Technology executive wins top Victorian business women's award
1 Oct 2010
1 October 2010: An information technology executive with three decades of international and Australian experience was named today as the 2010 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year.
Janet Matton is Vice President of Operations at IBM for Australia and New Zealand, taking up the appointment in March 2009 after senior management roles in Asia, Europe and the US for IBM.
In her current role Ms Matton is responsible for the operational systems and processes for all divisions of IBM, a company with 14,000 employees in Australian and NZ. Her extensive experience in the industry globally includes leading IBM’s first applications outsourcing contract in the US, establishing an outsourcing offerings team in Europe and an e-business on demand unit in Australia.
Before returning to Melbourne, Ms Matton was Vice President Asia Pacific Sales Operations, managing 700 staff across 12 countries, and responsible for IBM’s regional operational headquarters moving from Tokyo to Shanghai in 2007.
Ms Matton also won the Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award at the sixteenth Telstra Victorian Business Women’s Awards, announced today in Melbourne.
Other winners were Sharon Pearson, founder of The Coaching Institute of South Melbourne; Dr Nicole Highet, Deputy CEO of Hawthorn West-based beyondblue; Alexandra Wardle, CEO of Minki Moop Pty Ltd (Qubies) of Cheltenham; and Kate Morris, founder of Adore Beauty of Carlton North.
Telstra Chief Marketing Officer and Telstra Business Women’s Awards Ambassador Kate McKenzie said the winners of the Victorian Awards were successful business women whose leadership qualities and achievements would provide inspiration for women across the State.
“Janet Matton is an inspirational business leader who has forged the way in the technology industry,” Ms McKenzie said. “Janet has been a key driver of change in IBM continuously throughout her career. She is passionate about promoting women in technology and promoting the level of influence that women can have in large corporations.”
Ms Matton joined IBM in 1978, held a variety of technical and sales positions and became a line manager in 1984. She chairs IBM’s Skills Board and its Diversity Council and is also executive sponsor of the mentoring program, ‘A Smarter Planet needs Smart Women.’
The CEO of Hudson Australia/New Zealand, Mark Steyn, said Hudson has been a very proud sponsor of the Awards for the past nine years. “It is a privilege to be associated with an event that showcased the calibre and quality of talented women working across Australia,” he said.
“Employment participation by women has been increasing over the past 40 years but it is still well below the rate for men and lower here than in many other developed countries. That is why we are keen to recognise the vital role that women play in the Australian workforce. This year’s line-up of finalists in the Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award, including Janet Matton, is an exemplary group of Australia’s finest business women and we commend them on their achievements,” he said.
The Victorian winners proceed to the national finals of the 2010 Telstra Business Women’s Awards which will be announced in Melbourne on 11 November. They will join an alumni of more than 430 winners of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards since the program was launched in 1995.
Winners of the 2010 Telstra Victorian Business Women’s Awards are:
Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year
Janet Matton, IBM Australia Ltd, Melbourne
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Sharon Pearson, The Coaching Institute, South Melbourne.
After establishing a successful direct marketing business by age 23, Sharon Pearson created The Coaching Institute (TCI) in 2004. Now one of Australia’s leading coaching businesses, TCI enrolled its 1600th student in 2010. TCI helps participants discover their potential through programs that accelerate business growth by practical marketing tools. Ms Pearson designed Australia’s first government-accredited diploma in coaching.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Janet Matton, IBM Australia Ltd, Melbourne.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Nicole Highet, beyondblue, Hawthorn West.
As Deputy CEO of beyondblue, Dr Nicole Highet was the driving force behind unique advertising campaigns designed to raise awareness of depression across Australia. The campaigns accurately portrayed what it is like to live with specific mental illnesses and how debilitating they can be. They also targeted family members as well as the person experiencing the illness. Dr Highet was instrumental in the implementation of universal screening for ante and post natal depression in women throughout Australia.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Alexandra Wardle, Minki Moop Pty Ltd (Qubies), Cheltenham.
As a mother of two young boys, Alexandra Wardle found it frustrating that there were no containers on the market designed just for storing and freezing baby food. So she created Qubies, an upside-down ice cube tray designed specifically for baby food. Qubies is a one-woman operation with Ms Wardle serving since 2007 as CEO, sales person, marketer and packer of her innovative, Chinese-manufactured product.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Kate Morris, Adore Beauty, Carlton North.
Growing up in Tasmania, Kate Morris often was unable to buy cosmetics advertised in magazines. So in 1999 aged 21, she developed the idea for an online cosmetics shop. The result is www.adorebeauty.com.au which now markets 100 cosmetics brands and more than $2 million in annual revenue. Ms Morris overcame the reluctance of high-end cosmetics manufacturers to supply a small independent online retailer.
Further information on the Telstra Business Women’s Awards can be found at www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com
Media contact:
Michael Grealy
Lighthouse Communications
Ph: 02 9262 3868; M: 0438 835 835
Telstra:
Karina Keisler
0419 523 776
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Telstra Business Women's Awards Network