Special awards recognise career achievement
Our best-ever attended Awards for Marketing Excellence gala dinner, held as part of the annual conference in October, was a fitting occasion to recognise and confer the Institute’s two awards for outstanding individual achievement.
Since 1976, the Sir Charles McGrath Award has been presented to those who have made a significant contribution to the field of marketing through sound business practice, development of the marketing profession, and wider industry achievements.
This year’s recipient is Gail Kelly (pictured), chief executive of St George Bank. She is the first recipient of this award from the finance sector.
Gail joined St George in 2001 from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she served in her most recent role as head of the customer service division and as a member of its executive committee.
From 1980-97 she worked with Nedcor Bank, one of the four main banks in South Africa. During this time she held several senior roles, including general manager cards and general manager personal banking.
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In May 2007, Gail was awarded an honorary Doctor of Business from Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, for her contribution to the financial services and banking industries.
She serves on the Board of the Melbourne Business School and is also a member of the Financial Sector Advisory Council, the NSW Premier’s Business Roundtable, and the YWCA Advisory Council.
She has been announced as the new chief executive of Westpac and will take up this role on 1 February 2008.
In her acceptance speech, Gail spoke about marketing as a true passion. She added that a central precept of marketing, which is core to her overall business philosophy, is that customers are at the centre of the company in terms of how you organise, listen, respond and provide choice.
CPM Marketer of the Year
The CPM Marketer of the Year Award has been established to strengthen the position of the Institute’s Certified Practising Marketer program and to recognise the contributions of an outstanding CPM.
These contributions might include playing a significant role in marketing in either the corporate or public sector, contributions to the development of marketing theory and practice, or contributions to the professional status and recognition of marketing.
Graeme Chipp, the managing director and co-founder of Growth Solutions Group, is the 2007 CPM Marketer of the Year.
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AMI chairman Roger James (left) presents the CPM of the Year Award to Graeme Chipp. |
Graeme’s career has spanned more than two decades, with an emphasis on marketing and business development activities in both Australian and international markets. He has a unique mix of management consulting and senior executive experience in strategy development, marketing and business startups.
Graeme is a recognised leader in the fields of brand strategy, marketing and organisational effectiveness. He has advised many of Australia’s leading companies and has worked across a variety of sectors including retail, wine, food, tourism, apparel, grocery, home and garden, financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure and e-commerce.
His experience includes several years as a consultant with McKinsey and Company and as a line executive with large Australian blue chip organisations.
Graeme headed the ANZ Bank’s retail operations and later its global cards strategy development. Earlier in his career, he headed the marketing and establishment of a new restaurant chain development across Australia, Denny’s Restaurants, for the Ansett Hotel and Leisure Division.
Graeme has been a champion for marketing to have a stronger voice in business. He is the co-author Marketing in the Boardroom (2007), which has made a significant contribution to promoting the value of marketing at senior levels. Another co-author is Kevin Luscombe, a previous recipient of the Sir Charles McGrath Award.
A Fellow of the Institute, Graeme is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a trustee of the Robert Rose Foundation, and is actively involved in the Australian Football League Kickstart Indigenous Community Exchange Program, which he established in co-operation with the AFL.
Graeme is a very deserving CPM Marketer of the Year.
Find out previous winners of the AMI’s two career achievement awards |
