The Pearcey Foundation is proud to organise and host important ICT events. Our major events include:
Awards - both national and state awards, that recognise and celebrate outstanding individuals in Australian ICT.
Pearcey Oration - presentations by an eminent Australian giving insights into ICT related topics of national importance.
Conversations - online seminars featuring a panel of ICT thought-leaders and experts.
Special Initiatives - other special occasions covering celebrations, retrospectives, policy debates and round-tables.
Community Events - such as high school presentations and excursions.
National Awards Gala - annual gala night to present the most prestigious awards recognising the most significant achievers in the Australian ICT sector
Brisbane, Australia - 6 October 2021 - The Pearcey Foundation today announced Michael Holmstrom, CEO and co-founder of STEM Punks as this year's recipient of the Queensland Pearcey ICT Entrepreneur Award.
Canberra 28 Sep 2021: The Pearcey Foundation today announced Daniel Shaddock, founder and CEO of Liquid Instruments as this year's recipient of the ACT Chief Minister's Pearcey Entrepreneur Award. The award was presented by Andrew Barr, ACT Chief Minister at the Annual ACT Pearcey Round Table (held virtually this year).
The 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Bronwyn Le Grice, founder and CEO of ANDHealth. The award, in its 23rd year, was presented by the Honourable Mr Danny Pearson MLA, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Regulatory Reform, Government Services and Creative Industries.
The 2021 Pearcey Oration "Digital Transformation - Australia as a World Leader" was given by Jeremy Hirschhorn, ATO Second Commissioner on Wednesday 1 September 2021 and gave an insight into the most digitised revenue agency on the planet, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The 2021 WA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Charlie Gunningham, Founder and Principal Damburst as part the 30th WAITTA Incite Honorary Awards on Friday 23 July 2021.
Professor Jennifer Seberry was presented the prestigious Pearcey Medal as part of the 2020 Pearcey National Awards. The Pearcey Medal recognises a distinguished lifetime achievement and contribution to the development and growth of the ICT industry in Australia.
The 2020 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award was presented to Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design. The announcement was made during the 2020 Pearcey Foundation National Event, this year being a ‘virtual’ celebration held on 25 November 2020 on a national Zoom broadcast.
Emeritus Professor Jennifer Seberry, Jeff Whittle AO and Owen Hill were elevated to the Pearcey Hall of Fame at the annual Pearcey National Awards event held on Wednesday 25th November 2020 over a Zoom call.
The 2020 WA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award recipient is Greg Riebe, co-founder of Entrepreneurs in Residence. This Award was part the 29th WAITTA Incite Honorary Awards announced on Wednesday 25 November 2020.
The 2020 SA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award winner is Dr Michelle Perugini. On informing Michelle of the award, Geoff Rohrsheim representing the SA Pearcey judging committee, said that Michelle was surprised and honoured by accolade and hoped she could continue to inspire young women into technology related fields. Due to Covide restrictions (Adelaide is currently in lockdown) a more formal event for the presentation is planned later in the month.
Technology entrepreneur, software developer and electrical engineer Mike Cruse was awarded the 2020 Tasmanian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year. Mike is the founder and CEO of Definium Technologies, a company based in Launceston that designs and manufactures IoT devices and electronic products for national and international clients, as well as owning and operating a state-wide LoRaWAN network in Tasmania to support IoT deployments.
In a widely attended Pearcey virtual event, Jamila Gordon received the 2020 NSW Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Jamila is the CEO and founder of Lumachain, a technology platform using AI, IoT and blockchain to bring transparency to global supply chains, benefitting producers, enterprises and consumers. Jamila was presented with her award by 2014 Pearcey Medallist and inaugural Ada Lovelace Medallist Professor Mary O'Kane.
2020 Queensland Pearcey Award winner Nick Therkelsen-Terry, CEO and Founder of Max Kelsen. Nicholas Therkelsen-Terry - CEO and Co-Founder, Max Kelsen - was awarded the 2020 Queensland Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year Award at a gala dinner held on the 6 th October at the St Lucia Golf Club in Brisbane.
Canberra, Australia - 22 September 2020 - The Pearcey Foundation today announced Shane Hill, founder of Skoolbo as this year's recipient of the ACT Chief Minister's Pearcey Entrepreneur Award. The award was presented by Senator (retd) Kate Lundy representing the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at the Pearcey Round Table 2020 event in Canberra.
2020 Pearcey Oration was given by John Blackburn AO on Wednesday 2 September 2020. John explored the very pertinent topic of Resilience, specifically: "How do we address our resilience and preparedness in this age of mistrust?"
The 2020 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Grant Petty, founder and CEO of Blackmagic Design. The award, in its 22nd year, was presented by 2011 award recipient and Deputy Chair of Pearcey Victoria, Dr Elaine Saunders.
