WA Business Leader of the Year

The 2024 Business Leader of the Year is Ben Wyatt, Non-Executive Director, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy, West Coast Eagles and APM.

The Business Leader of the Year Award recognises a leader who has made an outstanding contribution to business in Western Australia in recent times.

How the winner is chosen:

An eminent panel is selected to consider the most outstanding WA business leaders. The panel nominate, shortlist and deliberate on candidates before making a final decision.

The winner will be recognised by his/her peers as an outstanding leader in the business community and will be able to demonstrate excellence in one or more of the following areas:

• Significant organisational growth, greater reach, improved financial performance or impact,
• Positive individual impact and influence on the wider community,
• A high degree of achievement of a major turnaround in the performance of their organisation,
• Introduction of an innovation that has significantly changed their industry, and/or
• Successful launch of new products or new markets domestically or offshore.

The recipient of the WA Business Leader of the Year Award must:

• Have resided in Western Australia for the majority of the year under review.
• Be a board chair, board member, chief executive, managing director, director general, director or in a similar role, and typically have direct responsibility for their whole organisation.

Past Winners

2024

Mr Ben Wyatt
Non-Executive Director, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy, West Coast Eagles and APM 

2023

Mr Rob Scott
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wesfarmers

2022

Mrs Gina Rinehart AO
Executive Chairman of the Hancock Prospecting Group

2021

Kerry Stokes AC
Chairman of Seven Group Holdings (SGH) 

2019/20

Bill Beament
Former Executive Chair, Northern Star Resources  

2018/19

Chris Ellison 
Managing Director, Mineral Resources

Sue Murphy 
Former Chief Executive Officer, Water Corporation 

I was absolutely stunned to win the 2019 AIM Pinnacle Award as the calibre of previous winners and others in the room was simply outstanding.

I feel humbled and delighted.I have donated my prize to the Foundation of the Fremantle Dockers Football Club to assist and grow participation in sport for women and those in remote parts of WA.

We are lucky to live and work in a state with so much potential so it is up to each of us to ensure we can grow our economy and our future leaders to deliver on that promise. 

2017

Adrian Fini OAM
Director, FJM Property

2016

Nev Power
Chairman, Perth Airport Pty Ltd and Foundation for the WA Museum

2015

Stan Perron AM
Founder, Perron Group

2014

Andrew Forrest AO
Founder, Fortescue Metals Group

2013

Richard Goyder AO
Chief Executive Officer, Wesfarmers