Bensimon was recognised for service to business and to the community. He and wife Nyra acquired Adelaide store Shiels Jewellers in 1977, and oversaw its expansion across South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
During his 36-year tenure as managing director of Shiels, Bensimon became known for his TV advertisements with his signature catchphrase, “No hoo-haa.”
He is a past president of the Retail Traders Association and was a board member of the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) from 1985–2004.
Besides his contribution to the jewellery industry, Bensimon has also undertaken extensive charity endeavours and is a long-term supporter of the arts.
He was founding chairman of the Helpmann Foundation and Helpmann Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, and has served on the boards of the State Library of South Australia Foundation, the State Opera of South Australia, and the Festival Theatre Foundation.
“I suppose it is a nice recognition of all the long hours I have put in over the years with various causes,” Bensimon said of his OAM.
“I am on several boards where I have helped raise a lot of money. When I established the Helpmann Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, I was able to get the right people to raise a lot of money and establish a mentorship program. That’s something of which I am particularly proud.”
Egyptian-born Bensimon is also an active member of the Jewish community, a long-term member of the Rotary Club of Adelaide, and a former president of Refugee Relief Fund Australia and homelessness charity the Hutt Street Charitable Foundation.
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