The 2025 ProGradian Awards brought together our most ambitious alumni and industry partners for a night of recognition, inspiration, and impact. Congratulations to all finalists and winners who continue to shape the future of Australia’s sales workforce.
This award represents a significant lifetime career achievement, recognising an individual who began their journey as a ProForce graduate and rose to the level of Chief Executive Officer. It celebrates long-term success, consistent high performance and the leadership qualities required to guide an organisation at the highest level. It is the highest honor we can bestow on our Alumni and is one of the most competitive Awards to win in Australian Business.
Andrew is the Managing Director Australia, at Beca, one of the largest engineering consultancies in the Asia Pacific region with 850 staff in Australia and 4,000+ in the Asia Pacific.
Hear from Andrew Mailer as he shares how ProForce helped set him on the right track in those early years through career guidance and initial training.
Shiva Pillay
General Manager & Senior Vice President at Veeam Software
Shiva is General Manager & Senior Vice President Veeam Software, based in Boston, leading a team of 700 staff. He has delivered outstanding global sales performance, revenue growth, and P&L management while implementing highly effective GTM strategies across the Americas.
Mathew Demetriou
Managing Director, Software Solutions A/NZ at Experian
Matt is the Managing Director, Software Solutions A/NZ at Experian, overseeing a team of 100 staff. He is accountable for product strategy, operations, delivery, and commercial performance across Experian’s Software portfolio, including Decision Analytics, Fraud, and Identity solutions, and has played a key role in an $850M merger.
Andrew Mailer
Managing Director at Beca
Andrew is the Managing Director Australia, at Beca, one of the largest engineering consultancies in the Asia Pacific region with 850 staff in Australia and 4000+ in the Asia Pacific. Throughout his career he has delivered outstanding business growth and sustainable financial outcomes across Australia, New Zealand and North America, overseeing the business and leading strategy, operations, and people across multiple regions.
Damian Coyne
Chief Executive Officer of Cevo Australia
Damian is the Chief Executive Officer of Cevo Australia and a former Microsoft ProGrad Alumni. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic vision, guiding Cevo to success while building high-performing teams and driving impactful business outcomes.
Colin Lau
VP of Sales at Qualified
Colin is the VP of Sales at Qualified, Florida; Driving strategic sales initiatives across the region. Prior to this, he served as Regional VP at Salesforce and Segment, building high-performing teams and delivering exceptional commercial results in global markets.
Ben Wedlock
Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Asia Pacific at BCD Travel
Ben is the Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Asia Pacific at BCD Travel, and a key member of the Global Leadership Team. As a seasoned executive in the travel management industry, he has spent over fifteen years shaping and transforming business strategies, driving innovation, and delivering value across the Asia Pacific region.
Daniel Mullane
Consumables & Accessories Leader – Asia at GE HealthCare
Daniel is the Consumables & Accessories Leader – Asia at GE HealthCare, driving significant growth across the region. He has overseen 3M in both divisions, delivering exceptional commercial outcomes and strategic leadership in the healthcare sector.
Brett Turpin
National Energy Lead at ATCO Structures
Brett is the National Energy Lead at ATCO Structures, where he has led the $170B Government Net Zero strategy, a standout achievement across the entire ATCO team. He has consistently delivered exceptional strategic leadership and operational impact, driving large-scale energy and infrastructure initiatives across Australia.
Emilie Jirsch
Chief Marketing Officer at Dabble
Emilie is the Chief Marketing Officer at Dabble, where she has led the company’s global marketing strategy, growing the customer base from 45,000 to 800,000 customers. She has delivered exceptional results through innovative campaigns, strategic leadership, and scaling marketing operations on a global level.
Sid Kajale
Head of Sales – Nestlé
Siddarth is the Head of Sales – Nestlé Professional, leading the sales division for the largest Food and Beverage company in the world. He has driven business turnaround, delivered tangible commercial results, and cultivated high-performing teams across sales, category, and marketing.
