Businesswoman Awards out of the blocks, running full steam to find the best
The gates have opened and the water is rushing to find a new Namibian Businesswoman of the Year. The Awards were officially launched this week Wednesday. For the next two months and a bit, nominations will be submitted, extensive adjudication will take place, and on Wednesday 10 October 2017, the identity of the new Namibian Businesswoman of the Year will be revealed.
At the launch, it was announced that Bank Windhoek has joined the bevy of sponsors with a very substantial N$100,000 contribution to ensure the Awards maintain the high standards set over the previous 23 years.
Baronice Hans, Namibian Businesswoman of the Year 2015 and Managing Director of Bank Windhoek said it has been a privilege to be the Businesswoman of the Year because it has challenged her and made her to step outside her comfort zone to achieve great things. “I am a big supporter of this initiative because it is more than an award and it celebrates women and uplifts women therefore girls in rural areas can also strive to become great no matter where they come from,” she added.
The Awards celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable women and are an integral part of the Namibian business calendar.
Daniel Steinmann, Editor of the Economist said on behalf of the organiser, Desèré Lundon-Muller that in the 23 years since the inception of the awards, they have honoured women whose achievements, commitment and vision have made them leaders in their chosen fields of endeavour. He explained that the awards have also taken tremendous pride in recognizing women whose self-sacrifice, unwavering dedication and generosity of spirit have led others to achieve greatness in their own right. “There is no single type of woman who wins because they come from all walks of life and professions, some have a few years’ experience and other have many,” he added.
The winners of the Awards are announced in four different categories which are Business Owner Award, Private and Corporate Sector Award, Community and Government Award and the Young Businesswoman’s Award. The overall winner of the Namibian Businesswoman of the Year is selected by an independent panel of judges from the winners in the first three categories.
The Businesswoman Awards enjoy wide support from the business community. Telecom Namibia in particular has been an unwavering supporter of both the Awards and projects run by the Economist Businesswomen Club to promote women in their enterprises and their professional careers. As new major sponsor, Bank Windhoek this week joined an illustrious line of dedicated sponsors. The third major sponsor is Jaguar Windhoek. Other sponsors and supporters are PricewaterhouseCoopers, Roots Importers, Regus Namibia and the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Awards are also endorsed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.
All of the sponsors are in agreement that the Namibian Businesswoman of the Year Awards play a vital role in raising the profile of women in business and encouraging women to be at the top of their game in whatever field they choose.
Captured at the official launch of the Namibian Businesswoman of the Year Awards for 2017 are, from the left, Jacqueline Pack, Executive Officer: Marketing and Corporate Communication at Bank Windhoek, Talita Horn, Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Minnette van Wyk from Regus Namibia, Oiva Angula, Head: Corporate Communications and Public Relations at Telecom Namibia, Johanna Shiweda-Indongo, Windhoek Branch Manager at the NCCI, Yohann Venter of Roots Importers and Hayley Allen of Jaguar Windhoek.
