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Celebrating Australia's leading business women
A massive congratulations to our Telstra Business Women's Award winners, who have been recognised by our expert judging panel for changing business for the better. We wish them the best of luck as they continue towards their future goals.
2016 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year
"I love being the type of leader that I am because it means I can take communities with me on a journey." - Andrea Mason
Andrea Mason has had a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors, all focused on opening just and fair access to Aboriginal people, through employment, workforce planning, tenancy management and negotiating reconciliation action plans.
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"My work directly leads to better practices, more engaged staff, stronger decision making at the executive level, and organisations who can deliver their objectives more effectively and efficiently." - Alicia Leis
In 2013 Alicia Leis became the third female partner appointed to WLF Accounting & Advisory. Alicia has built a new internal audit and risk service offering from the ground up and now leads the consulting and internal audit divisions of WLF.
"I love being the type of leader that I am because it means I can take communities with me on a journey." - Andrea Mason
Andrea Mason has had a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors, all focused on opening just and fair access to Aboriginal people, through employment, workforce planning, tenancy management and negotiating reconciliation action plans.
"I believe I can make it a fantastic experience and one that can be a very affirming moment in their lives." - Andrea Moriarty
After spending 16 years working as a nurse, Andrea Moriarty, decided to steer her career in an entirely new direction. Wanting to work in a family-friendly environment, she joined her brother’s construction firm, Killarney Homes, which builds eco-efficient housing adapted to the Territory’s tropical climate.
"In business my beliefs manifest in a drive for innovation and establishing sustainable, ethical options for the consumer." - Anna Ross
In 2009, Anna Ross founded Kester Black, a leading manicure and skincare brand built on beautiful design and uncompromising ethical values. Kester Black offers consumers sustainable, Australian-made, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products. Anna is the sole proprietor and director of the start-up and is wholly responsible for the success of the business from strategy to execution.
"I support adults living with a disability to live valued and meaningful lives." - Anne Bryce
Anne Bryce has spent over 30 years working within the disability, human services and health sectors. Following a variety of management roles, she was appointed CEO of Hornsby Challenge in 2003 (later renamed Achieve Foundation) and led the organisation through significant growth and a merger with another equal-sized disability organisation in 2009.
"It is my mission to reduce stigma, build families and strengthen communities by building up the village of support and acceptance around anyone facing teen pregnancy and parenthood, turning the trajectory of generations." - Bernadette Black
There are approximately 24,000 teenage pregnancies in Australia every year and when Bernadette Black was 16 years old, she was one of them. Although now happily married with three children, Bernadette’s pregnancy experience inspired her.
"The reason I started a fashion label was to empower women, by introducing a line of clothing that allows women to be confident in their appearance and be the best version of themselves." - Betty Tran
Betty Tran’s love for fashion began when she started helping her mother, a talented seamstress, manufacture garments for numerous Australian and international fashion labels. Although initially studying public relations, her love for garment manufacturing resulted in her switching to a fashion and textiles degree.
"Each day is an opportunity for me to make a difference in a student’s life." - Carolyn Edwards
Carolyn is a devoted educator with more than 31 years of experience in the NT school system. Currently, she is the principal of Henbury School which is a comprehensive specialist high school in Darwin. The school focuses on advocating the rights of students with disabilities, assisting them to achieve autonomy and enabling their participation in the economic, civic and social life of the community.
"Throughout my career I have frequently been the only female, and I am privileged to be a mentor and help other women navigate their own path within engineering." - Corinne Wallis
Corinne Wallis is an MBA-qualified general manager with a technical background. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience in heavy industry, including manufacturing, offshore wind-farm construction and underground mining. She is also a licenced electrician and electrical engineer, which has seen her manage multi-million dollar projects in the steel and mining industry.
"I love what I do because it's about working with the psychology of people, staff and customers, to deliver commercial results and business success while maintaining a positive, aligned and engaged culture." - Darlene Mattiske-Wood
Darlene Mattiske-Wood is the deputy CEO and chief strategy, members and people officer for People's Choice Credit Union, the second largest credit union in Australia. Working with the CEO, Darlene provides strategic leadership and guidance for the overall operation and long term growth of People's Choice.
"By using a values based and innovative approach, I have worked with and pushed beyond the current market to diversify the business, while at the same time strengthening our integrity and governance practices." - Diana Taylor
Diana Taylor graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and achieved admission to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2000. Following a successful career as a lawyer in firms and large corporate environments, in 2011 Diana became the executive director and regional manager for Victoria and Tasmania of the CT Management Group.
"My approach to securing funding is to network as much as possible at conferences and events, as well as actively seek out new opportunities to collaborate both inside academia and with industry." - Dr Joanne Bowen
Since completing her PhD in 2006, Dr Joanne Bowen has played a key role in academic medical research at the University of Adelaide and is head of the Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology Laboratory. The lab is dedicated to better understanding the mechanisms and management of conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract.
