Matt Fairhurst and Rebecca Brammer are QUT’s 2020 Young Alumni of the Year.
Mr Fairhurst is a tech entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of Skedulo, an award-winning, company in disruptive, intelligent, mobile workforce management.
After graduating from QUT with a Bachelor of Business (Marketing), Mr Fairhurst teamed up with QUT Science and Engineering Faculty alumnus James Davies and developed an enterprise software product for an order-to-invoice application.
While building a small company around this app, Mr Fairhurst realised the incredible impact smartphones would have on the future of work, particularly in managing flexible, field-based workforces.
Mr Fairhurst and Mr Davies joined forces again to create Skedulo - a deskless productivity cloud-based platform that helps enterprises manage, schedule, dispatch, and support workers on the go.
Skedulo has transformed from a Brisbane-based start-up to a global business, with 170 employees and offices in Brisbane, Sydney, San Francisco, Vietnam, New York and London over the past six years.
The company has helped provide deskless and mobile workforce productivity for high-profile organisations including DHL, Johnson & Johnson, Australia Post, The City of New York and the American Red Cross.
In response to COVID-19, Skedulo has released a free capacity-based appointment booking service for public health agencies on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19 and has streamlined the organisation and scheduling of testing during the unprecedented surge of appointment requests and traffic.
Although based in San Francisco, Mr Fairhurst maintains his connection with QUT by sharing his knowledge with students and alumni.
Rebecca Brammer has built a career as an innovative footwear designer working for global apparel and sportswear brands.
Ms Brammer graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Fashion) in 2009 to work first in Sydney, then overseas in Paris, interning in a small bespoke shoe studio from renowned designer Robert Clergerie.
In London, Ms Brammer designed for prestigious shoe brand Jimmy Choo and then headed to the US after being recruited by Nike where she leads creative collaborations between Nike and international design houses.
Now based in New York, her design alliances include:
Virgil Abloh (creative director Louis Vuitton), Martine Rose (former creative director for Balenciaga mens) as well as Japanese labels Comme des Garçons and Sacai, to name a few.
At Nike, Ms Brammer has supported not only design innovation but sustainable shoe design and use of recyclable materials. She is a role model for the next generation of QUT Design graduates.
2020 QUT Alumni Service Award winners
Heather and Peter Howes have received the 2020 QUT Alumni Service Award in recognition of their long association with QUT and their commitment to creating aspiration and pathways for inclusion for all.
QUT played a pivotal role in their personal and professional lives – the couple graduated from QUT’s predecessor institute, QIT, in 1972 - Mrs Howes with a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) and Mr Howes with a Bachelor of Business (Management).
Together they established a successful global company developing cutting edge HR cloud software for undertaking workforce analytics and planning for large organisations.
The Howes believe that education has the single most important impact on a person’s future and that everyone, regardless of background and life circumstances, has the right to a tertiary education and a successful career.
The couple made their first gift to QUT’s Learning Potential Fund (LPF) in 2009. A personal thank you call from the fundraising team made an impression and they approached the Advancement Office to facilitate a gift of $1 million to the LPF.
The Howes Family LPF Scholarships provides eight $5000 scholarships annually to disadvantaged students with no restrictions on the disciplines their scholarships support.
They have sponsored an annual LPF fundraising dinner since 2012.
QUT Advancement executive director Margo Powell said Heather and Peter Howes had given their time generously to assist in donor cultivation and stewardship.
“Through their service, advocacy and giving, they have championed QUT’s goal of becoming a philanthropic university,” Ms Powell said.
QUT Media contacts:
Niki Widdowson, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au
