Anne Cross attributes her “early desire to get involved” as the primary factor in her attaining the 2014 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.
Ms Cross, who is CEO of UnitingCare Queensland, also won her category, Community and Government. She was presented the accolade at an awards ceremony in Melbourne on Wednesday evening in recognition of her leadership of the largest not-for-profit health and community services organisation in Queensland.
Ms Cross, who began her career in social work, said she realised early in life she wanted to make a difference.
“I chose to get involved and wanted to work with meaning and purpose. I also wanted to make an impact,” Ms Cross said.
Ms Cross was appointed CEO in 2003 to undertake the consolidation of the Uniting Church’s health and community service operations in Queensland into one organisation, which involved the merger of a diverse group of aged care, community services, and hospitals.
UnitingCare Queensland’s health and community service network encompasses UnitingCare Community, UnitingCare Health, Blue Care and Australian Regional and Remote Community Services.
Ms Cross is responsible for more than 15,000 staff and 9,000 volunteers providing services in over 400 locations in metropolitan, remote and rural communities in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
She said it was a privilege to lead an organisation of great complexity that supported people in locations other service providers might not go.
“I am so humbled and overwhelmed to be named the overall national winner at this prestigious event amongst such an impressive group of inspirational women,” Ms Cross said.
UnitingCare Australia national director Lin Hatfield Dodds congratulated Ms Cross on behalf of the UnitingCare network for her deserved recognition of outstanding leadership and work.
“Agencies like UnitingCare Queensland demonstrate the incredible strength of not-for-profits in this country,” Ms Hatfield Dodds said.
“Our agencies are mission rather than profit-driven. We exist to support and serve vulnerable people, but as Anne Cross’s leadership demonstrates, this is underpinned by sound business acumen.”
Winners of the 2014 Telstra Australian Business Women’s Awards
Business Owner Award
Kate Weiss, Table of Plenty, Victoria
Private and Corporate Sector Award
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, Mirvac, New South Wales
Community and Government Award
Anne Cross, UnitingCare Queensland, Queensland
Business Innovation Award
Andrea Galloway, Evolve Housing, New South Wales
Assistant Commissioner Donna Adams, Tasmania Police, Tasmania
Young Business Women’s Award
Tina Tower, Begin Bright, New South Wales
Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year
Anne Cross, UnitingCare Queensland, Queensland
Telstra business women’s awards winners and finalists share in $650,000 in cash and prizes.
CONGRATULATION ANN!!!
Barbara Macleod
1998 Telstra Business Women’s Award – National Winner (Business Category)
Well done Ann. Richly deserved!
A remarkable achievement!
With typical humility Anne acknowledged that she was lucky to have been standing on the shoulders of giants for the past 10 years.
Roslyn