2015

Lance Kalish and Ido Leffler
Bachelor of Business (2000)

Lance Kalish and Ida Leffler have harnessed the positive power of 'yes· to build an internationally successful business, with real social impact.

Co-founding natural beauty products company Yes To Inc in 2006, they started out their dreams of business success with big promises, and big debt. With characteristic determination, within a year they launched their first product range Yes To Carrots in Walgreens, the United States· largest  drugstore  chain. A few short years later they now have over 25,000 stockists in 15 countries - including retail giants Target and Walmart - becoming the country's number two natural beauty brand.

Kalish and Leffler embody the passion for innovation, agility and entrepreneurship that are at the heart of the UTS Business School ethos - and one of the faculty's outstanding success stories. From its early beginnings as a start-up venture, Yes To Inc is now a multi-million dollar business, growing at a rate of around 25 per cent per annum. The extensive product range now comprises seven product lines, all made from predominantly natural ingredients and with the signature 'Yes To' irreverence and vibrancy.

And they're not just influencing consumer choices. Kalish and Leffler are driving social change through the Yes To Seed Fund, a not-for-profit organisation established as a central tenet of the business, and to which a portion of their profits are donated. The fund teaches children about nutrition and healthy living through micro-farms in Africa and planting organic school gardens across the globe, contributing to feeding 100,000 students each day.

"We always felt that finding a purpose for our business was as important as driving a profit," says Kalish. "Understanding that the more successful your business is, the more you are able to give away and make an impact on society- it's the best driver you can set for yourself and your employees."

Last year they established two more brands with social impact: Yoobi school supplies and Cheeky Home disposable table-top products. Partnering with several US-based charities, the brands have already donated classroom supplies to one million children and meals to more than four million of the nation's hungry.

"We sincerely hope that this will become the new way that everyone does business in the future," says Leffler.

Andrea Myles
Master of Arts in International Studies (2007), Master of Arts in China Studies (2011)

Andrea Myles was 23 years old when she selected China as the destination for her first overseas travel adventure.

"China had, and has, just the right mix of chaos and adventure, safety and potential, which makes it an intoxicating choice," says Myles. "Thirteen years later and I'm still just as infatuated, and even more committed to bringing Australia and China together."

She laid the foundations for a career doing just that, living in China for more than five years while gaining bilingual master's degrees in Chinese business and culture from UTS via Yunnan Normal University and the National Political University in Taipei.

Myles co-founded the China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) - the first of its kind worldwide - in 2014, and remains the organisation's Chief Executive Officer. A bilateral business incubator traversing a broad range of industries, CAMP unites exceptional young leaders and innovators from China and Australia to build intercultural capabilities, relationships, and innovative leadership skills.

Delegates collaborate online before uniting for a five-day summit as part of Sydney's Vivid Ideas Festival, focusing on networking, mentoring, and generating collaborative projects to address challenges common to both countries.

Myles was an Australian delegate at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance last year, and in 2013 led the business delegation for then Prime Minister Julia Gillard's second trip to China. She has also headed the Australia China Business Council, and co-founded the Engaging China Project, inspiring interest in China amongst high school students.

Widely recognised as a strong and influential young leader, her contribution shows no sign of slowing: she plans to extend CAMP next year to offer more places to young entrepreneurs seeking to develop essential skills to succeed in the Asian Century.

"The rise, or return, of China is up there with the digital revolution as the greatest moments shaping the 21st century, and it's time to get on board."

Ralph Kelly
Bachelor of Business in Marketing (1991), Master of Business Administration (1998)

When Ralph Kelly and his wife Kathy lost their 18-year-old son Thomas in 2012 after an unprovoked attack on the streets of Kings Cross, he knew he couldn't sit by and let it happen to someone else's child.

Moving through unimaginable grief, within three months Kelly had established the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation in his son's name, with the aim of ending alcohol-fuelled violence on our streets.

"Collectively, as much as we may deny it, 95 per cent of Australian families are in some shape or form touched by alcohol abuse," says Kelly. "Our vision is to foster change and provide new strategies in creating a more responsible drinking culture, ultimately providing a safer and healthier community."

In addition to his demanding role as Managing Director of hospitality marketing company Hemisphere Hospitality Solutions, Kelly spent months pounding the pavement; meeting with key figures  from  police and emergency services, industry, government and the community, forging strategic partnerships and building a groundswell of support.

