Message from the Dean

As we reflect on 2020, it really was a year like no other during which we faced unprecedented challenges. But, out of adversity there was triumph and it is this success that we recognise through our Celebrating Excellence Awards.

Outstanding achievements during a time of crisis

For a school as big as Monash Business School, I have been truly amazed at how agile we have been in this time of crisis. Our academic and professional staff banded together to re-define our entire curriculum to make sure every student felt supported, engaged and able to succeed in their learning. Our students also rose to the challenge of remote learning and through these awards we recognise the many students and staff who achieved outstanding performance during the 2020 academic year.

Our researchers also achieved great success providing much needed information through webinars, academic papers and news articles as the COVD-19 crisis unfolded. Delivering quality thought leadership and maintaining our position as a trusted source of knowledge is more important than ever in a world plagued by mis-information.

As the world undergoes constant change, it is our job to ensure our students have the skills and knowledge to shape the future of business and have a positive impact on people and the planet. Our special Future Global Leaders Award recognises outstanding young leaders and this year we have two very deserving winners, Benjamin Michelson and Munkhzaya Batbaatar.

In 2021, we have also introduced two new awards recognising staff who have gone over and above to promote Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion (EDSI) across our community. I congratulate A/Professor Fiona Newton (Management) for winning the EDSI Education Excellence Award and the team of Samia Badji, Sonja de New, Karinna Saxby and Dennis Petrie (Centre for Health Economics) who have been awarded the EDSI Research Excellence Award.

We also take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our alumni and I am delighted to announce the 2021 Monash Business School Alumni Excellence Award goes to Kate Morris. Kate is the Founder of Australia's e-tail powerhouse Adore Beauty, which she started in 2000 at the age of 21 with just $12,000 and two little known cosmetic companies on board. Adore Beauty has since grown to more than 160 brands, 12,000 products and hundreds of thousands of customers. In October 2020, it was one of the hottest companies floated on the Australian Stock Exchange.

As we begin 2021 with a new hope, we will continue to embrace the digital and operational disruption benefits we have seen in 2020 – to be agile, to innovate and co-create – delivering excellence in our teaching to ensure our graduates are future proofed to thrive in the dynamic employment landscape.

We will continue to set the agenda in understanding the changing demands of business and how this intersects with emerging technology by harnessing our world-leading research expertise to address the big challenges of the day.

None of us can predict the future, but I can say with certainty that whatever the future holds, Monash Business School staff and students will be ready and able to rise to the challenge.

Once again I congratulate all of our award winners on their incredible achievements which I know will stand them in good stead for whatever comes next.

Best wishes,

Professor Simon Wilkie
Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics
Head, Monash Business School