The prestigious Pearcey Medal, which recognises a distinguished lifetime achievement and contribution to the development and growth of the ICT industry in Australia, was presented to Professor David Abramson.
The 2019 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award was presented to Craig McDonald, CEO and Founder of MailGuard, at the annual Pearcey national Awards gala dinner on 14th November 2019 in Melbourne.
Professor David Abramson, Sonja Bernhardt OAM and Bob Beaumont were elevated to the Pearcey Hall of Fame at the annual Pearcey National Awards dinner held on Thursday 14th November 2019 in Melbourne.
The 2019 Pearcey Queensland Entrepreneur Award was presented to Tim Neale, co-founder and managing director of agtech company DataFarming. The award event was held in Brisbane on 15 October 2015 in collaboration with CICTA (Council of ICT Associations in Queensland).
Canberra, Australia - 10 October 2019 - The Pearcey Foundation today announced Matthew Wilson, CEO of Penten as this year's recipient of the 2019 ACT Chief Minister's Pearcey Entrepreneur Award. The award was presented by Senator (retd) Kate Lundy representing the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at the Pearcey Round Table 2019.
The 2019 NSW ICT Entrepreneur of the Year award was presented to Ashik Ahmed, co-founder, CTO and CEO of Deputy. The award was presented at a special Pearcey Awards event at the NSW Startup Hub on 10 October 2019.
In 2019, the Pearcey Oration was given by Roger Taylor, Chair of the UK Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. It was presented in conjunction with the Victorian State Entrepreneur Award at a sit-down dinner on the evening of Tuesday 27th August, 2019 at the Woodward Centre, Melbourne Law School.
The 2019 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Craig McDonald, founder and CEO of MailGuard and BlackEvents. The award, in its 20th year, was presented by the international thought-leader Roger Taylor, Chair of the UK Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, who also gave this year's Pearcey Oration at the dinner.
The 2019 WA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Rob Nathan, at the 28th WAITTA Incite Awards held on in Perth on Friday 14th June 2019. The award was presented by Greg Italiano, the Government Chief Information Officer, at the gala presentation dinner at the Crown Perth.
The prestigious Pearcey Medal, which recognises a distinguished lifetime achievement and contribution to the development and growth of the ICT industry in Australia, was presented to Dr Dennis Cooper.
The 2018 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award was presented to Tony Clark at the ACS 2018 Digital Disruptor Awards gala dinner on 1 November 2018 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Dr Dennis Cooper, Emeritus Professor Robin Stanton, and Dr Reg Coutts were elevated to the Pearcey Hall of Fame at the ACS National Awards dinner in Melbourne on Thursday 1st November 2018 in front of over 800 people.
The 2018 Pearcey Queensland Entrepreneur Award was presented to Peter Laurie at an ICT Awards night hosted by the Pearcey Foundation with the Queensland ACS and CICTA (Council of ICT Associations in Queensland).
The 2018 Tasmanian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Dr Gary McDarby on Thursday 4 October at the Hobart Convention Centre. The award was presented by the Hon Michael Ferguson, Minister for Science and Technology as part of an ACS event that recognises the Tasmanian nominees for the ACS National Disruptor Awards.
Ken Kroeger, CEO of Seeing Machines, was presented the 2018 ACT Chief Minister's Pearcey Entrepreneur Award. The award was presented by ACT Chief Digital Officer Bettina Konti, representing the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, at ACS Canberra's 25th Annual Conference on 4 September 2018.
The 2018 Pearcey Oration was delivered by Mr Paul Shetler, a technologist and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience working on large projects in the technology industry and in guiding major government digital initiatives. The provocative talk was entitled "Be Bold Australia!".
The 2018 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Bernie Tschirren and Michael Cameron on Tuesday 28th August at the Monash Chambers, Melbourne. The award was presented by Dr Amanda Caples, Chief Scientist, Victoria as part of a special Pearcey Day(PDF, 107 KB).
The 2018 SA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Tony Clark as part of the ACS Branch forum, on Tuesday 28th August 2018 at at SAHMRI, North Terrace in Adelaide. The award was presented by Professor Mike Miller (2017 Pearcey Medallist) who said "this award celebrates and honours a South Australian entrepreneur who has not only been innovative and creative, but also for achieving real long-term commercial success, both locally and globally".
The 2018 NSW Pearcey awards was presented at a ceremony on November 1 at the NSW Startup Hub. Nick Molnar, co-founder and CEO of Afterpay was recognised as the 2018 NSW Tech Entrepreneur of the Year.
Dr Mark Andrich was presented with the 2018 Pearcey WA Entrepreneur Award at the WAITTA Incite Awards held on in Perth on Friday 15th June 2018.
