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Melanie Perkins

This Month

Justine Rowe says Telstra employees take pride in working for a company that prioritises social investment.

Canva, Cotton On and Atlassian among the top 20 corporate givers

The amount of funds donated by the top 50 corporate philanthropists has jumped to $1.7 billion.

  • Sally Patten
Canva’s Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have made important changes that should set it up for a big public listing.

Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht take Canva to the next level

The founders were busier than ever before their bumper US listing, nailing some early challenges to propel them onto the Business People of the Year list.

  • Paul Smith

Humble starts, billion-dollar deals unite Business Person of the Year winners

Founders of Chemist Warehouse Jack Gance, Sam Gance and Mario Verrocchi, and AirTrunk’s Robin Khuda take the top prize for 2024.

  • James Thomson

November

Start-up stars: what’s happened to tech’s Class of 2021

VC firms that wrote huge cheques on very generous valuations in 2021 are now nervously watching Australia’s most heavily backed start-ups. How are they going now?

  • Tess Bennett
Kelly Steckelberg is joining Canva to help its co-founders execute on a closely-watched public listing.

Who is Canva’s new Wall Street weapon?

Canva’s new chief financial officer Kelly Steckelberg has seen the highs and the lows of the tech boom, and starts on Tuesday as Canva heads to an IPO.

  • Amelia McGuire
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Canva.

Canva poaches a mastermind of Zoom’s IPO

The appointment ends eight months of speculation after Canva’s former chief financial officer stepped down after allegations of misconduct.

  • Updated
  • Amelia McGuire

October

From left: Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht; Natasha Oakley (front); Georgia Contos; James and Robbie Ferguson.

Australia’s richest people 40 and under break record

The Young Rich List, now in its 21st year, set a new high for total wealth of $41.7 billion in 2024, dominated by technology entrepreneurs and retailers.

  • Yolanda Redrup

The secret to raising hundreds of millions like these Young Rich

Entrepreneurs on the Young Rich List have raised more than $US3.6 billion in funding from venture capital and private equity. Here are their top tips.

  • Yolanda Redrup

How to have a job you love, save the world and earn up to $800k

This week BOSS speaks to four executives who are helping to save the planet. All have a high level of job satisfaction, and all earn decent money. It appears it is possible to have it all. 

  • Sally Patten

September

The five most powerful Australian tech leaders in 2024

The biggest deal of the year, the end of an era at Atlassian and the rising influence of super funds helped to shape the list of technology’s most powerful in 2024.

  • Updated
  • Paul Smith

July

Leonardo.AI co-founder and CEO JJ Fiasson is pictured with Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins after the deal was sealed.

It was called the ‘next Canva’, so Canva bought it

Canva has acquired AI design start-up Leonardo.AI in a surprise deal worth over $120 million. The ACCC is taking notice.

  • Staff reporter

May

Financial Review Rich List: Australia’s wealthiest people in 2024.

Australia’s wealthiest 200 now control $625b

Technology is back, resources rode a roller coaster and property growth returned, giving Australia’s Rich Listers an 11pc boost to their total fortune.

  • Updated
  • Yolanda Redrup and Michael Bailey
Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams.

‘If you don’t like it, get a job at a bank’: Canva boss

The design software giant’s all-singing, all-dancing debut event in Los Angeles came with a host of new features – and rumblings of a cost to its tired staff.

  • Nick Bonyhady
Canva’s revenue means it is valued at 11 times its revenue. Pictured, chief operating officer and co-founder Cliff Obrecht.

Canva, in the US, lifts the lid on its plan to win over Wall Street

It has hit $US2.3 billion revenue, but growth among individual users is slowing, so Canva is relying on big customers to keep its financials in IPO-shape.

  • Nick Bonyhady

April

Narendra Modi on stage with Prime Minister  Anthony Albanese in Sydney in May last year.

Macquarie, ANZ and Canva CEOs help power Australia’s India push

Governments hope to prevent another false dawn in bilateral trade and investment by getting business to work on policy.

  • James Eyers
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February

Keating’s list of business greats spans miners and property moguls

Keith Campbell, Rod Carnegie and Marius Kloppers were all praised by the prime minister who oversaw a period of great change in the Australian economy.

  • Michael Stutchbury

January

Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams seem to have their pick of investors as a lucrative share sale is close to closing.

Canva share sale booms as revenue races higher

Canva will raise over $1.5 billion in an upcoming sale of shares, with the company revealing that AI enthusiasm helped its revenue crack the $US2 billion mark.

  • Paul Smith

October 2023

Australia’s 100 richest people under 40 revealed

The Young Rich List, now in its 20th year, shows shop owners are thriving in another patchy year for tech founders, and there’s a new young billionaire in town.

  • Updated
  • Michael Bailey
Canva, led by co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins, has been one of the biggest successes for Australia’s venture capital sector.

Canva won’t list before 2025, but investors will still get rich soon

The graphic design software company is such a success that guessing when its IPO will be held has become a parlour game for the Australian technology sector.

  • Nick Bonyhady

September 2023

Australia’s five most powerful tech leaders for 2023

From a funding winter to cyberattacks and the rise of artificial intelligence, it has been a big year for Australian techies.

  • Paul Smith

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/melanie-perkins-1nbr