"My highest priority is to empower women who attend our practice, and with them their families, by educating them about their bodies while they receive their medical and surgical care." - Dr Kirsten Connan
Growing up in Tonga, it was Dr Kirsten Connan’s passion for people that drew her to a medical career, and her love for educating and empowering women, that led her to her specialisation in women’s health.
"I love what I do and that I have the chance to make a huge difference in people’s lives. It is a huge privilege I treat with great reverence and respect." - Dr Nicole Sides
Dr Nicole Sides believes everyone has the right to become a parent. She is the founder and managing director of Compass Fertility (formally ISIS Fertility) which is a boutique, inclusive, locally-owned and operated fertility clinic that gives hope to those who wish to start a family.
"It has been a steep learning curve but it’s so rewarding to know that we’re making a positive difference in the lives of so many people." - Emma Macdonald
Emma Macdonald is an award-winning journalist and Associate Editor of HerCanberra by day, and a charity founder by night. Having dedicated more than 20 years to breaking news for The Canberra Times, five years ago, she followed her heart and co-founded the maternal health charity, Send Hope Not Flowers (SHNF).
"I love what I do because I get to create a positive environment where my team gets to express themselves, innovate, occasionally stumble, continually learn and create deep value for the clients we work with." - Gina Lednyak
Gina Lednyak was born and raised in the USSR. In 1991, political unrest forced her family to flee Belarus for New York City. Her ambition showed at an early age as she taught herself to speak English by reading books.
"I realised there was a need for someone to empower and equip them because no one else was doing it." - Grace Lever
Grace Lever is a passionate entrepreneur who started her first business when she was only 20. Her latest venture is GraceLever.com, a platform through which she works with other female entrepreneurs to help them create balanced, automated lifestyle businesses.
"I enjoy being a mentor to younger officers to help them be the best they can be." - Inspector Virginia Nelson
Inspector Virginia Nelson has been a police officer for more than 26 years, having joined the Queensland Police Service (QPS) at 18. She has served in regional and metropolitan locations and has worked in front-line policing, prosecutions, the bureau of criminal intelligence and the office of the state coroner.
"I’ve created an ongoing solution for the health-conscious community, a solution for the environment and an opportunity for local mums wanting to return to the workforce." - Irene Falcone
After spending 10 years in senior marketing roles for some the world’s largest companies, Irene Falcone created her own business to fill a gap she saw for trusted, environmentally-friendly beauty products.
"Someone has to believe in you enough to take a calculated risk. It is now my privilege to be able to do this for others." - Jackie McArthur
Jackie McArthur began her supply chain career at FJ Walker Foods where she worked in the logistics, food manufacturing and supply chain industry before she joined McDonald's Australia in 2001. By 2012, she was appointed Corporate Vice President of Supply Chain for McDonald's Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, which included overseeing the entire supply function across 38 countries.
"I was told it was career suicide starting my own business without 10-15 years’ industry experience, but I’m proud that I backed myself and have developed a life-saving product that could revolutionise the medical treatment for high-risk patients." - Jacqueline Savage
In 2013, Jacqueline Savage graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor of Product Design Engineering, specialising in Biomedical Engineering. She began working for Outerspace Design where she obtained invaluable experience and the confidence to establish her own venture, MedCorp Technologies in 2015.
"The disability service sector is undergoing transformative change. I am determined to use my skills and knowledge to ensure the for-purpose sector remains a vibrant and sustainable choice for people with a disability." - Jennifer Fitzgerald
Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald has worked in the health, aged care, community and disability sectors throughout her career, spanning 34 years. During that time, she has honed her leadership and managerial skills and developed a strong understanding of the political and policy environment.
"I see myself as the mother of the business - always looking at the current and future welfare of her child, supporting and encouraging growth and independence and making sacrifices when needed." - Jenny Paradiso
Jenny Paradiso is the co-founder and the managing director of Suntrix, a successful solar energy business that operates nationally. Operating as a predominantly cloud-based business means that Jenny’s 25 employees have the flexibility to work from anywhere, at any time and can access the data they need from any mobile device.
"I love chemo@home because it allows me to provide my patients with high-quality care and respond rapidly to changes in their care requirements." - Julie Adams
With 25 years’ experience as a certified oncology pharmacist, Julie Adams, founded, and continues to manage, home chemotherapy business, chemo@home. Through their business, Julie and her business partner offer patients the convenience and flexibility of having their cancer treatment in the comfort of their own homes.
