Alumni success stories
Monash graduates become leaders in their field
Monash has a strong reputation for producing graduates who become leaders in their chosen profession. Many of our alumni have achieved excellence in their chosen field.
John Bertrand
Mr John Bertrand AM (BE (Hons) 1970) is president of Swimming Australia, and an international yachtsman, businessman and philanthropist. Mr Bertrand was skipper of Australia II – the yacht that won the America's Cup in 1983. The victory broke 132 years of American domination in the race, and in the process the longest-running record in modern sports history.
In 2013 he was elevated to 'legend' status by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame – the same year he began the John Bertrand Leadership Series at Monash.
Leaders create a vision; they communicate that vision; they constantly re-inforce that vision. They inspire; they do.
Leaders create winning teams around their vision. They encourage, empower and develop their people. They demand innovation, creativity and boldness. Leaders provide purpose, strategy, direction, and alignment. They know what success will look like. They anticipate change, and when it happens, they adapt. They have high emotional intelligence; they trust their intuition. They celebrate their team's milestones – their successes. They operate within a very strong set of values of trust, integrity, honesty, transparency, humility. The culture within these teams is extremely strong. People want to be involved. They love what they do; they're passionate people.
Michelle Jones
Michelle Jones (BSc (Hons) 1988, Dip Ed 1990) founded the Blerick Tree Farm, which exports trees to China and provides advice and the purchase of trees from the US and helping the consortium partners set up their own tree farms. The aim is to eventually develop an export market.
My memories of Monash are of learning, experiencing a different lifestyle and developing new friendships. At university you get to meet people who are like-minded," Ms Jones said. Coming from an all-girls' catholic school I had a very limited idea about what the future held for me. Attending Monash helped me in terms of confidence as well as depth of knowledge. It expanded my horizons and there has been no looking back since. That piece of paper at the end made me realise that I can achieve anything.
Kate Morris
Founder and director of Adore Beauty, Kate Morris (B Bus (Mgt) 2002) says the two most important attributes you need to be successful in business are persistence and the ability to learn quickly from failure.
I moved to Melbourne to go to Monash, and got a part-time job working on department-store cosmetics counters, where I realised that most women found that shopping environment intimidating and disempowering. So when I heard about online shopping, I knew someone had to do an online beauty store here in Australia... and thought, why not me?
Syafique Shuib
Television journalism is one of the last professions where you would expect to encounter someone who is a self-confessed "shy guy". But that is exactly where alumnus Syafique Shuib (BA 2007) finds himself.
As the senior digital reporter for Malaysian television station Astro Awani, the Canadian-born Bachelor of Arts graduate says no two days are the same.
My time at Monash University Sunway really matured me as a person and helped me to develop my personality. It was from there that I had the idea to start motivationMY. My journey is far from over and I still have a lot to accomplish, but by sharing my stories and experiences I hope to provide a space where young people feel comfortable to talk about things like their career, peer pressure, self-esteem, and entrepreneurship.