Alumni Change Makers

This award recognises innovative and creative WBS alumni entrepreneurs who can demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset and who use this to make the world a better place, whether founding their own business or having a transformative impact in their sector.  The 2024 winner was Toss Grumley. 

Toss is currently the principal at Grumley and Company and also a shareholder and director at PH Digital and Emma Lewisham Skincare. 

At Grumley+Company which has offices in Auckland & Sydney, Toss manages New Zealand and Australia's largest advisory book with over 250 clients across all industries. He started this business eight years ago and has grown it to be the country's most recognised and awarded advisory. 

Toss also joined PH Digital six years ago when it merged with his marketing business Unnamed. He has since bought out the other founding shareholder and the business is managed by CEO Christine Kearney. The business serves over 150 of Australasia's fastest growing businesses. 

Toss' relationship with Emma Lewisham Skincare started at time of launch where he joined as an advisor. One year later he invested in the business and became a director. The business has grown exponentially from New Zealand and is now stocked globally through Mecca, Space NK, Goop, Net a Porter and more. The business was the first in the world to introduce a fully circular model with all products being refillable. 

Christine Kearney CEO PH Digital, said:  

“As CEO of PH Digital, I have had the privilege of collaborating closely with Toss over the past five years, initially as part of our extended professional network, and subsequently as a valued business partner within PH Digital.  

“His unwavering pursuit of excellence coupled with his stellar industry reputation, generous philanthropy, and an outstanding personal values system that incorporates curiosity, openness, relentlessness and a commitment to serving the business world and the community in equal measure makes him an exemplary representative of the WBS alumni community.” 

The Alumni Leadership Award recognises WBS alumni who have been instrumental in supporting and helping to drive forward the School’s global alumniengagement initiatives. The 2024 winner was Sorina Constantinescu.

Sorina is Regional Director for Airline Partners Middle East at Travelport and has been Executive Chair of the WBS UAE Alumni Network based in Dubai since August 2021. Sorina has been absolutely instrumental in bringing alumni together and is a strong advocate for the value of the alumni network, she works tirelessly to bring alumni together and support them with their professional journeys. The global alumni engagement team are very thankful for her time and commitment.

Sorina was nominated by Angel Zhou, Senior Consultant at Infosys Consulting who said:

“My initial perception of Sorina was exceedingly positive; she exuded supportiveness and a constant willingness to assist. Little did I realise she was volunteering to lead the group; I assumed she was a hired staff member due to her consistent engagement in introducing intriguing topics about the school, promoting new programs, alumni events, and collaborations with other business institutions. Her relentless efforts in organising gatherings like dinners, Sunday brunches, and networking events with other business schools have been consistently impressive over the years.”

The WBS Community Empowerment Award recognises alumni who, either as an advocate or ally, can demonstrate impact in the workplace from supporting EDI, diversity and inclusion; or from promoting representation, visibility, wellbeing and equality; or from generating better social outcomes for others as they use business as a power for good. This impact may have a global reach or a significant impact locally. The 2024 winner was Bryn Davies.

Bryn is Chief Business Development Officer at Proximie, an organisation that provides digital surgical collaboration software.

Through his work, Bryn has found a way to deliver strong commercial growth whilst ensuring equitable access to safe surgical care, specifically for vulnerable populations within the Global South.

Bryn was nominated by Shannon Shibata Founder and CEO of Lacuna Advisors, who said:

“It takes enormous courage and leadership to go against the traditional corporate tide and live as an example within an industry. Startups historically defer impact-based work until they have exited onto the public market. This approach is due to perceived risk of financial drag, however, by continuing this trend, startups building transformational technologies contribute to enormous disparities and inequities between the Global North and South. Understanding this, Bryn challenged the norm, stood in the gap and become a champion and a strong voice of change within the health tech industry by believing that startups can and should make Global Health a core part of their identity and ethos from the outset, making the case that such work could be pursued without hurting the bottom line of the company’s growth, but instead becoming an integrated enhancement."

“In the years that Bryn has championed, protected and helped to grow Global Health as a strategic pillar at Proximie, the company has been able to build critical mass across Kenya. The programme and model have now expanded to Ethiopia and the Dominican Republic with plans this year to set up hubs in Uganda and Rwanda. This has all been achieved through locally owned partnerships and creative financing solutions targeting non-dilutive grants and a sliding scale pricing model ensuring that everyone can have access to the technology no matter where they are located.”

The WBS Community Empowerment Award recognises alumni who, either as an advocate or ally, can demonstrate impact in the workplace from supporting EDI, diversity and inclusion; or from promoting representation, visibility, wellbeing and equality; or from generating better social outcomes for others as they use business as a power for good. This impact may have a global reach or a significant impact locally. The 2024 winner was Elham Fardad. 

Elham is Founder and CEO of the charity Migrant Leaders which was the winner of the Social Mobility Award 2023 at the prestigious Inclusive Awards. Elham is the author of the book Migrant Magic and also had the honour of being selected as a Coronation Champion in 2023. In 2024 Elham was awarded the Freedom of the City of London by The Lord Mayor of London. 

Her professional career spans 25 years in senior leadership roles in blue chip multinationals including GE, News Corp and EY, where she has advised clients on their most challenging operational problems. Elham advises leadership teams on strategy, operations and talent. She is a Fellow member of the ACCA and a member of multiple Advisory Boards.  

Elham received two nominations, one of which was Kate Davidson from Dignity UK and fellow WBS alum. Kate said: 

“Elham’s passion and focus on building a genuine platform for young migrants fosters an environment of development, diversity, representation and learning - and her charity provides a clear route to ensure those young people feel a productive and valued member of British society. The charity thereby drives tangible improvements around social mobility, discrimination and strengthening communities. Elham is an incredibly bright, warm, passionate and caring individual and it’s an honour to be able to stand alongside her as a WBS alum.”