Thomas Middleton
Vice President, Corporate & Investment Bank, JP Morgan Chase & Co
Thomas is Vice President, Corporate & Investment Bank at JPMorganChase Chase & Co., the largest bank in the USA, overseeing Global Investment Management relationships across the Asia Pacific client base and markets. He has delivered exceptional leadership and strategic impact across APAC, driving business growth and strengthening client partnerships.
This recognition highlights outstanding leadership, strategic vision, and a demonstrated ability to drive significant business outcomes. It acknowledges an individual who has consistently aligned people, processes, and performance to achieve strong organisational results and long-term success.
Dave is the General Manager for NSW at Metricon, the largest home builder in Australia. He is recognised for his leadership, driving operational excellence, and delivering high-quality residential projects that meet the needs of homeowners across the region.
Many graduates aspire to become the leaders of tomorrow. David Shorten has achieved just that, taking on a leadership role early in his career.
Hear from David as he shares how ProForce’s training and mentorship set him up for success and helped him take the next step in his leadership journey.
James Cox
General Manager at MMEM
James is the General Manager at MM Electrical Merchandising, one of the largest electrical wholesalers globally. He is recognised for his leadership, operational excellence, and ability to drive growth and efficiency across complex international markets.
Mark McLeod
National Sales and Development Manager ANZ at Kone
Mark is the National Sales and Development Manager ANZ at KONE, an $8B global leader in commercial lifts. He leads a team of sales managers to achieve budget outcomes through strategic planning and tactical deployment, fostering a customer-centric approach and implementing people-first strategies that enhance team performance and engagement.
Janette Higginson
Vice President, Buyer Development, JAPAC at Index Exchange
Janette is the Vice President of Buyer Development, JAPAC at Index Exchange, a global leader in ad tech. She is recognised for her strategic leadership, driving growth across the region, and delivering innovative solutions in the digital advertising landscape.
Daniel Ettenhofer Regional Vice President, APAC at Drata
Daniel Ettenhofer is the Regional Vice President, APAC at Drata, a global leader in IT compliance. He is recognised for his strategic leadership, driving adoption of compliance solutions across the region, and delivering impactful results in enterprise IT environments.
Vivian Susastra
APAC Sales Development Manager at OpenText
Vivian Susastra is the APAC Sales Development Manager at OpenText, a platform used by 99 of the top 100 companies globally. She is recognised for leading sales development across the region, driving strategic growth, and enabling enterprise clients to
Nick Reid
ANZ Enterprise Sales Leader at ADP
Nick Reid is the ANZ Enterprise Sales Leader at ADP, the world’s largest provider of Payroll and Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions. He is recognised for driving enterprise sales, delivering wage compliance and global payroll solutions, and leading transformational initiatives across the region.
Sacha Madden
Director at Intralinks
Sacha Madden is the Director of Client Success Strategy at SS&C Intralinks, the global market leader in M&A cloud software. She is recognised for her strategic leadership, driving client success, and delivering innovative solutions that optimise mergers and acquisitions processes worldwide.
David Shorten
General Manager NSW at Metricon
Dave is the General Manager for NSW at Metricon, the largest home builder in Australia. He is recognised for his leadership, driving operational excellence, and delivering high-quality residential projects that meet the needs of homeowners across the region.
Charlotte Norman Founding Marketer at Adora
Charlotte is the Founding Marketer at Adora, where she leads the marketing strategy across all channels and markets. She works closely with the founders and product team to bring their GTM strategy to life, driving positioning, brand building, and growth to make Adora the go-to platform for product teams worldwide to visualise end-to-end product experiences.
Jarrod Faunt Head of B2B Commercial at Equifax
Jarrod is the Head of B2B Commercial at Equifax Australia, part of the largest consumer credit business globally. He has built a track record of success in sales management, new business development, and strategic account management, driven by his tenacity, commitment, and thirst for knowledge. Jarrod’s leadership has consistently delivered outstanding commercial results and strategic growth.
This award acknowledges outstanding innovation paired with strong sales capability. It celebrates an individual who consistently turns strategic ideas into tangible results through smart execution, customer insight, and a deep understanding of commercial opportunity.
Chris is currently the Co-Founder of Northstar and previously the Founder of Braze Australia, a business he successfully built and sold back to its parent company in USA. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial expertise, strategic vision, and ability to scale businesses to achieve impactful outcomes.
