EXECUTIVE TEAM
PRESIDENT: WENDI DAWSON
Over the past 25 years, Wendi Dawson has been working with private companies and listed organisations in the Australian and New Zealand markets to achieve growth and advantage for their brands. Throughout her career, Wendi has enjoyed working as part of various senior executive teams to achieve their strategic growth goals and hone their competitive advantage.
Leveraging off her extensive background in consulting, sales and leadership development, she have worked to create high-performance cultures and teams, using coaching and mentoring to refocus a company’s culture on creating the best experience and outcome for their customers.
As an experienced B2B sales leader selling into a variety of industry sectors including financial services, wealth, medical/healthcare, and business services, Wendi has identified market trends and develop sales strategies to retain and grow existing customers, win new business, grow market share, and transform sales teams. All of these experiences have strengthened her to become a more insightful, resilient, empathetic, and optimistic leader – especially for organisations and business communities during times of volatility, uncertainty, and change.
As the President of the Melbourne Business Network for the past 5 years, Wendi champions the interests and economic development of private business and curates a community of business owners who learn from another and create new commercial connections.
VICE-PRESIDENT: SIAN STEPHENS
Sian is passionate and inspired by the SME global marketplace and finds it full of innovation and creativity, also great customer service and value for money. She supports business owners and their people to assess their own value, understand their potential and learn how to voice in a way that will be heard and make a difference. Through her qualifications and skills in coaching, mentoring, training and facilitation gained over the last 20 years, she brings a wealth of knowledge that she enjoys sharing to ensure everyone has the best opportunities to love and enjoy success in their business. Sian works to ensure that the learning is received and implemented through practical actions that promote collaboration accountability and the best internal and external customer service.
Sian loves to travel and experience new cultures and has worked in the UK, across Europe, in Russia, and the UAE, before falling in love with Melbourne. She was the first Women in Management board member for The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) UK Wessex Region from 2010 – 2013. She has enjoyed volunteer mentoring for Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) 2015 – 2017, and currently with Business in Heels and the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia New Zealand.
SECRETARY: CHRISTIAN ROTH
Christian is currently an owner and partner with the Sentius Group a Strategy First Consulting Agency specializing in integrated marketing campaigns across traditional and digital channels. He is responsible for partnerships, growth, and new business development. Christian has over 34 years’ experience in business strategy, integrated marketing both traditional and digital, and has worked with multinational companies on a global basis such as: McDonalds, Kraft, Disney Pictures, Shell, Nestle, General Mills, Pixar and CocaCola.
Christian has always had a keen interest in supporting the community, he was a part of the Big Brother program while in university, has designed and managed global campaigns for RMHC while at the Marketing Store and was a Director on the Board of the Lord Mayors Charitable Fund serving under both Lord Mayors John So and Robert Doyle for 6 years. He also served as a Director on the Board of The United Way Australia for 3 years.