The winners of this year’s QBM Griffith MBA Responsible Leadership Scholarship want to become trailblazers.

They hope their leadership skills will help make government and corporate Australia more transparent, accountable and focused on sustainable practices.

Cara Turnley, a 30-year-old senior consultant in risk assurance at PwC Australia in Brisbane, won the full scholarship, valued at $50,000. The $25,000 half-scholarship was awarded to City of Gold Coast IT project manager Tanya Lipus, 37.

It’s the third year QBM has partnered with Griffith Business School for the competition and Griffith MBA Director Associate Professor Chris Fleming says it was the most successful yet. “The standard of competition this year was incredibly high and, with 125 applications, the largest group of aspiring postgraduates we’ve seen in the scholarship’s three-year history,” he says.

As part of the program, four other finalists – Andrew Stephenson, Cherie Watt, Gilbert Guaring and Kieran Chilcott – will each receive scholarships to the value of three Griffith MBA courses.

Griffith Pro-Vice Chancellor (Business) David Grant says the high number of applicants this year underscored the growing popularity of the Griffith MBA.

“Corporate Australia needs an MBA such as that taught at Griffith now more than ever,” Grant says. “The Griffith MBA develops the kinds of skills and values in leaders that are critical to their building a sustainable business.

“The core values of the Griffith MBA – responsible leadership, an Asia-Pacific focus and an understanding of sustainable business practices – should resonate with all businesses,” he says.

“These are values that matter, whether a private, public, or not-for-profit organisation and irrespective of whether you are a large multinational or SME.”

Turnley says she had investigated the MBA programs at other Queensland universities but found them rather old-fashioned. “I think Griffith’s key areas of study are really relevant to business today,” she says, noting the practicality of the course also appealed to her.

For the past six months, Lipus has been in charge of implementing Australia’s largest commercial grade Internet of Things (IoT) network for the City of Gold Coast (which involves connecting devices over the internet and making meaningful decisions from the data collected).

She will complete a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management from Griffith University this year and wants to build on those skills with an MBA.

“I want to be part of a movement that revolutionises the way government operates,” she says. Turnley also wants to become a leader of distinction. Over recent years in the business world she has already witnessed the emphasis shifting from revenue and profits “whatever the cost” towards inclusive growth and sustainable production and consumption.

“While we still have a long way to go, fundamentally, this evolution in strategy has begun and I feel I have the opportunity to continue the momentum,” she says.

She expects companies to increasingly take a stand on important social issues, such as marriage equality, because their employees, customers and clients expect it. “I think that type of trend will keep happening, especially with the younger generation.” She says a lot of millennial workers expect their employers to think the way they do. “Companies are not going to be able retain or recruit the best people if they don’t change the way they think about sustainable business and corporate responsibility,” she says. “That just has to be part of the DNA.”

Originally from the Sunshine Coast, Turnley moved to Brisbane 12 years ago to continue her education, studying Japanese and economics as part of undergraduate degrees.

She completed a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting in 2016. Ultimately she’d like to become a company director, utilising her risk management skills and what she learns from her MBA. Giving back to the community through a leadership position with a not-for-profit board is also on her career agenda. Turnley volunteers at the RSPCA animal shelter every weekend and has helped raise more than $10,000 for various charities this year. In early November she will compete in her first Noosa Triathlon, raising funds for the mental health charity BeyondBlue. She hopes her integrity, strong morals and compassion will enable her to flourish in the boardroom of the future and become a role model for other women. “I think you can be yourself and be a nice person and still bring people along with you and that is a good type of leader to be,” she says.

Lipus, who recently visited Taiwan and China, expects the Griffith MBA will help her build stronger ties with the Asia-Pacific region, which will become increasingly important for her IT role with the council. “The opportunity for industry collaboration is high, especially in the technology and startup ecosystems,” she says.

And she wants the leadership skills to help navigate and bring others along on the journey required to transform traditional, sometimes change-resistant workplaces. “I want to become a leader known for her integrity, influence and ability to get things done,” Lipus says.

She will join Turnley and the other winners at the Griffith Business School Gala Dinner and Awards on November 2, when they will receive their scholarships.