Last night at the prestigious Haymarket Hotel, women from all over the UK gathered together to celebrate achievements in Marketing at the Women in Marketing Awards.
I was honoured to receive Highly Commended in the "Best Female Marketer - Independent Consultant" category.
The evening began with cocktails and canapes, while guests mingled in the stunning venue. We then headed downstairs to perch above a covered swimming pool for the event itself. Ade Onilude, the Awards Creator, welcomed everyone in the appropriately named "Pool Room". She then handed over to Daryl Fielding, Brand Director, Vodafone, who showed us how successful women like herself are humble since she was astonished she was given the current job at Vodafone.
Then onto the awards themselves, where I was elated to receive recognition in my category. It's moments like these that I am so grateful to the tremendous support I've had over the years from special ex-colleagues, clients and friends (who even came to this event). If I could have done a speech, I would have thanked this crazy technology called "The Internet" since it has totally reinvented marketing (though not everyone would agree with me on that point - give it time).
Other esteemed women in marketing were also honoured, like Karen Blackett, CEO Mediacom, and Roisin Donnelly, Head of Marketing, P&G. Karen was thanked by none other than my mentor, Sir Martin Sorrel, via a special video message.
We heard back about the charities that the awards support, and of particular interest is a youth charity called One Young World bringing inspirational youth and potential leaders together from 168 countries together! A young Google Zeitgeist event, it seems.
More drinks, canapes and goodie bags later, we departed into the cool London night having had some fruitful discussions, seeing old faces and making new acquaintances.
Thank you Ade and CIM for the tremendous honour. This award means so much to me as marketing has pulsed through my veins from a very young age. 20 years ago sitting in marketing lectures in South Africa, I never imagined receiving recognition like this, in the city of London, by the Chartered Institute of Marketing and most notably among such esteemed and impressive other women.
P&G. The full list of winners can be found here.
