Top award for woman who minds police business
30 Sep 2011
The highest ranked woman in the NSW Police Force - and across Australia - has been named the 2011 Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year.
Catherine Burn, Deputy Commissioner for Corporate Services in the NSW Police Force, runs the business side of policing, managing a $2.7 billion budget and ensuring the 16,000 officers and 4,000 support staff have the capability, resources and capacity to do their jobs.
A police officer for 27 years who was promoted to Deputy Commissioner in 2010, Ms Burn has always been passionate about customer service and community engagement. Her career includes operational commands in Burwood from 2002, Redfern from mid-2005 and the Central Metropolitan Region from 2006.
She introduced a strategic cultural change program in 2008 that has achieved significant results including a reduction in complaints against police, improved victim follow-up and increased community confidence in police.
Ms Burn, who spent much of her career in criminal investigation, has responsibilities which include workforce safety and education and training. She has combined business skills with civic duties for the benefit of both the Police Force and the community, winning several police and community accolades, including the Australian Police Medal.
Ms Burn was also named winner of the White Pages Community and Government Award at the Telstra NSW Business Women’s Awards presentation in Sydney.
Other winners included custom shoe entrepreneur Jodie Fox, vocational education & training business owner Maureen Houssein-Mustafa, OAM, “green steel” technology inventor Professor Veena Sahajwalla and selfmanaged superannuation fund auditor Jo Heighway.
Kate McKenzie, Telstra Group Managing Director for Innovation, Products and Marketing and TBWA Ambassador, said: “Telstra established the Awards program in 1995 to celebrate the success of inspirational business women and provide motivation for others.
“The Awards judges were impressed with the operational record of Catherine Burn and her leadership of ground-breaking victim support, customer service and community awareness programs.”
Michelle Sherwood, Executive General Manager Strategic Marketing at Sensis Pty Ltd, sponsor of the Community and Government Award, said: “White Pages® is proud to be associated with an Awards program that recognises the significant achievements of women, especially women who work in the Community and Government sector.
“Catherine Burn is an inspirational role model for every woman who aspires to be the best in their profession,” Ms Sherwood said.
The NSW winners proceed to the national finals of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards that will be announced in Melbourne on 18 November.
Winners of the 2011 Telstra NSW Business Women’s Awards are:
Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year
Catherine Burn NSW Police Force, Sydney
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Maureen Houssein-Mustafa, OAM MHM Australasia Pty Ltd, Glebe
Seeing a need for higher quality training in the beauty sector, Ms Houssein-Mustafa started MHM Australasia as a “nail school” in 1994. The college has grown into a leading private provider of vocational education & training, expanding into qualifications in hairdressing, hospitality, management, aged care and English. More than 300,000 students have graduated from the institution, now known as the Australasian College Broadway. As Executive Chairman, Ms Houssein-Mustafa is helping the college transition to a specialist, selfaccrediting university and was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in 2011.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Jodie Fox Shoes of Prey, Surry Hills
A former lawyer and advertising manager, Ms Fox decided to combine her flair for fashion and marketing two years ago with a web site where women can design their own footwear. Shoppers choose their size, heel, toe, material and other design elements to create bespoke shoes, which are hand-crafted and shipped within four to six weeks. The mass-customisation concept has captured the imagination of women all over the world, who have so far spent more than 15 million minutes on the site creating shoes.
White Pages Community & Government Award
Catherine Burn NSW Police Force, Sydney
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Professor Veena Sahajwalla The University of NSW, Kensington
As Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology at the University of NSW, Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla, has developed world-first technology to produce “green steel.” Best known as a judge on ABC television’s New Inventors, she has collaborated with manufacturing giant OneSteel to hone the technology, which mixes plastic and rubber waste into the scrap reprocessing phase of steel production. The process not only produces fewer emissions, but also reduces reliance on fossil fuel (coke) and requires less electricity. In addition, plastic and rubber waste are spared from landfill.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Jo Heighway SMSF Outsource Solutions, Gosford
A decade after starting her accounting career with Deloitte at age 17, Ms Heighway decided to launch her own business in 2005, auditing self-managed super funds. Starting from a home office auditing 15 funds for a single client, Ms Heighway, now 33, has grown SMFS Outsource Solutions into Australia’s second largest auditor in the field, responsible for annual audits of self-managed funds for around 3,000 clients nationally. She established the Central Coast Chartered Accountants group to mentor young people in the profession.
More information on the Awards can be found at www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com
Media contact:
Marcela Balart | 0422 483 371 | Lighthouse Communications Group
James Woollard | 0419 130 588 | Telstra
www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/
Reference: 288/2011
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Telstra Business Women's Awards Network