The most powerful people in the Shire and St George
From high-profile politicians and prominent developers to social media sensations and cult restaurateurs, these are 2021’s 50 most powerful people in the Sutherland Shire and St George. SEE THE FULL LIST HERE:
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From their own backyards the most powerful people in Sydney’s south are changing not just their own suburbs, but their nations – and in some cases, the world.
Business leaders, artists, sporting heroes and prominent politicians are among the most powerful people in the Sutherland Shire and St George.
Whether they are feeding you, leading you or influencing you – these are the most powerful people from our region.
SCOTT MORRISON – PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA
They don’t call him the Prime Minister of the Shire for nothing. The nation’s most senior elected politician – Prime Minister and Cook federal MP Scott Morrison – is a proud Sutherland Shire resident and an impassioned Cronulla Sharks supporter. Mr Morrison is the 30th Prime Minister of Australia and took office in August 2018 after a Liberal Party leadership spill, before he secured the Coalition’s victory at the 2019 Federal Election.
SHANNON NOLL – MUSICIAN
One of Condoblin’s brightest sons shot to sudden stardom in 2003 as the inaugural runner-up of Australian Idol. Now, singer Shannon Noll calls the Sutherland Shire home and is even memorialised flashing his Southern Cross chest tat in a larger-than-life mural on the side of the El Sol bar in Cronulla.
WENDY MCMAHON – DANCE TEACHER
Miss Wendy – as she is known to her adoring students – set the bar for the NRL’s cheerleaders during her 14-year tenure as the Cronulla Sharks’ Mermaids choreographer beginning in 1998. The Royal Academy of Dance-qualified teacher opened WAM Dancers in Caringbah in 2002, where she trains young stars in tap, jazz, hip hop, classical ballet, acrobatics, contemporary and Broadway jazz.
MICK FULLER – NSW POLICE COMMISSIONER
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller calls the Sutherland Shire home and started his policing career in 1987 at Kogarah Local Area Command. In 2004 he was promoted to superintendent and worked as the local area commander at the City Central LAC, before he was significantly involved in planning and operations for APEC in 2007 and World Youth Day in 2008. He received the Australian Police Medal in 2009 and was appointed the NSW Police Commissioner in 2017.
CARMELO PESCE – BUSINESSMAN
The Sutherland Shire’s former mayor Carmelo Pesce is no longer the council’s top dog after the power changed hands in late 2020. However, Mr Pesce remains at the helm of multiple successful Shire businesses, including Additional Building Services and the popular Bianchini’s Espresso cafes in Elouera Beach and Gymea.
SARAH’S DAY – YOUTUBER
When she was three-quarters of the way through a primary teaching degree, YouTuber Sarah Stevenson’s quest to heal her acne naturally landed her enormous popularity as a health and fitness influencer. The Sutherland Shire social media personality – known by her handle Sarah’s Day – now boasts 1.4 million Instagram followers and almost 1.5 million YouTube subscribers.
ALLEN SAMMUT – DEVELOPER
Prominent Shire developer Allen Sammut is behind one of Cronulla’s most iconic redevelopments – and two major new projects that could change the face of the beachside suburb. Mr Sammut developed the Banc, the apartment and retail block in Cronulla Mall based on the former Commonwealth Bank building. He is currently in the process of negotiating a development application to redevelop the so-called Southern Gateway site opposite Monro Park as a hotel with commercial space. This month Mr Sammut also acquired and aggregated the Northern Gateway site opposite Cronulla Mall on the Kingsway, with plans to transform it into a residential block with a supermarket.
NEIL AND KRYSTAL HIPWELL – BUILDER + INFLUENCER
If a house near you gets a flash new refurbishment, chances are the man responsible is Neil Hipwell. The owner of Sutherland Shire design and build company Futureflip has been in the industry for 15 years and specialises in luxury new homes and custom duplexes. His wife Krystal Hipwell is a popular social media influencer and fitness trainer who – in a former life, when she was known as Krystal Forscutt – was a Big Brother contestant and bikini model.
BEAU RYAN – TELEVISION PERSONALITY
One of Australia’s most high-profile larrikins proudly calls the Shire home. After medically retiring from a successful stint in the NRL with the Wests Tigers and the Cronulla Sharks, Beau Ryan transitioned his comedic work on The Footy Show into a full-blown television career, now hosting The Amazing Race on Network Ten.
SUSIE MARONEY – MARATHON SWIMMER
Shire resident Susie Maroney is one of Australia’s marathon swimming legends. She was first recognised for her prowess when she achieved third place in the Australian Marathon Swimming Championships for Women when she was just 14. In 1990 Maroney was the first person to swim from Manly to Darling Harbour and back in seven hours, and in the same year she broke the speed record for swimming the English Channel.
