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MACARTHUR Coal CEO Nicole Hollows is the first person outside France to be awarded the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Rising Star Award.
The award is in the spirit of 19th century entrepreneur Madame Clicquot and began in France (1972) to honour young women with rare talent and achievement.
It is the fifth year the event has been hosted in Australia, but the first time the Rising Star, or Coup de Cour (Vision of the Future) has been awarded outside Clicquot’s homeland.
Moet Hennessey Australia managing director James Paton, who was one of the judges, says Hollows is a leading light in the coal industry and the Queensland business community.
“Under Nicole’s leadership, Macarthur Coal has made some brave moves that have paid off, in particular a strategic change in operations from contractor-based to owner-operator at its main mine,” says Paton.
“The business has also grown from 50 employees to over 300 employees and delivered strong profits in a challenging environment.”
Hollows is also president of the Queensland Resources Council and is known for addressing such issues as the management of environmental impacts and the development of clean coal technologies.
She says she was not expecting to be a finalist, let alone to receive an award she didn’t know existed.
“I am very honoured to have received the Rising Star Award, especially as it has not been awarded in Australia previously,” she says.
“It provides inspiration and examples of women who are successful which gives increased confidence for others to aspire to their goals – sometimes it may be a perception versus reality that women cannot achieve.”
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