Meet the judges

A previous winner of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, Linda Brown has consistently embodied the spirit of a change-maker and disruptor. Beginning her career in financial services in the UK, she then transitioned into the realm of education reform. Moving to Australia with the challenge of enhancing the ‘attractiveness’ of technical and further education (TAFE).

In 2013, Linda created Torrens University Australia, the country’s fastest-growing and only B Corporation® certified university in the country. Among its many achievements, Torrens has been listed as one of Australia’s most innovative companies for the last three years. Its MBA Online course has been ranked as a Tier One by CEO Magazine four years in a row.

Founding Partner of BGH Capital, Ben Gray is an Australian businessman and pioneer in the private equity industry.

A leading Australian private equity firm, BGH Capital partners with entrepreneurs and management teams in Australia and New Zealand to help them build market-leading businesses.

As well as providing its portfolio companies with capital for growth, BGH Capital supplies analytical, strategic and operational resources, achieving attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors.

Previously, Ben was a managing partner at TPG, where he served as Joint Head of Asia, Head of Australia and New Zealand, and as a member of the Global Management Committee.

Described by Forbes as a ‘visionary on a mission’, Téa Angelos is a best-selling author, advisor, speaker, expert media commentator and founder of Smart Women Society (SWS) and TA Group.

SWS is an online education company providing innovative products and tools for women to grow their independence with money, career, wellbeing and love. With half a million followers on social media, SWS reaches over three million people a month with their advice and tips. She is now on a mission to engage, retain and upskill employees through her pioneering corporate learning programs and advisory services under TA Group.

Her ability to simplify complex topics into engaging, actionable, and easy-to-understand steps has led her to create innovative solutions in the learning space and help hundreds of thousands of people globally. A passionate advocate for women, Téa is highly sought after as an accomplished speaker and commentator, contributing her expertise to esteemed national and international media platforms.

Michael Malone founded iiNet in 1993, the first Internet provider in Western Australia, which would later be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). He led the company as its CEO until his retirement in 2014. By the time he stepped down, iiNet had grown to employ over 3,000 people, providing services to more than a million households and businesses and generating revenues of over one billion dollars.

Currently, Michael serves on the boards of NBN Co Limited, Seven West Media and Wisetech Global.

Michael was honoured with the title of Entrepreneur Of The Year™ in Australia for 2012. Following this national accolade, he represented the country at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ event in Monaco.