty as my framework for success.” – Kylie Beumer.

Kylie Beumer is the youngest and only female Commanding Officer in the Royal Australian Navy’s patrol boat fleet. Joining the RAN in 1997, she qualified at the age of 22 as the bridge watchkeeping officer of a guided missile frigate. Postings to Major Fleet Units, including nine warships and five operational deployments, and service in operational headquarters followed. On Kylie’s 31st birthday in 2009, she assumed command of HMAS Broome, an Armidale Class Patrol Boat that contributes to surveillance and border protection operations. She is responsible for up to 48 officers and sailors on the $28 million warship. Within weeks of assuming command, her crew intercepted and apprehended three suspected illegal entry vessels (SIEVs) at Ashmore Reef within 48 hours. By the end of Kylie’s first year at the helm, HMAS Broome apprehended 10 SIEVs, rescued more than 500 potential irregular immigrants and detained a foreign vessel illegally fishing in Australian waters.

“My grandmother and mother have been my driving factors for success – they were very strong women who looked after their families and people in their community and nothing was too hard for them to overcome.” – Priscilla Collins.

As CEO of North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), Priscilla Collins provides operational management for the Top End service that manages more than 10,000 legal matters a year. She is responsible for 77 employees, supervision of finances, policy development and lobbying for funding. Priscilla’s business goals are to ensure Aboriginal people have access to justice, to reduce their contact with the criminal justice system and to reduce the Aboriginal incarceration rate. She won funding for a program to reduce recidivism that provides support to prisoners while they are in goal and when they are released. Priscilla is a member of the NT Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council. She is a former board member of Indigenous Business Australia and a former CEO of CAAMA Group, Australia’s largest Indigenous-owned multimedia group. Holding a Master of Arts in Producing, Priscilla was involved in establishing the National Indigenous Television Service. She was also executive producer of the first Aboriginal children’s TV series.

“I thoroughly enjoy life at sea as a naval officer and relish the opportunity to exercise and improve my mariner skills and take on a demanding leadership role.” – Kylie Beumer.

Kylie Beumer graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1999, majoring in Physics and Oceanography, and now commands HMAS Broome, one of the Royal Australian Navy’s 14 Armidale Class Patrol Boats. Kylie’s achievements include awards for outstanding performance in HMAS Melbourne during preparations for an Arabian Gulf deployment and for her contribution in HMAS Kanimbla during the Iraq War. She was commended for her planning and execution of the aero-medical evacuation of casualties after an explosion on a suspected irregular entry vessel (SIEV) in 2009. During her first year as Commanding Officer of HMAS Broome, Kylie co-ordinated the challenging rescue of all 86 passengers from a sinking vessel 90 nautical miles off Christmas Island. Currently the only female patrol boat Captain, Kylie, 32, spends 150 days at sea each year and enjoys kayaking, trekking and camping – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania was a recent achievement – on her time off.

“I build client relationships for the future so our business is stabilised on high return customers.” – Jodie Milne.

When Jodie Milne purchased the Quest Palmerston franchise with partner James Watson they became the youngest franchisees within the national service apartments group. While Jodie’s primary goal was to offer a new high-quality service to corporate customers, she also faced the challenge of trying to change a perception that accommodation providers were located only in the Darwin CBD. Quest Palmerston offers a range of extra services to its long-stay guests included dining at local restaurants and charging the bill to the Quest room account, stocking the room’s pantry before the guest’s arrival, nutritious breakfast baskets, car rental and daily transfers to and from worksites. Quest Palmerston is experiencing high occupancy figures due to the convenience of its location and its direct marketing to corporations with long stay employees in Darwin. Jodie, 28, currently chairs the Palmerston Tourism Board, established to increase collaboration within the local business community and to target business and leisure travellers to Palmerston.

“I am passionate about building excellent organisational processes to facilitate social justice.”– Nicole Schemionek.

Nicole Schemionek says Central Desert Training (CDT), the Alice Springs-based, privately-owned registered training organisation (RTO) strives to remove barriers for Indigenous adults in remote communities so they can participate in mainstream employment and “close the gap.” Nicole, 32, is Training and Projects Manager at CDT as well as company secretary and part-owner of the business. She played a major role in CDT attaining RTO status in 2008 and supporting its application to the Federal Government’s Indigenous Employment Program panel. This has allowed CDT, which was launched in 2004, to expand its services in the Territory. Nicole’s participation in the establishment of the first Imparja Cup Indigenous Career Expo gave her the opportunity to develop event management strategies and skills. CDT’s major clients include the Department of Education and Training (DET), Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), the Australian Defence Force, Tangentyere Employment Services and the Central Land Council.