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ASIAN
WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2007 WINNERS
(06 June 2007)
 Actress
and model Liz Hurley almost upstaged patron Cherie Blair at The
Asian Women of Achievement Awards on Wednesday 23 May 2007. Hurley,
accompanied by her husband Arun Nayar, arrived in a stunning grey
silk sari to an awaiting press pack at 9.00pm and was greeted by
the Prime Minister's wife at the celebrities entrance at London's
Hilton Hotel. The awards, which applaud
and celebrate the commitment, dedication and determination of Asian
women from all over the country and from all walks of life, were
founded by Pinky Lilani and Munir Samji.
Click
here for the AWA
Awards 2007 picture gallery.
Among
this year's winners were Superna Sethi, a property developer with
Manhatten Properties in Ealing; Sharon Kaur whose company Sahara
Homes provides residential care for women and Ujwala Samant, director
of educational charity Learning for Life (LFL). Attendees were treated
to a piano recital by young nominee Tara Kamangar and a short excerpt
from Tamasha production 'The Trouble with Asian Men'. The
awards were hosted by former award winner and TV presenter, Mishal
Husain and attended by The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell, and TV presenters
Fiona Bruce and Katie Derham.
AWA
2007 WINNERS
SUPERNA
SETHI
Superna Sethi, MD Manhattan Properties, Ealing
 Specialising
in financial services and mortgage advice, Superna Sethi's business
grew into Manhattan Properties when they began to buy properties
in the west London area. This then expanded into buying properties
in prestigious areas in central London moving from buying, renovating
and selling £30,000 properties to properties over £2.5
million. Today the business specialises in high quality seven star
properties with celebrity clients.
Click
here for further information about Superna
Sethi.
THE
ARTS & CULTURE AWARD WINNER
Anurekha Ghosh, dancer and founder of the Anurekha Ghosh
Dance Company, Edgbaston
 Anurekha
began dancing in Calcutta, India when she was just four years old
and moved to the UK when she was 17. Described as a new generation
of dancers and choreographers, Anurekha combines 'tradition and
modernity' in her dancing style. Drawing influences from the Indian
classical dance Kathak, Sufism, martial arts, Indian classical music
and Western contemporary dance and music. Anurekha holds a first
class Masters degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Imperial
College Of Science - University of London and secured a place to
study engineering at Oxford University but choose to pursue her
career in dance. Anurekha has completed an MA in Choreography from
Middlesex University.
Click
here for more information on Anurekha
Ghosh.
THE
ARTS & CULTURE AWARD NOMINEES
For
women flourishing in the world of performing arts, management of
the arts and creative writing.
YOUNG
ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER
Ushrat Sultana, MP's parliamentary manager and justice of
the peace, London, 26
 Ushrat
Sultana has been working for the Office of Margaret Moran as the
MP's Parliamentary Manager since December 2003 and assisted her
to a record third term in parliament in the 2005 General Election.
In
2005 Ushrat successfully bid for £126,500 from the Home Office
to implement a joint venture between the office of Margaret Moran
and New Scotland Yard to confront the issue of forced marriages.
Click
here for more information about Ushrat
Sultana
YOUNG
ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
Any
woman under 30 who has done something incredible, inspirational
or is simply the best at what she does.
- Kiran
Bali JP, magistrate, community worker and Hindu representative,
Huddersfield, 28
- Noreen
Mirza, Entrepreneur, bespoke jewellery and accessories designer,
Richmond London, 25
- Arti
Poddar, operations director at leading care home provider,
Lambhill Court Ltd, Glasgow, 23
- Kiran
Matharu, professional golfer, Leeds Yorkshire, 17
- Nita
Shah, businesswoman, founder and director of Shahrp PR Consultancy,
London Barnet, 29
MEDIA
PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER
Lucky Dhillon, radio and TV presenter and businesswoman,
Hayes, Middlesex
 Lucky,
devoted Mum of two has worked professionally in the Asian media
for more than 20 years. Born in Amritsar, India, she first appeared
on radio on a children's show at the age of nine. At the age of
13 Lucky moved to London to complete her education and devoted spare
time to her interests in the media. Lucky wanted to pursue a career
in singing but her family had more traditional plans for her and
she became a full time disability worker.
During
this time she started producing and presenting a daily talk show
on Sina Radio. After a year they went for a 24-hour radio license
and in 1989 the station became Sunrise Radio, the first UK independent
radio station specifically for the Asian community. By 1994 Sunrise
was at its peak and its license extended all over the UK, Europe
and Mauritius. Lucky played a crucial role in the stations success.
