STEMM entrepreneur Michelle Gallaher named 2017 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year

Congratulations to Michelle Gallaher from The Social Science, named the 2017 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year, after also receiving the Entrepreneur Award at the 2017 Telstra Victorian Business Women’s Awards on 10 October 2017.

Having spent 25 years in biopharmaceutical and medical research, Ms Gallaher founded The Social Science, a marketing and communications consultancy specialising in digital content creation for clients within the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) innovation industries.

Her second start-up, Women in STEMM Australia, looks to reduce barriers to entry for women looking to enter the industries and, ultimately, close the gender pay gap.

The two businesses are powered by Ms Gallaher’s belief that Australia cannot reach its full ‘innovation potential’ if a significant proportion of STEMM-qualified females opt out mid-career or fail to enter into the workforce at all.

“Social and professional networks are enormously powerful in accelerating careers and building innovation ecosystems,” she said. “Women know this, yet many of us hold back from investing and leveraging networks in the same way that men do.”

Also recognised at the 2017 Telstra Victorian Business Women’s Award were:

• For Purpose and Social Enterprise Award winner: Katy Barfield, Founder / Director, Yume, from Windsor.
• Public Sector and Academia Award winner: Associate Professor Kate Hoy, Monash University, from Melbourne.
• Corporate and Private Award winner: Gemma Fordham, Head of Content, Hit Network, Southern Cross Austereo, from South Melbourne.
• Young Business Women’s Award winner: Linda Monique, Founder and CEO, Almo Milk, from Melbourne.

Joe Pollard, Telstra Business Women’s Awards Ambassador, Group Executive Media and Chief Marketing Officer, said that all of the Victorian winners are extraordinary business women whose achievements deserve to be recognised.

“Michelle’s deep passion to encourage more women and girls in STEMM is helping to transform the industries and create opportunities for other women. Her disruptive thinking, as a serial entrepreneur, is highly commendable.”

After 25 years in leadership roles within the biopharmaceutical and medical research sector, Michelle Gallaher decided to leave her comfort zone for a more uncertain path in start-ups. Her first venture, The Social Science, focuses on digital content creation for clients within the STEMM innovation industries. Her second is Women in STEMM Australia. This organisation looks to reduce the industries’ barriers to entry for women and close the gender pay gap. The third business is a dermatology-focused biotech start-up with near-term clinical skincare products launching this year. Michelle’s businesses are powered by her belief that Australia cannot reach its full innovation potential if a significant proportion of the female, STEMM-qualified workforce opts out mid-career or, even worse, fails to enter into it at all.

Michelle Gallaher will join other State and Territory winners at the National Awards judging in Melbourne, culminating in a Gala Dinner on the night of Tuesday 21 November 2017.

The Telstra Business Women’s Awards shine a light on women’s achievements as business leaders. They celebrate the positive results of inclusive leadership, such as better organisational performance, increased competitive advantage and, at a macro level, a thriving economy.

Nominations for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards are open year-round. If you, or a brilliant business woman you know, deserve recognition, nominate today: telstrabusinesswomensawards.com/nominate/