A woman at the pinnacle of Australia's property industry was named tonight as the 2014 Telstra New South Wales Business Woman of the Year.

Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, CEO and Managing Director of ASX top 50 company Mirvac Group, was presented with her award at the 20th Telstra NSW Business Women's Awards held at the Westin Sydney.

With 25 years in the property industry, working in Australia, Europe, the US and Asia, Ms Lloyd-Hurwitz was appointed in August 2012 to head the Group that develops, owns and manages a diverse portfolio of assets in the office, retail, industrial and residential sectors.

The Telstra Awards judges noted her resilience, the way she inspires the property giant's 1200-strong team and her performance in delivering Mirvac's strategy for shareholders.

In a career with extensive fund and portfolio experience at companies including Lend Lease, one of Ms Lloyd-Hurwitz's key achievements was leading the establishment in 2003 of a Macquarie Group real estate fund that invested in Chinese shopping centres in partnership with Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.

"Over the three years I worked on this fund, I learnt some valuable lessons, the most profound of which was resilience," Ms Lloyd-Hurwitz said. "It was an incredibly complex and long undertaking - it still exists, continuing to generate the returns we promised, weathering a wide range of economic and political conditions including the GFC."

Ms Lloyd-Hurwitz, who also won the Private and Corporate Sector Award, sits on the Australasian Advisory Board for graduate business school INSEAD, the University of Western Sydney Foundation Council and the board of the Green Building Council of Australia.

"Along the way, I've had some important mentors who have invested in me, taken a risk, held up the mirror for me and guided me," she said. "In all business relationships, I strive to listen, to create mutually beneficial outcomes and to communicate often and with clarity.

"I motivate and inspire people using every tool available to me… I also try to ensure that my actions line up with what I say, and that I am decisive and clear in both popular and unpopular or difficult decisions."

Other 2014 winners include Justine Curtis, founder of Inspired Adventures, a sustainable events company; Margaret Bowen, CEO of The Disability Trust in Wollongong; Andrea Galloway, CEO of not-for-profit Evolve Housing; and Tina Tower, founder of Northern NSW tutoring business, Begin Bright.

Kate McKenzie, Telstra Chief Operations Officer and Telstra Business Women's Awards Ambassador, said: "As I reflect on the achievements of the amazing women that have won these Awards over the past 20 years, I am confident that the 2014 New South Wales winners will continue to inspire the next generation.

"They embody what it means to be a Telstra Awards winner - courageous, confident and innovative."

Ms McKenzie said Ms Lloyd-Hurwitz demonstrated absolute resilience, trust and integrity in both her professional and personal achievements.

"The judges said she sees herself as a servant to shareholders, colleagues and other stakeholders, making sure expectations are delivered and modeling key values and behaviours. She has remained humble and authentic, driven to be her best for the benefit of those around her."

Previous NSW Telstra Awards winners include Caltex Australian Chairman Elizabeth Bryan AM, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and leading Australian thoroughbred trainer Gai Waterhouse.

The NSW winners proceed to the national finals in Melbourne on 26 November. For finalists and winners across Australia the awards offer a share in $650,000 in cash and prizes.

2014 Telstra New South Wales Business Woman of the Year
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz Mirvac Sydney

Business Owner Award
Justine Curtis Inspired Adventures Darlinghurst

Meeting a Tibetan monk who was jailed in China for 33 years was a life-changing moment for Justine Curtis that inspired her to develop a fundraising agency that partners with charities and offers sustainable travel packages. In 10 years, Inspired Adventures has raised $14 million and Justine has managed more than 300 adventures attended by 4000 people. The Telstra Awards judges said Ms Curtis was a model of leadership for women displaying vision, care, collaboration and a strong social conscience. She had grown and innovated her business with clarity and purpose while leading by example and developing others.

Private & Corporate Sector Award
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz Mirvac Sydney

Community & Government Award
Margaret Bowen The Disability Trust Wollongong

After 27 years in the one job, CEO Margaret Bowen remains energised by reinventing herself and The Disability Trust. Passionate about social justice and inclusive communities, she has overseen the not-for-profit's growth from a disability advocacy organisation with four staff to a service-providing, sector leader employing more than 1000 people with a turnover of $75 million. The Telstra Awards judges said Ms Bowen has changed The Disability Trust's business model to become more self-reliant. They praised her pride for her industry and profession and the social enterprise model she'd introduced in care, fitness and travel programs.

Business Innovation Award
Andrea Galloway Evolve Housing Parramatta

Moving from the technology sector to CEO of not-for-profit Evolve Housing, Andrea Galloway uses her commercial experience for her passion: creating safe and accessible homes for all. She guides the community-housing provider away from total reliance on government funding, creating new revenue streams and partnerships such as the one with Northcott for new housing for people with disabilities in Parramatta. The Telstra Awards judges noted that her empathy and passion for improving people's lives comes from personal experience and that she demonstrated true innovation with her initiative to create a sustainable business model that transformed public, social and disability housing.

Young Business Women's Award
Tina Tower Begin Bright Pottsville Beach

Tina Tower combines business with education through her tutoring centres Begin Bright. In 2008, when she was looking for a way to better balance work and family, she began licensing her school readiness program. Then came franchising and now there are 17 Begin Bright centres catering for children aged three to 12 years. Tina, now 30 and CEO, oversees the business from a farm at Pottsville Beach in Northern NSW. The Telstra Awards judges praised her drive behind the Begin Bright product and service and the impact it has on children reaching their potential, also acknowledging the financial pressures she has overcome.

More information on the Telstra Business Women's Awards can be found at www.womensawards.com.

Media contact: David Taylor, 0405 228 974, david.taylor.4@team.telstra.com



Reference Number: 208/2014

distributed by