2016

Dr Frances Hughes ONZM 
Doctor of Nursing (2003) 

Frances Hughes is at the international forefront of nursing and healthcare, responsible for leading a global force of more than 16 million nurses to ensure quality care and sound health policy for the world's citizens.

In 2016, Hughes was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the International Council of Nurses – a century-old global federation of more than 130 national nurses associations, working to create a nursing community that is strong, connected, and able to meet the world's health challenges. It is the first time in the organisation's history that it has appointed a chief executive from the Southern Hemisphere.

"It is a great honour," says Hughes. "Personally, it has meant stepping up and challenging myself, my philosophies, my beliefs and my knowledge of nursing and health."

Hughes has played a significant leadership role in general and mental health nursing, and been instrumental in the development of government policy around nurse prescribing, primary care and rural scholarship schemes, the nursing workforce, nurse practitioners, and mental health.

She was the first nurse to be awarded the Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy by the Commonwealth Fund in New York, and was a Fulbright Scholar. Hughes was the University of Auckland’s inaugural Professor of Nursing, and has held the roles of Chief Nurse for New Zealand, Commandant-Colonel of the Royal New Zealand Army Core, and Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Queensland's Department of Health. 

In 2005, she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for her services to mental health as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Hughes spent six years as a World Health Organization (WHO) facilitator for the Pacific Island Mental Health Network and is regularly called upon by the WHO, governments and non-government organisations to consult on critical matters relating to nursing, policy and mental health across the globe.

"I am motivated by equality and social justice; by ensuring that health care is accessible and affordable to all – particularly to vulnerable populations."

Sean Gordon 
Bachelor of Education in Adult Education (2000) 

Sean Gordon is applying his considerable leadership skills to drive Aboriginal economic development and reduce government dependency through creating real opportunities and benefits for communities.

A Wangkumarra/Barkindji man, Gordon is a strong advocate of self-determination for Aboriginal communities, and for social, cultural and economic empowerment. For the past eight years, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, a leading Land Council focused on improving the health and wellbeing of the NSW Central Coast community.

Under Gordon's leadership Darkinjung has built combined assets in excess of $55 million, and is currently developing innovative affordable housing and home ownership models that allow potential homeowners to build equity and save a cash deposit while renting community housing.

"The opportunity to move out of the social housing sector and into home ownership provides a sense of security and safety," he explains. "It sets our people on a path toward wealth creation, which in turn establishes a solid foundation for their family's future."

As an educator, Gordon has developed and implemented vocational education programs with the TAFE NSW Hunter Institute, and advised the NSW Government on the development of culturally responsible strategies for Aboriginal adult education.

Gordon is deeply connected to community, and has served on numerous boards and advisory groups. He was inaugural Chair of the Barang Regional Alliance, and serves as Chair of the Empowered Communities: Empowered People Leadership Group, facilitating sustainable reform through strategic partnerships between Indigenous leaders, governments and industry.

He is also passionate about preserving and developing Aboriginal culture as Director of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dance Academy. 
Gordon delivers transformational impact within the communities he works with, and drives policy change at a national level.

"Our goal is to close the gap on the social and economic disadvantage of Indigenous Australians, and enable cultural recognition and determination to preserve, maintain, renew and adapt our cultural and linguistic heritage for future generations."

Emre Celik 
Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems Engineering (2001)

In the current global socio-political climate, the work of Emre Celik in championing the cause of diversity, pluralism and social cohesion is more important than ever.

Celik is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rumi Forum, a Washington DC- based organisation dedicated to increasing social harmony and inclusion through interfaith dialogue and engagement. Here, he has brought together Christian, Jewish and Muslim speakers to publicly debate social issues, and run numerous events under the auspices of the White House, with the support of the United States President.

"The support of President Obama and the White House is critical," explains Celik. "It enhances our credibility, strengthens our cause in the eyes of others and allows us to directly communicate our concerns to the administration."

