The 2021 MTA Queensland Industry Awards Gala will be held on Saturday, 20th November at the Emporium Hotel, South Bank, in Brisbane, and is a celebration of the automotive industry and training excellence, as well as the achievements of MTA Queensland members and MTA Institute apprentices throughout Queensland over the past 12 months.

The Gala will again be hosted by Ben Davis from Channel Seven, who did such an outstanding job of overseeing the evening’s events and entertaining the more than 200 guests who attended the last full Awards Gala, held in the pre-covid days of 2019.

This time around, Ben will be joined by special guest Steven Bradbury, the man who created history in 2002 when he won Australia’s first Winter Olympics Gold Medal at the Salt Lake City Games in the US. In that event, we all remember, Bradbury was the outsider who took the win in the 1000m short-track speed skating event after staying clear of the jostling amongst his competitors and crusing through for the gold after they all tumbled and crashed out on the last lap.

It was an amazing race that capped incredible journey for Bradbury, and he won fans the world over with the honesty and humility he showed after the win. He saw the victory as reward not for one race, but for training seven days a week for 12 years.

To hear Steven talk about his journey and relate his story will make for a terrific evening. However, the highlight of the Industry Awards Gala will be the presentation of the awards that recognise the tremendous work done by MTA Queensland members and MTA Institute apprentices through the year. In next month’s edition of Motor Trader, we will take a look at the finalists for the Apprentice of the Year award. This month, however, we focus on the finalists of the three business awards.

These awards are:

• THE COMMUNITY AWARD, to be presented to an individual or member business who is a role model in their community and this is evidenced by their actions.
• THE INNOVATION AWARD, to be presented to an individual or business that is supporting or implementing innovation in the automotive or
  mobility industry.
• THE WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD, to be presented to a female leader achieving success by their commitment to driving change in the automotive or mobility industry.

As always, those nominated for the award were all extremely impressive and the finalists this year are outstanding representatives of the industry and an example of what can be achieved through hard work and smart thinking coupled to plenty of drive and enthusiasm.

Across Queensland, automotive businesses work tremendously hard to service their communities and adapt to an industry that is going through real and substantial transformation, challenging themselves to be creative and innovative in their approach. Recognising these businesses, and the people that lead them, is a privilege and highlights what tremendous work is being done.

Over the next few pages, you’ll discover more about the great people and businesses that are finalists in these award categories.

Fionna Blackburne, Southeast Auto Mechanical

Finalist

Fionna Blackburne, owner of Southeast Auto Mechanical in Beenleigh, south of Brisbane, is no stranger to the MTA Queensland Industry Awards. In 2018, Fionna and her team were recipients of the Community Award, in part for their Women On The Move course – a free program that offers women the opportunity to learn basic vehicle maintenance skills. It’s a course Fionna still runs today.

This year, the recognition from MTA Queensland focuses on Fionna herself, and her story is an interesting one indeed. Having trained and practiced as a lawyer, Fionna purchased Southeast Auto Mechanical in 2016 after earning her light vehicle qualification. From lawyer to mechanic to workshop owner – that might well be a unique career move, and it was her search for a more satisfying combination of work and family life that prompted Fionna to embrace the automotive industry.

“I was working as a solicitor and my now-husband and I decided to get married and have children and I was seeking a better work/life balance,” she said.

“My husband is a technician and has his own business, and I assisted him for many years behind the scenes whilst working full time in my own profession. Eventually, I decided to undertake my automotive apprenticeship and then ultimately purchase a workshop.”

Buying Southeast Auto Mechanical was just the start, and initiatives such as the Women On The Move program remain an important innovation for the business – Fionna is constantly looking for opportunities to expand the initiative and get more individuals involved. Most recently, she held a workshop for the Women’s Guild at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, and she has also been reaching out to local schools with offers to provide free training to upcoming provisional drivers who have just received their licence.

