A judging panel of ten high-powered women and men are gearing up for the selection of 17 winners and runner up winners for the second annual Solomon Islands Business Excellence Awards (BEA) starting Monday 11th August 2014.
A statement from the Solomon Islands chamber of commerce and industries (SICCI) said the panel comprised of a blend of local and international figures, which includes the Governor of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands Denton Rarawa, Registrar of Companies Edwyn Saramo, Chairman of the SINPF Board and local businessman Baoro Koraua, Veteran board member of Solomon Airlines Bill Tyson, Deloitte’s country director Mr Ben Havenga, freelance consultant and come-back judge from 2013 SI BEA judging panel Andrew Nihopara along with the only female judge from the 2013 panel, Mrs Jennifer Tuhaika.
Mrs Tuhaika will be joined by three other well-respected women including Solomon Tobacco’s Human Resource Manager Mrs Lilly Lomulo, well-known Pacific Islands media specialist Mrs Lisa Lahari and Counsellor for Economics and Governance within DFAT/Australian High Commission Claire Cochrane.
This year’s competition will be a very tough one, with an expected forty-plus nominations in 9 different award categories plus a tenth award, being the judges’ selection of the stand-out nomination across all the award categories for the Prime Minister’s Award for the BUSINESS OF THE YEAR.
Among the awards will be two individual awards, the BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR for the woman who has overcome personal challenges to achieve business success, and the ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD for the dynamic, creative and visionary man or woman business leader.
Other single-winner awards on offer include EMPLOYER OF CHOICE for the organization that puts its heart into its workers; EXCELLENCE IN EMERGING BUSINESS for the business that is going places; and MOST INNOVATIVE BUSINESS for the risk-taker who has delivered commercial results for new and unique ideas.
The EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE DELIVERY AWARD for outstanding customer service will be in Small, Medium and Large Business Categories, while the EXPORTER OF THE YEAR who is taking Solo-made products to the world will be in SME and Large business categories.
This year, the Chamber of Commerce has included a new category for Civil Society Organizations to give opportunity for not-for-profit organizations who are doing well to compete. The BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY for support to community projects and charitable work is available for SME, Large Business and Civil Society categories.
The GREEN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR for leaders in environmental awareness and sustainable ‘green’ practice, is also available for SME, Large Business and Civil Society categories.
Winners of the awards will be announced at the 30th of August Gala Night event to be held at the Heritage Park Hotel’s A’hara Conference Centre.
