Veuve Clicquot Awards for women

The world’s first female founder of a shipping line, Sarina Bratton, has been honoured on International Women’s Day, winning the coveted 2006 Australian Veuve Clicquot Award.

The Australian winner of the global Award, which is presented in 16 countries, was announced in Sydney at the Veuve Clicquot Award Lunch, attended by many of Australia’s most powerful and successful business women.  

Janet Holmes à Court, a previous winner of the Award and member of the Australian judging panel, believes the Award is a fitting celebration of International Women’s Day in Australia.

“The Veuve Clicquot Award celebrates Australian businesswomen and the impact they have made both on the local and global economies – it focuses not only on their success, but also on the way that they achieved,” she said. “I think it is fitting that we showcase their extraordinary qualities on International Women’s Day because they are an inspiration to all Australians.”

The Award commemorates La Veuve (the widow) Clicquot.  The winners in each country are the women who judges consider best exemplify her qualities.

“Madame Clicquot was a risk taker, a leader, an opportunist and an optimist,” said Janet Holmes à Court.  “She was brave, daring, tenacious, resilient, unconventional and innovative.  These are the qualities the Veuve Clicquot Award recognises and celebrates.”

“The judging process was very difficult, but at the end of the day we felt Sarina Bratton’s entrepreneurship, audacity and vision singled her out. Through Sarina’s persistence and perseverance she is creating a company that is exciting and innovative.”

Sarina Bratton is the world’s first female founder of a shipping line. Two years ago Sarina Bratton’s dream of starting her own line, showcasing her own country as a destination became a reality with the launch of the Orion.  Like Madame Clicquot she developed her business in a hands on manner nurturing every detail from the galley to the engine room.  She hand-picked wilderness destinations and worked with local communities to create infrastructure that would allow her ship to travel where none had gone before.  

Sensitive to the importance of protecting the natural beauty of her destinations for future generations, she ensured the Orion is a world leader in environmental sustainability for the marine leisure industry.  She created opportunities for Orion Expedition Cruises – and Australian tourism – with the Orion taking holidaymakers from around the world to pristine wilderness areas of Australia, the Antarctic, East Timor and Papua New Guinea.

“I believe that the economic gains that this country can derive through increasing and growing a small business like the one we have pioneered has tremendous long term benefit to this nation,” she said.

Sarina Bratton’s prize package includes return business class tickets to France to attend the Annual Veuve Clicquot Businesswomen’s meeting in June, along with past and present winners from the other participating countries. 

Her sister, who nominated her, is also a winner.  The prize for the nominator of the successful candidate is 12 magnums of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut.

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