Queensland Excellence Awards winners announced
Four outstanding Queensland managers have been named as the best in the state in the Australian Institute of Management’s annual Excellence Awards, held at Customs House on Friday night.
Joe Rea (far left) has been named as the Queensland Manager of the Year for his outstanding leadership as General Manager of Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) in Gladstone.
Mr Rea has been instrumental in driving a cultural shift in BSL’s safety performance, leading over 1,200 employees and contractors to reach the best ever safety result in the plant’s 33 year history after achieving 365 consecutive safe days.
“I’m honoured and delighted to receive this award and I’m doing so on behalf of all of the great people I work with at Boyne Smelters,” Mr Rea said.
“It’s great to be a part of an organisation that’s adding value to natural Australian resources and to lead a fantastic team while doing it.”
Rebecca McSwiney (Inside right) of Toowoomba has been named the Young Manager of the Year for her outstanding work at the University of Southern Queensland.
As the Online Marketing Manager, Rebecca oversees the award winning USQ content strategy and USQ social media portfolio.
She has developed and launched the USQ Social Hub, an Australian University first as well as an interactive fortnightly magazine, HeyU all while leading a team of twenty staff.
“It’s a great honour to win the award with such a high calibre of finalists,” Ms McSwiney said.
“Coming from a regional area myself, it’s great to see all of Queensland represented by these awards.”
Chief Executive Officer at the Toowoomba Turf Club, Blair Odgers (far right) has been named the Not for Profit Manager of the Year.
Mr Odgers took the reins of the TTC in April 2014 and in this short period has developed a robust strategic framework that will ensure prosperous growth for the region’s racing industry into the future.
“I’m very proud of the Toowoomba Turf Club and the team that surround me,” Mr Odgers said.
“Its an organisation with a proud 125 year history and I’m honoured to represent not just the TTC but the local thoroughbred industry as well."
Maureen Fields (inside left) of Cairns was named the Owner Manager of the Year for her role as the Director of Ten Years Younger Home Care.
Ten Years Younger Home Care provides a wide range of clinical and companionship services, specialising in home care for the elderly as well as people with disabilities and illnesses.
“I’m just blown away and I’m very proud to be accepting this award,” Ms Fields said.
“I’ve got a fabulous group of people I work with up in Cairns and I wish they could be here tonight to celebrate.”
The winners of the Queensland Excellence Awards will now have an opportunity to vie for the ultimate prize at the National Excellence Awards in Melbourne on October 16.