CASE STUDIES

Harriet Lamb, CEO, Fairtrade - 2008 Winner Credit Suisse Outstanding Woman in Business

For Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, winning the 2008 Credit Suisse Outstanding Woman in Business Award was more important than a simple personal accolade, it represented a company-wide endorsement for the work being carried out by her organisation.

"Everyone in Fairtrade - from the producers to the companies - could feel that their hard work had been recognised with this national Award. I was thrilled to accept the award on behalf of all the hundreds of businesses who make Fairtrade happen across the world - from the farmers’ organisations to the importers and retailers here in the UK."

Lamb said that this particular Award had added gravitas as it highlighted her role, which in turn put the spotlight on all the women working around the world to support the Fairtrade ideals.

Fairtrade, which bucked the recession to record a 22 per cent increase in worldwide sales during 2008, aims to alleviate poverty through better terms of trade and encourage sustainable development. It is best known for the FAIRTRADE Mark, the certification symbol used to help consumers easily identify goods that have been produced under agreed labour and environmental standards. By buying products with the FAIRTRADE Mark you can make a real difference to the lives of workers and farmers in developing countries.

Nominated anonymously for the award, Lamb collected the award at famed Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane. She found that winning soon led to ‘excellent press coverage’ and immediate recognition from the business community. "We enjoyed substantial coverage in the Telegraph and local papers, and I was interviewed on the BBC’s Working Lunch."

Lamb says that businesses unsure of entering should consider the positive internal impact that taking part in the National Sales Award can offer, as it helps bring recognition to ‘staff and partners working behind the scenes’.

Overall, Lamb is confident that winning the Award helped solidify ‘Fairtrade’s profile and reputation’. "We were thrilled that the Fairtrade Foundation won this business award, underlining that Fairtrade is not a charity side-line but about truly good business."