Sarina Russo: Biography, Story, and the Sarina Russo Group

When Sarina Russo started teaching typing to nine students in Brisbane in 1979, she wasn’t trying to build an empire. She just needed a job after being fired twice. Today, the Australian-Italian entrepreneur leads what is considered Australia’s largest private employment and training provider, with contracts spanning government employment programs and a reputation that earned her the nickname “Jobs Queen.” This profile traces her journey from a single classroom to a national network and examines the facts behind the success.

Founded: 1979 ·
Initial students: 9 ·
Current status: Australia’s largest private employment & training provider ·
Honours: Member of the Order of Australia (AM) ·
Known as: Jobs Queen ·
Headquarters: Brisbane, Queensland

The table below summarises eight key facts about the entrepreneur and her organisation.

What is the story of Sarina Russo?

Early beginnings

• At age 26, Russo “ran away” from a male-dominated Sicilian family environment to gain independence, according to a Women’s Agenda profile (women’s leadership publication).
• She was fired from a legal secretary job and later from a night job teaching typing — both experiences she credits as the push to start her own business. (Women’s Agenda)
• In 1979 she opened a typing school in Brisbane with nine students. (Women’s Agenda)

Growth and expansion

• Throughout the 1990s the business expanded from typing instruction into broader employment and training services. An Indeed company profile (employment marketplace) notes the group “changed people’s lives for 38 years through education, training and employment programs.”
• Sarina Russo Job Access (Australia) Pty Ltd was incorporated on July 1, 2000, per IBISWorld (business intelligence provider).
• The company won government jobactive contracts, making it a major private-sector employment services provider. (IBISWorld)

Recognition and awards

• In 2014 Sarina Russo was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the community through employment and training programs. (Women’s Agenda)
• She has been named among the Top 50 Women Achievers in Australia. (Women Economic Forum – global network of women leaders)
• She holds an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce, as noted in the same WEF profile.

Who is Sarina Russo?

Bio

• Sarina Russo is an Australian-Italian businesswoman. Her father, a Sicilian immigrant, trusted her as his English interpreter from age ten, according to Women’s Agenda.
• She grew up managing family flats and a farm, and at 26 she left home to gain independence from what she describes as a male-dominated Sicilian culture. (Women’s Agenda)

Professional title

• She is the Founder and Managing Director of the Sarina Russo Group, a role she has held since founding the company in 1979. (Women’s Agenda)
• She is widely referred to as the “Jobs Queen” in Australian media and government employment circles.

What is Sarina Russo known for?

Entrepreneurship

• Known for building Sarina Russo Group from a one-room typing school into Australia’s largest private employment, education and training provider, as described by Women’s Agenda.
• The group reportedly operates across more than 200 sites in Australia and New Zealand according to the WEF profile, though an Indeed company page lists 93 sites in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. (Indeed) (Women Economic Forum)

Employment services

• Her company holds jobactive contracts from the Australian Government to help unemployed Australians find work. (IBISWorld)
• Services include job seeker support, employer recruitment, apprenticeships, business startup programs, training and education, and health and disability employment assistance. (IBISWorld)

“I thank all the bosses who fired me — because they gave me the courage to start my own business.”

— Sarina Russo, as quoted by Women’s Agenda

The catch: the same government contracts that fuelled her growth also tie her fortunes to shifting political priorities in employment policy.

What is the slogan of the Sarina Russo Group?

The Sarina Russo Group’s official website does not prominently feature a single tagline, but its mission emphasises helping people find and keep jobs. The corporate site notes that Sarina Russo Entrepreneurs “provides government-funded entrepreneurship programs to create self-employment opportunities.” (Sarina Russo Group official site)

Where are other Sarina Russo locations?

Australia-wide offices

• The company’s head office is in Brisbane, Queensland. (IBISWorld)
• According to an Indeed company profile, the group operates 93 sites across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.
• A Women’s Agenda article says the business spans more than 200 sites in Australia and New Zealand.
• Reportedly, international operations extend to the United Kingdom, India, Vietnam and China as per the Women Economic Forum profile (tier3 source).

“He trusted me to interpret for him because I could speak English better than anyone else in the family. That responsibility shaped my confidence.”

— Sarina Russo, on her father, as quoted by Women’s Agenda

For the estimated 800,000 Australians who rely on jobactive providers each year, the choice between public and private employment services can feel opaque. Russo’s company, with its mix of scale, government contracts and training infrastructure, is one of the largest options. Whether that scale translates into better outcomes for job seekers remains a question best answered by individual experience — but the business itself is a testament to what one fired typist built from a single classroom.

Frequently asked questions