StartupSmart Awards 2011

Philip Weinman is a serial entrepreneur. He founded HiSoft in 1983, growing it into a $300 million turnover company. He then founded CTS Travel and Events before founding Deasil Management Group, which invests in start-ups.

In 1995, Philip founded CTS Travel and Events and four years later the company merged with Internet Travel Group, which then listed with a turnover in excess of $450 million. The Internet Travel Group was then acquired by Flight Centre.

Gillian Franklin is recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative marketers, with a passion and commitment to supporting women in business. She is managing director of her own company, The Heat Group one of Australia’s leading personal care companies. Gillian has grown the business from five employees working out of a coffee shop to a thriving company with more than 90 staff.

Prior to this, Gillian was the youngest ever GM at Revlon at the age of 25. She was inducted into the Australian Business Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998.

Fred Schebesta is an online marketing expert and the founder of Credit Card Finder, Home Loan Finder and Savings Account Finder.

He started Freestyle Media while he was studying at University in 2001. He built it into a fast growing online marketing agency with clients including 3 Mobile, Virgin Mobile, McDonalds Australia and NRMA.

You can follow him on Twitter: @schebesta.

Reuben Buchanan is an expert in capital raising and corporate finance. He has raised in excess of $40 million for private companies and participated in over $200 million in corporate transactions. He has 17 years experience in media, investment and finance industries. In 2001 he founded Wealth Creator magazine, a bi-monthly business and investment publication, selling the group in 2005.

In 2008 he co-founded Wholesale Investor Pty Ltd, which has quickly become Australia’s largest private investor platform with over $400 million in transactions listed.

Richard Nicol is the director of Building Green Business, which consults with small business and households to implement sustainability measures.

Richard previously worked as a consultant on green building construction and had a five-year spell working on the Total Environment Centre’s Green Capital program which focuses on corporate sustainability.

Dr Colin Benjamin is creator of the widely used Roy Morgan Values Segments and strategic marketing tools presented in marketing courses across Australia. Colin is the voice of Australian social marketing iconic character “Norm” as the (Hon) Director General of ‘Life. Be in it.’ and acts as a professional mentor to a number of charities, SMEs and NGOs and Chairman of the Melbourne Think Tank – Marshall Place Associates www.marshallplace.com.au

Amanda Gome is the founder and publisher of smartcompany.com.au and SmartCompany.com.au. Previously she was an editor and senior writer at BRW magazine where her passion and interest in entrepreneurship led her to founding and editing the Fast 100 list and the Emerging Companies section.

Over two decades in business journalism, Amanda has interviewed almost every entrepreneur in this country worth their salt … and plenty that weren’t! She is also an adjunct professor of business at RMIT University, lectures students in entrepreneurship and regularly comments on business.

James Thomson is the editor of SmartCompany.com.au. Most recently James was a senior editor at news and commentary website Business Spectator. Prior to that, James was editor of BRW’s Rich 200, Young Rich and Executive Rich editions. James specialises in wealthy entrepreneurs and business strategy.