MBA Engage: The Curtin MBA 30 Years On - Where Are They Now

Presentation Topic: "The Curtin MBA 30 Years On - Where Are They Now"

2024 marks 30 years since our first cohort of Curtin MBA students graduated. We have searched far and wide and are delighted to host Curtin MBA Alumni from 30, 25, 20 and 10 years ago who will join us at this first MBA Engage event of the year. They will tell us their career stories, with all four alumni being generous enough to share their journeys pre and post graduation.
We hope you will join us to hear their unique and interesting stories!

About the Presenters

Fiona Durrant, Director People and Culture, Rise Network

Fiona is the Director, People & Culture at Rise Network based in Perth, Western Australia.

Fiona has over 15 years of senior Human Resources experience in the Corporate and Not for Profit sectors including 7 years of international experience. She is a Certified professional member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (CAHRI) and holds an MBA. She sits on various NFP committees and forums.

Johanna Ramsay, Chief Executive Officer, Central Desert Native Title Services Ltd

After earning her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Curtin’s Graduate School of Business in 2002, Johanna took off on a dynamic career journey in the airline industry. She started at the reservations desk, flew through the ranks, and ultimately landed the role of CEO at a major regional airline.

Driven by a passion for social justice, Johanna redirected her course to become the CEO of a prominent Native Title Aboriginal Corporation. Today, she leads Central Desert Native Title Services, a Commonwealth-funded non-profit dedicated to providing essential Native Title statutory services.

Johanna's career trajectory is a testament to her determination, taking flight from the aviation industry to make a meaningful impact in the realm of social justice.

Gary McGrath, General Manager WA: Commercial Banking, Commonwealth Bank

Gary McGrath has over 25 years of experience in the Global Financial Services industry. He is currently the West Australian State Head/General Manager Commercial Banking for Commonwealth Bank.

Previously, Gary spent 15 years with American Express across Asia in a variety of senior leadership roles including Vice President and Head of Strategy based in Singapore, CFO Asia, CFO India and CFO Indonesia.

Gary holds a MBA from Curtin University, is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Chartered Management Accountant and resides on the Board of Hockey Western Australia.

Bhavna Kapur, Director and President (WA Chapter), MBA Australasia

Bhavna an alumna of Curtin Business School, accomplished her MBA in 2015 and subsequently attained an Executive Master in Leadership, Strategy, and Innovation from Murdoch university in 2021. Bhavna’s Curtin MBA became the cornerstone of her career, revitalizing her sense of self-worth whilst refreshing and augmenting her knowledge within both Australian and international contexts.

As a recent migrant during her MBA journey, Bhavna brought a unique perspective and an unwavering drive for success. With a diverse background spanning geographies like India, Middle East, and Australia, she possesses two decades of experience across multiple industries, including Automotive, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Learning and Development, Engineering and Retail. She is a seasoned leadership and management professional, a strategic thinker, and an impact driven innovator.

Bhavna is the Founder-CEO of a startup that responds to ESG, in fact it shifts the needle on systemic issues. A certified Environment Social Governance (ESG) specialist, Bhavna’s focus is on Social and Governance, wherein she leverages on autoethnography to provide sustainability solutions to SMEs.

An MAICD, Bhavna embarked on her Boardroom career in 2022. She serves on the Board of MBA Australasia Limited in a dual role as a Board of Director and President of the Western Australia Chapter.

Please join us for this end of Trimester MBA Engage event:

Day/Date: Tuesday 23rd April 2024

Time: 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Location: Curtin Graduate School of Business, 78 Murray Street PERTH WA 6000

If reserving multiple tickets for friends or family, as a courtesy, please add their name on the ticket. Thank you

Fiona Durrant

Johanna Ramsay

Gary McGrath

Bhavna Kapur

Host or Publisher Curtin Business School MBA