Three Curtin Business School graduates and the Curtin Graduate School of Business Alumni Chapter Committee have been honoured for their significant contributions to society at the 2016 Curtin Alumni Achievement Awards.
Held in the glamorous Reveley Room at Perth Arena, the awards recognised Curtin graduates who have not only gone on to achieve excellence for themselves, but who have made noteworthy contributions to their chosen fields and to local, national and international communities.
Mr Alan Langford and Mr Benyamin Bin Ismail each received a Professional Achievement Award.
Langford has forged a successful career in business who since graduating in 1985, including 27 years at Bankwest where he maintains the role of chief economist.
Bin Ismail, who was recognised for his crucial role in the success and growth of international airline, AirAsia, dedicated his award to his six-year-old daughter who travelled with him to the event from Kuala Lumpur.
Marketing and Public Relations graduate Miss Ashlee Harrison was the winner of the Young Alumna Award, having positively impacted thousands of lives despite only graduating in 2012.
Her not-for-profit organisation, zero2hero was founded after she lost her stepfather to suicide, and focuses on youth suicide prevention and raising awareness among high school students. Harrison is also the director of social media management consultancy, Social Say.
The Volunteer Leadership Award went to the Curtin Graduate School of Business Alumni Chapter Committee for their support at prospective student events and ongoing dedication to helping children in need.
Curtin Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry congratulated the award recipients, adding the awards recognised the outstanding contributions its alumni made to society.
“At Curtin, we are committed to developing graduates who have the capacity to impact in their chosen fields through their leadership, innovation and excellence,” Professor Terry says.
“We are extremely proud of this year’s award recipients who have gone on to achieve great success and influence. Graduates are our greatest asset and these awards demonstrate the capacity of our alumni to be beacons for positive change.”
(Alan Langford with Carolyn Dickie, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor of Curtin Business School)
Mr Alan Langford
BBus, 1985
Professional Achievement Award
Following his graduation from the Western Australian Institute of Technology in 1985,
Alan Langford forged a successful career in business, having worked at Bankwest for the past 27 years. As the bank’s chief economist, his primary role is to advise Bankwest and its clients on the implications of economic and financial market trends.
Mr Langford is a board member for a number of organisations, including the WA branch of the Economic Society of Australia, the Housing Industry Forecasting Group and the Curtin Business School Advisory Network. He is also a former State Councillor of the WA branch of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.
(Benyamin Bin Ismail with Carolyn Dickie, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor of Curtin Business School)
Mr Benyamin Bin Ismail
BCom (Banking and Information Systems), 2000
Professional Achievement Award
Benyamin Bin Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia X Berhad, has played a crucial role in AirAsia’s growth by bringing a breadth of knowledge from different industry areas. He has helped AirAsia become one of the most covered stocks by domestic and international broking houses, and one of the most attractive companies on the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange in terms of transparency, investor returns and corporate governance.
Consequently, Mr Ismail has been awarded Best Investor Relation Professional four consecutive times by Corporate Governance Asia. He is also a member of the Curtin Business School Advisory Network.
(Ashlee Harrison with Angela Bowman, Director, Office of Advancement)
Miss Ashlee Harrison
BCom (Marketing and Public Relations), 2012
Young Alumna Award
Ashlee Harrison has positively impacted thousands of lives with her Perth-based, not-for-profit organisation, zero2hero, which aims to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues. In doing so, she has worked to combat the prevalence of suicide in Australia, and encouraged students to speak up about mental health issues and support their friends if they are struggling.
Since graduating in 2012, Miss Harrison has become the Director of Social Say, a social media management consultancy, and achieved a number of awards, including the 2016 West Australian of the Year Youth Award and a Pride of Australia Medal in 2015, for her outstanding contributions to the community.
Curtin Graduate School of Business Alumni Chapter Committee
The Curtin Graduate School of Business Alumni Chapter Committee is an active and enthusiastic group committed to giving back to the Graduate School of Business, its sponsors, alumni and students.
In 2016, the committee played an important role at the school’s information evenings, inspiring prospective students with their anecdotes on how their Curtin degree enhanced their career and in some cases, changed their lives. They have also increased engagement with fellow alumni, which has helped secure the school’s accreditation with several industry bodies.
The committee has an ongoing commitment to helping children in need, supporting Parkerville Children and Youth Care for the past three years. In 2015 the committee’s annual Christmas comedy debate raised $1,000 and attendees donated more than 30 Christmas gifts to the charity.
The committee includes President Steven Nicols, Vice-President Mathew Ong, Treasurer Ian Williams and Committee Members Kaushal Jhaveri, Eduardo Valenzuela, David Kam, Russell Friedman, Erivanan Rao and Caterina Crucitti.
