International Women’s Day saw T2 founder and CEO Maryanne Shearer named the Australian winner of the 2012 Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award.
Shearer was joined by Ronni Kahn, founder and CEO of OzHarvest, who won the Business Woman Tribute Award for Innovation, Entrepreneurial Skill and Contribution to the Community.
“Maryanne Shearer has created a whole new retail category and built a powerful brand in her T2 business,” said Janet Holmes à Court, a previous winner of the award and chair of the Australian judging panel.
“Ronni Kahn has taken an idea about food rescue and actually made it happen.”
Held in 16 countries, the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award is the first international award created specifically to recognise the significant contribution of women to business.
Named after the woman who was arguably the first female entrepreneur, Madame Clicquot, the award celebrates innovative women who are “creative, brave, tenacious, unconventional” and ahead of their time.
The judging panel short-listed five finalists after nominations were received from all around Australia, eventually singling out Shearer for her entrepreneurship and innovation.
Holmes à Court described her as “a visionary, and a true leader.”
The panel chose to present Ronni Kahn with her award, the first time it was given in Australia, for showing “that with ideas, positive energy and commitment, we can make a difference to our communities,” Holmes à Court said.
The awards were presented by Laurent Boidevezi, International Director of Veuve Clicquot, at the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award lunch in Sydney last Thursday.
The lunch, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Award, was attended by the Governor of New South Wales, Professor Marie Bashir, and one hundred of Australia’s most successful and powerful business leaders.
Shearer and Kahn will fly to Reims, France, later this year to meet with past and present winners from around the world and celebrate the Award’s 40th anniversary at the Veuve Clicquot International Businesswomen’s Forum.
