Advance Global Australian Awards category winners announced

MEDIA RELEASE

20 February 2014

Australia’s most innovative global leaders honoured

Advance announce 2014 Advance Global Australian Awards category winners

Advance, the largest global network for Australians living abroad, has announced the stellar line-up of 2014 Advance Global Australian Awards category winners, with the overall winner to be announced at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday 13 March 2014.

The Advance Global Australian Awards are the only awards to recognise the important contributions of the more than one million innovative and inspirational Australians living and working abroad.

The Awards champion the top internationally-based Australians who are leaders in their respective fields in eight industry categories. 2014 category winners include:

• Advanced Manufacturing – Chris Boshuizen, Co-Founder & CTO, Planet Labs Inc.
• Biotechnology - Richard Pestell, Founder, ProstaGene and AAA Phoenix
• Clean Technology – Andrew Tanner, Chief Engineer, THINKnrg
• Creative Industries – Sir Jonathan Mills, Director, Edinburgh International Festival
• Financial Services – Karyl Nairn, Queens Counsel, Skadden Arps
• ICT (Information and communications technology) – Vikram Mehta, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Pacific Venture Advisors
• Mining & Resources – Milton Catelin, Chief Executive, World Coal Association
• Social Innovation – Prue Clarke de Cavaignac, Founder & Executive Director, New Narratives
• Alumni – Senator Sekai Holland, Zimbabwean Co-Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation & Integration

The winners are judged by an expert panel of global industry leaders across business, finance, science, advertising and the arts and recognise the leading Australians that display innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship excellence in their field.

An overall winner is selected from the winners of each category and a special Alumni Award is also presented to recognise the achievements of an alumnus of an Australian university who is not an Australian citizen.

Award winners including the overall winner will be in attendance and announced at the annual Advance Forum and Awards Gala Dinner and Ceremony, to be held at Sydney Opera House on Thursday 13 March 2014.

ENDS

For further information including winner bios, interview opportunities and images contact: James Cooley, Stellar Concepts on james@stellar.net.au | +612 9281 8000 | +61 401 316 701

ABOUT THE AWARDS

The Advance Global Australian Awards celebrate Australians and alumni living overseas, who exhibit remarkable talent, exceptional vision, ambition and who are leaders and innovators in their chosen field. The awards selection panel comprises:

• Ken Allen AM, Founder and Chair Emeritus, Advance
• Yasmin Allen, Non Executive Director, Insurance Australia Group and Cochlear
• Doug Elix AO, retired Senior Vice President and Group Executive, IBM Corporation, and Chair, Advance Global Advisory Council
• Deborra-lee Furness, internationally acclaimed actress and humanitarian
• Sir Michael Hintze AM, Founder, Chief Executive and Senior Investment Officer, CQS
• Bob Isherwood, Former Worldwide Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi and Adjunct Professor, Vanderbilt University
• Andrew Liveris AO, President, Chairman and CEO, Dow Chemical
• Wendy McCarthy AO, Founder, McCarthy Mentoring
• Bridget Ogilvie AC, Fellow, the Royal Society
• Dr Zhengrong Shi, Founder, Director, Suntech Power

ABOUT ADVANCE

Advance is the preeminent global community of Australians and alumni abroad, with a growing membership of over 24,000 in 90 countries.

Advance forges connections with the one million Australian diaspora, drawing on their experience and networks to open doors and opportunities for Australia, Australian companies and Australians around the globe.

Advance are devoted to the exchange of knowledge, connections and ideas to: inspire and empower other global Australians to succeed in the world; build entrepreneurial Australian companies globally; grow global career opportunities for global Australians; and create opportunities to be a ‘brain resource’ for Australia.

Advance is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in New York City, with further offices in Hong Kong, London and San Francisco. Advance is supported by the Australian Government, with further support from corporate partners and donors.

Advance receives funding support from the Australian Government