The 2th Lena Awards--named in honor of founder Lena Madison Philips--was held at the same venue, Salle Centrale, Geneva, where Ms Phillips hosted the first BPW event 80 years ago on August 26, 1930. Liz Benham, the BPW International President, opened the event and Esther Mamarbachi, representing local Swiss television, served as master of ceremony. The event featured a noted keynote speaker, Petrea Heynike, the Executive Vice-President of Nestlé. She discussed the progress that women have made in business over the past eighty years of BPW’s existence, and how far they have come.

BPW Switzerland, Lena Award, winners 2010

President Liz Benhan and Petrea Heynike, the Executive Vice-President of Nestlé

The Salle Centrale, Geneva, Switzerland

There were 3 categories and 3 finalists per category:

Category 1: An innovative project in favor of women and / or families:

New Gardens Aargau- family gardens for Refugee Women
Equal Salary, certification of pay equity between women and men
Vitality Management and hormone- Power
Winner: Veronique Goy Venhuys, Equal Salary, Vevey
Member of BPW Lausanne and Lake Geneva

Category 2: Successful women-company

Bogar AG
Anchor Relocation Services GmbH
Eiholzer Building Management Ltd
Winner: Jolanda Pluss, Eiholzer Building Management Ltd, Starrkirch

Category 3: Lena of Honor

Vreni Frauenfelder Help Afghanistan Schaffhausen
Paola Ghillani and Friends SA
Manuela Müller Roost Müller Beck AG of Schaffhausen
Winner: Paola Ghillani, Paola Ghillani & Friends SA, Zurich