Welcome to the fourth edition of Transforming Business, the Griffith Business School Alumni Network (GBSAN) newsletter.

In this months 'Alumni Spotted' section we learn about Ann-Maree Wolff,  Rio Tinto General Manager Taxation for Asia Pacific who was recently appointed to the Board of Tax; Paul Simshauser who has been appointed as Director-General of the Department of Energy and Water Supply; and Lee Danahay who volunteered to establish the Gold Coast branch of OzHarvest and will participate with her team in Think.Eat.Save on Monday 27 July.

I am pleased to announce that nominations for the Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus and Young Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Awards open today!

The Outstanding Alumnus Awards aim to recognise the remarkable achievements and successes of our alumni. The recipients of the awards will be honoured at our annual dinner and awards night, to be held on Friday 30 October at the Sofitel Brisbane. Watch the video below for a snapshot from last year's Gala Dinner.

I was the lucky recipient of the 2014 Young Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award. I have known a number of the previous winners and their achievements are remarkable, so to be included among this group was very humbling.

I encourage you to nominate yourself or a fellow Griffith Business School alumnus for the 2015 Awards. The online nomination process is simple and allows you to share your story with the leaders of our Alumni Network. More information about the nomination process and the Friday 4 September deadline can be found online.

Finally, if you are interested in increasing your effective presence on LinkedIn, your knowledge of the future Australian workforce or your golf skills, I recommend you refer to the upcoming events section below. As always, our event calendar is full of wonderful opportunities for you to take advantage of.

Best wishes,

David Morgan
Chair, GBS Alumni Advisory Group

Ann-Maree Wolff

GBS alumnus Ann-Maree Wolff was spotted at a lunch for the Board of Tax in Brisbane on Friday 19 June. 

Ann-Maree also recently featured in an article by The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Rio Tinto adviser appointed to board advising Abbott government on how to increase tax transparency'. View the article here.

Paul Simshauser

Congratulations to Professor Paul Simshauser on his appointment as Director-General of the Department of Energy and Water Supply.

Paul is a GBS alumnus having completed his Bachelor and Master of Commerce at Griffith. He holds a fractional appointment with the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics and contributes significantly to the Department's publication output.

Paul has been an enduring supporter of the School and the University. In his corporate life he has raised considerable amounts of money to support student scholarships (AGL Energy Ltd Honours Scholarship) and prizes. He was a foundation member of the School's Alumni Advisory Group and later became a member of the GBS Strategic Advisory Board, on which he remains an active participant.

GBS Alumnus Lee Danahay was born and raised in South Africa. In 1995 she moved to the Gold Coast and enrolled as an international student in a Bachelor of Business at Griffith. In the second year of her degree Lee's chosen major of Accounting led her to an internship at KPMG. From this role she secured full-time work and at the end of her studies she began in the Audit Division of KPMG on the Gold Coast.

Following three years with KPMG, Lee made the move to the property and finance industry. When the global financial crisis hit she took the opportunity to change career direction and decided to help others through charity work.

In January 2013 Lee joined OzHarvest and donated her time to get the Gold Coast OzHarvest branch up and running. By November that year, she had successfully secured funding for the first van and driver to begin daily food collections.

Read more about Lee Danahay and OzHarvest

Previous winners include current Managing Director of Tourism Australia, John O'Sullivan and founder of Di Bella Coffee, Phillip Di Bella. Now it's time for potential recipients of the 2015 Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus Awards to be placed under the spotlight. Nominations for the annual Outstanding Alumnus Awards open today!

The Outstanding Alumnus of the Year and Young Outstanding Alumnus of the Year will be announced at a gala awards ceremony at the end of October.

Read more about Nominations open for business alumnus awards

A combination of university degrees and in-depth industry experience brought his profile to the attention of recruiters when the online retail giant went looking for a suitable candidate to take up a technical program manager position in Seattle.

'Due to my hands-on technical background I was referring to myself as a technical project manager on LinkedIn,' Elliott explains. 'As it turns out, Amazon was scouring the globe for people with exactly that niche skill set.'

