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THE VEUVE CLICQUOT AWARD – GLOBAL WINNERS 2004
AUSTRIA: Claudia Oszwald Managing Director, H&M Austria Born in 1961 and a qualified pharmacist, Claudia Oszwald started working for Hennes & Mauritz on a temporary basis in 1987 after her family moved to Zurich. She was involved in setting up the first Austrian branch of H&M in 1994 and instrumental in its expansion. In 1999 was appointed managing director of H&M Austria. This year, the Swedish fashion group is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Austria, with 40 H&M branches and a turnover of 447,224 million euros, a 6.46% increase on the previous year’s result. The mother of four is responsible for 2,600 employees and says, “Success is confirmation of what you do well.” She said the Veuve Clicquot Award selection criteria reflect matters close to her own heart. “I’m particularly honoured to receive an award for qualities such as entrepreneurial spirit, innovative approach, charisma and commercially orientated thinking, because very often nowadays, the real criterion is how quickly success is achieved.”
DENMARK: Naja Munthe and Karen Simonsen, MUNTHE PLUS SIMONSEN The award-winning Danish design company, munthe plus simonsen a/s, was founded in 1994 by designers Naja Munthe and Karen Simonsen, who met in 1991 while students at the Kolding Kunsthåndværkerskole art school. After graduating, the team moved to Copenhagen and started their own company with just DKK 10,000 (less than 1500 euros) in the bank and an office space of 25 square meters. They presented their collection in 1995, and in 2000 they staged their first show in Paris. The business now employs a staff of 60 in Denmark; has various agents in other countries; showrooms in Denmark, Sweden, the UK and Germany and four concept shops, in Copenhagen, Århus, Hellerup and Stockholm. Its two collections are sold in over 200 shops in fifteen countries and the company stages spectacular annual fashion shows in Copenhagen and Berlin, following a long process of nurturing the many details and aspects of individual designs, colours and fabrics, all especially conceived for each clothing collection. Munthe plus simonsen has also recently opened an interiors shop in Copenhagen which sells its own designs plus exclusive and specially selected goods for the body and home.
FRANCE: Colette Robert, Chairman of the Board of Arkopharma Laboratories After studying chemistry, Colette Robert started working in 1973 at a veterinary laboratory. In 1980, along with Dr. Max Rombi, she contributed to the setting up of Arkopharma laboratories, initially becoming the company’s commercial and marketing director, then managing director in 1987 and chairman in 1988. Arkopharma was founded on the idea that almost all health problems are due to poor diet and that plants and natural products can prevent and treat the majority of everyday health problems, a thought considered cutting-edge 20 years ago. Convinced that success and quality are linked, she firmly established Arkopharma as a pharmaceutical company with natural health products designed and controlled according to pharmaceutical standards. Arkopharma re-launched herbal medicine in France with Arkogelules and also introduced vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, skincare, slimming and beauty products to its range. Today, Arkopharma is the French and European leader in herbal medicine, dietetics and dietary supplements, with average yearly growth of 12% and employs 1,400 salaried staff.
JAPAN: Yoshimi Ogawa, COO/President of Index Corporation Yoshimi Ogawa, 39, joined Index Corporation in 1998, aiming to bring innovations to the world. She became COO/President in December 2002, the youngest female president ever of a company quoted on the Japanese stock market. When Yoshimi joined the company, its main service was content delivery for pagers. Noticing how students used public pay phones to send numeric messages, she realized that they would one day be using mobile phones in the same way. For Yoshimi, discovering new uses for mobile phones is as important as developing content. Index Corporation has overseas offices and joint ventures in the United States, France, Korea, Taiwan, and China, providing not only content but venturing into media development and marketing support as well. In August 2003, the company’s sales reached 20.4 billion yen. Using the concept of mobile telephones as all-purpose personal tools, Yoshimi is making strides into new markets around the world, following her motto: “It’s more fun to attack than to defend.”
NETHERLANDS: Mariëtte Barnhoorn, Managing Director, Luba Groep Born in 1953, Mariëtte Barnhoorn became project manager of computer courses at the Luba Uitzend Buro employment agency in 1986 and her career is mirrored in the growth of the company. In 1995 she became director of operations of Luba Uitzend Buro, still the company core. New businesses and initiatives eventually lead to the founding of the Luba Group, several companies specialized in employment services. In 2002 Mariëtte Barnhoorn was appointed CEO of the group. Mariëtte has left her mark not only on the company, one of the top ten temporary employment agencies in the Netherlands, but also on several employers’ associations. For Mariëtte, initiative and innovation are key – not too many meetings, but getting the job done. By acting on this attitude, she motivates her employees and by showing confidence in them, she enables them to achieve goals they never imagined.
NORWAY: Hilde Midthjell, Owner of Dermanor AS Hilde Midthjell, 44, started her company from her living room with only a small bank loan to help her. At the time she was an economics and management student, having previously studied medicine for three years. Today Hilde is sole shareholder of Dermanor, which has a turnover of more than NOK 100 million (12.1 million euros) and a staff of over fifty employees. Dermanor has been present in Denmark for two years, and in April 2004, a daughter company was set up in Sweden. Through the Dermoapo company, Dermanor has recently entered into the field of pharmaceutical products, signing agreements with all major pharmacy chains. Dermanor is known for quality, seriousness, competence, good training and follow-up. A frequent lecturer in companies and organizations, Hilde believes in value-based leadership and “quality at all levels.”
UNITED KINGDOM: Linda Bennett, Founder and Managing Director, L.K. Bennett Linda Bennett, designer and founder of LK Bennett, is dubbed “Queen of the Kitten Heel,” and a master at creating a one-stop shopping experience for the customer who wants elegant, feminine, fashion-forward shoes, clothes and accessories. LK Bennett has grown to a chain of forty-five stores in the UK, Ireland and France, with select concessions in Selfridges in London and in Harvey Nichols and Brown Thomas in Dublin. Increasing international awareness has led to the presence of LK Bennett in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the USA, satisfying a growing demand and desire for quintessential English luxury fashion. Linda Bennett won the 2003 UK Footwear Awards for Best Women’s Footwear Retailer, the Consumer Product category of the 2002 National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, the Smaller Multiple Retailer category of the 2002 Drapers Record Awards, the 2002 UK Footwear Awards for Best Combined Clothing and Footwear Retailer.
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