Clairevee “Aya” Gamboa. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
BACOLOD CITY — A businesswoman from this city won the Qatar Woman Leader Award for her contributions to the Middle Eastern country’s economy.
Clairevee “Aya” Gamboa, who has founded several businesses in the Middle East, became the first Filipina to win the prestigious award.
Gamboa, who has been in Bacolod since the COVID-19 pandemic started, thanked the award-giving body for recognizing her contributions to Qatar’s economic diversity by “advancing a world-class hospitality, brand creations, business development,” and her contributions to its “national security during its time of challenges.”
“This award is not only for me but also to every Filipino man and woman around the world who see opportunities amid unforeseen adversities. Let us lead, rise and celebrate this success together,” she said.
Gamboa, 37, studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at La Consolacion College Bacolod, International Hospitality Management at Everest University in Orlando, Florida, and took courses on negotiations and conflict management at Harvard Business School online.
She returned to Bacolod in March on a business trip and was unable to leave when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.
To help in the effort to curb the spread of the virus, she has been distributing face masks to policemen, vendors, drivers, and hospitals in Bacolod. She also donated grocery packs in squatter areas in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Among the businesses she founded or supported are the Auction House Café in Katara Village, Café Blue at Bluesalon, Caviar Fine Dining Restaurant in the Dubai Mall, Gourmet Concepts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as well as the French Bakery at Pearl in Qatar, among others.
Gamboa also helped foster socio-economic partnerships among countries, and contributed to Qatar’s national security through contracts acquisition and research and development when the emirate was subjected to a controversial blockade from its neighboring countries.
She recently co-founded Forma International, a business consultancy firm, that has expanded its international presence in Qatar, Canada, Japan and Turkey.
LZB