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Media Release: March 8, 2008
Six Australian businesswomen were named today, on International Women’s Day, as finalists for the Veuve Clicquot Award 2008, a global award given to a leading woman entrepreneur in 16 countries each year.
The six Australian finalists are:
The winner of the Australian Veuve Clicquot Award 2008 will be announced at the Veuve Clicquot Award luncheon, to be held at Customs House in Sydney on 18 March. The 2006 winner Sarina Bratton, founder of Orion Expedition Cruises, as well as last year's winner, Captain Suzannah Vaughan, Marine Superintendent and Australia’s only female oil tanker captain, will be present on the day to offer their congratulations.
Also present at the lunch will be the Australian judging panel, comprising Chairman of Heytesbury, Janet Holmes à Court AC; The Honourable Justice Annabelle Bennett AO; Director of Marketing and Special Events for Consolidated Press Holdings, Deeta Colvin; Chairman, Future Fund Board of Guardians, David Murray AO; Director, Paspaley Pearls Group, Marilynne Paspaley AM; Chief Executive of Moët Hennessy Australia, Robert Remnant; and CEO of the Bennelong Group, Alison Watkins.
The winner on the Veuve Clicquot Award will fly business class to Reims, France, to join past and present laureates from other countries at the Annual Veuve Clicquot Businesswomen’s Meeting, where a vine will be christened in her name. She will also receive La Grande Dame champagne every year on Madame Clicquot’s birthday. Twelve magnums of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut will be sent to her nominator.
The Veuve Clicquot Award began in France in 1972 to commemorate Madame Clicquot, and to honour women who also possess her qualities of vision, innovation, entrepreneurial drive, leadership, individuality and tenacity. Such qualities earned Madame Clicquot her international reputation as “la grande dame de la Champagne”.
Madame Clicquot was widowed in 1805, at the age of 27, with a small child to care for. She defied the tradition of the day and took up the reins of her husband’s business, building it into the international champagne house of today, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. She overcame every obstacle that threatened her vision, including the Napoleonic trade blockade. Madame Clicquot also invented the ‘table de remuage’ intrinsic to the riddling process that leaves champagne so brilliantly clear. Her discovery was adopted by all other champagne houses and is still used today. Madame Clicquot died in 1866, however her legacy burns brightly and she remains an inspiration to women around the world.
More information about the finalists for the 2008 Australian Veuve Clicquot Award follows:
MARGOT CAIRNES:
She has mentored and coached the global leaders of some of the world’s biggest companies, including BP and Mobil Oil, and in Australia, Zinifex, Origin Energy, Western Power and the Reserve Bank to name but a few. More than two decades ago, Margot founded the organisational transformation company Zaffyre International and now oversees a close-knit team of 30 staff who work with a range of listed ASX 200 corporate clients. Margot nurtures companies through periods of change and growth and aims to present the merits of a flexible approach. Her influence extends beyond the corporations she helps to transform. Her work reaches into social, academic and political communities, inspiring and supporting innovative ways of thinking and relating. She is an accomplished author of five books: Boardrooms that Work – A Guide to Board Dynamics; Staying Sane in a Changing World; Approaching The Corporate Heart; Reaching For The Stars and Peaceful Chaos.
CAROLYN CRESWELL:
When you’re about to lose your part-time uni job because the company you work for is up for sale, not many 18-year-olds would think to buy the business. But Carolyn Creswell did. That was 15 years ago. Today, she has built Carman’s Fine Foods into a thriving Melbourne based company. Its muesli and muesli bars are stocked by more than 2500 outlets in Australia, including supermarket chains and airlines, with the UK market firmly in her sights. Taking ‘Can-Do’ as her company motto, Carolyn emphasises empowering employees to take the big decisions and being available for customers 24/7 as among her strongest playing cards in the competitive food industry. Her philosophy is an oldie but a goodie: never take no for an answer. “They would say no, so I would say, ‘we’ll see you again in six months’. You just can’t give up.” That attitude has taken her from one employee and $2000 turnover in 2004 to eight employees and $10 million turnover in 2007.
