Award Winners

Telstra South Australian Business Woman of the Year

Kelly Baker-Jamieson

Edible Blooms, Hyde Park

“I aim to be the kind of manager that I would want to work with - available, approachable and supportive - so my team feels comfortable coming to me, as well as trying things on their own.” – Kelly Baker-Jamieson

Banks turned away when Kelly Baker-Jamieson approached them with a business plan for an edible bouquet company. Undeterred, the self-confessed chocaholic invested all her money and wore a strawberry costume on street corners to launch Edible Blooms in 2005. Demand in Brisbane for her chocolate, cookie, and fruit bouquets with next-day delivery Australia wide saw expansion within a year to Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. In 2008, Edible Blooms opened in New Zealand. Originally from country South Australia, Kelly now employs a team of 25 and offers more than 100 products, with a database of 70,000 customers. A new mother, Kelly has mentored younger sister Abbey Baker to co-run the business, which grew revenue by 30 per cent last year.

Kelly is currently working on exciting offshore growth plans and continues to steer Edible Blooms with the philosophy that finding people with the right attitude is often more important than finding those with the best skill set.

Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award

Kelly Baker-Jamieson

Edible Blooms, Hyde Park

“I aim to be the kind of manager that I would want to work with - available, approachable and supportive - so my team feels comfortable coming to me, as well as trying things on their own.” – Kelly Baker-Jamieson

Banks turned away when Kelly Baker-Jamieson approached them with a business plan for an edible bouquet company. Undeterred, the self-confessed chocaholic invested all her money and wore a strawberry costume on street corners to launch Edible Blooms in 2005. Demand in Brisbane for her chocolate, cookie, and fruit bouquets with next-day delivery Australia wide saw expansion within a year to Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. In 2008, Edible Blooms opened in New Zealand. Originally from country South Australia, Kelly now employs a team of 25 and offers more than 100 products, with a database of 70,000 customers. A new mother, Kelly has mentored younger sister Abbey Baker to co-run the business, which grew revenue by 30 per cent last year. Kelly is currently working on growth plans for the United Kingdom and continues to steer Edible Blooms with the philosophy that finding people with the right attitude is often more important than finding those with the best skill set.

Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award

Theressa Hines

Electrolux, Dudley Park

“I've learnt that I am human - I can't do it all, and the best results come from shared focus, being open to other ideas, technology and, most importantly, asking for help.” – Theressa Hines

As Global Director for Environment, Health and Safety for appliance giant Electrolux, Theressa Hines wants to ensure each of the 45,000 employees at 32 manufacturing facilities heads home uninjured. Since taking up the role in early 2010, she has driven a 30 per cent reduction in injuries across the global organisation. Previously, as Human Resources for Asia Pacific, Theressa led a drop in injury metrics at the Dudley Park site in South Australia from 69 to three, halving unplanned absenteeism and saving more than $8 million in workers compensation liability. Theressa says her human resources experience, plus qualifications in Business and Management and Occupational Health & Safety, have helped her liaise with government agencies around the world and navigate cultural nuances to deliver best-practice safety outcomes. She is a representative on the South Australian Occupational Health and Safety Board for the Australian Industry Group and sits on the State Government’s Industrial Advisory Committee, while finding time to speak on safety, human resources and industrial relations at national and international business forums.

White Pages Community & Government Award

Fiona Godfrey

St Peter’s Collegiate Girls’ School, Stonyfell

“I strive to highlight my ambition, passion and personal pride in an effort to inspire and motivate staff and attract prospective families to the school.” – Fiona Godfrey

When Fiona Godfrey became Principal at St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School in 2008, Reception-to-Year-12 enrolments were 25 per cent less than they are today. In order for the School to rebuild numbers in an increasingly competitive market in Adelaide for girls’ education, one of Fiona’s first priorities was to mount a publicity campaign to quell community concerns. She then set about boosting enrolments through a multi-faceted growth program. Fiona introduced more dynamic curriculum offerings, such as the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, increased staff accountability, restructured the senior management team and established a foundation to help upgrade facilities. Enrolments for Reception to Year 12 have leapt from 481 to more than 600 in three years, while the ELC has grown from 90 to 130 students. Significantly, the budgeted surplus has catapulted by more than three quarters of a million dollars since 2008, while the school’s foundation has also raised more than $1.2 million.

Nokia Business Innovation Award

Cathryn Harris

Mount Gambier Library, Mount Gambier

“No longer places where everyone has to be quiet, libraries are busy information centres that focus on customers and offer a place to meet friends for coffee, use the Internet and, of course, find the latest thriller.” – Cathryn Harris

Believing a library is much more than books in a building, Mount Gambier Library Manager Cathryn Harris has created an exciting community hub that invites discovery. After convincing the Council in 2005 that it needed to invest $10 million in a complete library revamp, Cathryn set about gathering ideas and inspiration for programs to draw, involve and enthral her community. The Mount Gambier Library is now designed on the latest book retailing trends, with a fully integrated cafe, giving it the look and feel of a social bookstore. Its community offerings include: mentoring workshops where at-risk youth meet local business people; reading and play sessions for children and babies; IT lessons; family history programs; and Sunday farmers markets. A self checkout system was also installed to free staff for community activities. Cathryn says employees have embraced the changes through retraining and increased job satisfaction. Most importantly, library visits have increased four-fold since Cathryn’s changes were implemented.

marie claire Young Business Women’s Award

Kelly Baker-Jamieson

Edible Blooms, Hyde Park

“I want to provide long term employment to the dedicated team who have supported me and I want to see Edible Blooms as a global player, not just next year, but in ten years time.” – Kelly Baker-Jamieson

Kelly Baker-Jamieson did not just start a business when she began creating fresh fruit bouquets in 2005, she spawned an entirely new gift category. She launched Edible Blooms in Brisbane while also leading the marketing team at a large legal firm. Within a year, Kelly had also opened stores in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, expanding her product range to chocolate bouquets and next day delivery all over Australia. New Zealand expansion followed in 2008. The next logical step for many businesses might have been franchising but Kelly opted for less saturation and more sustainable growth via an extensive delivery service and a small network of company-owned stores. At 33, Kelly employs a team of 25, all of whom benefit from a bonus structure that she introduced to drive and recognise performance and help manage business costs. With revenue growth averaging around 35 per cent per annum over the past three years, Kelly is now implementing her offshore expansion strategy.