PwC recognises eight colleagues at annual staff awards
Professional services firm PwC has issued its biannual staff awards, with eight individuals recognised for their efforts both internally and in the community across a variety of categories.
Among the winners was veteran assurance partner Voula Papageorgiou, who was given the overall Edwin Flack Award – named for Australia’s first Olympic gold medallist whose accountancy sold to Price, Waterhouse & Co in 1946.
Other winners included Gabriella Ballesty for team leadership, Jean Santos (community impact), Rebecca Cole (values), Christina Olgaard (curiosity), Kathryn Utting (challenge) and Michelle Hazle and Marino Felice (social inclusion).
According to the firm’s website, the Edwin Flack Awards as sponsored by its Australian governance board have been held every two years (Covid-withstanding) to recognise and celebrate staff-members who have made a real difference to the firm and its clients, people and the communities it serves, with an overall Edwin Flack Award winner chosen from all open nominees.
Papageorgiou, an assurance partner based in Sydney who has been with PwC for three decades and currently handles its Macquarie Group account among other large audit clients, follows in the footsteps of recent winners Clara Cutajar and Joseph Carrozzi, the latter who served as Sydney managing partner until 2020 and the former who is global capital projects & infrastructure lead.
Meanwhile, the Pat McKeon Award was launched in honour of a former partner in 2014 to recognise those who embody the qualities of a future leader and encapsulate the spirit of partnership, this year going to Gabriella Ballesty, a contracting senior manager based out of Sydney. 2021 co-winner Suji Kanagalingam became Melbourne managing partner the following year.
“I’m truly honoured to have received the Pat McKeon team leader award at the PwC Awards,” Ballesty stated on LinkedIn. “It’s humbling to be recognised alongside so many deserving nominees. Leading my team as we establish this new function as part of the Contracting Centre of Excellence is a privilege. I’m thankful for the opportunity and excited about what lies ahead.”
Other winners
Among the other winners, Christina Olgaard, who was given the curiosity crown, is an energy transition consultant based now out of Perth after earning her marine biology masters in Southampton, while community impact winner Jean Santos is a tech advisory senior manager who has been with the firm since the start of 2022 and is a UN advisory board member for NSW.
Meanwhile, joint inclusion winners Michelle Hazle and Marino Felice have both been with PwC for a decade or more, the former who joined its cloud & digital consulting team in 2015 and now co-chairs PwC’s disability, neurodiversity and women’s health employee groups, and the latter who is a valuations director and LGBTQ+ advocate who crossed from the firm’s Toronto office in 2018.
“Please join us in celebrating all of our PwC Australia Awards spectacular winners,” the firm said as it continues on its path of governance and cultural reforms. “Congratulations to all those who were nominated and recognised for driving our culture forward and exemplifying our core values. Your dedication to innovation, inclusion, and living our purpose truly sets a remarkable standard.”
