2014 awards ILF- defence mediarelease

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
19 September 2014
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Record funding awarded to South Australia’s top business leaders
15 September 2014
A record $392,000 in education funding was awarded to 33 of South Australia’s top
entrepreneurs, innovators and industry leaders by the Industry Leaders Fund (ILF) at an awards
ceremony in Adelaide.
ASC Chairman Bruce Carter awarded the grants on 15th September to executives and
managers from diverse industry sectors including wine, automotive manufacturing, engineering,
electronics, bio-technology, energy, food, fitness and IT.
The number of awards this year is more than double the sixteen allocated in 2013. The new
scholars, chosen from 81 applicants, will attend global programs delivered by Harvard Business
School, University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Melbourne Business School, Stanford
Graduate School of Business, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and other leading
education institutions.
Among the new ILF Scholars are:
• Dr Sarah Cannard, Systems Engineer with Nova Systems who said The ILF grant and
application process made me look towards the future and determine where I want to be
and what programs will help me get there. The grant will allow me to attend the Mt Eliza
Accelerated Development for Managers program which will provide me with the skills
and confidence to progress into the next phase of my career in management with
emphasis on good leadership.
• Josephine Hugman, Special Projects Manager, Redarc Electronics who was pleased
“The ILF grant is a great way for me to improve my technical and leadership skills through
an MBA at Adelaide University. I am also looking forward to getting to know some
inspirational South Australian leaders through the ILF networking events.”
• Andrea Mead, Managing Director, Heatlie Engineering, commented “This grant will allow
me to further develop in my role as Strategic Leader of our business. Our pursuit of
growth and sustainability for our small manufacturing business will be enhanced by
incorporating world best practice leadership methodology with the opportunity to
network globally.”
• Derek Rogers, Project Manager/ Engineering Manager at Saab Australia Pty Ltd stated
"The ILF is a great initiative in showcasing aspiring leaders and helping to develop them in
a variety of ways. I am really excited about being a part of the ILF and providing a return
on investment in terms of growing business in this State. I really look forward to the course
I will be doing, the people I will meet and how I can contribute what I learn in terms of
outcomes for my company, the State and the wider Australia. I hope to inspire others to
develop their leadership in future years."
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Emilio De Stefano, General Manager, Smart Fabrication Pty Ltd who commented “The
ILF grant will provide me with the opportunity to attend a world leading educational
institution to develop a specific skill set around driving sustainable business growth. Not
only will it improve my likelihood of success in delivering on Smart Fabrication’s
aggressive growth targets over the next few years, but I’m confident it will also contribute
to South Australia’s economic prosperity over the medium to long term.”
Cher Min Tao, Operations Manager/Capability Manager for Nova Systems, “I am
honoured to be selected for the ILF grant, to pursue training that will provide the skills for
me to help with Nova Systems' plans to enter the Asian market. The ILF grant makes it
possible to pursue training and education that will otherwise have been out of reach,
and is a great way of demonstrating how South Australian businesses are investing in its
people for the future.
Chief Executive Officer of the ILF, Geoff Vogt, said they each exemplified leadership qualities,
entrepreneurship and innovation. He further commented:
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“Sarah is an exceptional engineer who demonstrated the desire and capacity to
advance to senior leadership roles.”
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“Josephine is a high achiever academically who in her role as a Specialist Project
Manager at Redarc has demonstrated sound leadership potential which will be
enhanced by completing an MBA at Adelaide University. This will ensure Jo is ready for a
more senior position at Redarc.”
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“When Andrea and her husband, Mal, purchased Heatlie in 2004 Andrea took control of
the business aspects while Mal focused on production. At the time Heatlie had been
rejected as being in a market that was too competitive for success to be likely and
therefore not purchased by several highly experienced potential owners. Under Andrea,
Heatlie has succeeded against the odds. We expect her Harvard course will bolster her
ability to innovate and competitively meet market demand for quality.”
“Derek is the leader of a worldwide project development team for Saab. This is an
example of hi-tech work following the best skills to Adelaide. The leadership
development program will provide Derek with general leadership skills that will allow him
to transition to general management and top level leadership roles in the future.”
“Emilio is a very young leader of a fast growing company in the highly competitive
manufacturing industry. Emilio will gain a focused skill set at Stanford allowing him to
make a strong contribution to the continued growth and success of Smart Fabrication.”
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“Cher Min impresses a natural leader with significant technical defence industry
experience. The course he has chosen will provide a useful support to his general
leadership abilities and is perfectly matched to his current role which is aimed at growing
Nova’s business penetration into SE Asia.”
The ILF, which transitioned from training organization to leadership enabler in 2009, is now
recognised as the State’s pre-eminent education grant provider.
A non government organisation that is fully funded by the private sector and governed by a
Board of honorary directors, it is credited with funding professional
development for some of South Australia’s highest achievers, and directly contributing to
employment and economic growth.
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Former grant recipients who achieved outstanding success in 2014 include:
• Shane Kelly of Kelly Engineering, who was named EY Central Region Entrepreneur of the
Year 2014 (technology category);
• Anthony Kittel of Redarc, which was named Telstra Australian Business of the Year 2014;
and
• Jeremy Hawkes of Bowhill Engineering, which was named Telstra South Australian
Regional Business of the Year 2014.
Kelly Keates from Zonge Engineering said business turnover at her company had increased
almost 30 percent in the first year after undertaking the ILF-funded Harvard Leadership Best
Practices Course.
ILF RECIPIENTS 2014:
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Simon Atterton, International Cleaning Services
Dr Sarah Cannard, Nova Systems
Neil Gibbins, Beach Energy
Meagan Franklin, Cowell Electric Supply
Emilio De Stefano, Smart Fabrication
Claude Cicchiello, La Casa Del Formaggio
Michael Harrold, Glen Carron
David Hart, Dematec Group
Jeremy Hawkes, Bowhill Engineering
Carl Heyne, Heynes Nurseries
Kris Lloyd, Woodside Cheese Wrights
Andrew Kay, Wirra Vineyards
Anne Hinton, TGR BioSciences
Melanie Malig-Spranz, B.-d. Farm Paris Creek
Josephine Hugman, Redarc Electronics
Joe Matto, Quality Plastics & Tooling
Johnathon Matthews, The Pipette Company
Andrea Mead, Heatlie Engineering
Vanessa Picker, FitUsIn
Rhett Payne, Country Blinds
Ben Olsen, Re-Timer
Stephanie Morris, Home Support Services
Peter Piliouras, On The Run, Shahin Enterprises
Patrick Power, PowerHealth Solutions
Benjamin Radford, Rockford Wines
Derek Rogers, Saab Australia
Dr George Ujvary, Olga’s Fine Foods
Cher Min Teo, Nova Systems
Jon Seeley, Seeley International
Grant Schroeder, Maric Flow Control Australia
Michael Ward, Jubilee Almonds
Ben Wigzell, Australia Milling Group
Grant Wilckens, Discovery Holiday Parks Group
Contact: For media interviews with 2014 recipients or the ILF Chairman or CEO, contact Geoff
Vogt on 0457 900 202

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