The 2017 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award was presented to Cyan & Collis Ta'eed at the ACS 2017 Digital Disruptor Awards gala dinner on 2 November 2017 at Sydney's Star Ballroom in Pyrmont. The Award was presented by Dr Mary O'Kane, NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, and also the 2014 Pearcey Medallist.
At a gala dinner held on Thursday 2 November, 2017 at Sydney's Star in Pyrmont, Emeritus Professor Mike Miller AO, Senator (retired) Kate Lundy and Helen Meredith were inducted into the Pearcey Hall of Fame.
At a gala dinner held on Thursday 2 November 2017 at Sydney's Star Pyrmont NSW, Emeritus Professor Mike Miller AO was presented the 2017 Pearcey Medal by Dr Tim Wark, Director of Product, Programs & Marketing of Data61 at CSIRO.
The 2017 NSW Pearcey Tech Entrepreneur of the Year was awarded to Airtasker co-founders Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui. Several other Awards were presented in a packed PowerHouse Museum on Tuesday October 24. The Pearcey award was presented by Chairman of Jobs for NSW and Chair of CSIRO David Thodey.
The 2017 Pearcey Queensland Entrepreneur Award was presented to Jenine Beekhuyzen OAM at an ICT Awards night hosted by the Pearcey Foundation with the Queensland ACS and CICTA (Council of ICT Associations in Queensland).
The 2017 SA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Geoff Rohrsheim as part of the ACS Leaders Lunch on Wednesday 20th September 2017.
The 2017 Pearcey Oration was delivered by Ms Jo Burston, founder and CEO of Job Capital, co-founder and director of Phronesis.Academy and founder of the entrepreneurial movement Inspiring Rare Birds. The Oration was given in the evening of Monday 28 August 2017, at The Hub in Bourke Street, Melbourne as part of Vic Government's Digital Innovation Festival.
The 2017 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Cyan and Collis Ta'eed as part of the Pearcey Oration held on Monday 28th August at the Hub, Melbourne. The award was presented by Rick Harvey, Victorian Chairman of the Pearcey Foundation who noted that the award is not just about success, it is also very much about Cyan and Collis being great entrepreneurs and really special people "taking a risk, making a difference and being an inspiration".
The 2017 Chief Minister's Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented by the Chief Minister, the Hon. Andrew Barr MLA. to joint winners as the judges could not distinguish between two highly qualified contributors to ACT's burgeoning ICT industry. The 2017 ACT winners were Phillip Williamson co-founder and Chief Innovator at Intelledox and Mark Riley, co-founder and CTO of ContentKeeper.
Matthew Macfarlane (BCom GAICD CA) was presented with the 2017 Pearcey WA State Award at the WAITTA Incite Awards held on in Perth on Friday 16th June 2017.
At a gala dinner held on Thursday 1 December 2016 at Sydney's Star in Pyrmont, Stephen (Steve) Baxter was presented the 2016 Pearcey Medal by Adrian Turner, CEO of Data61 at CSIRO.
At a gala dinner held on Thursday 1 December 2016 at Sydney's Star in Pyrmont, Stephen Baxter, Jim Ellis OAM and Robin Eckerman (AM) were elevated to the Pearcey Hall of Fame.
The 2016 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award was presented to Aaron Birkby at ACS's Digital Disruptor's gala dinner on 1st December 2016. The Award was presented by Dr Alex Zelinsky AO, Australia's Chief Defence Scientist and also the 2013 Pearcey Medallist.
The 2016 Pearcey South Australian Award was presented to Stewart Bartlett at an ACS lunch on Wednesday October 26. Stuart is co-founder of Signostics and Global Head of Urologic Care.
The 2016 Queensland Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Aaron Birkby. The Award was presented at the ACS Queensland 50th birthday celebration dinner on Monday 24 October at BCEC by the Hon Chris Whiting, State Member of Parliament for the Seat of Murrumba, just north of Brisbane.
The NSW Pearcey Tech Entrepreneur of the Year Awards were presented in a packed NSW Parliament House on Tuesday 18th October at NSW Parliament House, at 5.30pm by the Hon Victor Dominello, NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation. The overall winner, was Richard White, Founder and CEO of WiseTechGlobal with Hall of Fame Awards going to the founders of Avoka, Digivizer, Expert360, Invoice2Go, Saasu, Sentral Education, Showpo, Tyro and WiseTech Global.
The 2016 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Martin Hosking at a special Pearcey event Tuesday 6th
September in Melbourne as part of the Victorian Government Digital Innovation Festival.
The Award was presented by Dr Amanda Caples, Lead Scientist to the Victorian Government, who also gave the 2016 Pearcey Oration.