DINO MEZZATESTA – BUSINESSMAN
The group CEO of the Cronulla Sharks is an experienced business leader with years clocked up at some of Sydney’s most prominent companies. Dino Mezzatesta was appointed the Sharks’ CEO in March 2020 after previously serving as the chairman of the board of directors. He was previously the chief operating officer of The Star in Sydney and the CEO of Accor Plus Asia Pacific.
JOEL + JULES A’BELL – CHARITY LEADS
Former Hillsong Australia pastors Joel and Jules A’Bell left the prominent Australian megachurch in 2019 to launch a new Australian Christian Church plant in Caringbah named Revitalise. The husband and wife have since moved on and now run the Australian arm of humanitarian organisation Convoy of Hope.
PAUL GALLEN – SPORTING LEGEND
Paul Gallen is one of modern rugby league’s hardest players, ultimately leading his beloved Cronulla Sharks to their first ever fairytale premiership in 2016. The former NSW representative player and team captain maintains a close relationship with his former club and continues to advance his boxing career since his NRL retirement.
DAN + TIARNE BOVA – GYM OWNER + FASHION DESIGNER
Husband and wife Dan and Tiarne Bova are the minds behind The Yard, a wildly popular new gym in Caringbah. The so-called boutique strength and conditioning club is by Mr Bova’s own design after his five-year tenure as an F45 franchise owner in Peakhurst, Rockdale and Engadine. Mrs Bova – who is also involved with The Yard – also owns Zaliah, a leather and linen label based in Cronulla with her mother Monique Ettingshausen.
ANDREW ETTINGSHAUSEN – SPORTING LEGEND
The NRL legend known as ET played 328 first-grade games for the Cronulla Sharks until his retirement in 2000. Andrew Ettingshausen also represented NSW and played for the Australian Kangaroos before he went on to host and produce his own fishing television show called Escape with ET. He was inducted into the NRL Hall of Game in 2008.
LINDA BURNEY – FEDERAL POLITICIAN
Federal Labor MP Linda Burney represents a significant portion of St George in her capacity as the representative for Barton. She is currently the Labor spokeswoman for families, social services and preventing family violence. She was the first Aboriginal person to serve in the NSW parliament in 2003, and also the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 2016.
RICHARD CALABRO – CAFE KING
He started with a single hole in the wall in Cronulla – now coffee connoisseur Richard Calabro owns three Grind cafes in Cronulla, Caringbah and Taren Point. The experienced classical guitarist also transforms his Cronulla location into a lively bar at night called Cony’s.
PEACH – MUSICIAN AND TIKTOK STAR
One of Australia’s biggest TikTok stars made the move to Sydney’s south from South Australia after her music career exploded due to her extraordinary social media fame. Pop singer Peach has secured a record deal and racked up a million followers on TikTok due to her compelling original music, her wild stories and her mental health advocacy.
GLENN MCGRATH + SARA LEONARDI – EX-CRICKETER + FASHION DESIGNER
Former Australian international cricketer Glenn McGrath has an entire oval named after him in Caringbah following an extraordinary 14-year career. He is also the president of the Jane McGrath Foundation, a breast cancer charity founded with and named after his late wife. McGrath is now married to Sara Leonardi McGrath, who is a fashion designer in her own right with a label named It’s A Fad.
MARK SPEAKMAN – NSW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Cronulla state MP Mark Speakman is the NSW Government’s Attorney-General and the Domestic Violence Prevention minister. He is also a senior counsel after studying law and economics at the University of Sydney and Cambridge in England.
ORIANA DE LUCA + JOE NATALE – RESTAURATEURS
Oriana De Luca and Joe Natale are the culinary minds behind some of Cronulla’s most loved restaurants, creating Giro Osteria, Alphabet St and the Johnny Hu pop-up Chinese restaurant. The pair previously operated Rambutan in Darlinghurst.
SAM MACEDONE – LEGAL EXPERT
Star solicitor Sam Macedone has been serving the community as a criminal lawyer since his admission in 1970. Mr Macedone is based in Miranda and has been an accredited criminal law specialist since 1993. Mr Macedone recently saw resisting arrest charges against NRL star Curtis Scott thrown out after a bungled arrest in Sydney’s inner suburbs and will now lead Scott in a civil action against NSW Police.
NATALIE ETTINGSHAUSEN – ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Natalie Ettingshausen is the owner of Ettingshausens in Kirrawee, which is one of Sydney’s largest and most successful dance studios with more than 1000 students. Her students have gone on to star in major musicals such as Matilda and compete in So You Think You Can Dance. Ms Ettingshausen also helped create Nickelodeon dance-based children’s TV series Ready Set Dance.
