The 40under40 Awards have stood the test of time.
The 40under40 Awards have stood the test of time.
TEN years, 400 winners, 400 inspiring stories.
That’s what WA Business News 40under40 Awards have delivered over the past decade.
The first awards were held in 2002, with the presentation night being a relatively small event at Fraser’s in Kings Park.
Since then, the awards program, and the presentation night, have gone from strength to strength.
The 40under40 Awards give WA Business News a platform to showcase the achievements of 40 successful young people every year.
In the early years, many people wondered if we were being overly ambitious. Could we find 40 worthy winners every year? That has never been an issue.
The winners are drawn from diverse backgrounds. Some run their own start-up business, others hold executive roles in large companies.
Many operate in a mainstream business sector such as mining or manufacturing, while others work in the arts, healthcare, education, or the community sector.
All are entrepreneurs who have contributed to Western Australia’s development.
The judging process starts with a written submission from each of the entrants, in which they are asked to discuss their major achievements and the key contributors to that success, their major setbacks and what they learned from the experience, and their contribution to the wider community.
All four questions play a critical role in the judging process. True entrepreneurs achieve great success, but they invariably suffer setbacks along the way, and should emerge wiser for the experience.
The judging process also seeks out people who have achieved more than just business success; we seek people who have also contributed to the wider community.
Based on the written submissions, the 14-member judging panel selects four short-listed applicants, who are interviewed for the First Amongst Equals award.
The First Amongst Equals winner becomes an ambassador for the awards program.
The inaugural winners of this award were investment banker and company director Mark Barnaba, and tourism entrepreneur Manny Papadoulis.
Other winners have included iiNet founder and chief executive Michael Malone, who has built one of Australia’s most successful communications businesses, and Atlas Iron managing director David Flanagan, who runs one of only a handful of iron ore miners in the Pilbara.
The industry background of the First Amongst Equals winners illustrates the diversity of the awards.
They include Suzanne Daubney (dairy), Darren Haunold (wine making), Nathan Buzza (communications technology), Lyle Palmer (medical research), Julie Smith-Massara (mining services) and Michelle Ammerer (healthcare).
The winner of the 2011 First Amongst Equals award will be presented with a selection of prizes supplied by two of our sponsors, Tiffany & Co and Singapore Airlines.
Tiffany & Co, which has recently opened a retail store in central Perth on the corner of King Street, has supplied a 30-centimetre tall crystal trophy and a set of 18-carat white gold Atlas cuff links.
Thanks to Singapore Airlines, the First Amongst Equals winner will also enjoy a business class return trip to one of three destinations – Haneda (Tokyo), Munich or Houston.
Each of the 40under40 winners will receive a Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver T-Clip pen valued at $295 and a WA Business News trophy.
The two Strategic Alliance winners will receive a separate certificate, along with $1,000 cash.
• Mark Beyer is managing editor of WA Business News and chairman of judges for the 40under40 Awards.
