GenusPlus Group managing director David Riches was named First Amongst Equals at the 2022 40under40 Awards, ahead of a diverse cohort of Western Australia’s young business leaders.
GenusPlus Group founder and managing director David Riches has been named First Amongst Equals at the 2022 40under40 Awards, ahead of a diverse cohort of Western Australia’s young business and community leaders.
Business News’ 21st 40under40 awards were presented at a gala event held at Crown Perth on Friday night in celebration of WA’s top young business talent across a diverse mix of sectors, from finance and health, to law and community leadership.
Speaking at the event, Business News senior editor and chief judge Mark Beyer said there had been a record number of applicants, making it challenging to choose a winner.
“The judges were looking for the entrepreneurs – people who were willing to take a risk rather than follow the safe path, people who drove change,” Mr Beyer said.
“And while the awards are fundamentally about business success, that can come in many forms.”
He said there were some very impressive entrants who didn’t make the top 40.
“Part of me wishes we had more awards to give out – but that would just diminish how special these awards are,” he said.
Mr Riches was named Business News’ 40under40 First Amongst Equals and Large-sized Business Category Winner for his vision as a leader of GenusPlus Group.
He started his electrical services contractor business in 2009, which has since undergone a period of significant organic growth.
Targeting the state’s biggest iron ore miners he landed work with Rio Tinto, which followed with contracts with Western Power, Fortescue Metals Group and Roy Hill.
“I had a dream of how I felt a powerline or power infrastructure company should operate and run,” he said.
Despite going on to build an ASX-listed electrical services company that turned over around $320 million in its first year on the stock exchange, Mr Riches said growing a sense of mateship within the GenusPlus Group was the thing he was most proud of.
There were three other finalists for the First Amongst Equals: Rohan Hockings of PYC Therapeutics, Leah Hirst of JMH Group and Frank Mitchell of Kardan Construction.
Revo Fitness founder Andrew Holder won the Murdoch University People’s Choice Award while Granston Productions director Blake Granston was awarded The City of Perth Strategic Alliance Award.
Other category winners were: GenusPlus Founder David Riches (Large Business); Football West, Football Futures Foundation director James Curtis (Not-for-Profit); Maarli Services managing director Michael Hayden (Indigenous Business); O2 Marine managing director Christopher Lane (Start-up Business); JMH Group founder and director Leah Hirst (Family Business); and Kardan Construction founder Frank Mitchell (Medium Business).
You can read more about Mr Riches’ story and all the 40under40 winners in our next print edition on May 16 and online next week.
Congratulations to the 40under40 class of 2022
Adrian Munro: Richmond Wellbeing
Amitha Preetham: Health Integra Pty Ltd
Andrew Holder: Revo Fitness
Bay Yeo: Exal Group Pty Ltd
Blake Granston: Granston Productions
Christopher Lane: O2 Marine
Cian Brennan: Quantum Contract Solutions
David Riches: GenusPlus Group Ltd
Eimear O'Brien: Advanced Hearing WA
Elizabeth West: Murdoch University (The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University)
Francis Wedin: Vulcan Energy Resources
Frank Mitchell: Kardan Australia Pty Ltd / Wilco Electrical (WA) Pty Ltd / Baldja RKW Pty Ltd
James Curtis: Football West & Football Futures Foundation
Jaun Paul Rebola: St John of God Health Care
Joshua Johnson: Red Dust Holdings
Julia Powles: Minderoo Tech & Policy Lab, UWA Law School
Kasey Venter: Elite Compliance Pty Ltd
Kate Jameson: Youth Lab
Keith Pitt: Buildkite Pty Ltd
Kylah Morrison: METS Ignited
Leah Hirst: JMH Group
Liam Baron: Barons Beverage Services
Michael Hayden: Maarli Services Pty Ltd
Michael Challenor: VitalTrace Pty ltd
Navin Vij: Parabellum International Pty Ltd
Neil Young: Asset Reliability Inspections
Nicole Hill: Telethon Kids Institute
Paul Natoli: Grounded Construction Group Pty Ltd
Richard Burch: Burch Family Wines
Rohan Hockings: PYC Therapeutics Limited
Sam Clark: On Tap Services Group
Scott Chisolm: Terra Rosa Consulting
Stephen Tormey: Bennco Engineering
Stewart Mactaggart: Direct Seeding & Harvesting Equipment
Tina Ambrose: Valrose Pty Ltd
