Meg Munn urges UK businesswomen to enter top export award to inspire women to enter international markets - 10/8/2005
Women and Equality Minister Meg Munn today urged high flying UK business women to have their achievements recognised and at the same time inspire other women to the top of the workplace ladder by entering the Women in Business Achievement Award 2006.
Meg Munn stressed that “The Government has put in place a clear strategy to encourage diversity at the top of the UK workplace and though the signs are encouraging there is still progress to be made. We must all continue to strive to ensure that talent from all backgrounds is properly recognised.
“This will now be the 9th Women in Business Achievment Award given out. All the previous winners have been shinning examples to women who are still trying to break the mould in the workpalce. They will hopefully inspire a new generation of women who are embarking on their careers to go to the very top. I encourage all business women acheivers to put their name forward as they can be important role models.
“The award particularly recognises those women who have had export success. This ability to do international trade is crucial as there is now growing dependence between businesses from different countries.”
The award is a joint initiative between UK Trade & Investment, Women in Business International and the British Exporters Association. It particularly focuses on achievement in international markets as well as an ongoing commitment to international trade relations. Previous winners: Dawn Gibbins MBE, Chairman of Flowcrete (industrial floorings); Jean Morgan-Bryant of GCC Trading (industrial and construction plant equipment) Elisabeth Boultbee, Manager at Great Ormond Street Hospital; Jan Ward, Managing Director of Corotherm Industries (oil pipelines); Michelle Weinberg, Director of Alperton Limited (export trading house), Wei Sunn, responsible for groundbreaking international sales in satelite technology and Pat Young, who is heavily involved in the international health care sector.
Last year’s winner was Jane Palmer, Managing Director of Industrial Brushware and Ibex Geo Tech. Jane has several patented tool systems working in the oil exploration field and provides solutions for some of the largest oil service companies in the world.
The award will be given out on 23rd May 2006 at the Women in Business annual conference. The Conference is now in its 10th year, the initiative aims to promote and encourage business networking and the exchange of knowledge and skills between businesswomen from around the world. Past speakers at its conferences and events have included: Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, Bahia Hariri of Lebanon, Shaikha Hisah Saad Al Sabah of Kuwait, Shaikha Hanadi Al Thani of Qatar, Shaikha Lubna Al Qassimi, the Middle East’s first female Minister of Economy, Faeza Hashemi of Iran, Mrs Asma Al Assad of Syria, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak of Egypt, Mrs Emile Erdogan of Turkey and Mrs Zanele Mbeki.
The Government has delivered support for diversity in the boardroom through commissioning of the Higgs and Tyson reports, through the publication of Better Boards, through holding Roundtables, through commissioning the Cranfield Report on ethnic diversity in the FTSE 100 and through support of the Female FTSE Index.
Building Better Boards” builds on the recommendations of Derek Higgs and Laura Tyson for more diverse and effective boardrooms. The guide:
- sets out the business case for effective diversity and better practices in the boardroom;
- cites the benefits for companies, with evidence from some of Britain’s best-known businesses and names; and
- outlines Government and business-led initiatives to develop the talent pool of women.
If you want to apply for an award you should email womeninbusiness@aol.com. All application froms must be in by Friday 21st April 2006.
Notes for Editor
The Cranfield University 2004 Female FTSE Index was released on 7 December 2004.
• Women have captured 17% of the new FTSE 100 boardroom appointments.
• Female FTSE Directors have risen to 110 this year, up from 101 last year.
• The 110 seats are held by 96 women with several holding multiple positions.
• Women make up 9.7% of all directorships in the FTSE 100. This is up from 8.6% last year.
• The number of boards with multiple women directors has risen from 22 last year to 28 this year.
• 69 companies in the top 100 now have women directors.
Boards with women display a higher incidence of evaluation of board performance. The women directors are significantly younger than their male peers with an average age of 53.6 compared to 55.9 for male directors – bringing fresh ideas. The indications are in the right direction but there is still work to do – for example 31 companies in the top 100 still have no women directors and there were only 4 women directors from ethnic minorities.
UK Trade & Investment is the lead government organisation that provides support for UK companies looking to develop international business. It also provides support for UK overseas companies wishing to invest in the UK. UK Trade & Investment has a wide range of services, backed-up by a network of trade advisors worldwide who can provide market intelligence, advice on regulations, sales leads, and financial and practical support. www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk
Women in Business is a non-profit making company that started life by organising ‘Women in Business in the Arab World’, an Annual conference for Businesswomen from the UK and Middle East. The initiative aims to promote and encourage business to business networking and the exchange of knowledge and skills between businesswomen from the UK and the Middle East, and the wider international business community. This successful business network also organises training in the Middle East encouraging the economic participation of women in national economies. The initiative boasts the highest of reputations, past speakers at its conferences and events have included :– Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, Bahia Hariri of Lebanon, Shaikha Hisah Saad Al Sabah of Kuwait, Shaikha Hanadi Al Thani of Qatar, Shaikha Lubna Al Qassimi and Mrs Zanele Mbeki and also a number of leading figures from government and the international business community. As well as running Business Skills Training programmes, Women in Business and the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, have launched a joint membership benefits programme called Women in Business at the Chamber. Recently WIB organised the first Women in Business Sessions at the Jeddah Economic Forum.
All profits generated are reinvested in the programme of activities.
Press Contact:
For further press information contact Pallab Sarker from UK Trade & Investment on 020 7215 8274 or email pallab.sarker@uktradeinvest.gov.uk.
Award Applications:
For Award application forms contact : Ahmed Suleiman at Women in Business on 0208 943 3630 0r email womeninbusiness@aol.com
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