As a student, Celik was a founding executive of the UTS Muslim Students Association. Later, he brought together politicians, activists and community leaders in interfaith dialogue at the first ever Federal Parliament Ramadan Dinner in Canberra, and delivered community programs across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Following an open invitation Celik issued on ABC Radio Melbourne, more than 400 Australians were welcomed into the homes of Muslim Melburnians to break bread and engage. His 'Building Bridges· project unified Melbourne's Jewish and Muslim communities, bringing together 15 families from each faith for a year of engagement and peaceful exchange in each other's homes.

The ripple effect of cultural change and awareness is often most powerful when the message begins early. For many years Celik has promoted interfaith understanding as both a teacher and an agent of education reform. He speaks on issues of pluralism and diversity at universities and brings attention to the cause through the New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS and NBC in the United States, and media outlets across Germany, Australia and Turkey.

"It is a privilege to be a catalyst for social change; to play a role in alleviating the concerns of others and bring together diverse communities to overcome social discord and is understanding."

Kim Crestani 
Bachelor of Architecture (1984)

Kim Crestani is passionate about bringing architecture to the people, creating beautiful, sustainable and affordable design solutions that transform homes, public spaces and communities.

Crestani has more than 30 years’ experience as an architect and has built a solid reputation as an innovator and a leader in her field, recognised by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 2006 with the prestigious Marion Mahony Griffin Award.

She established award-winning architectural practice Order Architects in 1984. The company is responsible for some of Sydney’s most celebrated architectural projects, among them the Sydney Olympic Village and Parramatta's Barrack Lane and Bakers Mews.

Ten years ago, Crestani invented The Pod System, an innovative, sustainable renovation solution that allows homeowners to add value and space to their existing home in half the time of a traditional renovation - and with far less stress, waste, inconvenience and expense.

"The Pod System makes renovation affordable," she explains. “It’s the same size as a two-bedroom apartment, for approximately half the cost.”

As a senior executive for Transport for NSW, for five years she led master planning to deliver world best-practice land  use and transport outcomes for a  broad range of projects, including the North West Rail Link, Wynyard Precinct and the Inner West Light Rail extension.

Crestani is regularly called upon by state and local governments as a leader in design excellence and a strong advocate for appropriate development and ethical stewardship of the built environment, and is City Architect for the City of Parramatta.

She is also currently advising on the design of the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct redevelopment, the Sydney Metro rail project, and the urban design components of the monumental WestConnex development.

"No matter how large the project, it is quintessentially the public who will use and connect with these projects; they should make people’s lives more enjoyable.”

Bettina McMahon 
Master of Business in Information Technology Management (2007)

Executive General Manager, Government and Industry Collaboration and Adoption, Australian Digital Health Agency 
Connecting the right information with the right people can make all the difference in health outcomes, and Bettina McMahon has played a critical role in transforming the way Australia's healthcare sector collaborates.

McMahon is the Executive General Manager, Government and Industry Collaboration and Adoption for the Australian Digital Health Agency, and former Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National eHealth Transition Authority- the government bodies responsible for the transition of all Australians to My Health Record, a secure online summary of an individual's health information that allows them to take control of their own wellbeing.

It is ground-breaking work. Australia is the first country in the world to have assembled such a large-scale, integrated piece of e-infrastructure. Delegations regularly visit from Asia, Europe, and North and South America to see it in operation.

“The way we have traditionally provided health services is failing to address the great health challenges of the 21st Century,” she says “eHealth will revolutionise the way we prevent disease, diagnose it early, and reduce the debilitating effect chronic disease is having on our community."

At the core of McMahon’s career is helping organisations understand risk rather than be paralysed by it, so they can deliver real innovation and lasting cha ng e. Over the last 20 years her expert guidance has been behind the delivery of  regulatory  reform, major information technology projects, aviation security, anti-money laundering and counter- terror is financing, and environmental protection.

