Meet the winners of the 2014 Telstra Australian Business Womens Awards

While admitting the award was a great personal accolade, Anne expressed hope that the win would highlight the importance of the not-for-profit sector and help attract even more high-achieving people to community-based organisations.

“The health and community services sector is a significant contributor to Australia’s social and economic fabric,” said Anne. 

Within a year of her appointment as CEO in 2003, Anne consolidated more than 100 separate organisations into four service groups and, in 2012, cemented a partnership with the Commonwealth Government to construct Australia’s first fully integrated digital hospital at Hervey Bay. 

Kate McKenzie, Telstra Chief Operations Officer and Telstra Business Women’s Awards Ambassador, said the judges were truly impressed by how Anne had brought together such a fragmented group to enhance service delivery for society’s most disadvantaged people.

“They said that her leadership of the organisation – which was authentic and based on strong values – has positively impacted many people including people with disabilities, the elderly and the Indigenous community,” she said. 

Last night’s black-tie gala dinner held at the Crown in Melbourne, also saw the announcement of two winners in a single category, a first in the Awards 20-year history. The Business Innovation Award was tied between Tasmanian policewoman Donna Adams and CEO of the NSW not-for-profit organisation Evolve Housing.

Other winners included Kate Weiss, creator of Victorian-based food company Table of Plenty, and Tina Tower, founder of tutoring centre franchise Begin Bright.

Congratulations to all the winners of The 2014 Telstra Australian Business Women’s Awards: 

Telstra Austliran Business Woman of the Year

Anne Cross, UnitingCare Queensland, Queensland

Business Owner Award

Kate Weiss, Table of Plenty, Victoria

Private and Corporate Sector Award

Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, Mirvac, New South Wales

Community and Government Award

Anne Cross, UnitingCare Queensland, Queensland

Business Innovation Award

Andrea Galloway, Evolve Housing, New South Wales, and;

Assistant Commissioner Donna Adams, Tasmania Police, Tasmania 

Young Business Women's Award

Tina Tower, Begin Bright, New South Wales

Finalists and winners across Australia share in $650,000 in cash and prizes.