Aurora founder named top entrepreneur

Two Melbourne-based foreign exchange brokerage founders have been named the Ernst & Young 2014 Australian Entrepreneurs of the Year, with Aurora Oil and Gas founder Jonathan Stewart also being named one of six category winners.

A total of eight individuals were awarded at the annual event last night, with Mr Stewart winning the Listed category.

Mr Stewart was recognised for his involvement with Aurora, which participated in the discovery of the multi-billion barrel Sugarkane Field in the Eagle Ford, one of the largest oil discoveries made in the United States.

Aurora funded the development of the US assets and by mid-2014 has grown production to more than 300,000 barrels per day.

The company ceased trading on the ASX in May, following the implementation of a scheme of arrangement whereby Baytex Energy Australia acquired all of the shares in the company.

After walking away with $86 million from the takeover, Mr Stewart is understood to have kept together key players from Aurora’s Perth team, as he evaluates new opportunities.

Mr Stewart joined online foreign exchange broker Pepperstone co-founders Joe Davenport and Owen Kerr, who took out the top award.

Mr Davenport and Mr Kerr established the business in 2010, which now has an average trading volume of more than $US3.3 billion per day.

They will go on to Monte Carlo in June next year to compete against national winners from more than 60 countries for the 2015 EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.

Four Western Australians have won the national EY award previously, Navitas’ Rod Jones, iiNet’s Michael Malone, Austal’s John Rothwell and Karma Resorts John Spence.