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Chilean entrepreneur based at UEL's Knowledge Dock is the European winner of the 2nd annual Cartier Women's Initiative Awards

Thursday 30 October 2008

A successful entrepreneur based at UEL's Knowledge Dock has been selected to be the European Laureate of this years prestigious Carter Women's initiative awards.

Laura Chicurel, founder and CEO of Chicurela Ltd, a company that specializes in the development and commercialization of eco-friendly salmon skin leather products, was selected after two rounds of competition by an international jury of entrepreneurs and members of the business community for the creativity, sustainability and social impact of their start-up projects.

Laura said: “I’m thrilled to be among the winners of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our time and responsible companies need to prioritize the environment in their strategy and day-to-day activities. Through Chicurela, I want to demonstrate that it’s possible to be economically successful while also being environmentally friendly.”

Five women entrepreneurs received the 2nd Annual Cartier Women's Initiative Awards during a ceremony held at the occasion of the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society in Deauville, France.
From an applicant pool of 400, one winner from each region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America) received a Cartier trophy, a US$20,000 cash award, and will benefit from a full years coaching from Cartier, McKinsey & Co, and INSEAD Business School.

Bernard Fornas, CEO of Cartier said: "More than ever, our economies need the spirit of enterprise, the taste for challenge. Small businesses play a key role in building the global economy. We believe that these brave and spirited laureates will be drivers of change for their communities and the future of their countries."

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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