Celebrating Excellence: The 2024 CFO Awards

The 2024 Australian CFO Awards made a triumphant return this year, marking its third annual celebration of the country’s finance elite. Held on Friday, 8 November, at the iconic Art Gallery of NSW, the event was a showcase of talent, innovation, and dedication across Australia’s public, private, and not-for-profit finance sectors. With a stunning backdrop, the evening honoured outstanding individuals and teams who were chosen from a remarkable pool of nominations, celebrating the finest minds shaping the future of finance.

The awards night brought together finance leaders, innovators, and rising stars for a night dedicated to excellence. The award categories spanned individual achievements, team successes, and recognition for rising talents, highlighting the diverse ways finance professionals drive growth, inspire change, and lead impactful initiatives in their fields.

Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to this year’s esteemed panel of judges, who brought a wealth of experience and insight to the selection process: Laavanya Pari, CFO at Mamamia; Mark Donovan, CFO at Metro Finance; Chloe Dung, Financial Controller at Weel; and Damon Hauenstein, CFO/COO at Weel. Their dedication ensured that each nominee received the careful evaluation and recognition they deserved.

Meet the winners of the 2024 Australian CFO Awards

Congratulations to all our 2024 award winners. Your achievements demonstrate not only a commitment to financial expertise but a vision for how finance can be a powerful force for good. Among this year’s honorees were:

CFO / Finance Leader of the Year

Anna Milinkovic - Qudos Bank

Over the past year, Anna has showcased strong leadership and strategic insight, significantly contributing to Qudos Bank's success beyond the typical CFO role. Her notable achievements include leading the merger process with another customer-owned bank and expanding her responsibilities to encompass finance, treasury, technology, operations, and company secretary functions. 

CFO / Finance Leader of the Year (NFP)

Ian Turnbull - ACT Education Directorate

Over the past year, Ian has led the Finance Team at the ACT Education Directorate, achieving substantial improvements in resource allocation, reporting frameworks, and stakeholder engagement. Key successes include securing significant additional funding to support public education and implementing the Business Front Door service, which has responded to over 8,000 school inquiries, providing clear and timely financial insights.

CFO / Finance Leader of the Year (Start-up);

Erin Wills - Ever Nimble

(In the photo: Kyre Gibb on behalf of Erin Wills)

Erin has shown strong leadership by implementing effective processes that drove revenue, profitability, and headcount growth beyond 2024 targets. She automated accounts payable, reducing data entry time and improving accuracy, enabling faster decision-making for the CEO and Board.

Erin has also managed key contract negotiations with suppliers and clients, further strengthening Ever Nimble’s industry position for continued growth.

Finance Team of the Year

University of Sydney

The Finance Team has led a transformative overhaul of the University’s financial management. Their stewardship has achieved an exceptionally high credit rating, placing the University among only nine globally with this distinction.

This solid financial position has empowered the University to make substantial investments in campus renewal and to establish a research commercialisation fund, supporting impactful ventures with the potential for commercial success.

Financial Controller of the Year

Jason Dunlop - Camplify

Jason has made a substantial impact in his organisation leading a NetSuite migration. By unifying two accounting systems into one platform, he streamlined operations, improved data accuracy, and enabled real-time financial visibility, ultimately reducing costs and supporting strategic decision-making.

Most Valuable Finance Team Member

Jemma Grieve - Aurecon

Jemma has demonstrated exceptional business knowledge, financial acumen, and cross-functional leadership in guiding a Data Analytics & Enterprise Reporting project that achieved high adoption rates and generated strong demand for automated reporting across multiple business areas.

She also played a key role in the development of new budgeting and forecasting models, delivering a comprehensive reporting solution that drives strategic and operational insights across the organisation.

Young Achiever of the Year.

Angelina Lau - 180 Degrees Consulting

In 2024 Angelina transformed their finance team's efficiency and focus by leveraging engineering and legal expertise. Through automating processes and enabling real-time financial visibility, they freed the team from administrative tasks, empowering them to focus on strategic planning and long-term sustainability.

A special thanks to our sponsors

A special thanks goes out to our esteemed sponsors whose support made this memorable event possible. Their commitment to advancing the finance community is a testament to the value placed on professional excellence and development.

Weel

Weel helps thousands of finance teams across Australia take control of their spend management so they can focus on more strategic financial decisions. If you’d like to learn more about how Weel can help you achieve 100% expense completion, you can book in with one of our experts at a time that works for you.

RSM

RSM is a mid-tier audit, tax and consulting firm that offers a full suite of advisory services including CFO Advisory and Digital Transformation for finance teams. RSM works closely with CFOs and finance teams to support their digital transformation, enabling finance to add value, provide strategic insights, and drive business growth. With offices in every major Australian city, RSM is a trusted partner to many.

Translucent

Translucent creates one system of financial record across all of your organisation's Xero files, enabling you to pull real-time consolidated reports, seamlessly manage your intercompany transactions, and view group banking data all in one place. Translucent takes away the pain of being a multi-entity business on Xero. See you own data in action - start a trial today!  

About The Australian CFO Community

Founded by Weel in 2022, the Australian CFO Community has quickly become the leading professional network for finance professionals in Australia. More than just a hub for networking, it’s a thriving community that fosters learning, innovation, and collaboration among finance leaders of all levels. Throughout the year, the community hosts an array of events, from masterclasses to finance summits and regional meetups, culminating in the annual Australian CFO Awards.

The Australian CFO Community is committed to empowering finance professionals with resources and opportunities to advance their careers, expand their networks, and leave a lasting impact on the finance sector. We look forward to another year of collaboration, growth, and success stories as we continue to support and celebrate Australia’s best in finance.

Here's to the future of finance leadership in Australia—may the achievements celebrated tonight inspire the next wave of innovative finance leaders!