Katrina Leslie wins EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ for Australia

• Leslie founded Swipejobs, a workforce technology platform that puts jobseekers at the centre

• Awards have recognised the best of Australian entrepreneurship for last quarter-century

• Previous winners collectively support 135,000 jobs and add $21.4 billion to Australia’s GDP¹

Melbourne, Australia – 22 October, 2026 – EY Australia today announced that Katrina Leslie, Founder and Chair of Swipejobs, has been named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ for Australia.

Katrina Leslie is the Founder and Chair of Swipejobs, an AI native jobs platform operating in the US and UK. Raised on a cattle property in Central Queensland, Katrina brings a practical, improvement‑focused mindset to leadership. She leads with purpose, energy and first‑principles thinking.

Selected from a group of 27 national finalists, Leslie was recognised as the 2027 Australian winner at a national awards ceremony in Melbourne, attended by the country’s leading entrepreneurs, judges, and previous winners of the prestigious business award.

Naomi Simson OAM, chair of the independent judges and one of Australia’s prominent entrepreneurs said, “After 26 years of discovering innovators around Australia, it remains a privilege to meet the people who are inventing our nation's future. The sheer drive, capacity and joy that these people have in making a difference and Australia a better place is a delight to witness.

“As Founder and Chair of Swipejobs, Katrina stood out for her forward-thinking approach and ability to turn bold ideas into a globally scalable business. Her strength in iteration, ideation and implementation, underpinned by a relentless focus on the customer, makes her a true trailblazer. She has challenged traditional thinking about what recruitment can look like, creating a business model that is reshaping the industry. We need more role models like Katrina in the entrepreneurial community.”

Leslie was also named the Technology winner alongside six other impressive Australian entrepreneurs, who took home national category wins. These winners include:

• Consumer Winner: Lou Tandy, The APT Travel Group

• Emerging Winner: Omar Sabré and Zane Sabré, MAISON de SABRÉ

• Industry Winner: Dave Riches, GenusPlus Group Ltd

• Services Winner: Daniel Tucker AM, Carey Group Holdings

• Social Impact Winner: David Elliott OAM, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Ltd

Colin McNeil, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Australia Program Leader said, "Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs share a commitment to innovation, purpose and long-term value creation.” 

“This year’s national winners have demonstrated these qualities in abundance, building businesses that strengthen sectors, create opportunities and contribute to the nation’s economic prosperity. We are delighted to celebrate Katrina and all of our winners, whose leadership is helping shape the future of Australia."

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program has been celebrating and supporting Australian entrepreneurs for more than 25 years. Previous winners include Laurent Boillon (Laurent Bakery), Gary Smith (BioPak), and Jo Horgan (MECCA).

Impact Of Entrepreneurship

Over the past quarter-century, Australia’s Entrepreneur Of The Year winners have built businesses with an impact reaching far beyond their own operations. EY analysis estimates that the Australian winners collectively generate $45.6 billion in annual economic output, contribute $21.4 billion in gross value added and support more than 135,000 jobs across the national economy².

David Larocca, EY Regional Managing Partner and CEO, Oceania said, “The entrepreneurs we celebrate today embody the ingenuity and determination that Australia needs to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy.”

“Entrepreneurs like Katrina are often the first to turn bold ideas into successful businesses. Their willingness to take on risk, adopt new technologies and invest in innovation helps unlock the long-term growth our economy needs. Continuing to back entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful investments we can make in our nation’s productivity and prosperity.”

Leslie To Compete Against World’s Best

As the national winner, Leslie will travel to Monaco in 2027 to compete against national winners from more than 60 countries for the chance to be recognised as the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2027.

The EY organisation has long recognised the potential of entrepreneurs. Since 2001, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognised ambitious leaders who build and sustain successful, dynamic businesses that leave a lasting positive impact in the communities in which they operate. 

In Australia, there are over 1,700 entrepreneurs in the Entrepreneur Of The Year Alumni community.

For more information on the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ program visit  www.ey.com/au/eoy

-Ends-

Media Contact: 
Andrew Sroufe
Andrew.sroufe@au.ey.com
+61 420 761 536

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ (EOY) is a unique global program that supports entrepreneurs as they unlock their ambitions. Established in 1986, this flagship program operates across more than 60 countries and jurisdictions and boasts a global ecosystem of over 30,000 distinguished entrepreneurs. In 2025, EOY Australia celebrated 25 years of uplifting Australian entrepreneurship. 

Program participants benefit from lifelong connections, learning resources and insights to help navigate their growth journey, and opportunities to raise the profile of their companies. Each program concludes with a competition and announcement of a winner who goes on to represent their country or region in the ultimate global competition and event for entrepreneurs: EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™. ey.com/eoy.

About EY

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.   

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.  

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fuelled by sector insights, a globally connected, multidisciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.   

All in to shape the future with confidence.   

EY refers to the global organisation and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organisation, please visit ey.com.  

© 2026 Ernst & Young, Australia. All Rights Reserved. 

Sponsors