The award, which counts Dame Marjorie Scardino DBE FRSA, Anya Hindmarch MBE and Dame Zaha Hadid DBE as past winners, celebrates the success of business women worldwide. It is awarded to those who share the same qualities as Madame Clicquot: Her enterprising spirit, her courage and the determination necessary to accomplish her business goals.
Regarded as the “Oscar” for female entrepreneurs and business leaders, it is the first international award created specifically to recognise the contribution that women have made to business life.
This year sees the introduction of a new category, the Veuve Clicquot Social Purpose Award, which aims to celebrate businesswomen championing social purpose beyond their core business case. This award mirrors Mme Clicquot’s passion for creating and curating strong, longstanding business relationships, loyalty, and a commitment to business beyond profit.
The Veuve Clicquot New Generation Award continues to be synonymous with unearthing and celebrating, exciting new female talent in the UK. It recognises the success and vision of female entrepreneurs between the ages of 25 and 35, with the winner reflecting the core attributes that Madame Clicquot exhibited in her formative years, such as a fearless approach and innovative thinking to achieve her goals.
Julie Nollet, Marketing & Communications Director, Moët Hennessy UK, commented: “The Veuve Clicquot Social Purpose Award celebrates businesswomen that maximise benefit through profit, who create a positive impact on people or the environment. This is about shining a light on a new business category, one that has huge relevance today, one that has a social or environmental mission at its core.
We want this year’s awards to celebrate women in business; create new connections, mentor networks; and encourage others that success is achievable. Our past winners of Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award and New Generation Award prove that the UK is the global hotbed for female talent and we’re excited to uncover 2017’s winners. We have no doubt the recipient of the inaugural Social Purpose Award will exude those same qualities.”
Veuve Clicquot owes its extraordinary reputation to a remarkable modern woman: Madame Clicquot. Married in 1798 to François Clicquot, owner of a Champagne business, and widowed at 27, she took control of the business and was one of the first women to lead a company of men. Madame Clicquot demonstrated her innovative spirit in 1810 by producing the first vintage wine of the Champagne region and later invented the first “riddling table” in 1816, as a way to clarify Champagne. Adopted across the Champagne region, this method is still used today by all Houses.
The call for nominations for the 44th Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award, New Generation Award and Social Purpose Award acts as the starting point in the search for the best female business talent in the UK. This will result in up to three exceptional women being awarded at a prestigious ceremony in London in May 2017.
Judges for the 2017 Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award come from a mixture of past winners, as well as industry titans and networkers including, Carolyn McCall OBE, CEO, easyjet; Kathryn Parsons Founder of Decoded; Sian Westerman, Managing Director at Rothschild; Stephen Quinn, Group Publishing Director, Conde Nast; Caroline Michel, CEO, Peters Fraser & Dunlop; Shaa Wasmund, Founder & CEO of Smarta; Laura Tenison MBE, Founder & MD of JoJo Maman Bébé, 2016’s winners of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman and New Generation Awards, Sarah Wood, Founder and CEO of Unruly and Cassandra Stavrou, Founder and CEO of Propercorn will also join the prestigious panel.
