Award Winners

2010 QLD Award Winners

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Telstra Queensland Business Woman of the Year

Megan Houghton

CitySmart, Brisbane

As CEO of the Brisbane City Council-backed independent entity, CitySmart, Megan Houghton is showing how governments can work with industry to deliver projects that make it easy for consumers, corporate and residential to change behaviours for the good of the environment. Having built CitySmart from the ground up, Megan has overseen the company achieve commercial and environmental outcomes in its first year by gaining corporate support of targeted environmental initiatives in Brisbane. One of the key initiatives she has driven was the $23 million EzyGreen program, which through government and corporate support, is assisting residents to reduce their energy consumption to remove more than 300,000 CO2t from the Brisbane atmosphere. In addition to helping raise awareness and change behaviours among the consumers, the initiative will help CitySmart deliver more programs, through the success sharing arrangements Megan negotiated, which are expected to return $2 million over the program life - a 100 per cent return on investment. In addition to her role with CitySmart, Megan is a non-executive director with Unity Water and the Wide Bay Water Corporation.

“As the leading force in designing and delivering this flagship project for the company, I have created credibility for future support and secured revenue for the future financial sustainability of the company” – Megan Houghton.
Book

Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award

Yvette Adams

The Creative Collective, Maroochydore

Serial entrepreneur Yvette Adams launched her marketing, public relations and website design business The Creative Collective from home after the birth of her second child in 2007. As owner-director of the rapidly-growing creative services agency Yvette now manages four staff, 25 “virtual” contractors, a franchisee and has more than 200 active clients located throughout Australia. Yvette won funding from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation for the Creative Collective to deliver 25 webinars on general business topics such as marketing, finance, start-ups and business planning. Under another contract, she is currently delivering six month education programs to 100 small business owners across the Whitsundays, Bundaberg and the Sunshine Coast regions featuring more webinars, e-lessons, computer labs and live training. Yvette, a former New Zealand water polo representative, also runs “Web Wednesdays,” a monthly professional development and networking event for Sunshine Coast business owners.

“A big part of our success to date is due to our extensive and innovative use of cloud computing online systems to ensure there is consistency and quality in our service and products” – Yvette Adams.
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Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award

Megan Houghton

CitySmart, Brisbane

As CEO of the Brisbane City Council-backed independent entity, CitySmart, Megan Houghton is showing how governments can work with industry to deliver projects that make it easy for consumers, corporate and residential to change behaviours for the good of the environment. Having built CitySmart from the ground up, Megan has overseen the company achieve commercial and environmental outcomes in its first year by gaining corporate support of targeted environmental initiatives in Brisbane. One of the key initiatives she has driven was the $23 million EzyGreen program, which through government and corporate support, is assisting residents to reduce their energy consumption to remove more than 300,000 CO2t from the Brisbane atmosphere. In addition to helping raise awareness and change behaviours among the consumers, the initiative will help CitySmart deliver more programs, through the success sharing arrangements Megan negotiated, which are expected to return $2 million over the program life - a 100 per cent return on investment. In addition to her role with CitySmart, Megan is a non-executive director with Unity Water and the Wide Bay Water Corporation.

“As the leading force in designing and delivering this flagship project for the company, I have created credibility for future support and secured revenue for the future financial sustainability of the company” – Megan Houghton.
Book

White Pages Community and Government Award

Debra Howe

Toowoomba Regional Council, Toowoomba

After successfully managing communications for the amalgamation of eight local governments into the Toowoomba Regional Council in just 174 days, Debra Howe was appointed as Manager for the council’s Tourism and Events branch. One of her first tasks was to stage the 59th nationally recognised Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in just six months. In August 2009, the Economic Development branch was added to her responsibilities. Debra is also responsible for Sister City relationships, sports tourism development, Visitor Information Centres and attracting business investment to the local economy. Debra is an active participant in promoting women in local government and is the current President of the Board of the Toowoomba and Golden West Regional Tourist Association. She also supports Queensland breast cancer organisations following her own experience with the disease – three years ago, she joined 12 other breast cancer survivors in launching a fundraising calendar.

“I believe commitment to achieving organisational outcomes while fostering professional development opportunities for team members is critical to realising personal and corporate objectives” – Debra Howe.
Book

Nokia Business Innovation Award

Dr Kirsten Heimann

James Cook University, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, Townsville

Dr Kirsten Heimann and her research in algae could hold the key to rapid reductions in carbon emissions from coal fired power stations and the return of the carbon into much valued resources. The director of the North Queensland Algal Identification/Culturing Facility at James Cook University, Kirsten is currently leading the multi-million Microalgal BIO-CCS project which uses algae to capture carbon before it enters the earth’s atmosphere. Already proving successful in trials and soon to be rolled out at three coal fired power stations, the invention sees carbon turned into protein, sugar oil and high-value co-products such as fish oil replacement, animal feeds, pharmaceuticals and biodegradable plastics. Most exciting is the potential of algal oil, which can reduce the demand on dwindling world-wide oil reserves as its composition can be used in existing jet, car and truck engines. The research was made possible as a result of Kirsten’s push to create and develop the North Queensland Algal Identification/Culturing Facility.

“One of the driving factors for my success is that I know 'success breeds success'. This is important, as it now allows me to convince others to believe in themselves and their aspirations” – Kirsten Heimann.
Book

marie claire Young Business Women's Award

Melanie Gordon

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), Moranbah

Thirty-one year old Melanie Gordon has achieved two firsts in her career – becoming the first female appointed as a Maintenance and Engineering Manager at BHP Billiton in an Australian operation and becoming the youngest female appointed to an operational management role in BHP Billiton worldwide. Starting in the traditionally male dominated mining industry ten years ago, Melanie has worked in engineering, projects, maintenance, risk management and safety fields. With a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours), she has won the Resources Award For Women and Queensland Smart State Award (Engineering). She has been a role model for women working in non-traditional roles, initiating the first regional networking group in Queensland for women in the resources industry, presenting at conferences, universities, schools, careers fairs and industry forums. Melanie is also one of ten members of the company’s Asset Management Council which is responsible for the strategic direction of maintenance for its Queensland coal mines.

“I have been able to achieve results due to my strengths, which have been identified by my peers as leadership, collaboration, action orientation and open trusting relationships” – Melanie Gordon.