Posted: 02/12/11
Principal Asha’s double awards success
Principal and chief executive of Vision West Notts, Asha Khemka OBE, has paid tribute to the business community of Mansfield and Ashfield.
It came as she was named Business Personality of the Year at the 2011 Chad Business Awards – held to celebrate those making significant contributions to the north Nottinghamshire economy.
Asha fought off competition from Helen Todd, of Beauty Station, and Paul Jones and Andrew Reeve, of Forever Green restaurant, to the coveted title.
And taking to the stage to collect the accolade, she said: “This award is not for me, it’s for the business community of Mansfield and Ashfield – the people sitting in this room.
“There’s no way, without that partnership, we would have achieved and contributed what we’ve been able to do.”
It came just a fortnight after Asha was named Inspirational Woman of the Year at the 2011 Enterprising Women Excellence Awards, run by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce to recognise the achievements of women in business.
Raised in a remote village in India and married at the age of 15, Mrs Khemka moved to Britain 33 years ago with her husband and their three young children.
She overcame significant cultural and language barriers to become the first female principal of a UK college to be born and raised in India.
Since taking up her post in May 2006, Mrs Khemka has transformed the Mansfield college into one of the largest and top-performing further education institutions in the country – with more than 20,000 students, an annual budget of £50m and a grade one ‘Outstanding’ ranking from Ofsted.
She also sits on several national education boards that influence government policy on employment and skills.
Asha collects her Business Personality of the Year award from category sponsors John and Michael Cheeseman of Rainworth Fencing.
