Adam Goodes
Dual Brownlow Medallist, dual premiership player, four-time All-Australian, member of the Indigenous Team of the Century and representative in the International Rules Series, Adam Goodes holds an elite place in AFL/VFL history.
But his is a name that transcends the football field. Adam was named the 2014 Australian of the Year, in recognition of Adam’s community work aimed at empowering the next generation of Indigenous role models as well as his advocacy in the fight against racism.
Born in South Australia, Adam moved to Victoria as a young boy and developed a passion for Australian Rules Football. Adam soon became one of the game’s leading scorers and had a much-celebrated career spanning over seventeen seasons. He announced his retirement from AFL in September 2015.
Adam is equally known for his involvement and leadership within the Indigenous community. In 2004 he was invited to join the National Indigenous Council (NIC). In 2009, Adam set up The Goodes-O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation with fellow Indigenous teammate Michael O’Loughlin. GO Foundation’s vision is to create a brighter future for Indigenous children through education. In 2014, he joined the board of Supply Nation. Adam’s work within the corporate world extends to advising various organisations, such as retail giant David Jones and Lend Lease, on their Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP).
Adam is also passionate about the elimination of discrimination in society and advocates for the Recognise Movement along with Racism It Stops With Me campaign.
Adam is an ambassador for many prominent brands including Toyota, David Jones, Qantas, Lend Lease and CMC Indigenous Services. He is also an ambassador for Woolworths and board member for Support Through Australia Natural Disasters (S.T.A.N.D). Since retiring from AFL, Adam has enjoyed investing more time in the GO Foundation and being CEO for iDiC- Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium along with getting involved in other opportunities that he is passionate about.
Eve Crestani
Eve Crestani is an experienced Chairman, Non-Executive Director and Business Consultant. She qualified in law, and has 30 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman, and as chairman of multiple board committees.
She has deep experience in the governance of complex and highly regulated businesses, strategy development, risk management, financial management and transformation. Eve has served on a variety of boards – listed, unlisted and mutual, global and domestic.
Eve is currently Chairman of Acorn Capital, and a Director of Australian Unity Investment Real Estate Limited, Booking.com, Heathley Real Estate Investment Trust and has previously been Chairman of Mercer Super and a long-serving Director of Australian Unity. She also sits on the ASX Disciplinary Tribunal, and has been a Fellow of AICD since its inception. Her pro bono activities include being a Director of Soils For Life.
Eve’s consulting career has been focused on providing strategic advice and transformation implementation to organisations such as KPMG, ING, ASX, HK Securities Institute and Fairfax Interactive.
Eve has been a judge since 1999.
General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, AC (MIL), CVO, MC (Retd)
Born into an Army family, Peter Cosgrove attended Waverley College in Sydney before graduating from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1968. His first deployment was in Malaysia with the 1st Battalion RAR and later in Vietnam he commanded an infantry platoon. He served as Commander of INTERFET in East Timor in 1999 overseeing that country’s transition to independence. Then promoted to Chief of Army and later Chief of the Australian Defence Force. He retired from the ADF in 2005 serving on several boards before becoming a Knight in the Order of Australia when sworn in as Governor-General in 2014 and serving until June 2019. Sir Peter was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty the Queen in August 2019.
In retirement, he remains involved with defence, health and other charitable organisations. In January 2020 Sir Peter accepted the voluntary role as chairman of the Business Council of Australia’s Community Rebuilding Initiative in response to the 2019/20 bushfires, leading a group of eminent business and community leaders to work with government and the community in the rebuilding process.
General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove has joined the EBA judging panel following the passing of Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd) who was a judge of the awards since 2016. In honour of Major General Jeffery’s work with the Foundation and in continuation of such, we are very happy to welcome Sir Peter to our judging panel.
Joseph Healy
Joseph is a co-founder of Judo Bank and a career international banker. He has held executive positions at Lloyds Bank, CIBC World Markets, Citibank, ANZ and NAB where he was a Group Executive/Divisional CEO Business Banking.
He holds an MSc (Finance), an MBA, an MSc in International Management (China), an MA in Contemporary Chinese Studies, an MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience, and an MBA (Banking) from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London; London Business School; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College, London; and the University of Nottingham in China. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Scotland) and a Senior Fellow of FINSIA. Joseph is the author of four books: Corporate Governance & Shareholder Value (2003); ‘Breaking the Banks: What went wrong with Australian banking?’ (2019); ‘Chinese Firms Going Global – Can They Succeed?’ (2019) and a co-author with David Hornery of ‘Black Belt – a Masterclass for Start-ups and Entrepreneurs’ (2023).
