Stefan Ackerie Explained

Stefan Ackerie (born 1941), usually known by the mononym Stefan, is a businessman who owns a chain of hairdressing salons in Brisbane, Australia.

Early life

He was born in 1941 in Batroun, Lebanon. His family migrated when he was 15 to Adelaide, South Australia, where he trained as a hairdresser and learned to speak English at nightschool.^[1]

Career

He owns a chain of approximately 50 hairdressing salons throughout Queensland and New South Wales as well as the Brisbane restaurant Jo Jo's, a bar and restaurant originally opened above the Queen Street Mall in the 1970s and now on Melbourne Street, South Brisbane.^[2] ^[3] He also owns Stefan's Boating World in Coomera on the Gold Coast, Queensland.^[4]

Stefan's Brisbane headquarters is located in South Brisbane, underneath the Skyneedle, a landmark which Stefan bought to prevent it being moved overseas after World Expo '88.^[5] When the Milton Tennis Centre was demolished circa 1999, Stefan rescued the 7abbr=NaNabbr= tennis racquet icon (based on the Aldila brand) erected there (he had sponsored the Queensland Tennis Open competition at that site). In June 2014, it was re-erected over the Frew Park tennis facility, which replaced the Milton Tennis Centre.^[6]

Awards

Stefan was a finalist in the 2004 Australian of the Year awards.^[7] He is also a keen power boat racer and holds the records for the fastest crossing of Bass Strait^[8] and the fastest crossing of the Straits of Malacca.

In 2013, Stefan was presented a Queensland Greats Award from the Queensland Government.^[9]

In 2024, Stefan was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of 'sustained entrepreneurship in developing an iconic Queensland business for 60 years'.^[10]

External links

Notes and References

News: The life story and photos of Stefan Ackerie. Lindsay. Cat. 27 November 2016.
Web site: South Bank Corporation Board. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070505052233/http://www.southbankcorporation.com.au/about_us/south_bank_corp_board. 5 May 2007. 20 October 2018.
Web site: Jo Jo's Restaurant and Bar. August 2017. Must Do Brisbane. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191010203149/https://www.mustdobrisbane.com/eat-drink-restaurants-inner-city-south-brisbane-kids-cafes/jo-jos-restaurant-and-bar-south-brisbane. 10 October 2019. 11 October 2019.
Web site: About Us. Stefan's Boating World. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190310102703/https://www.stefanboatingworld.com.au/about-us/. 10 March 2019. 11 October 2019.
News: Skyneedle 'should never have left South Bank': Stefan. Atfield. Cameron. 22 August 2015. Brisbane Times. 11 October 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191010204107/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/skyneedle-should-never-have-left-south-bank-stefan-20150819-gj34to.html. 10 October 2019.
News: Stefan's big racquet returns to new tennis park at Milton. Moore. Tony. 20 June 2014. Brisbane Times. 11 October 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191010205259/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/stefans-big-racquet-returns-to-new-tennis-park-at-milton-20140620-zsgkq.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=true. 10 October 2019.
Web site: National Australia Day Council – Australian of the Year Award . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20061010044339/http://www.australianoftheyear.gov.au/pages/bio.asp?pID=51 . 10 October 2006 . 12 November 2006.
Web site: Stefan – History . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070829224625/http://www.stefan.com.au/history/history.html . 29 August 2007 . 12 November 2006.
Web site: 2013 Queensland Greats recipients. Queensland Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20170531024212/https://www.qld.gov.au/about/events-awards-honours/awards/qld-greats-awards/2013-recipients/. 31 May 2017. 31 May 2017.
Web site: July 2024 . Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame . 31 July 2024 . Stefan Ackerie AM.