WA’s Chief Nurse wins top Business Women’s Award
20 Sep 2011
Removing the barriers that prevent people entering careers in nursing has helped Western Australia’s Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer Catherine Stoddart become the 2011 Telstra Western Australia Business Woman of the Year.
Responsible for leading 12,000 nurses and midwives in the public system, Ms Stoddart also provides professional leadership for about 35,000 private and non-government nurses.
Ms Stoddart, who is passionate about establishing WA as a leader in contemporary nursing and midwifery, also won the White Pages Community and Government Award at the Telstra Business Women’s Awards presentation in Perth today.
Ms Stoddart has led strategies to build stronger nursing career paths, attract more Aboriginal people to the profession, create nurse practitioners in rural areas and provide volunteers for under-serviced remote and international locations.
One of her key achievements has been the establishment of Assistant in Nursing traineeships to help those who do not achieve tertiary level requirements gain a start in the profession, while also supporting the heavy workload of existing nurses. The program is now expanding into Aboriginal communities.
Kate McKenzie, Telstra Group Managing Director for Innovation, Products and Marketing and Telstra Business Women’s Awards 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 how Catherine Stoddart has ensured nursing care in WA is of the highest calibre, by introducing models to capture the right needs at the right time with the right people,” Ms McKenzie said.
“They also recognised her success in attracting more nurses to WA for career development and increasing the credibility and upskilling of nurses.” Michelle Sherwood, Executive General Manager Strategic Marketing at Sensis Pty Ltd, who sponsored the Community and Government category, 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 Stoddart has set an outstanding example and is a fitting recipient of this Award.”
WA winners include Juliette Sperber, Southern Regional Manager in WA for national stevedoring logistics and port management business POAGS, who won the marie claire Young Business Women’s Award.
Ms Sperber has worked her way from deck officer aboard cargo ships as a 17-year-old to now running POAGS’ operations at the Fremantle, Geraldton and Bunbury ports.
As the company’s only female senior operations manager, she leads a predominantly male workforce of 143 and has restructured POAGS’ pivotal Fremantle operation, resulting in increased revenue, reduced labour requirements, faster truck turn-around times and improved industrial relations.
The Western Australian winners proceed to the national finals of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards which will be announced in Melbourne on 18 November.
Winners of the 2011 Telstra Western Australian Business Women’s Awards are:
Telstra Western Australian Business Woman of the Year
Catherine Stoddart - Western Australia Department of Health, East Perth
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Pauline Francis - LJ Hooker, Leeming
Leeming real estate business owner Pauline Francis overcame the effects of the global financial crisis on Perth’s property market to be ranked in the top one per cent of the national LJ Hooker network. Managing 20 property management and sales staff, she was the first WA woman to be admitted to the LJ Hooker’s Board of Admirals international network, a select group of high achievers chosen to drive growth for LJ Hooker.
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Amber Stanton - Minter Ellison, Perth
Perth lawyer Amber Stanton was one of the youngest females to be made a Partner with global legal firm Minter Ellison. Head of Corporate Advisory Services and one of 19 partners in Minter Ellison’s Perth office, her rapid rise through the ranks began with a vacation clerkship at the firm in 2001. At age 32, Ms Stanton now leads global corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and public floats.
White Pages Community & Government Award
Catherine Stoddart - Western Australia Department of Health, East Perth
Nokia Business Innovation Award
Sasha de Bretton - Million Dollar Makeovers, Burswood
Former sales and marketing executive Sasha de Bretton is CEO of Million Dollar Makeovers, a Claremont-based business she launched three years ago that specialises in complete home and property renovations for clients in four weeks or less. Ms de Bretton’s business engages up to 200 tradespeople to transform four to six properties each month, helping clients access equity in their homes, profit from the renovations or increase rental yields.
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Juliette Sperber - POAGS, Fremantle, Geraldton and Bunbury
More information on the Telstra Business Women’s Awards can be found at
www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com
Media contacts:
John Hanrahan | 0407 881 139 | Lighthouse Communications Group
James Woollard | 0419 130 588 | Telstra
www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/
Reference: 273/2011
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Telstra Business Women's Awards Network