Joseph was a Director of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) from 2009-2019. He was also an advisor to the University Council on the content of undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Finance and was an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland (2015-2019), He is currently a director of the Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA).
Dr Stephen Jiggins AM, CF
Dr Jiggins is a professional communicator with a forty-year career that combines extensive academic studies with real world experience developing and implementing information campaigns for the federal government in areas as diverse as indigenous affairs, multicultural affairs, the census and road safety. This work involved innovative strategies aimed at ensuring critical public messaging reached all sectors of our diverse, often information poor, migrant and indigenous communities.
Complementing his campaign experience, Dr Jiggins held senior communication adviser roles in the National Food Authority, the Australian Federal Police and the Defence Materiel Organisation. The latter being the agency responsible for the multi-billion dollar acquisition and through-life support programs for the Australian Defence Forces.
In 2006 Dr Jiggins was appointed Senior Communications Adviser to the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Honourable Major-General Michael Jeffery. Steve remained with General Jeffery until the end of his term as Governor-General. He continued to support the General in his retirement in a wide range of projects, including these awards.
Dr Jiggins was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2014 for significant service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory, particularly as an advocate for improved road safety.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Canberra; a Master of Letters in Cultural Studies with Distinction from the the University of Southern Queensland for which he also received the Alumni medal for Postgraduate of the Year; plus Bachelor of Letters and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the Australian National University. Dr Jiggins is also a Churchill Fellow.
“I think the great thing about the awards is that they’re not simply talking about people who have come to Australia and the difficulties they have overcome and the successes that they have had, but they are talking about contributions to the Australian Commonwealth in the broadest sense of that term. So I see these as Australian stories as much as I see them as Ethnic or Indigenous stories.”
Ethnic Business Awards Past Judges
The late Sir Nicholas Shehadie (EBA judge 1988 - 1998)
Nicholas Shehadie is the former Lord Mayor of Sydney (1973–1975) and a former national representative rugby union captain, who made thirty career Test appearances 1947–1958.
The late John Saunders (EBA judge 1988 - 1997)
A Hungarian Migrant who arrived penniless to this country, through hard work and perseverance, started with a sandwich shop with his business partner Frank Lowy, and moved on to build the multi-million dollar empire known as Westfield Group. John was a revered member of the Judging Panel till his passing in 1997.
King Fong OAM (EBA judge 1998 - 2006)
King Fong is a prominent businessman within the Chinese community in Sydney and is a consultant for Chinatown Promotions and Public Relations.
Don Argus AC AO (EBA judge 2008 - 2014)
Don Argus is the Chairman of BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversified resource company. Don has a long standing relationship with the Ethnic Business Awards. During his time as CEO and Managing Director of the National Australia Bank, Don offered his full support to ensure the continuing recognition of migrant contribution to Australia’s economic development, and to Australia’s cultural and social fabric.
In 1998 Don was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his services to banking and finance, and his contributions to community and sporting organisations. He was further awarded the Centenary Medal in April 2003 for service to Australian society through business.
Arthur Sanderson (EBA judge 2002 - 2006)
Arthur retired in 1989 as General Manager of the NSW & ACT National Australia Bank after 40 years service throughout Australia. Following this, he acted as adviser to the banking industry in countries throughout Asia for a period of 6 years and served on numerous boards.
Michael Kiely (EBA judge 1999)
Michael Kiely was founding chairman and managing director of Boomerang Integrated Marketing and Advertising. He was inducted into the Australian Direct Marketing Hall of Fame in 2001.
Ziggy Switkowski (EBA judge 2008 - 2011)
Dr Ziggy Switkowski is a former chief executive of Telstra, Optus and Kodak (Australasia). He is currently a non-executive director of Suncorp, Tabcorp, Healthscope and Opera Australia. In 2006, he chaired the Prime Minister’s Review of Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy, and is now the Chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization. Dr Switkowski is a graduate of the University of Melbourne with a PhD in nuclear physics. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Jonar Nader (EBA judge 2007)
Jonar is a Director of the Sydney College of Divinity, and the Principal of Logictivity, a consulting firm that specialises in business excellence. Jonar is the author of ‘How to Lose Friends and Infuriate People’ - a book about success, management and leadership.
