Northern beaches top 20 most influential people
From today the Manly Daily can begin to reveal the northern beaches’ top 20 most influential people. Some of the names will be controversial, but some will be obvious. Let us know if you agree.
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They are experts in their fields, whether that be sport, business, fashion, politics or the law. They are the people whose opinions and actions we value and watch with sometimes envy, sometimes disdain and disagreement.
But we listen to them nevertheless and, without realising, they have an effect on our lives.
Today, the Manly Daily launches a multimedia exercise, listing the northern beaches identities who have most influence over our lives in this wonderful part of Sydney.
The Manly Daily staff debated over who should be on the list and where they should rank.
We considered their positions as role models and/or decision makers, starting from position 20 through to position 1. Today we list those from 20 to 16.
All 20 will be listed on our website, manlydaily.com.au, over coming days with your opportunity to agree, disagree or suggest others who should be on the list of the most influential people on the peninsula.
#20 Michael Hooper: Wallabies Captain
Michael Hooper is one of the Australia’s top footballers in any code and on the international stage.
The 26-year-old Fairlight resident is both captain of the Australian Wallabies and the NSW Waratahs rugby teams.
He is regarded as one of the best loose forwards in the world and is an icon of the game in Australia.
Even when the NSW Waratahs and Wallabies have struggled, Hooper consistently sets a high standard with his energetic, non-stop and fearless performances.
Hooper revealed his attitude to the Test captaincy when he was appointed to the role last year.
“I am really excited about the challenge that is being the captain and what goes with it — the ups and downs, the peaks and troughs are all part of it,” he said.
“There is responsibility to give the role 110 per cent and then there is excitement about what we can achieve as a Wallaby group and what we can do for the game.”
And just as significantly the proud product of the Manly Roos club is a role model for all aspiring young rugby players up and down the peninsula.
Hooper will become an even more prominent figure on the international sporting landscape when he leads the Wallabies into next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
That will be the world’s biggest sporting event of 2019 and as Australia’s build up starts to gain momentum, Hooper will be front and centre.
Hooper already has a distinguished record, twice winning the John Eales Medal as the best rugby player in Australia in 2013 and 2016.
He has also won the Mathew Burke Cup for the past years which is awarded to the NSW Waratahs players’ player.
Last year Hooper was a runaway winner, polling 340 votes, which was 152 votes ahead of the second-placed Israel Folau.
#19 Melinda Gainsford-Taylor: Olympian/TV Commentator/Coach
THREE-time Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor is one of the greatest Australian sprinters of all time and an inspiring role model for young athletes on the northern beaches.
The 46-year-old was the big name female athlete alongside Cathy Freeman at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
She is still the current Australian record holder for the 200m. Until recently she also held the Australian 100m record.
In 2017 the mum from Collaroy Plateau was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to athletics as a sprinter, at national and international level, and as a role model.
Since retiring from professional sport Gainsford-Taylor has worked as a TV commentator, public speaker and a coach and mentor to young athletes.
She fell into coaching organically and helps young athletes with their technique and fitness at training sessions in Narrabeen.
She said she was also keen to promote healthy eating, good lifestyle choices and support young people in setting and achieving goals.
“You have a bigger role than just being a coach, you can really make a difference to someone’s life,” she told the Manly Daily earlier this year.
The athlete also spoke about the positive mentors in her life at a northern beaches International Women’s Day this year.
“Even though running is an individual event, you really need a good team around you,” she said.
In turn she wants to inspire young athletes, especially girls.
“I say to young girls that if you have a dream you can achieve it — but be prepared to work hard and make sacrifices.”
#18 Deborah Latta: Northern Beaches Hospital CEO
THE big cheese at the new Northern Beaches Hospital is chief executive Deborah Latta.
The former general manager at Royal North Shore and Ryde hospitals has worked for Healthscope, the private company behind the $600m build, for nearly 10 years, hence she has both a private and public background in health.
She was involved in the original bid by Healthscope to NSW Government for the new private/public hospital and has been part of the project from the very beginning back in 2013.
Latta was project director for most of the construction, helping with the design and making sure it was built on time. It is ahead of schedule. She has now won the position of chief executive officer.
While the main construction has been completed, all the equipment has yet to be installed and tested, staff have to be recruited and trained, all before the deadline of October 30 when the hospital opens.
One of Latta’s major responsibilities will be to ensure patients are safely transferred from Manly and Mona Vale hospitals on October 30 and 31.
When the hospital is up and running she will be responsible for its entire operation with all the executives, such as the directors of finance, nursing and medical all reporting to her.
Working for her will be 1400 staff and hundreds of volunteers.
Latta previously told the Manly Daily that she was looking forward to “opening the doors to one of the best hospitals in Australia”.
#17 Colette Hayman: Fashion Entrepreneur
FASHION accessory magnate Colette Hayman is the creative force behind the Colette by Colette Hayman stores.
Hailed as the “Queen of Handbags” her empire sells more than three million of them a year at over 100 stores in Australia, more than any other brand.
Originally from South Africa, Mrs Hayman and husband Mark, who is CEO of the company, made the northern beaches their home 18 years ago.
When the family arrived in Australia, the couple launched fashion jewellery chain Diva, which they sold at its peak in 2007.
In 2010 they started Colette by Colette Hayman, to provide “cool and sexy” accessories at affordable prices.
They now have 160 stores and concessions worldwide and are about to expand into Europe and the UK.
Hayman, who lives in Manly, travels overseas four to five times a year seeking inspiration for her designs and setting up new stores.
But she’s very much northern beaches based for the rest of the time.
She has a flagship store at Warringah Mall and her head office is also in Brookvale.
The family dynasty includes daughter Natasha, who is the jewellery buyer, and Bianca, the operations co-ordinator. Her third daughter, Chloe, lives on the Sunshine Coast.
While her working day starts about 5.30am and finishes at 10pm, she still makes time for family at the weekends, as well as mates such as X-Factor judge Mel B, who was spotted on the family yacht a couple of years ago.
#16 Marcus Blackmore: Chairman of Blackmores vitamins
Marcus Blackmore, 72, is chairman of one of Australia’s last big independent vitamins companies Blackmores.
Blackmores employs more than 1200 workers, many of them at its Warriewood production centre in Jubilee Ave, which operates 24 hours a day, six days a week.
He owns about 25 per cent of the company which is one of the major sponsors of the Australian Open tennis tournament and the annual Blackmores Running Festival in Sydney, which raises millions of dollars for the organisations such as the Cancer Council NSW and the mental health support group, the Black Dog Institute.
The natural therapies magnate, who lives at Newport, on the southern end of Pittwater, is also a devoted philanthropist.
In March this year he donated $750,000 to the University of Technology Sydney to fund research into alternative medicine.
Last year he donated funds to Surf Life Saving NSW to buy a “Liittle Ripper” lifesaver and shark spotting drone that is now permanently based at Bilgola Beach.
He has been chairman of the Board of Governors of the Heart Research Institute and a member of the Council of the Childrens Hospital at Westmead.
Mr Blackmore has also opened up the Warriewood campus — providing a Halloween fun zone, health talks, music and entertainment, kids activities and food stalls.— to raise money for local community and environmental organisations that provide important health and welfare services across the northern beaches.
Blackmores is also a longtime financial supporter of the Macular Degeneration Foundation.
In 2015 he told the Manly Daily: “The old saying goes ‘charity starts at home’, so as a large business based on the northern beaches for more than 35 years, we believe it’s important to look after the wellbeing of our community.”
Tomorrow morning the most influential people ranked 15-11 will be revealed at manlydaily.com.au.
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.