Digital Health Leader Bronwyn Le Grice Named as 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year

The Pearcey Foundation has named Bronwyn Le Grice, CEO and managing director of ANDHealth, as its 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award recipient.

“As the recipient of the 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award, Bronwyn has most definitely taken a risk, made a difference and is a true inspiration! She has led a diverse career, and in 2017, working with a consortium of industry partners, Bronwyn created the only organisation in Australia dedicated to the commercialisation of digital health, with a specific focus on digital medicine and digital therapeutics. The novel non-profit model of ANDHealth is specifically designed to suit the Australian reality. It has already supported over 450 emerging digital health companies, with the 10 companies selected in the pilot ANDHealth+ program going on to raise over $70 million in funding, creating around 300 jobs and impacting over 200,000 patients in just four years,” said Jordan Green, Victorian Chair, Pearcey Foundation.

Bronwyn was drawn to business from an early age, completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Western Australia, on the basis that it allowed her to work in any sector. Appointed CEO of NZBIO (now BioTech New Zealand) at just 28 years of age, Bronwyn developed a genuine interest in the significant market opportunities created when different technology sectors collide. For six years after leaving NZBIO, she focused on venture capital investments across Australasia, and during that time gained experience in governance and executive roles, managed over $65 million of health technology transactions and completed a Masters in Commercial Law. She even found time to collaborate with her husband Tom on Australia’s first peer-to-peer pet sitting marketplace start-up.

ANDHealth is an organisation that harnesses the power of the collective to provide commercialisation support programs for Australian digital health companies through its novel cooperative commercialisation centre model. Through its highly specific programs and expert support, ANDHealth supports companies to navigate the commercialisation pathway from ideation to institutional investment and international market entry.

Bronwyn is always very generous with her time, sharing her insights and experiences in industry, teaching, academic and policy settings. She holds advisory roles with the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum Health Technologies Sector Group; RMIT University Health and BioMedical Sector Expert Research Advisory Group; Swinburne University Innovation Precinct Advisory Board; and is a Non-Executive Director of Point of Care Diagnostics technology company Lumos Diagnostics.

In 2020, Bronwyn was presented with the Most Valuable Woman in Leadership Award by the BioMelbourne Network.

The 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award, an award first presented in 1999, was announced at an event held on 1 September as part of the Victorian Government Digital Innovation Festival program. The online event featured the 2021 Pearcey Oration – ‘Digital Transformation – Australia as a World Leader’ – given by ATO Second Commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn.

“Congratulations to Bronwyn Le Grice, and to Jeremy Hirschhorn for highlighting the importance of digital innovation and technology to the Australian economy and to public life – something that the Pearcey Foundation has been championing for more than two decades through our annual awards programs, industry events, heritage projects and thought leadership. The ATO has played a central role for many years in Australian Government digital transformation and service delivery innovation, which has never been more important than the last 18 months. That 18 months has put a spotlight on the role that the ICT industry and our technology entrepreneurs play in the adaptability and responsiveness of both our public and private sector to a rapidly changing world,” said Wayne Fitzsimmons, Chair, Pearcey Foundation.

For more information about the Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Awards, go to https://pearcey.org.au/vic.

Other State Awards

Australia Capital Territory Awards: A shortlist of candidates has been finalised, with voting by the judging panel currently underway. A date for an event and the presentation of the award is still to be finalised subject to COVID restrictions. 

New South Wales Awards: There is currently a call for nominations for the NSW Pearcey Entrepreneur Award, with a virtual event scheduled for 14 October with David Thodey AO as keynote speaker. This award recognises a NSW person in mid-career, who is already a successful tech entrepreneur, and who has the potential to succeed further. The criteria are centred on taking a risk, making a difference and being an inspiration. Nominations can be completed at https://forms.gle/QQv4UUUDBZKfXsk97.

Queensland Awards: Nominations have just closed for the QLD awards, which are generously sponsored by ICEMEDIA and TechnologyOne. The awards event is scheduled for Tuesday, 5 October in Brisbane. Tickets for the event are available on TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?embed&eid=803115

South Australia Awards: A shortlist of five candidates has been selected for the 2021 Award by this year’s judging panel – which comprises previous award recipients Geoff Rohrsheim (2018), Tony Clark (2019) and Michelle Perugini (2020) plus two experienced mentors of entrepreneurs in SA, Mark Ledson, SA Office of the Chief Entrepreneur and Mike Richards, Polaris Business and Innovation Centre, City of Salisbury. The date for the announcement and presentation of the award is still to be confirmed. Major recent news from last year’s award recipient, CEO and co-founder at Presagen, Michelle Perugini. She is relocating to the USA next month to expand her business after signing a sole global distribution agreement with FujiFILMS Irvine Scientific for Life Whisperer, the fertility arm of Presagen. See more at https://www.lifewhisperer.com/fisi-announcement.

Tasmania Awards: Nominations are currently open for the TAS awards. These awards are an important way to help Tasmania entrepreneurs, organisations and businesses become nationally recognised. The nomination form and submission details can be found at https://pearcey.org.au/assets/Forms/Pearcey-State-Nomination-Form.pdf.

Western Australia Awards: this year’s Pearcey WA Entrepreneur of the Year is Charlie Gunningham, Managing Editor, The Property Tribune and Startup News; and Founder & Principal of Damburst. He has spent more than 20 years in the Perth technology and startup sector, firstly as a founder himself, through to exit, and more recently as a writer, advisor and investor. He now works in an advisory capacity for multiple tech and other businesses, is managing editor of Startup News and co-host of the Startup West podcast. Gunningham was presented with his award at the 30th INCITE Awards, the longest running ICT Awards program in WA.

National Pearcey Awards

The 2021 Pearcey Medal, Hall of Fame and National Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are scheduled to be held at an event in Tasmania on Friday 12 November 2021. Finalists for the National Entrepreneur of the Year Awards comprise each of the 2021 State award recipients. More details on the event are still to be confirmed. See further https://pearcey.org.au/national-awards.

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About the Pearcey Foundation
The Pearcey Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in 1998 to raise the profile of the Australian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry and profession. It was created in the memory of one of the greatest pioneers of the Australian ICT industry, Dr Trevor Pearcey. By celebrating the heroes in our industry, past present and future, the Foundation is looking to attract and encourage young Australians into this most exciting of global high technology sectors of our nation.

The Pearcey Oration and Victorian awards event is supported by the Victorian Government and is one of four Pearcey Foundation events featuring as part of the DIF2021 Festival program. The annual Digital Innovation Festival showcases the Victorian tech sector, promotes innovation and encourages businesses and individuals to make a difference through digital technologies. This year the DIF2021 Festival runs until 8 September.

Web: www.pearcey.org.au, https://dif.vic.gov.au

Twitter: @Pearcey_org #PearceyAwards #PearceyOration #DIF2021

LinkedIn: Pearcey Foundation #PearceyAwards #PearceyOration #DIF2021