Meet the amazing leaders from the Surfcoast Shire
Liz Price –GM Great Ocean Road Tourism– Liz is a destination management specialist with a passion for marketing and strategy that has worked in the tourism industry for over twenty-five years including as General Manager-Australia for Club Tourism Publishing, Inaugural Chief Executive of Destination Melbourne, Executive Director of Tourism for the Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau and Marketing Communications Manager for the Country Victoria Tourism Council. Liz is currently the General Manager of Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism, an organisation that is five years young and at the very start of building a new path to a vibrant and sustainable visitor economy for the Great Ocean Road region.
Liz has always enjoyed studying and holds a Bachelor of Economics & Commerce, Grad. Dip in Direct Marketing, Masters of Marketing and an MBA but cites the school of hard knocks as where she learnt most of her biggest lessons.
A mother of two boys, Liz and her husband Stewart did the sea change four years ago and now call Torquay home.
Lisa Sweeney is CEO of Business in Heels, daily she works to fast-track women on their journey. She has 4 1/2 years of small business experience and well understands the transition from corporate to business owner.
Her expertise includes strategic planning, marketing, expansion through digital marketing, she is a strategic connector.
Her background is 25 years of corporate buying experience with expertise in strategic planning, sourcing, online retail, negotiation and she well understands the hurley burley of a corporate career.
She is passionate about making a difference for women & on a daily basis works to find solutions to levelling up the playing field. This year having launched mentoring, access to new women’s professional indemnity & superannuation solutions.
Paul Robson has over 20 years’ experience, as a qualified Chartered Accountant, a registered company auditor, taxation agent and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Paul holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and Bachelor of Computing, a Graduate Diploma in Accounting, is a graduate from the Leaders for Geelong program and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Paul also serves on local boards and committees including Surfing Victoria Inc., Samaritan House Geelong, Barwon South West Waste and Resource Recovery Group and Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is also a director for a number of international organisations with subsidiaries in Australia (including a specific focus in North America).
As a Partner and Director of international accounting firm Moore Stephens, Paul prides himself on the establishment of pathways to grow and develop our next future leaders within Moore Stephens. The accounting industry is fortunate enough to be an industry that has received the significant benefits of a 50/50 gender mix. Paul is passionate about sharing the benefit gender diversity creates in the workplace.
Jill Moodie is the Manger Strengthening Community on the Surf Coast. She has had an illustrious career working in both retail and the health community sector. She has operated as a senior manager combining her passion for management with that of making a difference to the community.
Her roles have spanned CSR responsibility to specializing in licensing to be the Executive Director of the Barwon Health Foundation.
She has been on the board of the Alanna and Madeleine foundation.
Sarah Quinney is the founder & CEO of The E-Commerce Business Coach. She has, and also helps E-commerce Business owners scale 6 + 7 figure e-commerce businesses.
A Bachelor in Marketing and Retail Management with a Masters in design Sarah has had 20 years of corporate experience and has built 4 leading 6 and 7 figure e-commerce brands of her own in the last 7 years.
Her customer generating e-commerce ad and digital marketing strategies are what sets her clients apart from their competitors enabling them to unleash a faucet of never-ending, high-quality customers and sales for their growing E-Commerce businesses.
Carla Egan is a professional coach, mentor, facilitator and behavioural specialist and has spent the majority of her career working with individuals and teams on people management challenges to improve engagement and staff retention. With over 30 years of corporate experience, Carla has gained significant experience in building and leading small and large teams.
A key achievement has been her ability to take a team of 30 from low staff retention of 20% to 100% within a 14 month period. Carla has helped transform hundreds of teams and cultures, and has a genuine desire and passion for sharing her knowledge, and providing support and advice to people leaders. Sharing a range of business methodologies, models and effective leadership techniques, Carla helps you to understand the thinking and behaviours that contribute to productivity and team culture.
Maxine Driscoll is an award-winning leadership expert, entrepreneur, author, international speaker, consultant and leadership coach who draws on outstanding experience in Australia and internationally.
She has held executive leadership positions in organisations in Australia, Thailand and Cambodia for the past 20 years. Completing a Leadership Fellowship at Columbia University, New York City and a Masters of Education at Deakin University, Geelong, Australia she is both qualified and passionate to inspire and empower a new generation of 21st Century Leaders.
Kate Martin is a Personal Trainer Business Coach. She teaches small business owners, predominantly personal trainers, how to build thriving businesses. Kate’s approach is to tailor her training shaped by the lifestyle her clients wish to lead. Most of her clients are mothers and being a solo mother, Kate understands all too well the challenges juggling parenting and the pursuit of business success can bring.
Kate draws on her own experience of 21 years as a personal trainer and the past 10 years of coaching other coaches – even way back before social media was a ‘thing’. She has an in depth knowledge of sales, publicity, marketing, business structure, public speaking, networking and time management and uses these tools to help her clients.
Since then, she has established businesses in multiple health disciplines, across the country. From Personal training the public to creating courses for other personal trainers to opening Massage clinics and launching corporate health programs, to various online programs within the health and wellness space. Managing up to 100 clients within these programs, at once.
Peter Clark is an experienced executive who has worked across media, marketing and digital communications in a variety of leadership roles. Peter commenced his career as a Marketing Assistant at News Corp in Melbourne in 1997 and over a 20 year period with the company worked his way up to Executive General Manager of the Herald & Weekly Times and finally Executive General Manager, Metro and Regional Publishing – Digital, for News Corp Australia. Mid-way through 2017 Peter left News Corp and moved to Anglesea for a long dreamed of sea change and joined Matt Cowdell at Arthur St Digital as a co-owner and Director. Based at the Federal Mills in North Geelong, Arthur St is a full service digital marketing agency that has experienced outstanding growth over the last two years. Clients include, Deakin University, Bendigo Bank, Worksafe, Netball Australia, Emu Australia, Geelong Grammar School, Christian College, and Geelong Adventure Park, as well as a large range of small to medium local businesses.
