FROM a sailing career that began at age 16 on the STS Leeuwin to becoming the first female and youngest ever offshore installation manager of an oil-producing facility, Suzannah Vaughan (pictured right) packed a lot into life.
A LOT of people reckon they work in the best industry in the world and many claim their job is more fun than work, but Robert J Spencer, founder of multinational computer game developer Interzone, can certainly lay claim to having one of the coolest jobs
THREE of Perth's major sporting facilities - Belmont Park, Gloucester Park and the WACA ground - are considering major property developments to fund upgrades and secure the financial viability of their various sports.
PERTH'S remoteness is a logistical nightmare for professional sports clubs wanting to participate in national or international competitions, forcing them to spend more money and time travelling than their eastern states counterparts.
THE state's sporting codes are bracing for challenging times as they face a crowded sponsorship market and the global economic crash forces companies to tighten their purse strings and scrutinise discretionary spending.
WHILE the government's decision to delay plans for a new sports stadium in Perth remains a major talking point, the state's biggest sporting clubs have told WA Business News of crippling capacity constraints and an opportunity lost.
CORPORATE hospitality is an integral part of sports entertainment, with companies spending tens of thousands of dollars each year to secure the rights to view home games of their local team.
TALK about a baptism of fire.Shortly after taking over the top job from founder, John Young, Great Southern managing director Cameron Rhodes faced the challenge of not only negotiating the company through tough economic times, but also steering it through
AUSTRALIAN south sea pearl producer Arafura Pearls Holdings is preparing for its watershed 100,000 pearl harvest this year, having raised $20 million over the past four years through its managed investment scheme program.
THE Federal Court decision in favour of non-forestry MIS in an Australian Tax Office test case last December has substantially shortened the usual time allowed for project managers to put their annual programs together.
LOCAL engineering firms were bombarded with calls from underprepared local councils at the end of last year seeking assistance in applying for the federal government's infrastructure handouts.
CONSULTING engineers have joined the Western Australian business community in calling on the state government to implement a long-term strategic infrastructure plan.
CONSULTING engineers across Perth are calling on state and local governments to urgently improve the approvals process for the development of projects throughout Western Australia, amid soaring costs to business.
DESPITE the belt-tightening currently being experienced across all industries, including the engineering sector, designers and developers say sustainable design remains key.
THE struggles being experienced by tourism operators in some parts of Western Australia seem to have missed the north-west, for time being at least, with businesses in Exmouth and Broome positive about the year ahead.
Developers of tourism accommodation are adopting a range of responses to the financial crisis, with some going full steam ahead while others are taking a more cautious approach.
LISTED East Perth internet service provider iiNet was already number three in Australia when it bought local rival Westnet for $81 million, but the deal made it the dominant force in Western Australia and strengthened its national market share.
A DISASTER or a strong recovery - that's Martin Place Securities managing director Barry Dawes's each-way bet for what's likely to pan out in equity markets in 2009.
A YEAR ago it would have been unthinkable for a major Australian bank to buy BankWest, the only significant regional player in the powerhouse growth state of Western Australia.
DEBT is a theme across all the top deals of 2008, something that hasn't featured previously because such matters were considered relatively boring in a market awash with cheap credit.
A TALE of two halves is the most apt description of capital raisings last year, with the fall-off in the latter part of the year meaning investors are likely to be more selective in 2009.
AN already strained rock lobster industry took another hit late this year as new Fisheries Minister Norman Moore introduced strict limitations to an already tightly controlled field.
NEXT year may be the year of the insolvency practitioner but the sector was certainly gearing up for business in 2008 as the older hands of the sector recognised the signs of a stumbling bull market.
