What are the WIRV Awards?
The WIRV Awards recognise outstanding women, men and organisations in the restructuring and insolvency industry, including accountants, lawyers, bankers, advisors, and consultants who are based in Victoria.
The 2025 WIRV Awards recognise achievements of all WIRV members in our industry for the following four categories as set out below:
1. Young Gun
This category is open to all practitioners with up to 5 years’ experience in the insolvency and restructuring industry who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to success in their careers.
2. Emerging Leader
This category is open to all practitioners with 6 to 11 years’ experience who have demonstrated exceptional success, leadership, and contributions to the insolvency and restructuring industry.
3. Outstanding Practitioner
This category is open to all practitioners with over 12 years’ experience who are role models and have made a significant contribution to the insolvency and restructuring industry, including by promoting the advancement of women.
4. Gender Diversity Organisation of the Year
This category is open to organisations who practise in the insolvency and restructuring industry that demonstrate a balance of gender diversity and commitment to progression of women within their business and more broadly within the industry.
Nomination process
All nominations are submitted to the WIRV Awards Committee and are strictly confidential. The WIRV Awards Committee will send the nominations to the independent panel of judges for review and scoring.
Judging panel
The award winners are decided by an independent panel of judges, via a stringent list of judging criteria.
WIRV would like to extend our sincere thanks to the independent judges of 2025, Jennifer Reynolds (ASIC), Amanda Carruthers (Vic Bar), and Christopher Sequeira (Wexted Advisors) for donating their invaluable time to review and consider this year’s nominations.
2025 Winners!
We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2025 WIRV Awards:
Young Gun Award – Chamudhi Nanayakkara, Rodgers Reidy
Emerging Leader Award – Ebony Taylor, Cor Cordis
Outstanding Practitioner Award – Sophie Inwood, AJ & Co Lawyers
Gender Diversity Organisation Award – Cor Cordis
Past WIRV Awards Winners
2024:
- Young Gun Award – Hannah McConalogue, KPMG
- Outstanding Female Award – Rachel Burdett, Cor Cordis
- Male Contributor to Change Award – Brendan Swift, Altus Lawyers
- Gender Diversity Organisation of the Year Award – Norton Rose Fulbright
2023:
- Young Gun Award – Charlotte Barrow, Deloitte
- Outstanding Female Award – Cassandra Risteska, Rodgers Reidy
- Male Champion of Change – Aaron Timoney, Deloitte
- Gender Diversity Firm of the Year – Aitken Partners
2022:
- Young Gun Award – Mimi Green, KordaMentha
- Outstanding Female Award – Gemma Denton, Australian Financial Security Authority
- Male Champion of Change – Stephen Dixon, Hamilton Murphy Advisory
- Gender Diversity Firm of the Year – Deloitte
2021:
- Young Gun Award – Stephanie Elder, Grant Thornton
- Outstanding Female Award – Natasha Toholka, Norton Rose Fullbright
- Male Champion of Change – Gordon Jenkins, I am Gordon Jenkins
- Gender Diversity Firm of the Year – QR Lawyers
Our 2021 winners have shared a short video celebrating their achievements.
2020:
- Young Gun Award – Cassie Mortimer, Norton Rose Fullbright
- Outstanding Female Award – Lara Wiggins, KordaMentha
- Male Champion of Change – Brett Warren, ASIC
- Gender Diversity Firm of the Year – Hamilton Murphy
2019:
- Young Gun Award – Christie Jones, Victorian Bar
- Outstanding Female Award – Leanne Chesser, KordaMentha
- Male Champion of Change – Nathanael Kitingan, Macpherson and Kelley Lawyers
2018:
- Young Gun Award – Vanessa Munnecke, Kalus Kenny Intelex
- Outstanding Female Award – Radhika Kanhai, Cornwall Stodart
- Male Champion of Change – Greg Keith, Grant Thornton
2017:
- Young Gun Award – Kathryn Smith, Ashurst