Many ProForce graduates have an entrepreneurial flair. After gaining experience in corporate sales, they’re equipped with the skills to take on the ultimate challenge, founding and running their own business.
Hear from Christopher as he shares how the sales training he received at ProForce was critical in setting him up for success.
Tim Simon
Serial Founder – Portfolio of medical clinics, property and building businesses
Tim is a Serial Founder, building and scaling successful medical clinics and managing a portfolio of 40 CBD properties. He has established himself as a highly effective operator, recognised for his entrepreneurial drive, commercial acumen, and ability to grow businesses across competitive markets.
Ellie Vaisman
Founder & MD of Procon Materials
Ellie is the Founder of Sourci, ProBoard, and Procon Materials, and has been recognised globally as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. He is a proven entrepreneur with a track record of building influential brands, driving innovation, and leading high-growth companies across competitive markets.
Marco Cantarella
Co-Founder of Tanto Security
Marco is the Founder of Tanto Security, one of Australia’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and ranked Number 5 on the CRN Fast 50. He is a dynamic entrepreneur recognised for driving rapid growth, delivering cutting-edge security solutions, and leading a high-performance organisation in a highly competitive market.
Rachelle Sassine
Founder & Head of Strategy of Perceptiv Media
Rachelle is the Founder of Perceptiv Media, a consultancy dedicated to helping businesses scale fast through strategic growth frameworks and high-impact advisory. She is recognised for her ability to accelerate performance, optimise operations, and guide organisations through transformative expansion.
Dean Leibbrandt
Co-Founder of Nakie
Dean is the Co-Founder of Nakie, a sustainability-driven business that has planted millions of trees, saved millions of tons of plastic, and achieved strong profitability. He is recognised for combining environmental impact with commercial success, leading initiatives that deliver both positive change and business growth.
Christopher Fennell
Co-Founder of North Star
Chris is currently the Co-Founder of Northstar and previously the Founder of Braze Australia, a business he successfully built and sold back to its parent company in USA. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial expertise, strategic vision, and ability to scale businesses to achieve impactful outcomes.
Declan Burton-Clark
Cash Flow & Trade Finance Specialist of Plutus Finance
Declan is the Founder of Plutus Business Finance, a leading business loan brokerage. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial leadership, driving growth, and delivering tailored financial solutions that empower businesses to thrive.
Terry Mefsut
Founder of Composed Digital
Terry is the Founder of Composed Digital, a leading Braze reseller. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial leadership, driving digital marketing innovation, and delivering impactful customer engagement solutions.
Daniel Lazarus
Co-founder and Director of Partnerships at Industrias Services Group
Daniel is the Founder of Industrias Services Group, a leading provider of solar asset solutions. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial leadership, driving growth in renewable energy, and delivering innovative, high-impact solutions across the sector.
Recognition as Australia’s extraordinary early-career sales talent means being acknowledged as one of the brightest rising stars in the industry, someone who has demonstrated exceptional potential, drive, commercial impact and leadership far beyond their years.
Chris works at Veeam Software, the global leader in backup, recovery and data management solutions. He partners with organisations across the NSW Public Sector, Higher Education and Utilities, delivering modern data protection across Cloud, Virtual, Physical, Kubernetes and SaaS environments, achievements that have seen him recognised as a two-time Presidents Club recipient and Global Exec Fast Starter at Dell.
Hear from Chris in his acceptance speech for Best Emerging Sales Person, a well-deserved recognition of his dedication, talent, and impact.
Congratulations, Chris! Your achievements set a benchmark for aspiring sales leaders.
Chris Dracos
Enterprise Account Executive – NSW Public Sector, Higher Education & Utilities at Veeam
Chris works at Veeam Software, the global leader in backup, recovery and data management solutions. He partners with organisations across the NSW Public Sector, Higher Education and Utilities, delivering modern data protection across Cloud, Virtual, Physical, Kubernetes and SaaS environments, achievements that have seen him recognised as a two-time Presidents Club recipient and Global Exec Fast Starter at Dell.e the ProGradian spirit and drive to excel.
