Award Winners
2009 National Award Winners
Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year
Georgina Rinehart
Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd, West Perth
Georgina is Chairman of the Hancock Prospecting Group, an exploration and mining company group. She took over the business in 1992 from her father Lang Hancock who had been Hancock Prospecting’s Chairman, 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 projects in West Australia and Queensland, with a pipeline of other projects. Last year Mrs Rinehart’s company commenced manganese mining at Nicholas Downs, and announced the commencement of a new mining project at Hope Downs 4 in joint venture with Rio Tinto, a project Mrs Rinehart’s company had initiated. Also last year Mrs Rinehart founded ANDEV – Australians for Northern Development and Economic Vision, website: http://www.andev-project.org. This year Mrs Rinehart was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame, and received a Global Leadership Award for the CEO Master Class.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Georgina Rinehart
Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd, West Perth
Georgina is Chairman of the Hancock Prospecting Group, an exploration and mining company group. She took over the business in 1992 from her father Lang Hancock who had been Hancock Prospecting’s Chairman, 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 projects in West Australia and Queensland, with a pipeline of other projects. Last year Mrs Rinehart’s company commenced manganese mining at Nicholas Downs, and announced the commencement of a new mining project at Hope Downs 4 in joint venture with Rio Tinto, a project Mrs Rinehart’s company had initiated. Also last year Mrs Rinehart founded ANDEV – Australians for Northern Development and Economic Vision, website: http://www.andev-project.org. This year Mrs Rinehart was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame, and received a Global Leadership Award for the CEO Master Class.
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.