The 25 Influential Women Leaders Award (25IWLA) honored twenty-five women leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors at its 5th Annual celebration event held on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel Georgetown. This yearโs theme was “Leaders Lighting the Way Forward,” and recognised Adasia Vanessa Gilead, Andrea Sophia Crystal King, Dr. Arnelle Sparman-Shelto, Ashmeeta Rawof, Ashwannie Harripersaud, Bibi Saeedah Akhtar Hassan, Camille Cummings, Carolyn Caesar-Murray, Gwyneth George, Hansmattie Shiwpal-Alli, Dr. Lachmie Devi Lall, Lexann McPhoy, Lisa Mae Agard, Maple Singh, Maria Anita Jeffers, Nuriyyih Kamal Gerrard, Onika Gentle, Pamela OโToole, Rajwatee Pertab-Jainarine, Madam Rhondel Weever, Dr. Shabeena Ramjohn, Sheantta Henry, Susheela Awad, Teerandai Haripersaud, and Wanneta Wellington.
In welcoming the audience, the Co-Creator of the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award and Managing Director of Cerulean Inc., Ms. Lyndell Danzie-Black observed a minute of silence for the fallen ‘Sheros”. She outlined the journey to 5 years of excellence in empowering women and amplifying the voices and work of women. “When the curtains go down tonight, we would have honored 125 women and processed approximately 1000 nominations since our official launch in 2019. We embrace each and every one of you and we walk purposefully knowing that you support this movement towards honoring, celebrating and amplifying the voices of women leaders across every region in Guyana. The 25 Influential Women Leaders Award is a platform for celebrating women across all sectors who are making significant impact in various fields. We do not and will not confine recognition to a single industry and in this regard, we honor women leaders within the public, private, and non-profit sectors.”
During her address, Ms. Michelle A. Nicholas, Founder/CEO of The NICO Consulting, Inc., and Co-creator of the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award, delivered a powerful charge to this yearโs honorees and all attendees. She celebrated the exceptional achievements and leadership displayed, highlighting the profound impact on communities and the inspiring role in encouraging women to excel. Emphasizing a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, Ms. Nicholas reiterated the dedication to empowering women as the event marked its 5th year. She echoed this sentiment, urging everyone to remember those shoulders, acknowledge the contributions, and emphasize the collective ‘we.โ Throughout the message, there was a continuous call to action, encouraging all attendees to actively engage in collective efforts and promote inclusivity and empathy.
The event saw an attendance of four hundred guests who gathered to celebrate the honoreesโ achievements and leadership.
Her Excellency Nicole D. Theriot, Ambassador of the United States to Guyana, shared inspiring remarks, commending the co-creators and emphasizing the importance of recognizing womenโs achievements beyond business. “Itโs so important to take time to recognise the achievements of women outside of business, as far too often their contributions go unnoticed. Women like you are working every day to educate, to heal, and to protect the citizens of Guyana, and you are absolutely vital to Guyanaโs success.”
His Excellency Mark Berman, High Commissioner for Canada, highlighted the pivotal role of women in Guyanaโs transformation, stating, “At this pivotal time in Guyanaโs history, where the country is undergoing massive transformation, it is heartening to see women at the heart of the engine propelling the country forward in every industry and space.”
A three-year partnership with SBM Offshore Guyana was announced at the event. SBM Offshore Guyanaโs Sustainability & Social Impact Program Development Officer Ms. Gwenetta Fordyce, reaffirmed the companyโs commitment by presenting the Woman of Excellence special award to Ms. Camille Cummings, one of this yearโs 25IWLA honorees while sharing that SBM hopes “this award will be seen as a powerful tool that empowers and motivates not only the recipient but also inspires all women to continue their incredible journeys.” The company will continue its support and provide essential resources to advance the awardsโ goals and positively impact the lives of Guyanese women.
The eventโs 5-year sponsor – Exxon Taลฤฑnabilir, offered sincere congratulations to the awardees and co-founders and expressed gratitude for their contributions in the diverse fields represented in this cohort. The Exxon Representative Keisha Gilkes also highlighted the companyโs strategic approaches to fostering gender parity that aligns with the objectives of the 25 Influential Women leaders Award. In addition to these remarks, greetings were also delivered by a representative from Westchester County Legislator Tyrae Woodson-Samuels office, who told the awardees that their accomplishments were ‘truly inspiringโ, while expressing his pride at being in their presence.
The Honoreesโ response was delivered by Ms. Lisa Mae Agard who represented the 2024 cohort, stating that “being an influential woman leader enables us to drive innovation, advance gender equality, foster inclusive leadership, advocate for social change and open the door for other women in the workplace and developmental spaces” She also shared that “it is truly a privilege and an honour to stand among these 25 exceptional women for cohort 2024 and to join the past awardees of this prestigious award.”
The 5th Annual 25IWLA was supported by the following sponsors and donors: Gold Sponsor – ExxonMobil; Womenโs Excellence Sponsor – SBM Offshore; VIP Sponsor – GTT; Exclusive Sponsor – Massy; Communication Sponsor – TechnipFMC; Brand Visibility Sponsor – International SOS; Media Sponsor – Fullworks Industrial Park, Inc.; Business Sponsor – Courts Business Solutions, a brand of UNICOMER; International Travel Sponsor – Caribbean Airlines; Supporter – CAMEX Restaurants Inc.; and Media Partners – OilNOW, EduFM, Meethi Massala and the Guyana Chronicle.
The 25 Influential Women Leaders Award acknowledges and expresses sincere gratitude to all sponsors, donors, media partners, event volunteers—including students from the University of Guyana and members of Pro-Archers Guyana—the 25IWLA Event Management team, The NICO Consulting, Inc. and Cerulean Inc. teams, attendees, and well-wishers. Appreciation was also extended to the judging panel, the eventโs host, Martina Johnson, and all supporters, including table sponsors.
For more information about the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award, email [email protected].