Aisha Alfardan (right) poses alongside Hussein Alfardan (third left) and other guests during the award night
Eight top Qatari  business and professional women were yesterday felicitated by the Qatar Businesswomen Association (QBWA) during the Qatar Businesswomen award ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel under the auspices of Qatar Foundation chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
The ceremony was the culmination of a long process of preparations, training, and assessment after the high level of interest in the award by business and professional women in Qatar, and after the applications were assessed against the five criteria that were at the same time subject to the workshops provided for women to qualify for the award.
The Qatar Businesswomen Award was launched in December 2007 under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to identify and pay tribute to Qatari women who contribute to Qatar’s society and economy through their significant professional and entrepreneurial achievements.
The award also focuses on women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and managerial qualities in their work.
The award categories and winners were as follows:  2011 QBWA: Innovation: Dalia Ahmed al-Khalaf (Enterprise Qatar);  Community Contribution and Participation: Amal Abdulla al-Aathem  (art co-ordinator and Qatari conceptual artist); Career Achievement:  Mashael Abdul Aziz al-Derham (Qatar Islamic Bank);  Leadership:  Abeer Noaman al-Emadi  (International Bank of Qatar); Future Goals and Financial Performance: Sharoq Ibrahim al-Malki (Qatar Museums Authority); Business:  Noor Ajlan al-Kuwari (Kro-K Interior Design);  Professional runner-up: Sheikha Najlaa bint Jabor bin Jassim al-Thani (Dolphin Energy); Professional:  Dr Hayat Khalil Hassan Nazar Heji (Al Noor Institute for the Blind).
The Institute of Leadership and Management certificates were also distributed to those applicants who completed and submitted the work.Speaking at the event moderated by master of ceremony and TV anchor Laila al-Shaikhli, QBWA vice-chairperson Aisha Alfardan expressed optimism about what the award was offering Qatari women and also stressed its importance in recognising experiences, initiatives and successful projects, and in reinforcing the culture of planning and performance assessment:
“Our mission in Qatari Businesswomen Association is to take your hands and help you to take the first step on the road, we do not see in this award, the end of the journey of success, it is only the beginning, the beginning of a long road that I hope will be full with more successes,” she said.
The Association had previously announced the names of the supreme jury members of the QBWA awards 2011, who met recently to approve the proposed recommendations of the assessment panel that was responsible for evaluating the performance of candidates in accordance with the five criteria for the award.
The jurors are Qatar University vice president and chief academic officer Dr Sheikha bint Jabor al-Thani, UN former Special Rapporteur on Disability Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, Aspetar chief executive officer Dr Khalifa al-Kuwari, Commercialbank deputy chief executive officer Abdullah Saleh al-Raisi, Al Majed Group chairman Ahmad Mahdi al-Majed and Arab Engineering Bureau chief executive officer and member of Qatari Businessmen Association Ibrahim al-Jaidah.
QBWF under the chairmanship of Sheikha al-Anood bint Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani, has launched a number of important initiatives.
The award ceremony was sponsored by a group of elite Qatari companies and banks including ExxonMobil, Commercialbank, Alfardan Group Holding, Ahli Bank, Al Emadi Enterprises, and managed by Interactive Business Network (IBN).
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