Peter has been a Director of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal since 2013 and also spent 10 years on the organising committee for the Herald Sun/Transurban Run 4 the Kids.
Raylene Fordham is the Managing Director of a national mystery shopping company. Her management & leadership experience has transcended across many industries, both commercial and community. She has gained a depth of knowledge through her professional and volunteer careers. Through her contribution to the community sector, local and regional tourism, community banking and retail industries, she has developed a sound understanding of corporate governance and risk management. She is driven towards delivering successful outcomes, utilising a wide range of skills, learnt over many years in management. She has proven strengths in mentoring, motivating and influencing staff and colleagues within her local community, her chosen industry, along with working inclusively with government partners.
She is currently the Managing Director of SurVit, volunteer Director of Corangamite Financial Services, the Winchelsea, Anglesea and Lorne Community Banks, Owner and Director of Management of Anglesea Backpackers and a community facilitator of finances and communication Anglesea Community Network
Jo Surkitt creates evolutionary positive change both in the workplace and at home. Allowing people to ‘Live with Intent and passion’ creating the life we want to live. Jo creates inspiration through innovative wisdom and practices and is both an educator and Motivational Speaker and has worked in a range of fields in health, management, marketing, events and educator roles, with a strong customer service background. Her programs and workshops are creative, innovative, interactive and like no other programs around. Each program is individually and purposefully designed through creative facilitation to get a positive change on many levels.
Jo worked in managerial positions in the Travel & Tourism, Tertiary Education and Events industry and has run her own Health and Wellness business since 2002.
‘Develop a powerful, clear mindset that will enable you to make sustainable ‘Positive Change’ so you can thrive and flourish in your career and personal life.’
Matty Lawrence. As the founder of Happy Spaces, Matty Lawrence finds meaning in life by creating spaces that connect and empower people to uncover their authentic self and fulfil their unlimited potential.
Happy Spaces is a growing ecosystem of local suburban and regional B-Corp coworking and community spaces with a focus on cultivating local connection, belonging and collaboration that bridges the gap between corporate and social enterprises.
Prior to founding happy Spaces in 2016 Matty held a variety of Marketing roles across Nintendo, Asahi Beverages, New Balance SPTFootball.
He also consults to community, family and SME businesses who want to evolve by discovering their purpose, mission and values.
Mia de Rauch is Managing Director of Flipswitch Media. Specialising in video production and video marketing strategy. She understands the world of social media and how to gain the best leverage from engaging, connective video content. As well as managing all our clients and video shoots, she regularly conducts workshops on video marketing and distribution.
Mia has 18 years experience in the video industry, working in many facets. Throughout her experience, one thing has always stood out – that Storytelling is the most important asset you can have. Telling stories in a visual way, is what Mia does best. Understanding the connection between a brand and their audience is the starting point to great relationships and building brand awareness.
Gretchen Gibson During the past 25 years she has lived and worked on the Surf Coast. During that time she has worked in a variety of occupations, having graduated in Applied Science, one of her earlier jobs was at Surf World taking classes. Before moving to Torquay, her career was in hospitality managing bars and restaurants and she landed a job managing Growlers.
In 2005 she began working with the Surf Coast Shire in customer service, whilst running her own holiday rental business with a friend. At one point they had 140 listed properties which sold at a profit a few years later.
Currently, she manages a business with her husband in Vancouver Canada which presents its own challenges and she continues to work for Council as a Business Support Officer in the Economic Development Unit.
“I love to support my community in a range of way, to help us all prosper and I’m forever grateful for where I live.”
Libby Coker MP values of hard work and community commitment were instilled at an early age by her mother, a nurse in a public hospital, and her father, a public servant and small businessman. Libby’s parents taught her the significance of serving the community. Seeing her mother at work showed Libby the value in caring for others.
A former teacher and journalist, Libby holds a Bachelor of Arts (University of New England), a Diploma of Education (Monash) and Bachelor of Letters (Deakin). For more than a decade, Libby represented her local community as a Surf Coast Shire Councillor, serving twice as Mayor.
Libby’s passion for education stems from her experience as a public school teacher. She believes a high standard of education from kindergarten through to university and TAFE is the catalyst for a bright future. As a mother of two young daughters, Libby believes there is more to be done to support women and girls. Libby wants her children to grow up in a community where all people are valued, respected and given equal opportunity.
Having lived on the Surf Coast for almost 30 years, Libby is well aware of the worsening effects of climate change, and the consequences of inaction. Libby supports further investment in clean energy, and a bold renewable energy target.
Libby values our business community, and recognises the hard work of small businesses owners and employers in Corangamite. A small business owner herself, Libby has worked with community, business and government organisations across the region.
Amanda Wilkens is co-Director(CPA) in the Canny Group. Amanda has a keen interest in helping women in business. Whether this is starting, growing or exiting the business, she has helped many small to medium business owners with cash flow management, employment issues, financing growth, taxation, business planning and succession planning over the years.
Amanda is an Alumni of the Leaders for Geelong program and is also on the board of Encompass Community Services which started out as one of the only nine funded Disability Employment services in Australia in 1985 and are proud to be customer service leaders in delivering NDIS supports. She is also on the board of Elf Squad a Geelong based charity.
She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin and is a qualified CPA and has a CPA public practising certificate.
When she’s away from the office, Amanda loves spending time in the garden at home. She is often socialising with family and friends and playing ‘Ninny’ to her two young grandson’s.