Marketing guru and SmartCompany contributor Colin Benjamin was made a Member of the Order of Australia as part of Australia Day celebrations yesterday for his contribution to business and social welfare organisations.
Other entrepreneurs to be bestowed the honour include Simon Mordant, for his work in the arts sector, Rod Eddington, for his service to business and commerce, and Bob Every, for his work in the charity sector.
Gourmet food entrepreneur Maggie Beer, the owner of a multimillion-dollar business, was also made a member, while Commonwealth Bank director Fergus Ryan was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia for his work in the financial sector.
Benjamin, who created the Roy Morgan Values Segments and is the director general of “Life. Be in it”, told SmartCompany this morning he was humbled to receive the award.
When asked about his greatest achievement in business, he stated: “Assisting the creation of SmartCompany.”
“My biggest contribution has been to work with Amanda Gome in helping contribute to an effective online communications strategy,” he says.
“It’s been a successful transition to provide thousands of small businesses and sectors with access to crucial information. It’s wonderful, all the work Amanda has done.”
Benjamin said he was proud of his work in creating the Roy Morgan Values Segments systems, which he described as an effective marketing weapon for small businesses, and also his work with various charities and welfare groups.
Now, he says, he’s working on a project that will address the issue of refugee resettlement.
“I can’t talk about it much yet but I’ve got a proposal with [Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government] Simon Crean for a project that will create thousands of jobs. We have to get to the bottom of this problem.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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