Sean Thompson
Senior Enterprise Partnerships at Uber
Sean works at Uber, one of the largest companies of our time. As part of the Senior Enterprise Partnerships team, he works with the most recognisable organisations across ANZ to deliver tailored transport and meal solutions at scale, building strategic partnerships that drive efficiency, elevate employee experiences and solve complex operational challenges, achievements that earned him the coveted Values Award.
Joshua Smythe
Channel BDM – Cyber at Sektor
Josh is a Channel BDM at Sektor Australia, driving growth in their emerging cyber division with a focus on SentinelOne. He helps organisations secure their cloud, endpoints and identities with AI-powered protection, 24/7 threat hunting and managed services. Josh brings a proven history of excellence to the role, an ex–Rising Star winner, 4× Best Salesperson across four different companies, and the driver of $10M in self-generated revenue.
Lachlan Williams
Manager – Space Rentals at Atco
Lachlan is a Manager for Space Rentals at ATCO Structures, where he has spent over five years progressing through internal sales, sales representative and now management roles. He drives major modular infrastructure projects across Western Australia, recently achieving an exceptional milestone of 22 buildings sold in a single month, including a standout $13M contract secured in one deal.
Shrabani Majumder
Senior Account Executive at Equinix
Shrabani is a Senior Account Executive – APAC Networks at Equinix, one of the largest data centres in the world. She has consistently been a top performer, driving exceptional sales outcomes across the Asia-Pacific region and delivering strategic solutions to some of the world’s largest network clients.
Chris McAuliffe
Public Sector Account Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Chris is a Public Sector Account Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), having progressed through roles at Premiere Global, Oracle and NetApp. He has consistently delivered outstanding results, earning recognition as a Top APJ Performer, driving cloud solutions for major public sector clients across the region.
Sophie Hudson-Farlow
National Account Manager at George Weston Foods
Sophie is a National Account Manager at George Weston Foods, where she has spent over seven years progressing through nine promotions while driving exceptional commercial outcomes. She manages major retail partnerships responsible for an impressive $230M in retail sales, all while balancing a high-performance career and being a dedicated mother of two children.
Lara Lee Wood
Future-Proofed Workplaces Specialist at Cisco
Lara is a Future-Proofed Workplaces Specialist at Cisco, one of the largest and most influential technology companies globally. As part of a newly formed global team, she drives new business growth across ANZ by helping organisations create smart, sustainable and people-centric hybrid workplaces. Lara operates at the intersection of design, technology and employee experience, achieving an exceptional 138% of target in just 18 months.
Priya Sethi
Client Relationship Manager at InfoTrack
Priya is a Client Relationship Manager at InfoTrack AU, recognised for consistently elevating client experience and driving commercial outcomes. Her career spans Tyro, Exetel, ADMA and now InfoTrack, where she has built a reputation as a constant star performer across every organisation she’s contributed to.
Georgie Duignan
Renewals Manager at Okta
Georgie is a Renewals Manager at Okta, a global leader in identity and access management, where she has excelled over nearly five years. She has been recognised as an Outstanding Performer and received the Grow the Business Award, standing out among 6,000 staff globally for her exceptional contribution to business growth and client success.
Jordan Perkins
Enterprise Account Executive at Abnormal Security
Jordan is an Enterprise Account Executive at Abnormal AI Security, where he partners with major organisations across Australia to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. He is recognised as a leading Account Executive and a respected thought leader in IT security, driving strategic adoption of AI-powered protection across enterprise environments.
Tim Simon
Serial Founder – Portfolio of medical clinics, property and building businesses
Tim is a Serial Founder, building and scaling successful medical clinics and managing a portfolio of 40 CBD properties. He has established himself as a highly effective operator, recognised for his entrepreneurial drive, commercial acumen, and ability to grow businesses across competitive markets.
Ellie Vaisman
Founder & MD of Procon Materials
Ellie is the Founder of Sourci, ProBoard, and Procon Materials, and has been recognised globally as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. He is a proven entrepreneur with a track record of building influential brands, driving innovation, and leading high-growth companies across competitive markets.
