Traffic engineering consultant wins top SA business women’s award
8 Oct 2010
The owner of the largest specialist traffic engineering consultancy in South Australia was named today as the 2010 Telstra South Australian Business Woman of the Year.
Melissa Mellen, a chartered professional engineer, is sole director of Murray F. Young & Associates (MFY), a Fullarton business that has expanded under her leadership to provide professional traffic, transport and parking advice to private and government clients throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Previously a project and traffic engineer with Mitcham City Council, Ms Mellen worked for MFY for almost a decade before purchasing the business in 2003 when the previous director retired.
MFY provides advice on about 400 projects a year and its professional engineers and technical officers are supported by about 50 casual staff in collecting traffic survey data.
Ms Mellen, who has been a guest lecturer at the Transport Systems Centre of the University of SA, also won the Commonwealth Bank Business Owners Award at the sixteenth Telstra South Australian Business Women’s Awards, announced in Adelaide today.
Other winners were Jill Coombe of Bridge Clinic, Murray Bridge; Professor Tanya Monro of the Institute for Photonics & Advanced Sensing in Adelaide; Kris Lloyd of Woodside Cheese Wrights, Myrtle Bank; and Peta Mantzarapis of Maloney Field Services, Trinity Gardens.
Telstra Chief Marketing Officer and Telstra Business Women’s Awards Ambassador Kate McKenzie said the winners of the South Australian Awards were successful business women whose leadership qualities and achievements would provide inspiration for women across the State.
“The judges said Melissa Mellen’s strategic planning skills were evident in her business success. Melissa is a leader who transformed the engineering business by introducing computer-based systems to manage the business and to provide customer services,” Ms McKenzie said.
“She is highly regarded for her integrity, strong technical skills and the collegial culture of her business. The capacity of the business is substantially filled by repeat business from satisfied customers.”
Karen James, General Manager of Affiliate Business Banking, Commonwealth Bank, congratulated Melissa Mellen for winning the Commonwealth Bank Business Owners Award.
“Through our Women in Focus program we have met many women who will be inspired by the vision, creativity and tenacity that each of the finalists has shown in building the successful businesses they have today,” Ms James said.
“I am impressed and inspired by the calibre of this year’s finalists. Each of them has demonstrated how a strong vision and smart management can turn an idea into a viable and competitive business. These are the skills we hope to foster as we continue to support and nurture women in business.”
The South Australian 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 South Australian Business Women’s Awards are:
Telstra South Australian Business Woman of the Year
Melissa Mellen, Murray F. Young & Associates (MFR), Fullarton.
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Melissa Mellen, Murray F. Young & Associates (MFR), Fullarton.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Jill Coombe, Bridge Clinic, Murray Bridge.
After nine years in the SA Public Service in Adelaide, Jill Coombe returned to Murray Bridge nine years ago to become Manager of Bridge Clinic medical centre, one of the largest private general practices in Australia. Ms Coombe leads 46 staff in the practice which won the prestigious Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ National General Practice of the Year Award in 2005.
White Pages Community and Government Award
Tanya Monro, Institute for Photonics & Advanced Sensing, Adelaide.
Professor Tanya Monro is recognised in the international scientific community for breakthroughs in optical fibre research. She is founder and director of the Institute for Photonics & Advanced Sensing at the University of Adelaide which brings together 130 physicists, chemists and biologists to research sensing technologies. Since 2005 she has generated more than $65 million in research funding.
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Kris Lloyd, Woodside Cheese Wrights, Myrtle Bank.
Kris Lloyd took over Woodside Cheese Wrights in 1999 focusing first on the business fundamentals before turning her hand to learning the craft. As Manager and head cheesemaker, Ms Lloyd has produced numerous award-winning cheeses and pioneered a range of seasonal cheeses. She formed Cheese SA, a peak body that raises awareness for her industry, established a cheesemaking training course through TAFE and is a director of the industry’s annual CheeseFest event.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Peta Mantzarapis, Maloney Field Services, Rose Park.
Peta Mantzarapis became part-owner of Maloney Field Services, a valuation and land access services company, at 26 and Managing Director at 30. Aiming to make the business a "first-choice" supplier in Australia, Ms Mantzarapis expanded its national reach, growing a client list that includes companies providing oil and gas pipelines, electricity transmission lines, railways, highways and water pipelines.
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:
Sue Lamshed
0419 030 104
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Telstra Business Women's Awards Network