Gemma Tognini named WA’s top female business owner at 2014 Telstra Business Women’s Awards

Founder and Managing Director of specialist PR and Corporate Affairs firm gtmedia, Gemma Tognini, has taken out the Business Owner category in the prestigious 2014 Telstra Business Women’s awards.

Tognini, a former award-winning journalist and Chief of Staff with the Seven Network, started her company 11 years ago and now consults to organisations, locally, nationally and overseas. The judges cited her ability to grow her company during the GFC and the work she does with not for profits as stand out elements of her submission.

As a WA winner, Tognini joins an impressive group of alumni from Gina Rinehart, chairman of Hancock Prospecting Group, and Julie Shuttleworth, Fortescue Metal Group’s General Manager of Pilbara mine Cloudbreak, to former Rio Tinto executive Denise Goldsworthy, who now owns mining consultancy Alternate Futures.

“Switching direction mid-career was pretty scary but ultimately it has been hugely rewarding,” Tognini said. “My company is now 11 years old.  We’ve survived a GFC and enjoyed consistent year on year growth in the face of fluctuating market conditions and we’re doing great work with great clients, most of whom have been with us for a very long time. “It’s no secret that running an SME can be a wild ride at times so external recognition of this kind, coming from the calibre of Telstra Business Women’s awards is really humbling as well as a great vote of confidence.”

Tognini established gtmedia in 2003 after nearly a decade at Seven, where she was Chief of Staff and covered Health and Industrial Relations.  gtmedia was the first PR agency nationally to join The Communications Council and consults to companies in a range of industries from banking and infrastructure through to retail, events and not for profit. She is an established commentator on media and reputation management, having been quoted in the AFR, The West Australian, Fairfax radio and the ABC.  She is a regular columnist in The West Australian and contributes weekly to Fairfax radio in WA.

Tognini sits on the board of the Starlight Children’s Foundation (WA), is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  Gtmedia provides pro bono services to HeartKidsWA and a range of other charities.