Understanding and adapting to the changing automotive landscape has seen Fionna place high importance on the training of her workforce, and incorporating technology such as the Repco Smart Inspector digital inspection app play a role in the business’s ongoing success. On top of all that, Fionna has also implemented several digital strategies to improve business processes and provide valuable information to customers and the wider industry. One of these outlets is through car safety columns she has written for the popular AutoGuru website.

Searching for ways that can help shape a positive view of the automotive industry, as well as expand efforts to empower and support women in the trades, is important to Fionna, and to have her efforts recognised with the nomination for the Women In Industry Award is, she said, very satisfying.

“I was surprised and super excited to be named as a finalist,” she said. “The automotive industry is very male dominated and can be intimidating. My passion for the industry comes from wanting to educate women about their vehicle in a safe and non-judgmental space. This and being a good role model for my daughter and other women is what drives me to succeed. If I can do it, anyone can!

“And it is vital that women know that this industry is absolutely a career option for them. Now more than ever, there is a high demand for technicians, so this is a great time for women to get involved.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Southeast Auto Mechanical website.

Tania Meli, Frizelle Sunshine

Finalist

Tania Meli is the Dealer Principal of Audi Centre Gold Coast and Ferrari Gold Coast and a member of the executive management team at Frizelle Sunshine Automotive, a division of Australia’s largest privately owned Automotive Group, Peter Warren Automotive Holdings.

If being the Dealer Principal at both an Audi and a Ferrari dealership sounds like a dream job, you might be right, but getting to that position is the result of more than 20 years of hard work, strong leadership of high-performing teams, and a desire to constantly progress, adapt, and cement a reputation of excellence for the brands along the way.

23 years ago, Tania sort of stumbled into her career in automotive as a sales trainee, and it was not, she said, the easiest of paths to begin with. That rather tough start, however, did ignite a determination to succeed.

“I fell into it,” she said. “I had a close friend who worked very successfully in aftermarket who thought I’d like it too and funnily enough I went for an interview for that role and failed!

“I saw a sales position ad for James Frizelles shortly after and albeit I had to fight to get noticed or even considered in that process, they gave me a two-week trial as a trainee.

“Back in 1999 there weren’t many women in the trade and I certainly had to have strong fortitude back then. I suppose that’s what drove me to succeed. That was near 23 years ago and I haven’t looked back.

“So, whilst I’ve had a long career in automotive, my passion is not necessarily in cars, it’s in people. I like to think I’m in the people business.”

Honing a strong sales foundation working across brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, and Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Tania’s development of high-performing sales teams in the prestige space became her area of expertise. Over the next few years she would move into the role of general manager Volkswagen, then launch general manager of Audi Centre South Brisbane, and then general manager of Audi Centre Gold Coast.

In 2017, she was appointed dealer principal of Alfa Romeo and Fiat, making her the first female dealer principal in Australia for these brands, before moving again, this time into the position of General Manager Ferrari in late 2018 – the only female general manager for the brand.

A recipient of numerous national and regional awards – including Audi Australia Podium Dealer of the Year, Volkswagen Northern Region Dealer of the Year and Metro Dealer of the Year – in 2020, Tania was awarded the Frizelle Sunshine Automotive Leadership award, an award of which she is most proud.

Throughout her career, Tania has been a mentor for young professionals and she is passionate about women in business, regularly opening her dealership as the venue for the Gold Coast chapter of Future Females – a business network for women.

She is an active volunteer in the community and feels strongly about giving back to the community. She is also a mentor to many females across the wider automotive group and recognises the value of women playing a deeper role in the industry and working strongly alongside their male colleagues.

“We must have diversity and inclusion for the health of the industry, and for a multitude of reasons,” she said. “Of course culture, and our internal demographic has to mirror our customer demographic. Men and women have a different scope with neither one better than the other, just a different lens. It’s this mix that enables us to grow outside ourselves as individuals and as a business.

“It fosters a strength in the business that we wouldn’t otherwise have. I’ve learnt so much from my male colleagues and I hope they from me.

