Kimberley Pharmacy Services director and remote area pharmacist Hannah Mann has received the highest honour at this year’s Business News 40under40 Awards, being named First Amongst Equals in a diverse pool of young business and community leaders.
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Kimberley Pharmacy Services director and remote area pharmacist Hannah Mann has received the highest honour at this year’s Business News 40under40 Awards, being named First Amongst Equals in a diverse pool of young business and community leaders.
With more than 700 people attending last night's the black tie event, Western Australia’s top young talent were recognised from a diverse range of business sectors, from the creative arts and acting to philanthropy, finance and urban planning.
The night featured an appearance from the 2018 First Amongst Equals, Raleigh Finlayson, who spoke to the crowd on his experiences and achievements in the past year.
Business News chief executive Mark Pownall commenced the proceedings, speaking on the importance of entrepreneurs and innovators taking risks, and constantly evolving over time.
“Some of us have to keep reinventing ourselves to stay relevant,” Mr Pownall said.
“As many of you know, or are learning, it takes years of effort to become an overnight success.”
Ms Mann is a prime example of this evolution, with her current career path physically and professionally some distance from her earlier expectations.
While studying, she initially planned to establish herself as a metro-based clinical pharmacist.
However, after two weeks of a placement in the Kimberley she quit her Perth job and moved her life up north.
Ms Mann opened a Broome pharmacy and soon secured a number of remote health contracts, sending her to far-flung parts of the Kimberley and growing the operation outside of what could be considered a typical pharmacy business.
Along with its central hub in Broome, Kimberley Pharmacy Services today comprises outlets in Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, while Ms Mann and her staff regularly visit 23 remote communities to provide medication education for patients and to support other health professionals.
In 2015, the group was named the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Pharmacy of the Year, an accolade Ms Mann used to raise national awareness of the health issues faced by Aboriginal people.
As well as winning the top gong for 2019, Ms Mann was also named winner of the small business category.
You can read more about Ms Mann’s story and all the 40under40 winners online this afternoon and in our next print edition on Monday.
There were three other finalists for the First Amongst Equals: Beaver Group managing director Joshua Beaver, who was also the winner of the medium business category; co-founder and chair of giving circle 100 Women, Alicia Curtis; and drilling contractor TopDrill managing director Tim Topham, who also topped the large business category.
Other category winners included Hazer Group co-founder Andrew Cornejo for the City of Perth award; Readify state delivery manager Donna Edwards for professional services; Fortescue Metals Group manager, strategy, John Paul Olivier for the intrapreneur category; and co-head of children’s lung health at the Telethon Kids Institute, Shannon Simpson, for community.
The Woodside STEM Excellence Award winners were Maldi-ID director Sofie De Meyer and Blood Cancer Research WA founder Chan Cheah.
Recently appointed Perth office head (and board member) of tech commercialisation and marketing organisation Innovative Foundations, Nick Stamatiou, was the people's choice winner.
Mr Stamatiou was previously head of IP strategy and commercialisation at Deloitte.
Congratulations to the 40under40 class of 2019
Natasha Atkinson: Fremantle Markets
Joshua Beaver: Beaver Group of Companies
Cameron Britt: Wanneroo Basketball Association – Joondalup Wolves
Luke Campbell: Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec (WGA)
Chan Cheah: Blood Cancer Research WA
Heidi Cuthbert: Multiplier Media
Sofie De Meyer: Maldi-ID
Jessica Ellison: Life Ready Physio and Pilates
Jared Fitzclarence: KAW Engineering
Andrew Glover: WA Fuel Supplies
Thomas Haines: Practice Insight
Brendan Kennedy: OncoRes Medical
Sandrine Leven: Zubias Threading
Hannah Mann: Kimberley Pharmacy Services
John Paul Olivier: Fortescue Metals Group
Luke O'Sullivan: Initiative Media
Amanda Paton: Parkerville Children and Youth Care
Jemma Sanderson: Cooper Partners
Bianca Sandri: Urbanista Town Planning
Caroline Shaw: Live Well Physio
Shannon Simpson: Telethon Kids Institute
Nicholas Stamatiou: Innovative Foundations
Adam Wilson: KCA Site Services
Tom Young: udrew