Revealed – our movers and shakers
AS conversation starters go, they don’t get much better than the Gold Coast Bulletin’s Power 100 list, which is revealed in full today.
Chins will wag, glass jaws will shatter and the only certainty is that no one will agree – and that’s the subjective beauty of the list.
Some people have fallen in ranking, not because they’ve lost power but because others on the list have made greater gains.
There are 18 new faces on the list in 2017 as the Gold Coast continues to be rejuvenated by fresh ideas and young talent.
Twenty-one people on the list work in property or development, seven are from tourism and, as we count down 110 days to the Commonwealth Games, 11 are athletes or sport administrators.
There are six entries each in entertainment and transport, as well as five each in health and education.
Thirteen are bureaucrats or politicians, including our own Mayor Tom Tate who, despite a self-proclaimed “annus horribilis”, has staged a somewhat dramatic comeback this week.
Since our magazine was printed, the Mayor returned to council with gusto and reshuffled his committees in a show of strength which augurs well for a better 2018.
Many are from big business, however, heavy hitters increasingly exist in the nation’s small business capital and are growing their influence in Australia and beyond.
The influence of our researchers and academics continues to grow, while social and digital media are crucial to which businesses, and their people, succeed.
Comparing people of different sectors is always a perilous mission and it’s important to know this is a list of who holds power, not necessarily who deserves it, or who we wish was wielding it.
Despite the increase in young newcomers, well over half of those holding power belong to a single demographic – white men aged over 50.
Just 18 women feature on the pages of today’s Power 100 magazine, a lack of diversity that is likely preventing the city from reaching its potential.
Emeritus Professor Glenda Strachan of Griffith Business School said a dearth of people with different genders, abilities and backgrounds could hinder progress.
“It means you’re not drawing on the breadth of talent that exists in the region or in organisations,” she said.
“Men are still seen as natural managers and leaders in commercial organisations and sports clubs and women have greater difficulty moving through the ranks.’’