Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Gong for LifeFlight CEO

LifeFlight CEO Ashley van de Velde OAM has been recognised with the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Social Impact, celebrating his four-decade journey from volunteer crewman to leading one of Australia’s most vital aeromedical organisations

When you talk to people who make a quantifiable difference in their communities, their eyes light up when you deflect the conversation away from them and focus on the impact of their work.

LifeFlight CEO Ashley van de Velde OAM is one such person. Starting his career on the Gold Coast as a volunteer rescue crewman aboard the CareFlight helicopter four decades ago, he now proudly guides one of the fastest growing aeromedical companies in the southern hemisphere. “The most valuable lesson I think we’ve learned is to remain humble within the business – walk the talk. We just do the job and make sure we do it well,” says the proud Gold Coaster.

That drive and determination to save lives has been recognised with a prestigious award recognising dedication with an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Social Impact category.

Mr van de Velde has overseen the growth of the organisation from a small community rescue service into a vertically integrated charitable organisation with a 21-strong fleet of helicopters and four long range air ambulance jets.

Under his leadership, LifeFlight has championed the ‘doctor first’ aeromedical retrieval model, which places critical care specialists on every mission and now employs more than 400 staff.

Mr van de Velde says he was humbled to receive the award, which recognised his commitment to improving community healthcare outcomes, especially in remote and regional areas.

“It’s an honour to be recognised with this prestigious award I accept it on behalf of our dedicated teams right across the organisation and the thousands of people we airlift in time of need,” he says.

“We believe providing the vehicles like the helicopters and jets are great, but unless you have got those medical teams onboard that actually make the difference, it’s just another air service.”

Mr van de Velde began his aeromedical career with the Gold Coast Helicopter Rescue Service – one of LifeFlight’s earlier incarnations – as a volunteer aircrewman in 1981.

In FY25 LifeFlight’s medical teams, helicopter and jet fleets helped 8,497 people – 3.9 per cent higher than the previous year.

The organisation also embarked on new base builds at Mt Isa and the Sunshine Coast, welcomed three new AW139 helicopters to its fleet, and inked a $250 million partnership with Italian aircraft manufacturer Leonardo.

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards shine a spotlight on entrepreneurs who create businesses that address the most complex challenges and build a better working world.