Canberra businesswoman Raffy Sgroi has won an international business award, joining winners from some of the world’s biggest companies at a ceremony in Paris.

Sgroi, the co-founder and CEO of Car Mechanical Services in Fisher, received a bronze Stevie Award in the Business Development Leader of the Year category at the 2026 International Business Awards.

The awards attracted more than 3800 nominations from 78 countries and territories, with winners selected by an international judging panel.

The awards ceremony was held in Paris on Wednesday (October 28), but Sgroi watched the proceedings from Canberra via a livestream at 5.30am.

“Bringing home an International Stevie Awards 2026 as Business Development Leader of the Year still doesn’t feel real,” she said.

“I wish I could’ve been there on the Paris stage instead of watching via livestream, but it was still a total buzz seeing my work up on an international screen with coffee instead of champagne at 5.30am!”

Sgroi and her husband Charlie established Car Mechanical Services in 2007. She has since expanded her activities beyond the automotive workshop into business consulting, leadership training and mentoring.

She founded business consultancy Sage Advice and the women’s business networking organisation Zest Canberra, formerly HerZest.

Her work has particularly focused on helping small businesses develop sustainable growth strategies and encouraging women, young people and people with disabilities into the automotive industry.

Sgroi was named Founder of the Year at the 2025 Smart50 Awards and won the Excellence in Inclusive and Innovative Employment Practices category at the 2025 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards. She was also nominated for the 2026 ACT Local Hero award.

Her business previously won a gold Stevie Award in an automotive entrepreneurship category in 2024.

Sgroi said her approach to business development was based on practical strategies rather than following trends.

“Because in a market this competitive, winging it is expensive. Business development isn’t a ‘nice to have’ when things slow down – it’s the engine that keeps you relevant, visible, and growing when everyone else is fighting for the same customers,” she said.

She said Canberra had the potential to be one of Australia’s best places to do business with supportive government policies and sound business strategies.

“This award might have my name on it, but it also shines a light on what’s possible from right here.”

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