With a total of five university degrees under her belt, McMahon is an inspiring role model and a passionate advocate for raising the profile of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education and career paths. She gives her time to mentoring and is an active partner in the UTS Women in Engineering and IT program.

“It's so important that young women see examples of other women who have successful STEM careers and who also have some  balance in their lives, such as pursuing interests outside work or  raising a family.”

Nguyen The Trung 
Bachelor of Science in Computing Science (2002) 

Nguyen The Trung is applying his expertise to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors in Vietnam to drive technological innovation and growth.

Nguyen founded OTT Technology Group in 2003 and is the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Based in Vietnam, OTT leverages open technologies to provide comprehensive software development, testing and implementation solutions to blue-chip clients across four continents.

Under his leadership, OTT has experienced sustained growth and was recently voted as one of the top 10 ICT companies in Vietnam in the area of open source software services. It is now a global market player, with offices in Silicon Valley, Singapore, and throughout Europe.

"When I returned to Vietnam and started OTT, my Australian experience helped me to realise that there is a big gap between the ICT capabilities of Vietnam and other countries," Nguyen explains. "It's important to me that OTT strives for an international standard, and drives Vietnamese engineers to perform at that level."

OTT is known as one of the few private ICT companies to engage with the Vietnamese government and provide strategic guidance on initiatives of national significance, including master plans for e- government, the design of enterprise architecture, the national Internet of Things (IoT) strategy, alignment of ICT and provincial social and economic strategic growth, and the development of Vietnam's ICT industry more broadly.

Cristina Cifuentes 
Bachelor of Laws (1995) 

Cristina Cifuentes brings extensive experience in policy development, decision - making and governance to her work in promoting the interests of consumers and improving Australia's economic and social wellbeing.

As Commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - the federal body responsible for promoting competition and fair trade for the benefit of consumers, businesses and the community- Cifuentes oversees the organisation's regulatory role in relation to key infrastructure areas including telecommunications, wheat ports, rail, and water. She is also a Board member of the Australian Energy Regulator, responsible for regulating Australia's national electricity market.

In her 35- year career, Cifuentes has garnered a breadth of experience at the highest levels in both the public and private sectors, spanning public policy, finance and utility regulation. She has applied her strategic and legal expertise to deliver positive change in the superannuation sector and led regulatory reforms to increase transparency and accountability in investment markets.

Underpinning her career is a personal belief in using her skills and experience for the benefit of others. "I have long believed that what really matters is not what you have, but what you do with it," she says. "It's important to me that I use my skills and experience to contribute to better public outcomes."

Alongside her role as Commissioner, Cifuentes is currently the Australian delegate to the OECD Network of Economic Regulators. She has previously held directorships with the NSW Treasury Corporation, Hunter Water Corporation and First State Super Trustee Corporation, and was a member of the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal for almost ten years.

She offers guidance to others as a mentor, including through the Women in Energy International program, and is an ardent supporter of workplace diversity and the financial independence of women.

"I truly believe that having more women in traditionally male­ dominated environments will deliver better organisational and social outcomes. It should be the priority of all organisations to embed a culture of diversity as part of their business."

Associate Professor Richard Ferrero 
Bachelor of Applied Science Biomedical Science (1985)

Through his world-leading medical research,  Associate   Professor Richard Ferrero is  working  towards an understanding of the cellular processes  involved   in  stomach cancer  -  one  of  the  leading  causes of cancer deaths worldwide.

As head of the Gastrointestinal Infection and Inflammation research group of the Hudson Institute of Medical Research since 2009, Ferrero’s research is focused on understanding the chronic inflammation caused by the stomach bacterium, Helicobacter pylori.

"This is important because chronic inflammation is essential for the development of stomach cancer," he explains. "More broadly, inflammation is now recognised to play a key a role in many diseases, including arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer's, diabetes and many types of cancer."

