Entrepreneur takes WA honour
“I’m a very lucky person,” says entrepreneur, philanthropist and 2013 WA Australian of the year Kerry Stokes.
“I’m in a position to do things that other people would do if they were in my position.”
Mr Stokes, who is also the chairman of Seven West Media, which includes Channel 7, The West Australian and the Kalgoorlie Miner, said he was “very surprised” to be chosen to represent WA in the Australian of the Year awards nationally.
“I didn’t expect to win,” he said yesterday. “I listened to the achievements of others and I thought they deserved more recognition. Of course I was proud to win, but the other nominees were humbling.”
Mr Stokes said he did not know if the difficulties he faced early in his life had influenced his desire to help others.
“All I know is that… giving can be quite selfish,” he said. “You have to be inhuman not to feel good when you do something good for other people and that’s self-reward and I don’t resile from the fact that I get a lot of satisfaction from everything that we do.”
