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PwC South Africa’s Nicolette Jacobs has been selected as a finalist in this year’s prestigious Business Engage 8th Gender Mainstreaming Awards.
Currently serving as the firm’s first female Partner in Charge of the Cape Town office, contest judges singled her out for the Positive Role Model Trailblazer category, only awarded to exceptional finalists.
“One person stood out so far above the other ‘great’ candidates that we felt she belonged in a category of her own,” the judges were quoted as saying during a webcast of the regional awards event – hosted exclusively online due to the COVID-19 enforced lockdown.
“She is the first in so many categories, in Accounting @PwC in the Western Cape, in her church, in her community where children are following her lead,” the judges added.
Among the qualities judges considered in making their decision were Nicolette’s track record of promoting inclusion at PwC, mentoring budding finance professionals – both at the firm and in the wider community – as well as her leadership role in various non-profit and industry organisations, including a stint as regional president of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).
This contest is now in its 8th year and aims to encourage more meaningful representation of women in the mainstream of business. The finals will be held on 3 September 2020.
Nicolette, who is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA, described herself as humbled by the recognition. “What an incredible honour, first to have been nominated for these awards, and then to be chosen as a finalist from among so many women business leaders, each a wonderful role model in her own right,” she said.
“It’s particularly gratifying as the main goal of these awards – helping women reach their potential in the mainstream of business – is one that has always been a passion close to my heart.”
“Heartfelt congratulations to all the other finalists from the Western Cape and across the country. If these awards show anything it’s that individually we can make a difference in people’s lives, but together we can be a powerful force for positive change in business and in society at large.”
For more about the Business Engage 8th Gender Mainstreaming Awards, see this video of the webcast (the section featuring Nicolette starts at around 10 minutes in https://youtu.be/HwXihBsQvX8).