The CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year Awards identifies the achievements of leaders and professionals over the past year and the contributions they have made to their companies in 24 categories, across industry-specific categories, as well as job-specific and recognition awards, and the major award, CEO of the Year.
We asked some of the finalists this year about their must-have apps, and here’s what they shared.
NOT-FOR-PROFIT EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Arabella Gibson CEO, Gidget Foundation Australia.
Arabella had an extensive career in the media industry before moving to the Gidget Foundation in 2017. She has twins of her own, so the work done by the foundation (raising awareness of perinatal anxiety and depression) is close to her personally.
Must-have apps:
- Headspace is fabulous for basic breathing exercises and relaxation, particularly when you are feeling too brain-busy and overwhelmed!
- Flipboard provides personalised news on topics of your own choice in a fantastic flip-through format. Great for getting the news you actually want!
IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Tara Commerford, Vice President and Managing Director Australia New Zealand, GoDaddy.
Tara has 15 years of international and commercial experience leading the set-up, operation, management, and expansion of companies. She has a keen focus on small businesses & start-ups.
Must-have app: “The one app I can’t live without is Zoom which is a video conferencing app. I travel a lot and work remotely, Zoom allows me to stay connected with colleagues both here and in the US and participate in meetings irrespective of my location.”
RETAIL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Rhian Allen, Founder, The Healthy Mummy.
Mum of 2, built a business aimed at helping mums after the birth of their children, over 900,000 subscribers across Australia, just launched in the UK and next year the US.
Must-have apps:
- Apple news app: up to date news articles targeted to your interests so you don’t have to keep going to lots of different sites to find out what is happening.
- Facebook app: critical for me and my business as we use it to talk to customers every single day.
- Wordswag app: a great app for creating professional and quick graphic designs.
- The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge app: the ultimate recipe and customisable meal planner with the added bonus of over 350 workout videos too – all made for busy mums. The app has 4,000 family friendly recipes, so the question of ‘what’s for dinner’ has forever disappeared from my house!
SALES EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Kathryn Marshall, CCO, Acquire BPO.
Kathryn has over 15 years experience in the telecommunications and outsourcing sectors.
She has a diverse range of skills and thrives to create a collaborative environment.
Must-have app: The app I’ve been using a lot lately is Workplace (by Facebook), a collaboration tool. It helps me keep in touch with my team, get projects done faster and make quicker decisions. And seeing what’s happening in and around our global organization of 7,000, within a very familiar platform, makes me feel easily connected.
MARKETING EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Adriana Giometti, Chief Marketing, and Corporate Relations Manager, Holman Webb Lawyers.
Adriana has extensive experience across a variety of fields allowing her to execute strategic business initiatives. She believes in working with other professionals to build their confidence.
Must-have app: I love Smiling Mind, a meditation app for kids. I have a very active 7-year-old boy and keeping him focused and calm is essential for both our well-being! I’ve been passionate about health and well-being from an early age and the availability of so many apps in this space, like Calm, and the current integration of these strategies in workplaces is really exciting.
CFO EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Magda Kosior-Molloy, CFO, Holman Webb Lawyers.
Magda has over 15 years experience and expertise in financial management. She believes mentoring is crucial to creating a successful team.
Must-have app: I can’t live without Whatsapp. This app helps me stay connected to all my friends and family who live overseas. As a Polish migrant, I don’t feel so far away from all the action back in my homeland using this app. The ability to connect instantaneously and share photos continues the strength of community I have there and helps my daughter stay connected to her roots.
MANUFACTURING EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Vanessa Katsanevakis, Director, Sussex Taps.
Vanessa rebranded the business after taking over from her father she was determined to keep the business operating in Australia. She has now created one of Australia’s most successful manufacturing companies.
Must-have app:
- Design Studio by Sussex – We’ve been busy developing Sussex’s first app Design Studio for over a year now, so it’s well and truly my current app obsession! The app enables complete colour and finishes customisation of our tapware, so it’s a lot of fun and will hopefully inspire some creative new designs.
IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Carolyn Breeze, Director, and Head of Australia, Braintree.
Carolyn is a passionate advocate of knowledge sharing, diversity, speaking and coaching new talent. All of which she implements when creating opportunities for Braintree partners to build lasting partnerships and improve customer experiences.
Must-have app: “My favourite app is Calm, a meditation, sleep, and mental wellness app. It offers so many different options that I can use to help myself relax and meditate at the end of the day. What I particularly love about the app is how Calm reads out stories for my children and me as we drift off to sleep, it works every time and we all love it.”
HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Finalist
Lesley Braun, Director, Blackmores Institute.
Lesley is the main author of four best-selling textbooks and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (Western Sydney University).
Must-have app: WhatsApp
- It’s encrypted end to end and there’s no advertising on it.
- I travel a lot, so use it to keep up to date with my family and friends.
- I love the audio recording function which is sometimes quicker than typing. When
my daughters are travelling, I love hearing their voices when they leave me a
message. - Also great for work, and often I get a quicker response when communicating with
this app than via the usual email or text, especially for Asia based colleagues.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR Finalist
Megan Green, Executive Assistant to the CEO Perfection Farms and Joint Managing Director Victor Smorgon Group, Perfection Farms/Smorgon Group.
Megan has more than 10 years experience in the industry in which she has always learned from others, researched and conducted professional development to ensure she stays current and improve workflow.
Must-have apps: The apps I cannot live without are Cyclometer in conjunction with Myfittnesspal. Cyclometer records all my exercise, like running, or kickboxing or cycling. It shares to Myfitnesspal which records my daily nutrition. These keep me in shape and on track.
I actually have a few daily’s:
Youtube for all my music, as this is a daily staple for me, even at work it’s on quietly. My
favourite songs play daily.
iBooks keeps all my novels handy and I read every night on my phone before bed.
