Power 100: Rising stars among Sydney’s power ranks

From the man behind a mega church to a model turned entrepreneur, Sydney’s powerbrokers have some new names in their ranks. These are the faces to watch in 2021.

COVID-19 rattled Sydney’s establishment, knocking high flyers down the ladder while making space for surprise new entrants on The Daily Telegraph Power 100 list.

Despite a string of scandals rocking his mega church, Hillsong founder Brian Houston made his debut on the list at number 22.

The man who has shared the stage with Prime Minister Scott Morrison is among NSW’s most influential with his godly empire raking in an eye-watering $96 million in tax-free revenue.

Pastor Brian Houston from Hillsong Church is a new entrant on the Power 100 list.

Through its music label and push into the lucrative US market, Hillsong’s reach and bank balance continues to grow. Houston, 66, has spread the Hillsong word in 23 countries on six continents, drawing an estimated 130,000 weekly worshippers including several celebrities.

Such is the Pentecostal church’s power in high places, it was reported the White House turned down a request from Scott Morrison that Houston, whom he has called his “mentor”, accompany him to a state dinner with the then US president, Donald Trump.

Jennifer Hawkins-Wall has remade herself as a serious player in the business world.

Another surprise new entrant at 93 is former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins-Wall.

The model has moved on from being ‘Jennifer Hawkins’ the brand, building serious wealth as an entrepreneur through her businesses Sesion Tequila (worth an estimated $40 million), Jbronze and J Group Products, a luxury building company she runs with husband Jake Wall. But it’s the property market where Hawkins-Wall really made a splash last year.

In August, the couple sold their Newport trophy home for a Northern beaches record $24.5 million before snapping up the largest oceanfront estate in Whale Beach for $6.95 million.

V8 supercar lover and power player Betty Klimenko. Picture Rohan Kelly

Entering the list at 69, Betty Klimenko admits she doesn’t dress the part of a power player.

“And that’s fair enough because I almost exclusively wear tracksuit pants.”

But with a family fortune estimated at over $2 billion, the shopping centre heiress is undisputedly one of the most influential women in Australia.

The daughter of Westfield co-founder John Saunders and the owner of Bathurst winning Supercars team Erebus Motorsport, Klimenko spends her weekends at a racetrack overseeing the Supercars team she owns.

On weekdays she and sister Monica Saunders-Weinberg run the family business Terrace Tower Group, which owns Moore Park Supa Centa among other properties. They also have a huge philanthropy program and support some 100 charities, Klimenko estimated.

Female power trio Elizabeth Koff, Dr Kerry Chant, and Ms Susan Pearce. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Women in the health space have also surged on to the list in 2021, among them the three women who steered NSW Health through the pandemic.

Debuting at number 4 on the list, “power trio” Dr Kerry Chant, NSW Health secretary Elizabeth Koff and deputy secretary Susan Pearce worked day and night for months on end to manage the state’s COVID response with a painstaking hands-on approach.

Local heads of Pfizer Ann Harris and AstraZenecaLiz Chatwin entered the upper echelons of the list at number nine because of their critical role in manufacturing and delivering vaccines to Australians, while NSW’s Director of Contact TracingCarolyn Murray came in at 45. Her team was lauded by the Prime Minister as the standard other states need to match to manage community transmission and keep the country open.

A lot is riding on the shoulders of Crown chief operating officer Peter Crinis in 2021. Picture- Nicole Cleary

Crown has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the last year, with James Packer off the list after his testimony to the Bergin inquiry.

But there is a way back for Crown and Packer’s vision of a world class casino in his gleaming $2.2 billion tower at Barangaroo.

Despite the shuttered gaming floor, the bars, restaurants and Sydney’s first six-star hotel are open, operating under the eye of Crown Sydney and Crown Hotels Chief Executive Peter Crinis. Mr Crinis makes the Power 100 list for the first time at 47 because of the promise Crown in Sydney holds for the future.

Althea founder Josh Fegan is one of the new additions to The Daily Telegraph's Power 100 list. Picture: Supplied

Changing laws to allow better access to medical cannabis products and the down-scheduling of low dose CBD by the TGA points to a bumper year for Joshua Fegan.

The founder of one of Australia’s biggest suppliers of medical cannabis, Althea Group, has debuted on the list at number 59.

His company is looking at tremendous growth, and it’s not limited to Australia either, with Althea raking in a 90 per cent month-on-month increase in revenue in December in the UK.

The Inspired Unemployed gracing the cover of GQ Style

Doing it for the laughs: Jack Steele and Matt Ford. Picture: Richard Dobson

The envy of established mainstream stars with their growing following, social media sensations The Inspired Unemployed entered the list at 92.

Former tradies Jack Steele and Matt Ford from Kiama are in hot demand from TV networks and production companies here and abroad and, in the fashion space, they’ve fronted campaigns for the likes of Camilla in Australia and Fendi internationally.

Steele and Ford, both 26, have seen their online comedy videos “go off” during the pandemic as Australians spent more time at home and on mobile devices.

They gave up their building site jobs about a year ago and now rub shoulders with top celebrities, front magazine covers and other campaigns. Their future is looking bright.