Monash Business School Alumni Excellence Award
Monash Business School has named Memobottle founder Jonathan Byrt as the winner of its 2018 Alumni Excellence Award, in this year’s Monash Business School Business Excellence Awards, held on Thursday, May 31.
Professor Rob Brooks (right) presents Jonathan Byrt with the Monash Business School Alumni Excellence Award.
The Monash Business School Alumni Excellence Award celebrates graduates who are creating a positive impact on the world through outstanding professional contributions.
Jonathan co-founded Memobottle in 2014 with friend Jess Leeworthy after completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Monash Business School in 2009. Memobottle is an internationally successful business producing slim, reusable plastic water bottles – a product which is now shipped to over 80 countries and stocked in around 3000 stores globally.
“Growing up in a small coastal town south of Melbourne, we saw the devastating effect that single use plastic water bottles have on our oceans and environment,” Mr Byrt says.
“We aim to change the public perception on reusable water bottles and encourage a more sustainable society by providing a stylish, practical reusable bottle solution.”
The flat water bottles are designed to conveniently slide into bags alongside computers and books. They shot to fame when they were included in the 2015 and 2016 US Academy Awards coveted gift bags.
Memobottle is a certified B Corporation – a group of businesses dedicated to creating a positive impact on the world. It is a supporter of water.org, a not-for-profit organisation that works in developing nations to provide clean drinking water. Every Memobottle sold provides one person with two months of clean drinking water.
Keynote speaker Cindy Gottinger, Google China’s Head of Product Marketing.
The Monash Business School Alumni Excellence Award was established in 2017 to celebrate alumni who have achieved excellence in their profession or work life; demonstrated leadership or innovation in their particular field; are a source of inspiration to students and pride to the Business School community; and who value and reflect the importance of their Monash education.
The inaugural winner was Professor Gary Sampson, who was the first PhD graduate in Economics within the-then Faculty of Economics and Politics.
Mr Byrt was presented the award at the Monash Business School’s 2018 Celebrating Excellence Awards at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday night. More than 950 students and staff gathered at the annual event, which featured Google China’s Head of Product Marketing, Cindy Gottinger, as the keynote speaker.
During the evening, Interim Head of Monash Business School, Professor Rob Brooks paid tribute to the School's former Head, Professor Colm Kearney, who passed away in March this year.
"The Business awards are very much part of what Colm envisaged for Monash Business School in its journey to be recognised as a world-leading business school," he said. "I am certain he would have been incredibly proud of this evening and everything that we’ve achieved."