The SA Woman Awards celebrates the achievements of women in business and careers across South Australia. The event was first held in November 2018 and continues to recognise women every year. The SA Woman not only gives the winning women and finalists well-deserved recognition but also a platform and opportunity to showcase their success.
The SA Woman believes that “We can’t be what we can’t see” and the SA Woman Awards are one way to demonstrate that SA Women are committed to showing that, truly, anything is possible for a woman in South Australia.
Jodie Hawkes, the CFO of Bowhill Engineering, won the “backbone award” in 2021. This is given to a woman who is the backbone of the family business or place of employment. This award recognises the valuable contributions of women – even if they aren’t the listed business owner because, without them, the company would not run nor operate as smoothly.
Jodie Hawkes has established that a female from a small business, in regional Australia, in a male-dominated industry, who is a mother of four, can make a difference – to her company and her region.
When she won the award, she gave an acceptance speech with powerful acknowledgement.
“It really isn’t about being a male or a female, it’s about how you approach your role and earning respect by knowing and doing your job well. It takes time, but it is certainly worth the effort.”
Growth and consolidation. We’ve been working hard on developing 3 levels of leaders. Our Leadership team has 90 day goals that they are each rolling out to their own teams. The flow-on effect of multiple people working on our strategic plan – continuously – has seen us grow nearly 40% in the past 12 months.
Our 2IC has taken 10 weeks long service leave and the next generation of leaders have taken on the challenge. It’s exciting to see the whole team working together on common goals – “Together We Thrive”.
