Leading Women Awards 2022: Outstanding female leaders recognized for sustainability achievements at WBCSD Liaison Delegate Meeting

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has announced the five exceptional women who have received the prestigious Leading Women Awards (LWA) for 2022. The awards ceremony took place during the annual Liaison Delegate Meeting of WBCSD, held in Montreux, Switzerland. The Awards are designed to recognize female leaders who have made remarkable contributions to sustainability and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Since its launch in 2017, the LWA program provide a way of showcasing the outstanding business leadership of women in embedding sustainability in their company’s strategy while addressing the world’s most pressing challenges - the climate emergency, nature loss, and social inequality. It also sheds light into their achievements to inspire other women to pursue sustainability goals within their companies and organizations. 

The recipients of the 2022 Leading Women Awards are: 

• Angela Cretu, Chief Executive Officer, AVON (United Kingdom) 

• Jenny Wassenaar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Trivium Packaging (Netherlands) 

• Dame Jo da Silva, Global Director Sustainable Development, Arup (United Kingdom) 

• Shweta Pandey, Vice President Legal & Compliance, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) (India) 

• Siti Rafidah Moslim, Head Capability, Embedment and Transformation, Corporate Sustainability, PETRONAS (Malaysia) 

The five recipients will receive a bursary to cover their tuition expenses for the 2023 LEAP Program, in partnership with Yale University and ESADE Business School. LEAP is an executive program for women that seeks to develop diverse and inclusive leadership that can transform the systems that underpin our world sustainably. The program aims to help women attain senior positions within their organizations and embed sustainability in their leadership and company strategy. 

The Leading Women Awards program was launched in November 2016 and is a part of WBCSD’s work on advancing SDG 5 on gender equality, which includes the “Panel Pledge” to help ensure women are adequately represented in panel discussions at conferences.  

Quotes from the 2022 Leading Women Award recipients: 

• Angela Cretu, Chief Executive Officer, AVON: “Through my Avon journey, I’ve learned that meaningful business leadership is all about creating tangible value for the community, alongside returns for shareholders. I am a deep believer in the power of cooperation and co-creation across industries and cultures, and this recognition brings front and centre the united mission of WBCSD members to positively impact humanity’s journey to sustainability.” 

• Jenny Wassenaar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Trivium Packaging: “Being able to help influence how business makes sustainability and diversity integral and natural parts of how we work is immensely rewarding. Being recognized as a leader by WBCSD is humbling, but also an inspirational push to keep on going. The Leading Women Award is a great milestone on our journey towards a better future for generations to come. Bring it on.” 

• Dame Jo da Silva, Global Director Sustainable Development, Arup: “This award is the result of many incredible women throughout my career who have inspired me, challenged me and generously shared their knowledge and wisdom. My focus has been to try to pass this on to as many of Arup’s 17,000 members around the world – everyone from economists to ecologists. Their day-to-day decisions, their creativity and boldness will help move us forward to towards the Sustainable Development goals.” 

• Shweta Pandey, Vice President Legal & Compliance, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI): “Women as drivers of change is truly exhilarating! I am honored to be receiving this award on behalf of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, alongside such talented and illustrious women leaders who, through their work, continue to inspire the next generation of women leaders. This award is a great recognition for our teams who are working tirelessly each day to help us accelerate towards a greener and more sustainable future. Their contributions have brought us thus far in the journey, and I am confident that this award will only inspire us to do even better in the future.” 

• Siti Rafidah Moslim, Head Capability, Embedment and Transformation, Corporate Sustainability, PETRONAS: “This award represents the great PETRONAS teamwork in embedding sustainability mindset in our everyday actions and systematically turning risks into opportunities. Every effort, whether big or small, aims to contribute to our organisational culture, driven by our Statement of Purpose as an energy and solutions partner, enriching lives for a sustainable future. I am truly honoured to receive this award on behalf of the PETRONAS family.” 

For more information on the Leading Women Awards, please contact Gabriela Uriarte, Director Education at WBCSD, at uriarte@wbcsd.org