“McKinsey states a gender diverse company is 21% more likely to experience better than average profitability. Not to mention if we widen the net we have a broader talent pool to recruit from. This way we can always hire the best person for the job, irrespective of gender.”

Recognised many times during her career for her leadership qualities, Tania said she was proud to be a finalist for the MTA Queensland Women In Industry award, and proud too to acknowledge the teamwork that has helped her and the businesses and brands she has represented be successful.

“To be honest I was a little embarrassed initially,” she said of her being shortlisted for the award. “I’m extremely conscious to not play the female card as I find it can be off-putting. I want a seat at the table because of my ability and talent- not to round the numbers out or be the token female.

“A specific award for a female seems counter-intuitive to me but then I realised the reason of why there is actually a stand-alone female category. There’s no male award because they already naturally sit at all the tables, and they don’t ever sit there quietly questioning the motive of how they got the seat.

“So, in saying that I do feel very proud of myself and the great women that supported me and that I support in turn. I also feel especially proud of the men that have mentored me and pushed ego to the side to learn from me along the way.

“With the most respect for this award I look forward to the day we can just have a leader in industry award – not gender specific. What a great day for the industry that will be!”

CLICK HERE to visit the Ferrari Gold Coast website.

Tracy Randall, Anzac Avenue Wreckers

Finalist

Tracy Randall has been running Anzac Avenue Wreckers, a family-owned automotive parts recycling facility in Toowoomba, for more than 15 years.

As the office administrator, customer liaison, and delivery person, Tracy certainly keeps busy, and as any business owner would tell you, a strong streak of determination, as well as a passion for the work and the willingness to work hard and try new things, is essential to success.

For example, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, when many businesses were challenged by the effect of the outbreak and the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions, Tracy took the opportunity to assess her business and see what could be done. It was in the digital space that she saw most potential.

She applied for, and received, a digital grant of $10,000 through the Queensland Government’s Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program and undertook two main digital activities designed to increase numbers reaching out to the business and to give an even more professional edge to its online activities.

First, Tracy launched a Facebook marketing campaign. Secondly, she built a photobooth at the store where she could take professional photos of stock. Through this, Tracy was able to make parts look more appealing for the business’s website and social media posts. Smart thinking during a challenging time and taking advantage of the assistance offered by government – a recipe for success.

In addition to running the business, Tracy is secretary of MTA Queensland’s Automotive Parts Recycling Division. For more than five years, she has represented this important segment of the industry and continues to advocate on important issues, skilling needs, and innovation opportunities. For example, her involvement in the committee has seen her meet with PHD candidate Sarfraz Ali Kyani, who is working with MTA Queensland, to discuss his thesis research involving the recycling of automotive parts for additive manufacturing.

A strong supporter of women in industry, Tracy has, for nearly nine years, been involved in the Toowoomba community through the local youth development group. This has, she said, been a fantastic opportunity to push back on the stereotypes and normalise the position of female tradeswomen and business owners.

Though she advocates for more women to engage with the industry and is constantly searching for ways to advance the industry – especially for women currently in or those wanting to commence a career in the trade – Tracy is happy to say it is just as vital that the right person, man or woman, is in the position of driving a business forward.

“I believe it is important to have the right style of person – someone who has integrity and who wants to improve the business of which they are a part. This, in turn, will improve the industry as a whole,” she said. “However, women do bring a particular flair to the conversation. They are willing to ask more questions.”

As a finalist for the MTA Queensland Women In Industry Award, Tracy is proud that her work, and the work of her team, in running a successful business, advocating for women in the industry, as well as her being a voice for the industry generally and for the recycling sector specifically, is being acknowledged.

“I am delighted to be recognised by the industry, while at the same time reminding myself that our successes are never one person’s effort but are the result of the team that you surround yourself with.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Anzac Avenue Wreckers website.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2021) 

13 October 2021