TRACEY HODGKINS:
It was a long journey for Tracey Hodgkins to her present role as managing director of the Australian Experiential Learning Centre, a development and training centre in Western Australia. Along the way, Tracey became a mother at age 16, made baby clothes, was part of a band (Hot Pursuit) that became the face of Diet Pepsi, taught art classes and began both a party plan and an aromatherapy business. “The diversity is the fun bit,” says Hodgkins. “Imagine if you could do something different every year.” During the late 1990s, Tracey enrolled as a student at Curtin Business School. She offered to join a program mentoring students and helping them improve their resumés. Tracey had found her passion in helping people to be the very best they possibly could. Today AELC partners with Curtin University, aiming to build a bridge for young people moving from tertiary education to employment. AELC has just been awarded a $10 million executive education contract to train emerging leaders from AusAid countries.
ANDREA HORWOOD:
If Andrea is one of the nation’s best-connected businesswomen, she’s also one of the bravest. When she launched Australian Style magazine in the early 1990s, it was revolutionary in combining journalism and reportage in a style/design magazine. In 2000, Andrea and her then business partner Lachlan Murdoch sold the magazine to Terraplane Publishing. Andrea took some time off for her children before establishing Ganehill Ltd and taking on the role of CEO in late 2003. The same year, Ganehill launched Invisible Zinc – the world’s first sunscreen to be marketed as a beauty product, with Megan Gale as the initial face. Invisible Zinc is fast becoming Australia’s highest selling suncare range with prominent Australian model Elle Macpherson poised to launch the brand in the US in 2008. Launches in the UK, Europe and Asia are to follow within the next year. In less than 5 years Andrea has positioned Invisible Zinc as the most exciting, effective and important new beauty/health product in the world.
ELIZABETH ANN MACGREGOR:
How many directors of world famous museums spent the first three weeks of their careers obtaining a heavy vehicle driver’s licence? After leaving university in the early 1980s, Macgregor was a bus driving curator for a Travelling Gallery, taking exhibitions all around Scotland, fuelling her passion for accessible art. “Every day I was out there engaging with an audience and talking to them about art,” says Macgregor. She went on to spend ten years as the Director of Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, building it into one of the most respected contemporary galleries in Britain. When she arrived in Australia in 1999 to take over the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), it was considered a failing institution. Macgregor took the innovative step of securing sponsorship in place of entrance fees, underpinning her belief that art should be available to everyone. Her passionate commitment has seen the gallery increase its attendance and its international credibility. In 2000 she was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to contemporary art and, in 2007, received the Equity Trustees CEO Award for Significant Innovation.
KATHERINE SAMPSON:
Growing up Greek in Australia before multiculturalism was a household word, it was only a matter of time before Katherine traded lamb souvlaki, fetta and olives for a slice of rye bread with avocado and tasty cheese. “As a child, school was a real eye opener,” says the founder and CEO of the popular sandwich bar franchise Healthy Habits. “I had never heard of ‘hundreds and thousands fairy bread’ or being vegan.” At age 32, Katherine found herself a single mother following a divorce. She threw herself into starting a sandwich bar business in order to support her young children. In 2004 she decided to launch Healthy Habits, Australia’s first national sandwich bar brand. Healthy Habits is one of the fastest growing franchise operations in the country (rated #4 by BRW Fast Starters edition 2007) with 28 stores. Some 400 million sandwiches are sold in Australia each year, making the lunching business one of the toughest. Katherine’s advice? “Differentiate yourself and guard your brand ruthlessly.”
The Veuve Clicquot Award lunch will be held on Tuesday, March 18, from 12.30pm at The Barnet Long Room, Customs House, Circular Quay.
Media enquiries, please contact:
BLACK Communications – 02 8399 3005; Brooke Tabberer – 0409 844 467
Email: brooke@blackcommunications.com.au