From a cattle property to the top of Australia’s entrepreneurial ranks, Swipejobs founder Katrina Leslie has taken out EY’s top honour.
Katrina Leslie, founder of AI-powered recruitment platform Swipejobs, has been named Australia’s Entrepreneur of the Year at EY’s national awards in Melbourne.
Leslie took out the top honour on Thursday night, selected from 27 national finalists. She also won the Technology category.
Raised on a cattle property in Central Queensland, Leslie went on to establish Swipejobs, which now operates in the US and UK.
Swipejobs uses AI to match jobseekers with employers, taking into account experience, location and availability. According to Swipejobs, the platform has supported more than 11,700 companies and filled more than 250,000 roles over the past year.
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RedBalloon founder Naomi Simson, who chaired the judging panel, praised Leslie’s approach to transforming the recruitment space.
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“She has challenged traditional thinking about what recruitment can look like, creating a business model that is reshaping the industry,” Simson said.
Leslie will represent Australia at the global awards in Monaco next year, competing against entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries.
Thursday night’s winners also included David Riches of GenusPlus Group in Industry, Daniel Tucker of Carey Group Holdings in Services, and David Elliott OAM of Australian Age of Dinosaurs in Social Impact.
Louise Tandy of APT Travel Group took out the Consumer category, while brothers Omar and Zane Sabré of luxury accessories brand MAISON de SABRÉ won the Emerging category.
As previously reported by SmartCompany, MAISON de SABRÉ had reached $50 million in annual revenue by 2024, as the brothers expanded the business into travel products and international markets.
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EY Australia Entrepreneur of the Year program leader Colin McNeil said the awards recognised entrepreneurs whose businesses were helping shape Australia’s economy.
“Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs share a commitment to innovation, purpose and long-term value creation,” McNeil said.
According to EY, previous Australian winners collectively support more than 135,000 jobs and contribute $21.4 billion to Australia’s GDP.
The awards program has operated in Australia for more than 25 years, with previous winners including MECCA founder Jo Horgan, BioPak founder Gary Smith, and Laurent Bakery founder Laurent Boillon.