This article first appeared in the Engineering and Technology Alumni Newsletter, September 2017.
The University of Queensland’s 2017 Alumni Awards have recognised a diverse range of leaders who have created change by advancing knowledge, powering economies and advocating for human rights and dignity.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said the awards recognised alumni who had accomplished outstanding success and made exemplary contributions to their fields and communities within Australia and globally.
“This year’s recipients range from an award-winning journalist to humanitarians, visionary philanthropists and business leaders,” he said.
The UQ Alumni Awards will be presented at the annual Courting the Greats ceremony on Wednesday 11 October.
Three alumni from The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) were honoured for their exemplary contributions to their fields and communities within Australia and globally across two categories, including the Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Awards and Distinguished Young Alumni.
EAIT Executive Dean, Professor Simon Biggs extended his congratulations to the award recipients.
"I am delighted that three such outstanding alumni have been recognised by UQ," he said.
"It is truly wonderful to see where engineering and technology can take people in their careers."
All 2017 UQ Alumni Award recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee led by UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj.
Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.
Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Awards
“The highlight of my experience working as a CEO has been discovering the power of getting the right culture in an organisation - it is culture that excites, motivates and excels us.”
Mr Malcolm Broomhead is a business leader and philanthropist who has driven change in the education and resource sectors through a track-record of hard work and generosity.
Broomhead is Chair of Orica, and a non-executive director of BHP Billiton Ltd and BHP Billiton Plc.
He was formerly Managing Director and CEO of Orica Limited. Prior to these appointments, Broomhead was Managing Director and CEO of the global diversified resources company North Limited. He has extensive experience in the resources industry, as well as in finance, investment and construction activities. He has worked in management positions with Halcrow (UK), MIM Holdings, Peko Wallsend and Industrial Equity.
Broomhead contributes considerable amounts of time to mentorship programs at both a peer-to-peer and student level. He was the inaugural Chair and a mentor with Kilfinan Australia, providing CEOs of charities and not-for-profits with mentorship and development opportunities. He is also a director of the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
Broomhead is a member of the Advisory Board of the Council of Opportunity International. He strongly believes in Opportunity International’s mission to provide microfinance to families living in poverty which empowers them to establish their own streams of employment and transforms communities.
Broomhead believes that driving cultural change within organisations is a critical component of overall company success and an aspect too often neglected by upper-management.
His student-level mentorship activities and presentations often focus on the importance of intrinsic motivation in career success.
Distinguished Young Alumni
“When we collaborate with diverse people to try and make a positive change in the world, no matter how small it is, it can be really rewarding.”
Ms Michelle Grant is a food systems specialist and educator who runs a world-leading research centre tackling the world’s most profound global food system challenges.
Grant is the founding Executive Director of the World Food System Center (WFSC) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), an internationally top ranked research university based in Zurich, Switzerland.
The WFSC is a hub of excellence that delivers new knowledge, training and solutions to address global food system challenges. These challenges include reducing food waste, building food system resilience and supporting diversity in food production and consumption.
Under Grant’s leadership, the WFSC has established more than 30 research projects and awards 1.6 million CHF (approximately $2 million AUD) in competitive research funding each year.
Throughout her career, Grant has demonstrated a commitment to educating and cultivating young leaders. Over the last decade, in current and previous roles, she has designed and implemented post-graduate level education programs on sustainability and food systems in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe - training thousands of graduates.
The Swiss Federal Council recently appointed Grant as a member of the Swiss National Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (CNS-FAO). This committee advises the Swiss government on matters of international importance regarding food security, agriculture and food systems.
Grant advocates for the power of small but collective approaches to tackling complex issues in both her professional and personal life. In her spare time, she teaches yoga and is the co-founder of a donation-based, community yoga initiative that raises money for various charities.
Grant also holds a Masters in Management, Technology and Economics which she completed at ETH Zurich in 2009.
Distinguished Young Alumni
“Success is not a birth right, it is a privilege. Life is hard, the odds are against you and it’s only with hard work, tenacity and sacrifice that we achieve success.”
Mr Carl Hartmann is a multi-award winning Australian entrepreneur best known for his work as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Temando.
Hartmann has cultivated Temando from a budding idea to a flourishing enterprise that holds a coveted position as one of Australia’s largest and most successful technology start-ups. In 2016 alone, Temando had over 60,000 registered users and processed over 2.8 billion transactions.
With Hartmann at the helm, Temando has raised over $56 million in funding and established five major global offices.
After graduating from UQ, Hartmann founded Temando with Cameron Deane and Matt Malady to address the highly fragmented nature of delivery infrastructure, by creating a platform that connects the world’s logistical resources into a single intelligent software platform. Temando’s software enables merchants to create amazing customer delivery experiences, from cart to customer.
Today, Temando is used by some of the world’s leading retailers including Toys“R”Us, Myer and Super Retail Group, and has partnerships with leading technology platforms such as IBM and Magento.
A strategist even in his early university years, Hartmann structured his study path in a way that enabled him to graduate with two degrees and three majors. Hartmann says the breadth and balance of his education has helped him develop into the decision-maker he is today as the head of a global technology company.
Among the awards Hartmann has received are the Deloitte Rising Star Award, the Talent Unleashed Awards (Best Tech IPO / Venture Capital Raising), the IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Australia), APAC and Global Runner-Up, and EY 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Northern Region, Technology Category).
Meet Carl Hartmann at the upcoming UQ 'Leaders of Influence' Series lunch event at Customs House in Brisbane on Monday 16 October.