WINDOWS Magazine Summer 2013 | Page 43

AWA NEWS AWA Woman of the Year • fenestration australia 2013 award winner: rebecca stathopoulos • I n 2003, an extremely young Rebecca joined Aneeta Windows and recently celebrated her 10th anniversary in March this year. She has been a loyal and dedicated employee of Aneeta Windows since beginning her role at the company as a receptionist. Rebecca worked her way up to her current position as the General Manager of Victoria and Tasmania through three extremely deserving promotions. With an abundance of experience within the company, (working in estimating (2003), accounts (2005) and sales (2007) prior to her successfully earning a senior management position in 2009, when she was appointed as the company General Manager for Victoria and Tasmania. Under Rebecca’s leadership, the company has gone from strength to strength within the office, and also with customer service. Rebecca’s ability to engage all staff, clients and suppliers has strengthened Aneeta’s reputation and brand within the window industry and her ability to provide solutions both technically and commercially are well received internally and externally. Rebecca’s ability to manage all aspects of the business in Victoria will hopefully allow more women to be appointed to senior National Alliance Creates New Voice for Building Designers P rofessional standards of building designers across Australia will be strengthened through a new alliance formed by two of the nation’s largest established state building design associations. In a landmark achievement for the profession, more than 2,500 members across Australia have united to form the peak representative body for building designers. The National Alliance of Building Designers has been created through the Building Designers Association of Queensland (BDAQ) and the Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV). The Alliance will lead relevant discussions to the profession and the wider building industry and improve the professionalism and recognition of building designers nationwide. It will formalise education programs, share expertise and pursue continuous development. Led by current BDAV President, Michael O’Sullivan, one of the first priorities for the new Alliance will be to advocate Federal and State Governments to formally recognise building design as a profession. management roles in the Australian window and door industry. All directors and staff at Aneeta Windows are proud to have a managerial woman in this male dominant industry. The loyalty Rebecca demonstrates does not go unnoticed in the company. Rebecca’s journey is classic account of the young staff member who commenced at a company at entry level and how, through hard work, dedication and drive, has reached a senior management position in that same company. Aneeta Window Systems commenced trading out of a Bayswater factory in November 1993 and relocated to the Abbotsford factory in 1995. To loyal and long-time Aneeta staff, Abbotsford provides wonderful memories of a business moving through its infancy to establish itself in the Australian window industry. Aneeta’s management team told us they are proud to have an integral, intelligent and diligent woman representing the company and more importantly leading the way for female senior managers in the Australian window industry. “This Alliance is a considerable achievement - it will ensure greater recognition for the expertise, creativity and excellence that building designers bring to the wider industry,” Mr O’Sullivan said. “This alliance will improve the level of professional standards across the country as well as increase the profile of building designers.” The Alliance will work with existing state and territory associations to discuss the most suitable option for licensing or registration requirements in each region. Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria are currently the only states with mandatory standards for building designers. “We’re committed to working with state and territory associations to develop the right framework to support building