Since the foundation officially launched in September 2013 he has successfully lobbied for legislative reform, including the introduction of the one-punch law, lock-outs, and the removal of alcohol as a mitigating factor in sentencing. The foundation has also helped to deliver additional CCTV cameras in trouble spots, and implemented the community based 'Safe Space· and 'Take Kare· outreach programs.

The collective result of his work has so far seen a significant decrease in alcohol-related violence, with a 40 per cent reduction in assaults in Sydney's CBD, and eight per cent across NSW - a result that other Australian states, as well as the United Kingdom, are seeking to emulate.

While it can't return Thomas to them, or bring back the countless other victims of alcohol-fuelled violence, Kelly's work through the foundation is helping to turn the tide and influence community attitudes and behaviour.

"All of us play a role by taking our collective voices to the decision­ makers to create action in the areas of government policy, service provision and education."

Chris Bulmer
Bachelor of Applied Science in Building (1991)

Chris Bulmer has built a strong reputation as a leader in the property and construction industry, and for helping build pathways for others to realise their highest potential.

As Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Services Group Holdings [PSG) since July 2014, a leading Indigenous-owned asset management company with significant capacity across construction, maintenance and services, Bulmer’s leadership and strategic vision have steered the company through a period of rapid advancement.

PSG not only provides an integrated service to its clients: it delivers tangible change to the lives of Indigenous people. Through its Indigenous Enrichment Plan the company is a significant employer of Indigenous people, and invests heavily in their future through training, mentoring and outreach programs, including the development last year of a university cadetship program supporting Indigenous undergraduates.

Bulmer and PSG are also working to build capacity in other Indigenous businesses, providing suppliers and subcontractors with management education for improved performance.

"It's incredibly rewarding - for the business, and for me personally," says Bulmer. "We not only create a strong Indigenous supply chain for PSG, but help our fellow Indigenous businesses to build their own reputation and long­ term success."

Prior to joining PSG, Bulmer spent eight years with Australia's largest privately owned commercial contractor Hansen Yuncken, where he was credited with significant up-scaling of revenue and performance. The company also attracted more than 90 industry awards during his tenure. He is also a Director of consultancy Trumbull Greenwich, and Managing Partner of Greenwich Advisory, incorporating ‘iBuild our Future’ - a program facilitating pro-bono mentoring for undergraduate students.

Alongside this, Bulmer lends his time to helping shape the future of the construction industry as a guest lecturer and member of advisory boards for the UTS Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building and for Western Sydney University's engineering and construction disciplines.

Justice Rong He
Master of Laws (2004)

Justice Rong He has rapidly risen through the ranks of the male-dominated legal profession in China, to become a key player in the nation's sweeping judicial reform.

Justice He's first key appointment came at just 22 years of age - fresh from her undergraduate law degree -when she was made an Assistant Judge in the Criminal Court of Beijing High People's Court. She was soon promoted to Judge and then Senior Judge, all while completing a master's degree at UTS's China campus and then a PhD at the China University of Political Science and Law.

Key roles within the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court and People's High Court followed, before her appointment to the People's Republic of China Supreme People's Court, where she is currently Member of the Party Leadership Group, Vice­President, and a Grand Justice of the second rank.

As Vice-President of the Supreme People's Court, Justice He plays an important role in China's judicial reform process. Over the past two years, China has embarked on comprehensive reform to deepen the rule of law, helping to build a more open and independent judiciary and protecting of human rights by preventing miscarriages of justice. The reforms also aim to make court hearings more open to the general public, so they can witness the judicial process in action.

In addition to Justice He's contribution to the Chinese judicial system, as an academic, her published research has been credited with filling many gaps in the study of the Chinese law and justice system. She has also shared her expertise as a professor and tutor in a number of leading Chinese universities.

An active proponent for the role of women in the legal profession in China, particularly in the judiciary, Justice He has also worked in support of positive social reform through her voluntary work with leading women's rights organisations.

Carolyn McGregor AM
Bachelor of Applied Science in Computing Science (1991), PhD in Computing Sciences (2003)

Professor Carolyn McGregor's frontier research in big data is not only providing doctors with new ways to save the lives of premature babies, but could help astronauts stay alive on Mars.

