Cebuana CEO wins entrepreneur award

CEBUANA exporter Venus Genson, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Art ‘N’ Nature Manufacturing Corp., was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2012.

She is the first Cebuana exporter to win the prestigious award from Ernst and Young. In a phone interview yesterday, Genson told Sun.Star Cebu she dedicate her award to her son, Rami, who is her inspiration, and also to her fellow exporters and women entrepreneurs.

“I hope this recognition will further promote women empowerment and will change the way society perceives business as being only for men,” said Genson, who is also president of Philexport-Cebu.

Genson was the only female finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Philippines award. The awarding was held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Genson was recognized for her efforts in helping the grassroots communities improve their lives by making them her business partners. Genson said she had left her teaching career to pursue business. She visited small islands to build a network of suppliers. From an investment of P10,000, Genson was able to grow her export business into the Venus Group of Companies, a holding company of five companies that manufacture and export high-end assorted Philippine handicrafts, furniture and accessories. She owns a 2.3-hectare production facility and a 2,700-square-meter, three-storey showroom in Cotcot, Liloan.

Philexport Cebu executive director Fred Escalona said Genson’s recognition is a big boost to the morale of Cebu exporters.

This year’s Entrepreneur of the Year is Jaime Ayala, a social entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of Hybrid Social Solutions Inc.

Other awardees were Jose Victor Paterno, president and CEO of Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC), who received the Master Entrepreneur award; Tommanny Tan, president and CEO of Filipino Entrepreneurs and Resources Network (FERN), Inc., was recognized with the Emerging Entrepreneur award; Jonathan O. Suy, general manager of Jomaray Pulp Packaging Industries, was hailed as the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year; and Marvin Agustin, president of SumoSam Foods, Inc., received the Young Entrepreneur award.