HARRY AND MARIO KAPOULAS – RESTAURATEURS
Brothers Harry and Mario are behind some of Cronulla’s best foodie destinations. The pair are responsible for Greek-style cafe HAM, Japanese fusion-inspired cafe Rushi and modern restaurant C.C. Babcoq in the iconic Banc Cronulla building. The pair’s mother Kitty runs the kitchen at HAM.
BROOKE + CARL JENSEN – RESTAURATEURS
Brooke and Carl Jensen are behind some of the Shire’s most prestigious dining experiences, operating Jensen’s in Kareela, Summer Salt at Wanda Beach and the soon-to-launch Papa J’s lounge bar in Cronulla. In 2015, Prince Harry himself dined at Summer Salt during a trip to Australia.
LOUIS WESSELS – PLASTIC SURGEON
Dr Louis Wessels at One Cosmetic Miranda counts many celebrities, models and influencers among his plastic surgery clients. He focuses on cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery as well as facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and has published world-leading research on breast implant surgery and outcomes.
MICHELLE FORD – FORMER OLYMPIAN
Australian former long-distance freestyle and butterfly swimmer Michelle Ford was a gold medal-winning Olympian at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Sans Souci-born swimmer set two world records during her illustrious career and was the first Australian woman to win individual Olympic medals in two different strokes after taking home gold in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 200m butterfly.
AHMED DIB – SOLICITOR
Lawyer and professional boxer Ahmed Dib is a specialist in criminal law, commercial law and civil litigation. Through his Kogarah firm Dib & Associates, Mr Dib has previously represented Salim Mehajer and works in courts across NSW and Queensland. Mr Dib is also a professional boxer who is undefeated in 20 bouts.
BILL MOUGIOS – RESTAURATEUR
Bill Mougios and his family are behind some of Brighton’s most iconic dining destinations. Bill and his son Peter own and operate the Bay Vista dessert bar, Meet The Greek and The Grand Roxy in the heart of Brighton’s CBD.
AMY CAMPBELL – BEAUTY EXPERT
Amy Maree Campbell operates The Bridal Bar in Taren Point, a one-stop shop for every beauty service under the sun including hairdressing, waxing and spray tanning. Ms Campbell is known as the tanner to the stars after her involvement with high-profile clients such as Delta Goodrem, Lisa Wilkinson, Georgie Gardener and Liz Hayes.
DAVID HIGHLAND – REAL ESTATE
Third-generation real estate agent David Highland has more than 21 years of experience and now manages more than 100 team members at Highland Property in Cronulla. In 2019 Mr Highland personally sold more than $250m worth of property.
BRETT KIMMORLEY – NRL LEGEND AND BROADCASTER
NRL legend Brett Kimmorley had an illustrious league career in the 1990s and 2000s, spending a significant stint at the Cronulla Sharks as the halfback and the team’s captain before rounding out his career with the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in 2010. Kimmorley also had a lengthy representative career, playing for NSW, Country NSW and Australia including in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Kimmorley is now a rugby league broadcaster for the Seven Network.
TRISTAN MACMANUS + TAHYNA MACMANUS – TV PERSONALITIES
Sutherland Shire born-and-bred Tahyna MacManus – formerly known as Tahyna Tozzi – is an actor who performed in Australian teen series Blue Water High and X-Men Origins: Wolverine as well as directing a documentary called Misunderstandings of Miscarriage, which will be released in 2020. She is married to Tristan MacManus, who was previously a Dancing With The Stars judge and now co-hosts Studio 10 on Network Ten.
JASON AND BECK STEVENS – NRL PERSONALITY + MEDIA PERSONALITY
Jason Stevens is a former professional rugby league player who played for the St George Dragons and the Cronulla Sharks in addition to representing NSW in the State of Origin. His wife Beck is a host on the Seven Network’s Sydney Weekender and the couple wrote and co-produced an Australian indie film loosely based on Jason’s life called Chasing Comets.
ROBERT WHITTAKER – PRO-FIGHTER
Australian professional MMA fighter Robert Whittaker was born in New Zealand but now calls the Sutherland Shire home. He was a contestant on the first series of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and became the undisputed middleweight champion in 2017. He is currently number one in the UFC middleweight rankings and number 12 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
LARA WORTHINGTON – INFLUENCER AND MEDIA PERSONALITY
Sutherland Shire-born Lara Worthington – then known as Lara Bingle – shot into the Australian public consciousness in 2006 when she starred in the now-iconic “So where the bloody hell are ya?” Tourism Australia campaign. She has since dabbled in reality TV, modelling and radio presenting but now owns a not-for-profit tinted moisturiser brand called Share The Base. She is married to Australian actor and writer Sam Worthington.
BILLY DIB – BOXER
Australian professional boxer and world champion Bilal “Billy” Dib – also known as Billy the Kid – was the IBF featherweight titleholder from 2011 until 2013. He was also the IBO super-featherweight titleholder in 2008. Dib grew up in Engadine, where his parents owned a green grocer. His brother is Lakemba state MP Jihad Dib.