A microbiologist by training, Ferrero left Australia in 1990 to take up a postdoctoral position at the renowned lnstitut Pasteur in Paris, later gaining a tenured research position in the lnstitut's Departement de Bacteriologie et Mycologie. He returned home in 2004 to a teaching and research appointment in Monash University's microbiology department before taking up his current position in 2009.

An internationally recognised authority in the field, Ferrero has been a Senior Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council since 2010.  He is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Monash University, and has contributed widely as an author and an inventor of patents. He is regularly called upon to present his research at conferences across the globe, and is an international member of the scientific committee of The International Workshop on Pathogenesis and Host Response in Helicobacter Infections.

His research has led to important clinical outcomes in the areas of antibiotic resistance, vaccine development and host immunity.

"The long-term goal of my research is to be able to develop predictive tests to identify those H. pylori­ infected individuals most at risk of developing stomach cancer. It is a dream of mine that we could one day develop a vaccine to prevent infection in the first place."

Kate Burleigh 
Master of Business in Marketing (2000) 

Kate Burleigh is passionate about the potential for technology to vastly improve how we live, work, and play in our increasingly connected world, and is at the forefront of innovations to bring this to lite.

As Managing Director of Intel Australia/New Zealand, Burleigh is responsible for the overall leadership and management of all facets of the business and is committed to ensuring the company adds value to customers and to its more than 4,000 partners. This covers sales, marketing, operations and policy, across everything from personal computing and the cloud to big data solutions and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Burleigh took on the role at a time when the market was tough, responding to the challenge with gusto and delivering a solid strategy that helped Intel navigate the rough waters and refocus on innovation. She worked across public relations, marketing, sales and product management before taking on the Managing Director role in 2012.

She has been with Intel for 20 years and says that agility and adaptability - along with great mentors - have been key to her rapid rise up the corporate ladder. 
"I have learned that the one constant is change, and your ability to adapt to change - or ideally to drive change - is the only sure path to achieving growth," Burleigh says.

Burleigh is a strong advocate for smart government policy and industry leadership on technology to build Australia's innovation economy, and a passionate voice for boosting the nation's capabilities through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and creative education.

She is currently focused on leading Intel to harness the potential of IoT as a strategic path to cutting-edge innovation.

“IoT is still in formative stages and Australia has an opportunity to lead in the application and delivery of smart implementations. We need to ensure the next generation is skilled up with the right technical and design thinking smarts to really exploit this opportunity."

Emmanuel Freudenthal 
Bachelor of Business (2006) Hons 1 (2007)

Emmanuel Freudenthal is not afraid to make the tough calls when investigating potential conflicts between business interests and human rights in Africa, Freudenthal had his sights set on a career in advertising when he enrolled in a dual degree in Marketing and Economics at UTS, but it was in the study of development economics where he found his true calling. He won a coveted place in the University of Oxford's Master of Philosophy in Development Studies program, researching the displacement of Cameroon's local population s as a result of conservation projects.

Since then, he has uncovered human rights abuses and worked with marginalised communities in Africa and parts of Asia. He worked with the Forest Peoples Program to prevent communities being railroaded by big business into giving up their rights to the forest. In one memorable case, he partnered with local activists in South Cameroon to prevent the displacement of indigenous people at the hands of a palm oil company, leaving the forest and local livelihoods intact.

Developers had divided villages with promises of job s and wealth; we were able to unite them by showing community leaders the devastating impacts and empty promises of a nearby palm oil plantation," he recalls.

Freudenthal was based in Cameroon as the European Union's Program Manager for Justice and Human Rights, before undertaking non-government organisations into the harassment and murder of land activists, financing of deadly conflicts by gold mining, and community displacement in the name of development.

Over the past year, Freudenthal has been building a name as an intrepid investigative freelance journalist covering business, human rights and corruption in Africa. He is currently focused on the ethics of international investors - including Australian companies.

"A number of Australian mining companies operating in Africa have a very dark history of corruption and human rights violations - yet no one has been jailed. I'm curious by nature, and this is the kind of thing I want to look into."