Click
here for more information about Lucky
Dhillon.
MEDIA
PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
Unique
individuals working in the areas of broadcast, print or electronic
media.
- Vijay
Sharma, head of BBC Asian Network, London
- Lucky
Dhillon, radio and TV presenter and businesswoman, Hayes,
Middlesex
- Riz
Lateef, BBC London News presenter, London
- Wersha
Bharadwa, journalist, 27, Solihull
- Manali
Lukha, Met Office, Richmond
- Sharmila
Nebhrajani, chief operating officer, Media and Technology
Division, BBC, London
PROFESSIONAL
OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER
Dr Helen Lee, founder of the Diagnostics Development Unit
at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge
 Dr.
Lee is an outstanding scientist and inventor who has dedicated her
working life to improve the health of people living in developing
countries, where infectious diseases are prevalent. At Abbott Laboratories
in Chicago, she led a team that developed a test for the human T
cell leukaemia virus that became the diagnostics gold standard in
blood banks for prevention of infection of transfusion recipients
with this virus.
Click
here for further information on Dr
Helen Lee.
PROFESSIONAL
OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
For
women who have trained and qualified in their chosen professional
practice and have become a leading practitioner - setting an example
to other women and having their contribution acknowledged by their
peers.
- Prof
Nazlin
Karmali Howell, professor of Food Biochemistry at the University
of Surrey, Surrey
- Prof
Zenobia
Nadirshaw, head of psychology at Kensington & Chelsea Primary
Care Trust, London
- Yasmin
Qureshi, lawyer, London
- Dr.
Haseena Lockhat, consultant child clinical psychologist and
leading figure on healthcare issues relating to female genital
mutilation, Barnt Green, Worcestershire
ENTREPRENEUR
OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER
Sharon Kaur, director, Sahara Homes, Barking, London
 Sharon
Kaur is one of nine children born into a traditional Asian family
in London's east end. Working in the retail trade until the age
of 27, Sharon then changed her vocation when she began working in
a residential care home. In 1998, Sharon founded Sahara Homes Ltd
in Forest Gate, London, to provide residential care for women with
learning disabilities. Over the last nine years the company has
grown to incorporate three residential homes across London, with
a fourth home currently under construction.
Click
here for further information about Sharon
Kaur.
ENTREPRENEUR
OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
For
a woman who has taken the risk and has successfully set up and is
running her own business.
- Sital
Punja, managing director of Sari (UK) Ltd, Ruislip, Middlesex
- Mani
Kohli, founder of fashion label Khubsoorat, Woodford Green,
Essex
- Safia
Minney, founder and CEO of People Tree, Fair Trade Fashion,
London
BUSINESS
WOMAN OF THE YEAR - CORPORATE AWARD WINNER
Romana
Abdin, group corporate affairs director, Simplyhealth Group,
Andover
 In
2001 Romana joined HAS, a company that was established nearly 80
years ago. The morale in the work force was low due to the autocratic
management style and it had just one but successful product called
Healthcare Cash. Romana's remit, using her experience as an entertainment
barrister and as an in-house counsel for a number of leading banks,
was to create a legal audit and compliance function and bring the
organisation into the 21st century.
Click
here for further information on Romana
Abdin.
BUSINESS
WOMAN OF THE YEAR - CORPORATE NOMINEES
For
an individual thriving in corporate Britain who has made, and is
making, a significant contribution to the success of their organisation.
- Zarin
Patel, Group Finance Director for the BBC, London
- Farrah
Qureshi, director of diversity at Norman Broadbent's Global
Diversity Practice, Leeds
- Karen
Seto, executive director in equities, Lehman Brothers, London
- Zahra
Kassim-Lakha, global director of retail and business development,
Jaeger-LeCoultre, Kingston-Upon-Thames
- Superna
Sethi, MD Manhattan Properties, Ealing
THE
PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD WINNER
Dr.
Geetha Nagasubramanian, consultant community gynaecologist,
Orpington
 Born
in South India and brought up in an average middle class family
Geetha attended a state-aided school and was taught in the language
of Tamil. English was her second language. Geetha's father was a
doctor and her parents and school instilled in her the desire to
choose medicine for a career. Geetha successfully graduated from
Madurai Medical College and was drawn to specialise in women's health.
After her marriage Geetha moved to the UK and continued her training
in Obstetrics & Genealogy at the Royal Free Hospital, London.
Click
here for further information about Geetha
Nagasubramaniam.
