From Technician to Champion: Jack Collins Wins O’Brien® Best of Australia 2025

Meet the winner, relive the competition, and look ahead to the global stage.

Established in 2007 and held every two years, the Best of Australia competition is a prestigious event that brings together the best O’Brien® Automotive Technicians from across the country. The competition puts their skills and expertise to the test through a series of technical challenges. On October 22^nd, O’Brien® team members from three divisions, along with key customers and suppliers, came together to witness the showdown – where seven of our most skilled technicians competed for the coveted title of the Best of Australia Winner 2025.

We want to congratulate the following discipline-specific award winners:

• Jack Collins of O’Brien® AutoGlass Parramatta NSW – Best Side and Body Glass
• Miles Shepherd of O’Brien® AutoGlass Tamworth NSW – Best Recalibration
• Claire Durtnall of O’Brien® AutoGlass Bayswater WA – Best Chip Repair

 

Of course, in the end, there could only be one overall winner for the O’Brien® Best of Australia 2025, congratulations Jack Collins.

 

After being awarded the title at the gala event held on the same night, we were lucky to have a chat with Jack to get an insight into his journey to the podium and what the title of ‘Best of Australia’ means to him.

 

Meet Jack Collins – our Best of Australia 2025 Winner.

Starting as a 19-year-old Technician, Jack’s journey to becoming a Workshop Supervisor in just over four years shows what dedication and passion can achieve. He embodies the O’Brien® commitment to excellence and is excited to represent us at the global Best of Belron competition next year, that will be held in Portugal.

When his name was called, the look on his face said it all – a proud moment that reflected years of hard work, training and dedication to honing his skills.

“It was surreal. I was so nervous standing up there, and when my name got called, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off me… it meant everything. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and something I’ve always had my focus on.”

As a Sydney local, this was Jack’s second time vying for the title of Best of Australia (“BOA”), having competed in 2024. As he describes, his success is thanks to many people who assisted him in the lead-up to the competition – from the Technical Trainers, previous winners of the BOA competition and family members.

“I’d like to shout out my manager, Robert, Luke, and the whole technical training team for the amazing job they did to help me prepare for the event. They helped me in so many ways – I hope they’re proud of what we achieved together.”

 

Looking forward: The Best of Belron competition

The Best of Belron is a biennial global event held across the Belron Group. This competition recognises the best Belron technicians from 39 countries worldwide who specialise in using Belron’s standard repair and replacement processes, known as the Belron® Way of Fitting. The finalist for each country’s national event is invited to compete on the world stage, which means Jack will now head to Lisbon, Portugal to compete against the best technicians across  Belron next June.

“Mid-next year, I’ll be heading over to Lisbon to compete at Best of Belron. It really is an honour to be going over there to compete on behalf of O’Brien®, and to test myself against the other competitors and to show what I’m made of. Can’t wait!”

The road to Lisbon looks much the same as the lead-up to the BOA competition, with ongoing training and practice alongside the Technical Training team and no doubt plenty of advice from our Australian BOA Judges and fellow competitors.

We wish Jack the best of luck as he prepares for Best of Belron 2026.  No doubt he’ll have plenty of advice from the alumni of Best of Australia winners who’ve represented O’Brien on the world stage as well!  We’ll be keeping across how Jack’s preparation is going, so stay tuned for more updates on Jack’s journey to Lisbon.

 

Watch the highlights from the BOA25 event here.

🚀 Ready to Start Your Own Winning Journey?

At O’Brien®, we don’t just fix glass — we build careers. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your skills to the next level, we’re always on the lookout for passionate people who want to grow, learn, and be part of something bigger.

Join a team that celebrates excellence, supports your development, and helps you shine. Explore Careers at O’Brien® and find your perfect fit today.

Of course, for all your vehicle glass needs, call 1800 834 103 and speak to the experts in our Customer Solutions Centre today!