Having established a career designing and building executive information systems, Professor McGregor AM was pursuing her PhD in the field when she met a neonatologist, who was looking to harness bedside data in neonatal intensive care units. For her, it was a fascinating opportunity to apply her skills for the betterment of society.

"Looking at a thousand readings a second from the electrocardiogram, where you can see the beating of the heart, and understanding breathing patterns - it's a much more complex problem than understanding what someone may put in their shopping trolley once or twice a week," she explains.

In 2005, she established the health informatics research program at the University of Western Sydney (now Western Sydney University), and with it the foundations of the Artemis Project - a sophisticated health analytics platform enabling real-time analysis of multiple data streams. This enhanced ability to detect patterns can mean earlier detection of disease and infection, and reduced mortality.

Professor McGregor is now working with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to adapt Artemis to manage the health of astronauts on the agency's planned mission to Mars in 2030. The Artemis system will monitor physiological reaction and adaption throughout the mission, and give the astronauts tools to self-monitor during the long periods that the spacecraft will be out of contact with mission control.

Widely acknowledged as a world­leading expert in the field of health informatics, Professor McGregor was awarded the Advance Global Australian Award for Technology Innovation in September this year, and last year was made a Member of the Order of Australia. "It's an incredible honour to be recognised as someone who is trying to make systemic change," she says.

Tanya Farrell
Master of Nursing in Midwifery (2000)

With her strategic vision and capacity to lead others through significant change, it's no surprise that Tanya Farrell is one of Australia's most successful leaders in healthcare.

Farrell is Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia's largest specialist hospital dedicated to improving the health of both newborn babies and women of all ages. Each year the organisation provides care to more than 8,500 expectant and delivering mothers, alongside 1,600 nursery admissions, 200,000 outpatient appointments and 12,000 surgical procedures. A particular focus of her role is the attraction and retention of a high-calibre nursing and midwifery workforce that is able to work confidently and competently within a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

"My challenge every day is to ensure that we are able to both meet the needs of our nurses and midwives, and ensure that women, babies and their families receive the best care possible," she says.

She also plays a critical role in implementing and monitoring the organisation’s nursing and midwifery strategy, and works to advance the profession more broadly, through her contributions to numerous boards, committees and professional bodies.

Over the past two years Farrell has also led an innovative change project, bringing the leadership and management of Alfred Health's maternity and gynaecology services under the Women's Hospital while maintaining their current location - a first for Victoria. It was a unique strategic opportunity, requiring robust governance and significant change management within a very tight time frame.

Last year Farrell was appointed an Adjunct Professor at La Trobe University, following a long relationship with the institution. In this role she has established a strong base for improving healthcare outcomes for women and babies through generating new evidence, translating evidence into clinical practice, strengthening models of care, and developing the knowledge and skills of the next wave of clinicians.

Jane Needham SC
Bachelor of Laws (1991)

For Jane Needham SC, the path to a successful career at the Bar definitely wasn't linear.

She undertook what she describes as an "interesting but fairly impractical" degree in Medieval English, then realising employment opportunities were limited, she took a job at the Supreme Court of NSW. A law degree soon followed.

Needham has forged a reputation as a strong achiever at the Bar since she began practising in 1990, joining St James Hall Chambers soon after.  In 2004 she was appointed Senior Counsel, and in 2013 Lawyers Weekly named her Senior Barrister of the Year.

As President of the NSW Bar Association since 2014, she has driven significant change. Committed to fostering equal opportunity and diversity in the profession, Needham has overseen a wealth of initiatives from provision of dedicated child-care places for members of the Bar, to working with the Courts to make sitting hours more family-friendly, and actively role-models and champions flexible work practices.

"I think that there is a real impetus around making the legal profession a better place to work as a whole, not just for women, but for everyone," she says. "I hope that the reforms started over the last year-and-a-half will gain momentum so that the Bar is seen as an exciting, flexible and accommodating place to work."

As a practitioner specialising in equity, revenue and succession law, Needham is known for her tenacity and determination. She has appeared in significant cases in the succession area, including family provision matters with estate values up to AU$1 billion, and is currently appearing for the Truth, Justice and Healing Council as Senior Counsel in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Dr Lacey Johnson
Bachelor of Medical Science (2002), Bachelor of Medical Science (First Class Hons) (2003)

Dr Lacey Johnson's internationally recognised work on cryopreserved platelets is putting Australia at the forefront of research into frozen blood technologies.
As a principal research scientist at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Dr Johnson investigates innovative ways to manufacture or store blood components, particularly platelets, which are crucial to ensuring blood can clot after an injury. Stored at room temperature, platelets have a shelf-life of just five days.