THE
PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD NOMINEES
For
women who have achieved success within senior executive and non-executive
roles in the civil service, quangos, universities and national institutions.
- Sunaina
Mann, 44, principal of North East Surrey College of Technology
(NESCOT)
- Manjula
Sood, Leicester East councillor, Leicester
- Perminder
Dhillon, senior consultant with Third Vision Consultancy and
life coach, Carmarthen, Wales
- Priti
Patel,
34, corporate relations director and Conservative party member,
Welling, Kent
THE
SOCIAL & HUMANITARIAN AWARD WINNERS
Joint
winners for this award were Masayo Kidani and Dr Ujwala Samant.
Masayo
Kidani, Red Cross volunteer and
founder of Momiji, Windsor, 70
 Masayo
was born in Tokyo to a well-off family, and in the last year of
the Second World War her father, who was a member of the Japanese
parliament, was killed in a plane crash shot down by Allied Forces.
She also lost her cousin in Nagasaki when the atomic bomb was dropped.
The government confiscated her family's wealth after the war to
pay compensation to the British and Masayo & her sister were
sent to a Catholic school in Tokyo.
Click
here for further information about Masayo
Kidani.
Dr Ujwala Samant, director of Learning for Life (LfL) charity,
London
 Ujwala
was born in India and educated in India and America where she gained
a doctorate in Social Science. She is the director of Learning for
Life (LfL), a UK charity that had lost direction and funding before
she took over in 2003. Prior to joining LfL, she was a senior researcher
at the National Centre for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy.
Learning
for Life is a charity that assists local partners in Afganistan,
India and Pakistan to provide education and teacher training to
remote areas and impoverished communities.
Click
here for further information about Dr
Ujwala Samant.
THE
SOCIAL & HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINEES
For
special women involved in social and humanitarian work, whether
they are individuals working for non-profit organisations or the
corporate world contributing to the voluntary sector.
- Nasima
Khan, director of the Asian Women Lone Parents Association
(AWLPA), London
- Seema
Malhotra, senior manager in the Government and Public Sector
practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Brentford, Middlesex, 34
- Simi
Chowdhry, director of Awaz Utaoh, Bristol
- Charmaine
Jayetilleke MBE, founder and president of the Sri Lanka Christian
Association (SLCA), Hayes, Middlesex
AWA
2007 JUDGES
Sir
Nicholas Young, chief executive of the British Red Cross chairs
the judging panel for the 2007 Asian Women of Achievement Awards.
This year's panel boasts a number of distinguished and respected
representatives from industry and commerce including:
-
Cora McLaren, area director, Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking
- Debbie
Hewitt, managing director, RAC
-
Emma Arbuthnot, district judge
-
Elizabeth Coffey, managing director and founder, Big Dog Consulting
Ltd
-
Hanif Lalani, group finance director, BT Group
- Ian
Chivers, managing director, Merrill Lynch
-
Jane Anderson, consultant and honorary senior lecturer
-
Maggie Rose, CEO, MROI
-
Mark Carroll, director, race, faiths and cohesion, Department
of Communities and Local Government
- Mike
Jatania, CEO, Lornamead Group
- Peninah
Thomson, partner, Praesta Partners LLP
- Peter
Jones, chairman, Tote Bookmakers
-
Richard Moore, head of fixed income currencies & commodities
Europe, Middle East & Africa, Citigroup
- Sarah
Churchman, director, Diversity & Inclusion, PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP
- Sarah
Deaves, chief executive, Coutts & Co
- Sim
Scavazza, former brand director of Miss Selfridge
A star-studded
awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 23 May 2007 at the
London Hilton on Park Lane. Tickets to the awards ceremony are available
from the Asian Women of Achievement Awards office on 020 7368 7123
or via the awards' website www.awaawards.com.
WANT
TO KNOW MORE?
Click
here to read about Pinky
Lilani, founder of the AWA Awards.
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2007 shortlist.
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2007 picture gallery.
Click
here for the AWA
Awards 2006 winners.
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2006 shortlist.
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2005 winners.
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2005 shortlist.
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2004 winners
Click here for the AWA
Awards 2004 picture gallery.
Click here to read about the AWA
Awards 2004 shortlist
Click here to read about AWA
Awards 2003 winners.
Click here to read about the AWA
Awards 2003 shortlist.
Click here to read about AWA
Awards 2002 winners.
Click here to read about the AWA
Awards 2002 shortlist.
Click here to read about AWA
Awards 2001 winners.
Click here to read to about the AWA
Awards 2001 shortlist.
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