Protais Muhirwa Named One of 2025’s Most Successful Business Leaders to Watch — A Recognition of Purpose-Driven Leadership

The Most Successful Business Leaders to Watch in 2025

Protais Muhirwa Named One of 2025’s Most Successful Business Leaders to Watch — A Recognition of Purpose-Driven Leadership

In a world that increasingly values quick wins and bottom lines, it is rare — and refreshing — to see leadership acknowledged for its deep human impact. The Enterprise World has honoured Protais Muhirwa, Founding Director of ARMIA (Active Refugee & Migrant Integration in Australia), as one of the “Most Successful Business Leaders to Watch in 2025”. This recognition is more than just a personal milestone; it is a testament to the power of purpose-driven leadership and the quiet revolutions happening at the community level.

Leadership Born from Experience, Guided by Empathy

Protais’s story does not begin in a boardroom but in the lived reality of displacement. Before founding ARMIA, he worked on the frontlines of refugee integration in South Africa, where he witnessed firsthand the barriers people face when forced to start over — often without language, stability, or a sense of belonging.

Rather than being paralysed by the scale of these issues, he took action. His empathy, born of experience, became the engine that drives his work. In 2015, on Australia Day, Protais launched ARMIA in Sunnybank, Queensland — not as a service provider, but as a hub of opportunity, connection, and empowerment for refugees and migrants.

A Model of Integration That Works

What sets ARMIA apart — and what makes Protais’s leadership so noteworthy — is the organisation’s holistic and sustainable approach to integration. At ARMIA, empowerment is not a buzzword. It’s a practical framework built around training, employment pathways, mental health support, legal advocacy, aged care, and tailored assistance under the NDIS.

ARMIA’s services aren’t siloed — they are interconnected, reflecting the reality that true integration doesn’t happen in fragments. Whether it’s helping a refugee secure their first job in Australia, supporting an elderly migrant to age with dignity, or guiding a young person through education, ARMIA is creating bridges where others see gaps.

From Community Builder to Business Leader

The recognition by The Enterprise World signals a broader understanding of what leadership can look like. Protais’s impact isn’t defined by profit margins but by the number of people who’ve gone from isolation to inclusion because of his work.

His ability to scale ARMIA’s model — while retaining a deep community focus — demonstrates the kind of agility and vision modern leadership demands. He has also extended ARMIA’s services to Indigenous and mainstream Australians, recognising the value of building unified, inclusive communities that go beyond cultural lines.

Why This Award Matters

Being named one of the "Most Successful Business Leaders to Watch in 2025" puts Protais in the company of innovators and changemakers — but his presence on this list is also a reminder that impact in business isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s about creating steady, lasting change at a grassroots level.

In an era where diversity, equity, and inclusion are often discussed in theory, Protais has built an organisation where these values are lived out every day — and where leadership is measured by the lives transformed.

The Road Ahead

As ARMIA looks to expand its programs and partnerships, Protais remains grounded in his mission: to ensure that every person, regardless of background or barriers, has the opportunity to participate fully in society. His leadership isn’t just about directing an organisation — it’s about reimagining what community support can look like in a multicultural Australia.

Protais’s journey is far from over, but his recognition as a leader to watch signals what many in his community have known for years: that when leadership is anchored in compassion, conviction, and a clear purpose, it doesn’t just change systems — it changes lives.

To learn more about ARMIA and how you can support or collaborate, visit armia.com.au.
Read the full feature in The Enterprise World: Protais Muhirwa – Building Bridges for Refugees and Migrants