Governor encourages young business leaders to be community-minded

SA Governor Hieu Van Le AC welcomed the 2020 winners of the InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards to Government House yesterday, saying they had all created something for South Australia.. “I like the motto that says ‘if it is going to be, it has to start with me,’” His Excellency the Governor said.

“We have to look out for opportunities and if they’re not there, we need to look for ways of creating them.

“Once we have identified an opportunity, we need to pursue it with vigour, initiative and persistence. We need to give it everything we have.”

The event was attended by the winners of InDaily’s annual business and entrepreneurial awards that recognise leaders under the age of 40 and their contribution to the state.

Now in its fourth year, the InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards has expanded to include leaders in sectors as diverse as manufacturing and medical research.

The Governor said that while a successful rolling out of the vaccination program is the key to ensure stability and confidence in the community, economic recovery was key.

“The process of economic recovery, post pandemic, will face many challenges but will also create many opportunities, some of which we haven’t seen before,” he said.

“While it is important to capitalise on many good outcomes from our management of the pandemic, entrepreneurial leaders need to look into other new and emerging opportunities. These can be found in our emerging high-tech industries, such as space, defence, shipbuilding, cybersecurity and renewable energy.”

The Governor also pointed to the need to expand the existing market and explore new export markets for goods and services – including various sources of international students.

“It is important to ensure sufficient effort and resources are devoted to training and education in order to equip our workforce with the knowledge, skills and industrial capability for these emerging industries,” he said.

“We have learned from the period of the pandemic that we can conduct most businesses from anywhere in the world.

“Adelaide is a great location for starting and running a global business while, at the same time, enjoying an enviable lifestyle in one of the most liveable cities in the world.”

The official Government House reception was organised by Carmen Garcia, an inaugural 40 Under 40 winner in 2018 who has established an alumni group of the past 120 winners.

The South Australian entrepreneur founded the social enterprise Community Corporate in 2013 a bid to remove barriers to work for disadvantaged job seekers through co-designed trainings as well as by partnering with national businesses – including Woolworths, IKEA and On the Run – to provide job opportunities across the country.

The Governor said that he was pleased to see the 40 Under 40 Awards recognising companies like Community Corporate and that the awards did not concentrate on just the young leaders’ business efforts but also what they contributed to society as a whole.

“Always think about the interests of the community and of others, before your own,” he said.

“There is deep satisfaction and reward in seeing your service make a difference, whether large or small, in people’s lives.

“Everything you do, and all the things you live for, have to have a purpose. Such purpose will fire up your passion.”

Nominations for this year’s InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards are now open, with applications closing on 2 April before judging begins by a panel of South Australian business leaders and the announcement of winners at a gala event on 10 June at the Adelaide Convention Centre.