As the 2012 Telstra Business Women’s awards open for nominations, Dynamic Business is speaking with twelve former winners about the impact the program has had on their businesses.
Louise McCormick won the Nokia Business Innovation Award in the 2010 Telstra Northern Territory Business Women’s Awards, for her innovative contributions to road and bridge projects across the country.
She was involved in the building and field-testing the country’s first fibre composite bridge when employed as an engineer with Main Roads Queensland and is revealing to Dynamic Business how innovation and winning the award have shaped the way she does business.
Q. How important do you think it is for a business owner to have an innovative spirit, and why?
It’s very important. Innovation is what drives business future and ensures sustainability. For me as an engineer, innovation is something I must do every day to solve problems for my clients to get the results that want.
Q. What are most significant ways innovation has impacted your business in past year?
Innovation constantly changes the way engineers work. New standards and new technology impacts on the way we do our core business. There are always new ways to design and build things and it is essential to keep up to date with the latest and to stay current.
Q. What innovative activity, and how, will it impact over the next 12 months?
Over the next 12 months, I believe innovation will impact significantly on the way I do business. There are many changes occurring within governments across the country, which impacts infrastructure and engineers in turn.
In the Northern Territory, a $34 billion LNG Plant is about to start construction and it will certainly change how Darwin businesses operate.
Q. What one piece of advice would you offer other aspiring businesswomen and female entrepreneurs?
Believe in yourself. Any little spark of an idea – particularly the ones that keep you up at night – could be the next big thing to drive you forward.
Q. How has being nominated and winning a Telstra Business Women’s Award impacted your business or organisation?
After winning the award, I soon moved jobs and now manage the Northern Territory Government’s Capital Works Program for Roads and all Transport Asset programs.
