The Orange County Business Journal celebrated over 200 women leaders at the publication’s 30th Women in Business Awards ceremony, held Oct. 30 at the Irvine Marriott.
About 850 attended the event, which was the Business Journal’s largest ever for a lunch or dinner at the hotel
Brieane Olson, chief executive of Pacsun and a 2023 Women in Business Award recipient, was the keynote speaker. She advised the women leaders among the 850 people gathered at the event to stay intellectually curious, be true to yourself and lead with purpose.
“Leadership isn’t about being invincible,” Olson said. “It’s actually about being vulnerable, open and authentic. It’s about being relatable, making mistakes and learning from them, and encouraging your team to do the same.”
During the event, five women were honored for their exceptional work serving the Orange County business community including:
- Maria Hollandsworth, president and chief operating officer of Costa Mesa-based El Pollo Loco;
- Charlene Reynolds, airport director at John Wayne Airport;
- Claudia Bonilla Keller, chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County;
- Laureen Driscoll, CEO of Providence South Division;
- Alicia Cox, CEO of Prjkt Restaurant Group.
The JPMorgan Chase “Women on the Move” Award went to Manna Kadar of Manna Kadar of Beauty Inc.
Read our Nov. 11 issue for full stories on the 2024 Business Journal winners.
