	What topic did your submission have to address? "How can Cardno increase cross-selling opportunities between business units and divisions, thereby delivering increased revenue and profitability?"
What were the key ideas or initiatives of your winning submission? Issuing targeted marketing material with monthly invoices, with the marketing material selected on the basis of likely need by the client. This would create opportunity by advertising the range of related services Cardno offers to existing clients, effectively free of charge (i.e. no fee for placing an ad to attract a target audience). Slightly modifying the current client satisfaction survey form to include either a question or statement worded to identify the client’s understanding of Cardno’s other services. The purpose of such a question would essentially be to create a talking point (e.g. Were you aware that as part of Cardno’s commitment to growth and diversification, the business recently acquired ITC?). Workshops conducted by each division’s human resources and/or marketing officers could be held for each component business unit, wherein key staff members (e.g. BUM, 2IC, senior project managers etc.) are educated about the various services the company offers and specific individuals within each business unit or discipline that can assist with further queries. Once aware of the company’s broad range of services key staff are more likely to promote these (verbally, in email, through marketing material) to their existing client base.
What does winning the scholarship mean for you? To be honest, it’s really quite humbling to be recognised through the award of this scholarship. While it’s fantastic to receive the personal recognition, I owe a considerable amount to the mentorship I’ve received since joining Cardno from John Delaney, Michael Chessells, Mark Hickey, Trevor Johnson, Martin Giles and many others who I hope I haven’t offended by not mentioning. I have been really fortunate to work with an outstanding and highly skilled group of individuals in the QNT Environmental Business Unit who collectively make a really great team of which to be a part. Winning the scholarship means recognition for those who have helped and continue to help me develop as a professional.
How have you benefited professionally from receiving this accolade? Although I‘m still considering how to use the scholarship, it certainly presents a great opportunity for me to undertake professional development that would have been otherwise significantly out of reach from both financial and time resource standpoints.
What did you receive? (i.e. funding to undertake professional development) How have you or do you plan to use your prize? If you have already used your prize, what did you learn and what were the benefits? I received $7,000 towards professional development. I’m strongly considering using the funding to learn more about Cardno’s recent acquisition of ENTRIX in the US. ENTRIX undertake very similar types of work to my business unit (QNT Environmental), albeit on a much larger scale. I’m keen to learn more about what ENTRIX does, how they do it differently to us, what we can learn from them and how we can apply it here in Australia. I think, as well, given the theme of this year’s essay, such a “study tour” could promote cross-selling opportunities between Cardno’s Australian and US-based environmental specialists.