WeQual awards recognise 8 exceptional business women across Asia

EIGHT talented businesswomen, holding prominent executive roles in leading companies listed across the Asia-Pacific region, have been named winners in the WeQual Awards.

The WeQual Awards were created to accelerate gender parity at the top of the largest companies in the world. More than 35 percent of WeQual Awards winners are now at global executive committee level, and more than 50 percent of the category winners of our first awards have made it to the top – including one chief executive.

There are now more than 160 major companies worldwide that can boast a WeQual Award finalist – known as WeQual Alumni – among their senior leadership. 

“WeQual’s mission is to achieve corporate gender parity. The WeQual Awards are designed to identify, celebrate and encourage talented women who are ready and willing to take the next step to group executive committee level,” Katie Litchfield, the founder of WeQual said.

To help accelerate gender parity in business leadership, WeQual recently launched an online platform, WeQual Global. Members benefit from regular events, think tanks, peer-to-peer coaching and instant access to a global directory of WeQual women, creating the conditions to collaborate with thought leaders at some of the largest companies in the world.

(pictured) are: 

Finance: Rajani Kesari, chief financial officer for Ambuja Cements Ltd, Holcim.

Product: Sarala Menon, executive vice president for manufacturing and product supply chain, Colgate-Palmolive India and South Asia.

Marketing: Paula Pinto, global head of business and marketing excellence, UPL.

Strategy: Mehrnavaz Avari, area director UK and general manager, St James’ Court, a Taj Hotel; and Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, Suites and Residences, London for Indian Hotels Company Ltd.

People: Sarah Southwell, general manager for human resources, for GrainCorp, Australia.

Communication: Frances van Reyk, head of investor relations for Ampol Limited, Australia.

Operations: Kavita Jain, vice president for supply chain and operations, South Asia, Hindustan Unilever.

Innovation: Deborah Peach, executive general manager for health, safety and the environment, Cleanaway, Australia.

All entries for the WeQual Awards are anonymously assessed, meaning assessors see neither their name nor the company for which they work. After the assessment, the 24 finalists are appraised by one of WeQual’s executive interviewers before eight category winners are chosen.

WeQual’s executive interviewers include: Dame Inga Beale, chair of Mediclinic and former CEO of Lloyd’s of London, Mediclinic; Pier Luigi Sigismondi, president of Dole Sunshine Company; Shumit Kapoor, president, AP-MEA for Kellogg Company; Umang Vohra, managing director and global chief executive officer, Cipla; Tamara Box, managing partner for Europe and Middle East, Reed Smith; Tulsi Naidu, chief executive officer APAC and group executive, Zurich Insurance; Sanjiv Mehta, president, South Asia, chair and managing director, Hindustan Unilever Limited; Zoran Bogdanovic, CEO, Coca-Cola HBC.

www.wequal.com

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