Joseph Elu AO (EBA judge 2010 - 2012)
Mr Elu has chaired numerous organisations that aim to improve the health and nutrition of Indigenous Australians and currently co-chairs the Indigenous Community Volunteers Foundation, is a past board member of Reconciliation Australia and a past member of the board of SBS. Stemming from his committed service to indigenous communities, Joseph has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in the General Division. Joseph is a recipient of the Centenary Medal and holds an honorary Doctorate in Economics from the Queensland University of Technology.
John Borghetti (EBA judge 2010)
John Borghetti is a former Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of The Virgin Blue Group of Airlines. Prior to this, Mr Borghetti was Executive General Manager of Qantas and Chairman on the Board of three Qantas subsidiary companies – Tour East Australia, Tour East Singapore and Holiday Tours & Travel Singapore – and was a Director of Jetset Travelworld. He has also served as a Director on the Board of Sydney FC and a Director on the Board of Piper Aircraft. Mr Borghetti is currently a Director on the Board of CARE Australia and a Director on the Board of The Australian Ballet.
The EBA Foundation mourns the passing of three of our most esteemed judges Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd), Carla Zampatti AC AM and Allan Gyngell AO. Our deepest gratitude for their work and contribution to the success of the awards and to the nation as a whole. They were all extra ordinary and the EBA Family are greatly saddened by their passing.
The late Allan Gyngell AO
EBA Judge 2007 - 2023
Allan Gyngell was the National President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, an Honorary Professor in the ANU’s College of Asia and the Pacific and a member of the board of China Matters.
His extensive experience inside and outside government includes appointments as Director-General of the Office of National Assessments, the inaugural Executive Director of the Lowy Institute and as Foreign Policy Adviser in the office of Prime Minister Paul Keating. He began his career as an Australian diplomat serving in Asia and Washington.
Allan has written and spoken widely about Australian foreign and security policy and economic relations with Asia. His most recent book Fear of Abandonment: Australia and the World since 1942 was published in 2017. He was made an Officer In the Order of Australia for service to international relations in 2009.
The late Carla Zampatti AC AM
EBA Judge 1988 - 2021
Fashion icon, Carla Zampatti, was one of Australia’s fashion pioneers. She was recognised with numerous Australian and international awards for her achievements and excellence. Carla was appointed Commendatore (Commander) in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by the Italian Government in 2004. She was also awarded Bulletin/Qantas Businesswoman of the Year in 1994 and was named Designer of the Year by the Australian fashion industry.
Carla had been a judge of the Ethnic Business Awards since the inception of the awards in 1988. A Member of the Order of Australia (AM), and then in 2009, she was awarded an AC – a Companion of the Order of Australia for her leadership in the fashion and retail sectors, for her contributions to multicultural broadcasting, and for being a role model and mentor for women. A migrant herself, these awards held a special place for her and she will be greatly missed by the EBA Family.
The late Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd)
EBA Judge 2016-2020
Major General Jeffery was born in Wiluna WA in 1937 and educated at Kent Street High School and the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He graduated into Infantry and served operationally in Malaya, Borneo, and Vietnam, where he was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
After command of all combat elements of the Army from platoon to division – including the Special Air Service Regiment – he retired in 1993 to assume the appointment of Governor of Western Australia, which he held for almost seven years. His major interests during his tenure were in youth affairs, education, environment and the family.
For his services to the State he was appointed a Companion in the Order of Australia, a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and a Citizen of Western Australia. On his retirement as Governor in 2000, he established in Perth, a not for profit strategic research institute – Future Directions International (FDI) – whose objective is to examine longer term issues facing Australia. On 20 December 2000, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology by Curtin University.
On 11 August 2003, he was sworn in as the twenty-fourth Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, serving in that capacity until 5 September 2008. Upon his retirement as Governor-General, he served as Chairman of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Outcomes Australia, The Global Foundation, the Constitution Education Fund Australia, the Diamond Jubilee Trust Australia and the Australian Trachoma Alliance.
He was appointed the National Advocate for Soil Health in 2013 by Prime Minister Gillard and is patron of various charitable organisations. He is presently the Chairman of FDI and Soils For Life.
Major General Jeffery was a Companion of the Order of Logohu (PNG), a Knight of St John, a Paul Harris Fellow and an honorary life member of the Returned and Services League.
“With nearly half the Australian population having been born overseas with the parents born overseas, we are amongst the most culturally diverse nations in the world. The exceptionally harmonious and tolerant society we enjoy today is one of the great success stories in our nation’s development and increasing prosperity. Each ethnic group, has made a distinctive and valuable contribution to our cultural vibrancy and to our business commercial life. ”