The list
SmartCompany’s list of the 40 top female entrepreneurs in Australia is ranked according to revenue. Where possible, revenue figures were provided by the entrepreneurs themselves. If the entrepreneur declined to provide figures, figures were taken from industry estimates.
1. Jan CameronCompany: Retail Adventures
Established: 2006
Revenue: $1 billion*
Australia’s top female retailer, Jan Cameron, is notorious for keeping a low profile, but she shot to prominence in 2010 after revealing she has donated more than $35 million to charities focused on the prevention of animal cruelty. Cameron is the owner of the Retail Adventures group, which operates a range of discount chains including Chickenfeed, Sam’s Warehouse, Crazy Clark’s and Go-Lo. While the business has revenue of more than $1 billion, Cameron did suffer a setback in 2010 when she was forced to shut the underperforming Dog’s Breakfast Trading Company chain in Australia and New Zealand.
2. Lesley GillespieCompany: Baker’s Delight
Established: 1980
Revenue: $566 million
Roger and Lesley Gillespie launched Baker’s Delight in 1980 with a single bakery in Melbourne. By 1988, they had 15 stores; today, thanks to the power of franchising, they have over 700 bakeries across three countries. Lesley remains co-CEO with her husband. In 2008 she was admitted to the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship’s Hall of Fame. In recent years the company has sort to encourage new young franchisees through its “manage to own” program.
3. Naomi MilgromCompany: Sussan Group
Established: 1939
Revenue: $498 million*
It’s been a difficult few years for Australia’s clothing chains, and revenue at Naomi Milgrom’s Sussan Group online increased slightly over the last 12 months. While Milgrom’s parents Marc and Eva Besen were responsible for much of the development and expansion of Sussan Group, she took control in 2003 after buying out her parents and siblings. Milgrom is one of just 15 women on the BRW Rich 200, with an estimated fortune of $367 million. Milgrom said in a speech last year that, “99% of my staff are women and mostly working mothers. I believe that the best way to manage this workforce is through consultation and having flexible working hours.”
4. Maxine HorneCompany: Vita Group
Established: 1995
Revenue: $296 million
Maxine Horne is joint chief executive of mobile phone and technology reseller Vita Group, which is based in Brisbane and operates the Fone Zone chain. She and husband David McMahon established Fone Zone on the Gold Coast in 1995 and took the company to a sharemarket listing in November 2005. While revenue at Vita Group dipped 2% in 2009-10, profit climbed 42% to $7.7 million on the back of a new deal with Telstra and cost cutting.
5. Gina RinehartCompany: Hancock Prospecting
Established: 1955
Revenue: $292.7 million
Gina Rinehart’s rise to the top of the Australian rich list (according to Forbes magazine) was unquestionably one of the highlights of the year for female business people. Her mining group, Hancock Prospecting, is now throwing off enormous amounts of cash each year from iron ore royalties, and Rinehart’s personal wealth put at $9 billion. While Rinehart took over Hancock Prospecting from her late father Lang Hancock in 1992, it is only under her guidance that the company has become a powerhouse of the resources sector.
6. Charlotte VidorCompany: Toga Group
Established: 1963
Revenue: $285 million*
It’s been an extremely tough year for Australia’s tourism operators, who have battle fragile consumer confidence, the high Australian dollar and, most recently, poor weather. However, Charlotte Vidor’s Toga of Companies has been busy looking for bargains for its property development division, recently buying a Sydney hotel that will be converted into services apartments. Toga was established in 1963 by Charlotte and Ervin Vidor, and has become one of Australia’s largest hospitality groups through its ownership of the Medina, Vibe and Travelodge brands.
7. Iris Lustig-MoarCompany: Lustig & Moar
Established: 1971
Revenue: $157 million
Iris Lustig is a director and major shareholder of Melbourne-based property development company, Lustig & Moar. The business was founded by Iris’s father, Ted Lustig and fellow developer Max Moar, who was formerly married to Iris. After Ted’s death in 2003, Iris took a more prominent role in the running of the company, which specialises in top-end residential developments and also built Melbourne’s exclusive Park Hyatt hotel.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
