“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.