Otara flies Lankan flag high with Odel

Monday, 15 November 2010 23:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Honoured on global stage with prestigious US Stevie Award for Women in Business

Otara Gunewardene, CEO of Odel, outshone leading female entrepreneurs from around the world to bring honour to her motherland by winning one of the top awards at the seventh US Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

The founder of the country’s premier fashion and lifestyle brand received the award for the Best Entrepreneur in the Non Service Business category (up to 2,500 employees), at a gala ceremony held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York recently.

In the Best Entrepreneur (Non Service) category Gunewardene was the undisputed winner, and was among the three shortlisted finalists for two other awards, the Best Asian Entrepreneur and Business Turnaround of the Year. Individual achievements of female contenders from Asia, Australia and New Zealand were taken into account in deciding the Best Asian Entrepreneur Award while businesses owned or run by women that demonstrated a financial or other operational turnaround were taken into consideration in selecting The Business Turnaround of the Year.

“Receiving a Stevie award is a dream come true for many women entrepreneurs, as the awards are considered to be among the world’s premier business awards,” a spokesman for Odel said. “It is a proud achievement for the country as a local business leader’s accomplishments have been recognised on a truly global stage.”

Commenting on her achievement, Gunewardene said: “I would like to dedicate this award to all the people who contributed to transforming the Odel dream into a reality. This achievement should be a source of encouragement and inspiration to all women entrepreneurs to aim for the pinnacle in the business world.”

All women entrepreneurs and executives worldwide, and all women-owned and run organisations worldwide, are eligible to participate in the Stevie awards.

The Awards were created to honour and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organisations and business people worldwide. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business was inaugurated in 2004 and is governed by a board of distinguished judges and advisors that feature many leading figures in business. These awards are presented in over 50 categories.

For more information on the awards, please visit www.stevieawards.com