ELLE MACPHERSON – SUPERMODEL
She is best known as The Body – but once upon a time supermodel Elle Macpherson was just a school girl from the Sutherland Shire. Macpherson has appeared on Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue cover five times and is behind a series of businesses including Elle Macpherson Intimates and skincare line The Body.
CHEYENNE TOZZI – MODEL AND CHARITY AMBASSADOR
Cheyenne Tozzi is a Cronulla-born model who has appeared on illustrious magazine covers, including Mexican Vogue, German Cosmopolitan, and French magazine Madame Figaro. She was also a model mentor on Foxtel’s Australia’s Next Top Model. Tozzi is also a national ambassador for United Nations Women Australia and her older sister is actor Tahyna Tozzi.
JIHAD DIB – NSW POLITICIAN
Jihad Dib is the NSW state Labor MP for Lakemba. Mr Dib is credited with the renewed fortune of Punchbowl Boys High School during his tenure at the then-troubled school. Mr Dib attended Hurstville Boys High School and later Heathcote High School after his parents moved to Engadine to open a green grocer. His brother is boxer Billy Dib.
MATT CORBY – MUSICIAN
Australian singer-songwriter Matt Corby first found fame as a popular contestant on Australian Idol. He is now an ARIA Award-winning musician, with his 2011 single Brother and his 2013 single Resolution both winning the ARIA Song of the Year award. His fourth EP Into The Flame was certified 6x Platinum by ARIA in 2012 and he was the 100th Australian act to reach number one on the ARIA albums chart with his 2016 debut album Telluric. Corby grew up in Oyster Bay and attended Inaburra School.
TAHLIA GIUMELLI – MODEL AND CHARITY AMBASSADOR
Tahlia Giumelli is an Australian model with Chic Management who has modelled for Rusty, Bras N Things, Moroccan Oil, Baku, GUESS, Forever New, Sportsgirl and General Pants. She played a brief role on US soap The Bold and the Beautiful and is now an ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis Australia after she was diagnosed with the condition in 2013. She has two daughters with South Sydney Rabbitohs player Tom Burgess.
DAMIEN COOK – NRL PLAYER AND SPA OWNER
South Sydney Rabbitohs player Damien Cook has called the Sutherland Shire home for many years. The Country NSW and NSW representative player grew up in Helensburgh and attended Endeavour Sports High School in Caringbah. He is a partner in Caringbah health and wellness centre La Cure.
ALLANA FERGUSON – MEDIA PERSONALITY
Former rugby player Allana Ferguson played Rugby Sevens for Australia in 2013 and rugby league for NSW and Australia in 2016. Since her retirement from league she has become a regular on the Nine Network’s rugby league coverage, including on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
CARLIN STERRITT – INFLUENCER
Carlin Sterritt won former Gogglebox star Angie Kent’s season of The Bachelorette, before the couple broke up in 2020. The model, actor and influencer – who has worked with a range of brands including Rexona, YouFoodz and Listerine – is also a fully qualified personal trainer who currently does group training and personal training at Purebred Fitness in Caringbah.
AMY TAYLOR – FASHION DESIGNER
Sutherland Shire fashion designer Amy Taylor entered the fashion scene aged just 21 when she opened her first boutique. Ms Taylor specialises in low-backed gowns for formal events and bridal wear. Amy Taylor designs have been worn by celebrities and contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
ANTHONY MUNDINE – NRL LEGEND AND BOXER
Anthony “The Man” Mundine is one of Australia’s most diversely talented athletes, playing for the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL and holding global boxing titles. Most recently Mundine held the WBA interim super-welterweight title from 2011 to 2012. He played junior rugby league for Hurstville United and the University Shield team at Kingsgrove High School.
BRENTON PARKES – DJ AND ACTOR
Sutherland Shire social media personality Brenton Parkes is the man behind Platinum DJ Services, the Good Gun therapeutic massage gun, and social community network The 530 Club. Parkes is managed by SCOOP in Sydney and appeared in Jason and Beck Stevens’ film Chasing Comets.
BEN RICHARDSON + DAVE GREINER – BUSINESS MOGULS
Sutherland Shire childhood friends Ben Richardson and Dave Greiner founded Campaign Monitor in 2004. The company sells email marketing software for businesses and found astonishing success, earning $153.7m in revenue in 2019. The pair have stepped back from day-to-day involvement in their business but remain on the board of the company they created.
DARRYL BROHMAN – TV PERSONALITY
Darryl Brohman OAM – known as The Big Marn – played rugby league for the Penrith Panthers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Queensland representative team. He is now a commentator and presented who currently works for 2GB’s continuous call team.
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