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The Pearcey Foundation annual awards recognise and celebrate outstanding individuals in Australian ICT. This year, two remarkable Victorians are amongst the recipients.

ICT pioneers and innovators are recognised in the prestigious Pearcey Awards for their achievements and impact of those who have shaped the ICT landscape in Australia and beyond. This year, the foundation honoured outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the ICT sector in Australia. David and Aidan Tudehope (NSW), the co-founders and co-CEOs of Macquarie Telecom Group, received the Pearcey Medal for their visionary leadership and innovation in telecommunications and cloud services.

Professor Jean Armstrong (VIC), a pioneer in wireless communications and optical wireless, and Richard White (NSW), the founder and executive director of WiseTech Global, were inducted into the Pearcey Hall of Fame for their lifetime achievements and impact on the industry.

Didier Elzinga (VIC), the founder and CEO of Culture Amp, was awarded the National Entrepreneur Award for his success in creating a global platform for employee feedback and analytics.

By sharing the stories of these inspiring leaders, it is hoped they will inspire more Australians to pursue their passion and potential in ICT. Looking to the future, the foundation seeks to inspire and attract young Australians to this dynamic and globally influential high-tech sector.

“Each year's recipients are rightly acknowledged for their achievements in our industry, and as true visionaries and pioneers in their respective fields."

- Wayne Fitzsimmons, Chair Pearcey Foundation

Didier Elzinga awarded 2023 National Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year

Image credit: LinkedIn

Didier Elzinga (the founder and CEO of Culture Amp ) received the 2023 Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award. Didier's contributions to Rising Sun Pictures and Culture Amp have elevated Australia's global presence in terms of revenue, reach, and customer base.

Culture Amp, with its extensive software platform, now serves 6,500 customers encompassing 25 million employees worldwide. It was originally founded in Melbourne in 2009 by Didier Elzinga, Douglas English , Jon Williams , and Rod Hamilton . In short – an outstanding startup success story!

The national award, selected from the 2023 State Pearcey Awardees, celebrates individuals who have demonstrated inspiring leadership, scalability, impact, innovation, and international acclaim.

Recently, Didier represented his home state – having received the Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year at this year’s Pearcy Oration. It was held as the official closing event of this year’s Digital Innovation Futures Festival at Melbourne Connect.

"Didier is a fantastic example of an Australian entrepreneur who, over more than a decade, has tirelessly built an amazingly successful and significant global software company."

- Rick Harvey, National Judging Coordinator for the Pearcey Foundation

Professor Jean Armstrong inducted into the Pearcey Hall of Fame

Image credit: Monash University

Professor Jean Armstrong , a renowned expert in high-speed data transmission and digital communication, has played a pivotal role in commercialising cutting-edge technology in Australia through her work on ‘ orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ’.

Her achievements have earned her numerous accolades, including the Institution of Engineers Australia's Engineering 2000 Award, co-sharing the 2006 Peter Doherty Prize for top commercialisation opportunity in Australia, and receiving the prestigious Mountbatten Medal from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in 2016.

More about The Pearcey Foundation and Awards

The Pearcey Foundation, has been celebrating and supporting Australian ICT innovators since 1998, when it was established in honour of a pioneering figure, Dr Trevor Pearcey, a computer scientist who designed and built Australia's first digital computer. The foundation aims to foster a culture of excellence and entrepreneurship among Australians who use ICT to benefit our society.

The Pearcey National Awards recognise lifetime contributions and outstanding achievements in Australian ICT. In their 25 th year of awards the Pearcey Foundation has recognised over 160 Australian ICT luminaries and entrepreneurs. They continue to focus exclusively on remarkable individuals drawn from across the country presenting 11 awards at the state and national level.

The Pearcey Medal recognises a distinguished lifetime of achievement and contribution to the development and growth of the ICT industry in Australia.

The Pearcey Hall of Fame recognises individuals who have made very significant contributions into particular areas of Australia's ICT research, industry, or professional development.

The Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year gives prominence to one of the State Pearcey awardees for inspiring leadership, scale, impact, innovation and/or acclaim on the world stage.

The Pearcey State Awards recognise outstanding entrepreneurs in ICT within each Australian State who have taken a risk; made a difference and are an inspiration.

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Entrepreneur Didier Elzinga and Prof Jean Armstrong recognised in 2023 National Pearcey Awards

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