"My fulfilment comes from being able to use my career and life experiences to provide practical solutions that are assisting some of the people who first welcomed me to their country." - Karen Sheldon
Karen Sheldon heads up a unique enterprise. What initially started off as a hospitality business in 1982, expanded through a staff buy-in into a company developing diverse services that focus on addressing Indigenous economic and employment disadvantage.
"My work is to understand complex issues and propose solutions that have widespread support, by taking an evidence-based approach in which the findings are shared early and often helps to bring consensus on the way forward." - Marion Fulker
Marion Fulker is the founding CEO of think tank, which undertakes research on the social, demographic and economic challenges of Perth, and benchmarks against other cities. Using a multi-pronged research approach academic, in-house, consultative, and on the ground inputs - the Committee has become a credible voice on the future of Perth.
"Be Hers asks every woman to use their freedom to fight for the freedom of others." - Melody Towns
When Melody Towns first heard about the 27 million people that are currently enslaved by human trafficking around the world, she was holding her own daughter and couldn’t believe that other people’s daughters were kidnapped and raped multiple times a day until they either escaped or died. She couldn’t understand how only one per cent of victims were rescued and so decided to do something to address this global issue by founding Be Hers.
"I love what I do because I see first-hand the impact that our products and services have in the community." - Myfanwy Galloway
Myfanwy Galloway was a professional cyclist racing in Europe before retiring and taking on roles in retail management and then in events and marketing. While working, she continues to complete dual Bachelors of Business and Professional Communications.
"Growing up in remote Queensland I learnt early that every day presents new opportunities that are more likely achieved by optimism, team work and a desire to make a difference." - Patrice Brown
Patrice Brown is a woman of many passions: a business and commercial property owner, cattle producer, mother of three and advocate for the protection of environmental and cultural values and land rights. With qualifications in engineering, science and business she is passionate about the future of regional Australia and the need to trust science in the race to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
"An organisation’s success depends on its people. Human capital is an organisation’s number one resource, so I enjoy making sure my team are consistently engaged and happy. Return on investment benefits all of us and the company." - Penelope Twemlow
Penelope Twemlow’s career started in the Australian Defence Force, where she was involved in projects and deployments around Australia and Southeast Asia. After she left the Defence Force, she held senior positions in the mining, oil and gas sectors before being appointed CEO of Energy Skills Queensland, in 2015.
"One of the things I value the most about working at the ABC is being able to tell stories and report on events simply because they are important to my audience." - Penny Terry
Penny Terry began her career in creative advertising at Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne, where at the age of 21, became the sole account manager for a high volume international account. She then went on to work abroad in tourism, hospitality and in-home aged care before beginning with the ABC in 2006. Since then, Penny has worked as a radio presenter and producer, journalist and rural reporter presenting to national, local and online audiences.
"As long as you are moving forward in some way, you are never going the wrong way." - Pixie Weyand
The Lost Collective, an umbrella for several businesses she is in the process of growing. These include: Lost Boys, a small, organic vegetarian, carbon-neutral café in Fortitude Valley; The Tree House, a bar offering local, natural, and organic drinks; The Zoo, an iconic live music venue; Feed Music, an app connecting touring musicians and local cafes and restaurants across the globe to provide healthy meals; and Zoo Tours, which aims to bring quality acts from overseas to Australia.
"Re-thinking STEM education is one of the biggest challenges we face in Australia and globally. A science degree must be more than just an education. I want to build a strong understanding of scientific concepts whilst fostering capacity for enterprise, science, diplomacy and leadership." - Rowan Brookes
After leaving school at 15, Rowan Brookes was told that she would never accomplish anything with her life. She took it as a challenge and two decades later, she has re-written her life story from troubled teen to a successful academic and educator with a mission to inspire students.
"Sporting clubs are the pulse of the rural community and the young participants are next generation's leaders and regional advocates." - Sarah Powell
Growing up in rural Australia, Sarah Powell, knows how vital regional communities are and has turned this insight into a social enterprise, Champions Academy. Champions Academy partners with local sporting clubs to foster personal development through sport and mentoring. It teaches aspiring leaders how to lead by example, act with integrity, think selflessly and demonstrate commitment.
"I am a woman of my word, I can empathise with most people and have the ability to foresee future problems and opportunities. I believe these are some of the factors that make me successful at what I do." - Tania Sinibaldi
Tania Sinibaldi has a career spanning more than 30 years in the human resources sector. She is the chief operating officer, staffing services, for Chandler Macleod, a leading provider of integrated human resources services in Australasia.
"It wasn't until I walked into an organisation in crisis that I understood my own strengths and my love for transforming an industry." - Tracey Vieira
Tracey Vieira is passionate about the arts and has used her business acumen to turn this interest into a successful career. She spent a decade in Los Angeles as Executive Vice President of International Production for Ausfilm. While abroad, and in partnership with Screen Queensland, she has attracted more than $1.5 billion of production spend to Australia.
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