Suzanne Blanchet, president and CEO of Cascades Tissue Group, Candiac, Que., Canada, has won a Gold Stevie® Award for the "Female Executive of the Year in Canada" category in the tenth annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The award was given to her as recognition of her outstanding contribution to her company and industry. Under her leadership, Cascades Tissue Group has become a billion-dollar leader in the tissue industry, pioneering environmentally sound and innovative paper products. 

"It is with profound gratitude and great humility that I receive this award," Blanchet said. "I would like to share it with my colleagues, who all contributed to Cascades Tissue Group's success and international recognition." 

As the first woman to chair a paper company in North America, Blanchet was a perfect candidate for a Stevie Award for Women in Business. Her impressive career, which started as a finance intern and evolved to her becoming president and CEO of Cascades Tissue Group in 1997, has been hallmarked by tenacity, dedication to her employees, and a willingness to constantly push boundaries and innovate. The launch of innovative products such as Cascades AntibacterialTM paper towels and expansion of Cascades' tissue activities in the U.S.—two recent examples of initiatives she's led to expand Cascades' recognition as an industry leader in sustainability and innovation—are indicative of her unique qualities as a visionary and willingness to take calculated risks.
 

"Since her début at Cascades, Suzanne has always pushed the limits," said Mario Plourde, Cascades' president and CEO. "She is energetic, direct, and transparent, and she's always looking for greater and better things for Cascades. Through her leadership, she successfully built a billion-dollar business starting from a one-plant operation. She is an example of determination and success, and we commend her on this meaningful honor." 

Michael Gallagher, founder and president of the Stevie Awards, noted that "for 10 years we have been recognizing the achievements of women in the workplace, and this year's nominations were the most impressive class the judges have ever reviewed. We congratulate all of this year's winners for their achievements." 

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run. All individuals and organizations worldwide are eligible to submit nominations—public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The 2013 awards received entries from 18 nations and territories. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for "crowned," the awards were presented to winners during a sold-out event at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. More than 1,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration. Stevie Award winners were selected by more than 240 executives worldwide who participated in the judging process this year.