Read more about How Amazon got the man with the MBA

An amazing 1017 runners represented Griffith at the event. Staff, students, alumni, friends and family made up the Griffith Team who happily cheered, ran and enjoyed the post race activities in the Griffith tent.

Read more about Team Griffith dominates the marathon track or watch the video above.

Griffith Business School Alumni Network is pleased to offer another full calendar of great events in 2015.

Please continue to refer to our newsletter and event updates emailed to you each month, as well as our Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest event news.

Join Wendy Pavey from Compelling Strategy and the Griffith Business School Alumni Network to learn how to build a powerful LinkedIn profile.

You will leave the seminar with all the knowledge you need to build a powerful LinkedIn profile, including dozens of expert tips and tricks to help you get the most from it.

Date: Tuesday 28 July 2015
Time: 6.00 - 8.30 pm
Venue: The Ship Inn (S06), South Bank campus Griffith University, Cnr Stanley & Sidon Streets, South Brisbane
Cost: Alumni, Staff, student $25.00 | General Admission $35.00
RSVP: Thursday 23 July 2015

More information and register online

Join the Griffith Business School Alumni Network and the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing for breakfast as an interactive expert panel of workplace researchers and industry representatives discuss the make-up of the future Australian workforce and its wellbeing.

Armed with many years experience the panel will address: employment relationships, employee and employer expectations, the aging workforce, wellbeing at work and much more.

Date: Friday 21 August 2015
Time: 7.00 - 9.00 am
Venue: Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane 4000
Cost: Alumni, Staff, student $45.00 | General Admission $50.00
RSVP: Friday 14 August 2015

More information and register online

Join the Griffith Business School Alumni Network for the inaugural Griffith Business School Classic Golf Day, raising funds for the Griffith Business School Transforming Business Appeal.

This is the perfect opportunity to network with Griffith Business School alumni, industry partners, staff, your colleagues or clients as you enjoy a round of golf on the prestigious Palms course at Sanctuary Cove. The relaxed and fun day will be filled with exciting activities, prizes, food and beverages.

Date: Friday 11 September 2015
Time: 11.00 am registration, 12.00 pm shotgun start, 5.00 pm post round function
Venue: The Palms Golf Course, Sanctuary Cove
Cost: Alumni, Staff, student $120.00 | General Admission $130.00 | Team of four $480.00
RSVP: Friday 28 August 2015

More information and register online

Professional Development Series

How to build a powerful LinkedIn profile

Date: Tuesday 28 July 2015
Time:  6.00 - 8.30 pm
Venue: The Ship Inn (S06), South Bank campus Griffith University, Cnr Stanley & Sidon Streets, South Brisbane
Presenter: Wendy Pavey, Compelling Strategy
Cost:  Alumni, Staff, student $25.00 | General Admission $35.00

More information and online registration

Business Breakfast Series

The future Australian workforce and its wellbeing

Date: Friday 21 August 2015
Time: 7.00 - 9.00 am
Venue: Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane 4000
Cost: Alumni, Staff, student $45.00 | General Admission $50.00
RSVP: Friday 14 August 2015

More information and register online

GBS Classic Golf Day

Date: Friday 11 September 2015
Time: 12.00 pm shotgun start
Venue: The Palms Golf Course Sanctuary Cove
Cost: Alumni, Staff, student $120.00 | General Admission $130.00 | Team of four $480.00
RSVP: Friday 28 August 2015

More information and register online

Take advantage of the fantastic discounts offered exclusively to Griffith alumni from our partners at:

• 7D Cinema
• Di Bella Coffee
• Dejan SEO
• Exceptional Training
• Gold Coast SUNS Football Club
• Home Realty Group
• MRC Clinics
• Palazzo Versace Hotel
• Physiotherapy Links
• Thrifty Car Rentals
• Vision Direct

Visit Alumni Benefits and Discounts for more information.

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