"This presents particular challenges for supply to rural and remote areas, including military environments," she says.

Her applied research into cryo­preservation over the last five years has allowed the shelf-life of platelets to be extended from five days to two years, saving lives that may have been lost without access to this critical resource.

Dr Johnson and her research team work closely with the organisation's manufacturing division to translate her research into practice. Her ground-breaking work is being embraced by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), who are trialling a frozen blood inventory on combat frontlines in the hope of significantly improving resuscitation procedures. Pending regulatory body approval, there are plans to supply the ADF with frozen components by the end of this year, enabling them to offer the best possible care to wounded soldiers under challenging conditions.

She is also applying her expertise in the civilian setting, as an investigator on Australia's first clinical trial comparing the use of frozen platelets with fresh liquid-stored platelets to treat bleeding in cardiac surgery patients.

"My goal as a research scientist is to contribute to society in a positive way. That is why I love the applied research area, as you really get to see your work translated into the real world."

Dr Johnson is also working to inspire the next generation of scientists and clinicians through teaching, supervising research students, and providing career mentoring and advice.

Dr Lacey Johnson
Bachelor of Medical Science (2002), Bachelor of Medical Science (First Class Hons) (2003)

Dr Lacey Johnson's internationally recognised work on cryopreserved platelets is putting Australia at the forefront of research into frozen blood technologies.

As a principal research scientist at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Dr Johnson investigates innovative ways to manufacture or store blood components, particularly platelets, which are crucial to ensuring blood can clot after an injury. Stored at room temperature, platelets have a shelf-life of just five days.

"This presents particular challenges for supply to rural and remote areas, including military environments," she says.

Her applied research into cryo­preservation over the last five years has allowed the shelf-life of platelets to be extended from five days to two years, saving lives that may have been lost without access to this critical resource.

Dr Johnson and her research team work closely with the organisation's manufacturing division to translate her research into practice. Her ground-breaking work is being embraced by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), who are trialling a frozen blood inventory on combat frontlines in the hope of significantly improving resuscitation procedures. Pending regulatory body approval, there are plans to supply the ADF with frozen components by the end of this year, enabling them to offer the best possible care to wounded soldiers under challenging conditions.

She is also applying her expertise in the civilian setting, as an investigator on Australia's first clinical trial comparing the use of frozen platelets with fresh liquid-stored platelets to treat bleeding in cardiac surgery patients.

"My goal as a research scientist is to contribute to society in a positive way. That is why I love the applied research area, as you really get to see your work translated into the real world."

Dr Johnson is also working to inspire the next generation of scientists and clinicians through teaching, supervising research students, and providing career mentoring and advice.

Genevieve Clay-Smith
Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Production (2009)

Fusing talent and creative vision with a strong commitment to social justice, Genevieve Clay-Smith is not just succeeding in a notoriously difficult business - she's working to make a meaningful impact on people's lives.

Clay-Smith first entered the spotlight when her film Be My Brother took out top honours in 2009 at Tropfest, the world's largest short film festival. A powerful exploration of the life of a man with Down syndrome, the film challenged audiences to look at their own prejudices, and gave a voice to people living with disability.
It was her first inclusive film, engaging people with disabilities in key crew member roles, and led her to co­found Bus Stop Films, a not-for-profit organisation she runs on a volunteer basis. Bus Stop focuses on creating inclusion within the film industry through providing workshops and training, film production opportunities and work placement for people who identify as having a disability.

"I wanted to make film studies accessible to those who might not usually get the opportunity to learn about the subject at university or TAFE," she says.
Clay-Smith is also co-founder of Taste Creative, a boutique creative agency focused on crafting brands, advertising campaigns, education and was recently named Australia's Top Female Creative at the B&T Women in Media Awards.

While other young filmmakers chase fame and fortune, Clay-Smith focuses her time and talents for the benefit of marginalised individuals and communities, and forging new pathways for inclusive opportunities within the film industry. Her dedication to driving social change has seen her named 2015 NSW Young Australian of the Year, and Young Leader category winner in the prestigious Westpac/The Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence in 2014.