Marco Cantarella
Co-Founder of Tanto Security
Marco is the Founder of Tanto Security, one of Australia’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and ranked Number 5 on the CRN Fast 50. He is a dynamic entrepreneur recognised for driving rapid growth, delivering cutting-edge security solutions, and leading a high-performance organisation in a highly competitive market.
Rachelle Sassine
Founder & Head of Strategy of Perceptiv Media
Rachelle is the Founder of Perceptiv Media, a consultancy dedicated to helping businesses scale fast through strategic growth frameworks and high-impact advisory. She is recognised for her ability to accelerate performance, optimise operations, and guide organisations through transformative expansion.
Dean Leibbrandt
Co-Founder of Nakie
Dean is the Co-Founder of Nakie, a sustainability-driven business that has planted millions of trees, saved millions of tons of plastic, and achieved strong profitability. He is recognised for combining environmental impact with commercial success, leading initiatives that deliver both positive change and business growth.
Christopher Fennell
Co-Founder of North Star
Chris is currently the Co-Founder of Northstar and previously the Founder of Braze Australia, a business he successfully built and sold back to its parent company in USA. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial expertise, strategic vision, and ability to scale businesses to achieve impactful outcomes.
Declan Burton-Clark
Cash Flow & Trade Finance Specialist of Plutus Finance
Declan is the Founder of Plutus Business Finance, a leading business loan brokerage. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial leadership, driving growth, and delivering tailored financial solutions that empower businesses to thrive.
Terry Mefsut
Founder of Composed Digital
Terry is the Founder of Composed Digital, a leading Braze reseller. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial leadership, driving digital marketing innovation, and delivering impactful customer engagement solutions.
Daniel Lazarus
Co-founder and Director of Partnerships at Industrias Services Group
Daniel is the Founder of Industrias Services Group, a leading provider of solar asset solutions. He is recognised for his entrepreneurial leadership, driving growth in renewable energy, and delivering innovative, high-impact solutions across the sector.
Recognition as Australia’s extraordinary early-career sales talent means being acknowledged as one of the brightest rising stars in the industry, someone who has demonstrated exceptional potential, drive, commercial impact and leadership far beyond their years.
Paris started her career at Webjet and has significantly superseded targets truly embracing what it means to have the ProGradian spirit and drive to excel.
A true combination of raw talent, strong mentorship, and applying the sales training provided by ProForce during that critical early stage has brought her this well-deserved recognition.
Let’s hear from Paris, winner of the Rising Star Award, on what it means to become one of the most successful graduates early in her career journey.
Paris Wong
BDM at Webjet
Paris started her career at Webjet.com.au and has significantly superseded targets truly embracing what it means to have the ProGradian spirit and drive to excel.
Jordan Graham
Sales Account Support at My Muscle Chef
Jordan works at My Muscle Chef, one of Australia’s fastest-growing FMCG businesses, which recently raised $100M.
Andrew Papadopoulos
Sales Support Lead at Vault Cloud
Andrew works for Vault Cloud, an AIIA award-winning cloud security company.
Solomon Hamid
Sales Executive at Gartner
Solomon was working for Vocus, the second-largest ASX telecommunications company in Australia for the Award nomination and is now at Gartner.
Ethan Elliott
BDM at Programmed
Ethan works at Programmed, a facilities management company with 30,000 staff and 10,000 customers.
Marcus Delios
Channel Enablement Specialist at Wavelink
Marcus is part of the team at Wavelink, Australia’s leading IT distributor.
Visharl Siriwardena
Key Account Manager at SpinMaster
He works at Spin Master, a multi-category global leader in children’s entertainment.
Marcus Rouhanna
Senior Account Manager at Kaseya
Marcus works at Kaseya, one of the largest global IT platforms.
Nicola Korck
Business Development Officer at MoneyTech
Nicola works at Moneytech, used by 120,000 businesses for their lending needs.
Lucas Borg
Sales Engineer at Stow
Lucas works at stow Group, a warehouse management powerhouse in Australia, ensuring anything delivered comes from them.
