At Bowhill Engineering, we are proud to announce that our CEO, Jodie Hawkes, has been recognised as one of South Australia’s top industry leaders by the Industry Leaders Fund (ILF) for 2024.

This prestigious recognition not only highlights Jodie’s achievements but also reinforces our company’s commitment to leadership, innovation and building a stronger future for South Australia.

The awards ceremony held at the National Wine Centre celebrated fourteen of South Australia’s leading innovators, executives and entrepreneurs. These outstanding individuals are now set to embark on transformative learning journeys at prestigious institutions like Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford.

The ILF, South Australia’s largest private funder of executive education, plays a crucial role in nurturing leaders who fuel the growth of key industries, including advanced manufacturing, space, agriculture and sustainable energy.

A Legacy Of Job Creation And Innovation

Since 2010, the ILF has awarded 283 grants, totalling more than $3.6 million and helping to create over 4,000 high-value jobs. The ILF’s grants target key sectors like advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and space technology—industries vital to South Australia’s future.

This year’s cohort of scholars reflects the innovative spirit shaping the state’s economy and preparing it for global challenges.

In addition to the core awards, this year’s program introduced four special bonus awards, recognising exceptional leaders who embody the ILF’s core values.

Recognising Excellence In Leadership

Jodie’s selection as an ILF scholar comes at an exciting time for Bowhill Engineering. Known as the “go-to bridge builders,” Bowhill Engineering has made significant strides in large-scale infrastructure projects across the state. Jodie’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding the company through continuous growth.

With a new facility opening in 2025, Bowhill will enhance its capacity to produce complex structural steel products, taking on more ambitious projects that drive the state’s infrastructure development.

At the awards ceremony, Jodie took the opportunity to express her gratitude and reflect on the significance of the achievement. She spoke at the interview about finding her tribe, the importance of surrounding herself with those who respectfully challenge the status quo and help her to find radical candour. In her speech, she said:

“I would like to thank my tribe that are with me here tonight, because if it were not for their encouragement & support and a little carefrontation, I wouldn’t be standing here before you all today.

To Jeremy, my husband of 25 years and business partner for nearly just as long, a former ILF Scholar himself, you are my soulmate and I love doing life with you. Thank you for suggesting I apply to the ILF and pushing me to get close to the edge of the cliff (because we all know that’s where the best views are!).

To Jerry Kleeman, my TEC (now Vistage) Chair, who only earlier this month was awarded the Phil Meddings Award, the highest accolade available to a TEC Chair—and the only person in Australia to win this more than once! Jerry, you’ve been a friend and confidant for many years now. You have given me so much, and you always find a way to throw in the next challenging line of questions to keep me on my toes. I don’t think any business conversation is ever had without some sort of reference to TEC!

To Kristian Livolsi, as Chair of Bowhill Engineering, plus a Strategic Advisor to our Leadership Team and mentor to our Emerging Leaders, your impact at all levels of our company has been significant. Your no-BS approach, combined with deep care, has helped me manage my imposter syndrome and supported us as we navigated major changes, including my transition into the role of CEO.

To Tom Dennis, our General Manager—his inspiring journey from joining as a Metal Fabricator 12 years ago to being groomed to take over from me as CEO in a few years’ time is remarkable. Tom gets stuff done with his no-fuss approach and isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves to tackle problems others won’t. We make a good team, and I’m excited by this transitional journey we are on.

I’m proud of my tribe and thank them all for being here with me tonight.

But I’m also excited by the prospect that my tribe has now grown and includes the ILF Alumni, some of whom I know, and others I’m keen to meet. No one can dispute that this is a pretty impressive group to be part of.

To the panel and especially Richard Barrett, I enjoyed the process and thank you for the sincere way in which you showed a genuine interest (not to mention a few random inquisitive questions!). I appreciated the opportunity to be my authentic self and speak passionately about my goals and aspirations.

I recently created a version of my values, an extension of those we have at Bowhill Engineering, and I’d like to share three of them with you now as I feel they give insight into who I am as a leader:

  • Transformational: Moving forward with courage and bringing our team along on the journey. At Bowhill Engineering, ‘Together We Thrive’ means we don’t leave anyone behind. We’re not afraid to make tough decisions or try new things, always seeking better outcomes for everyone.
  • Authentic: Doing what we say we’ll do and staying true to our values. ‘Together We Thrive’ is not just something we say—it’s how we live, guiding our decisions every day.
  • Inspirational: Being passionate, driven, and focused on execution. At Bowhill Engineering, our robust framework gives us the freedom to innovate and evolve continuously. Our secret lies in how we execute ideas and plans effectively.

The Colin J Peters AM Memorial Award is a great honour, and I promise to ‘pay it forward’ by sharing my time and learnings. I honestly have a love of learning and enjoy sharing what I learn with those who are engaged and keen to learn with me.

To everyone at the ILF, thank you for this incredible opportunity.”

The ILF 2024 Scholars: Driving Economic Growth Across Key Sectors

The 2024 ILF cohort features some of South Australia’s most influential leaders, driving growth across diverse industries. Among the recipients are pioneers in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and space exploration. These leaders are shaping the future by creating head offices, attracting global investment, and developing sustainable solutions for the challenges ahead.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the ILF scholars alongside Jodie Hawkes, who are making waves in their respective industries:

  • Robert Statham (Seeley International Imagineering Award): Expanding aluminium supply services into defence and space sectors.
  • Herve Astier (CEO, Neumann Space): Transforming a Semaphore startup into a global leader in electric space propulsion.
  • Tom Rayner (KELLY Tillage): Leading global operations to improve soil quality through innovative agricultural machinery.
  • Glenn Morelli (Tindo Solar): Scaling production to 1.9 million solar panels annually, driving renewable energy growth.

These scholars are creating new opportunities and establishing South Australia as a leader in innovation, sustainability, and economic growth.

Looking Ahead: Shaping The Future With Bowhill Engineering

With the ILF’s recognition of Jodie Hawkes and the achievements of our fellow 2024 scholars, Bowhill Engineering is more motivated than ever to continue shaping South Australia’s future.

We remain committed to investing in talent, developing skilled professionals through apprenticeships and traineeships and supporting South Australia’s regional economy. 

As our projects expand, we look forward to building on our legacy of innovation, sustainability and community impact.