Support Speakers

Sarina Russo
Founding Owner and Managing Director of the Sarina Russo Group

Visit the official Sarina Russo Group Website.

Sarina Russo opened 'The Office' Business Academy (now Sarina Russo Schools, Australia) in 1979 with $2,600, nine students and two part-time staff.

Sarina now leads the Sarina Russo Group a private company with interests in education, employment services and property. The Sarina Russo Group employs over 800 people and has a yearly turnover exceeding $75 million.

The Sarina Russo Group includes:

	Sarina Russo Job Access is one of Australia's largest privately owned Job Network agency with approximately 6% of national market share. Nationally almost 80,000 people have achieved positive employment outcomes with Sarina Russo Job Access over the past three years whilst almost 70,000 employers have benefited from our comprehensive range of employment services.
	Educate over 5000 students each year Achieve 99.5% graduate job placement outcomes Lecturers and teachers have real world experience Smaller class sizes and more contact hours Industry designed and recognised programs include: Russo School of Hotel and Tourism | Australia Russo Institute | Australia - Business Russo English | Australia - English for Overseas Students; and Russo College | Australia - Pathways to University
	Russo Higher Education trading as James Cook University Brisbane is a partnership between James Cook University (Townsville) and the Sarina Russo Group. JCUB's first class CBD campus offers students both undergraduate and post graduate courses in business and Information Technology. The University's major point of difference is the ability to offer a 'new corporate' style of career focused education, including industry internships, assistance in finding work during the course, and then helping graduates develop careers after their course.
	Russo Higher Education trading as James Cook University Brisbane is a partnership between James Cook University (Townsville) and the Sarina Russo Group. JCUB's first class CBD campus offers students both undergraduate and post graduate courses in business and Information Technology. The University's major point of difference is the ability to offer a 'new corporate' style of career focused education, including industry internships, assistance in finding work during the course, and then helping graduates develop careers after their course.
	Russo Recruitment provides immediate, cost effective and high quality recruitment solutions for professional and associated support positions.
	Sarina Investments is Sarina Russo Group's property investment vehicle. Major assets include: Sarina Russo Plaza - 349 Queen Street, Brisbane Sarina Russo Centre - 82 Ann Street, Brisbane Sarina Russo River Centre - 100 Eagle Street, Brisbane 457 Adelaide Street, Brisbane 219 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Member of Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's Premier's Advisory Board since 2000.
• Chairman and Trustee of the Jupiter's Casino Community Benefit Fund since 1995
• Member of the Queensland Tourism Board since 2002
• Member of the Lord Mayor's Community Trust Board since 1995
• Member of the Queensland Education and Training Export Board since 2002
• Member of the Council for Multicultural Australia Board (2005 - 06). Appointed by the Prime Minister The Hon. John Howard
• Member of the Women's Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard Business School) since 2003
• Recognised in Paris as one of the forty Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World in 1992 and a member of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs World Advisory Board since 2006
• Former member of Board of Directors, Challenger Financial Services (2006 - 2008)
• A graduate of the Harvard Business School (USA) Owner/President Management Program
• Awarded the Multicultural Achievers Award by Queensland Government by Queensland Premier Peter Beattie in 2006
• Winner of the Women in Business Award - Personal and Other Services Industry category in 2006
• Entrepreneurial judge (Dragon) on Channel Seven's international reality television show Dragons' Den (2005). Other Dragon's include Siimon Reynolds Creative Director, Love Communications; Peter Higgins Founder of Mortgage Choice; Darryn Lyons Chairman & CEO BIG Group of Companies; and Suzi Dafnis Director, Pow Wow Events
• Celebrated 24 years as on-air host of television infomercial - 'How to Get That Job'.
• Recipient of the Centenary Medal for distinguished service to education in 2001
• Co-authored a motivational biography and business book "Meet me at the Top" with Russ Gleeson in 2002
• Member of the Australiana Fund to raise funds to acquire and preserve a permanent collection of art works that are Australian by origin or by association
• Appointed Honorary Ambassador for the City of Brisbane by the then Lord Mayor Jim Soorley in 1996.
• Elected by the people of Queensland as one of the Australian Republican Movement delegates to the Australian Constitution Convention in Canberra in 1998

Youngest and first female member of the Queensland Chapter of the International Young Presidents' Organisation (YPO) and now a member of the World Presidents' Organisation (WPO)