The founder of Di Bella Coffee, Phillip Di Bella has been named 2011 Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus. Fabienne Wintle was also honoured with the Young Alumnus award at a gala dinner in Brisbane.
In 2002, Phillip Di Bella (pictured) began a one-man coffee roasting operation in suburban Brisbane. In less than a decade he turned his business into a global enterprise.
Di Bella coffee has more than 1200 wholesale coffee accounts within Australia, serving more than 1.7 million cups of coffee each week. Di Bella coffee is now expanding into China and India.
In 2003, Fabienne Wintle established Untanglemyweb.com, an online business providing marketing strategies for tourism operators.
Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) Professor Michael Powell said the Outstanding Alumnus and the Young Alumnus of the Year awards provided an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable achievements of past graduates.
“These awards recognise the significant and diverse achievements of our alumni in their profession, as well as their contribution to the community,” Professor Powell said.
“The Griffith Business School is indeed very proud of our graduates’ outcomes and the work they are doing in servicing the community, both here and abroad,” he said.
Phillip Di Bella was recently made an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Department of International Business and Asian Studies at Griffith University and he is one of the youngest persons to be extended this honour.
Adjunct Professor Di Bella has also been recognised for his contribution to the Italian community with the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity. Here too he is a world beater; the youngest person to ever receive an Italian knighthood.
Adjunct Professor Di Bella says his fascination with coffee is due in no small way to his Sicilian heritage. He said he was fascinated from a young age by the way coffee brought
people together.
“It was that special liquid that could bring a family around a table where they would talk and laugh,” Adjunct Professor Di Bella said.
Phillip also credits his success to a lifelong quest for knowledge and being open to any learning opportunity.
“I am always looking for ways to do things better,” he said.