Astro CEO receives the Golden Gavel Award

Rohana was selected for leading Astro to be one of Asia’s leading media companies.

During her acceptance speech, Rohana said that women now have equal opportunities with men, and it is all about trying.

“The reality is, I guess it's not easy for women to have it all but I think if more women should try to have it all, only then will real imagine or self imposed barriers be broken down. And one day soon, I believe all daughters will have same opportunities as sons,” she said.

She also advised women to be passionate about their dreams.

“Passion enables us to stay true to our dreams. Only when we believe in something bigger than ourselves, when it is worth fighting for, that we will continue picking ourselves up and hopefully even sprint to make up for last time,” she said.

Rohana also paid a tribute to her late father, whom she contributed for sharing some inspiring life lessons at a young age.

“I believe my dad is the person who knew me best.

“When I received a scholarship to pursue my studies abroad at 17, he didn’t really put up a fight and he respected my decision,” she said.

Past recipients of the Golden Gravel award include Susan Cain, John C. Maxwell, Robin Sharma, Dr Stephen Covey, Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins.

Rohana received the Golden Gavel Award at the Toastmasters International Convention held in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2013, Rohana won CNBC’s Asia Business Leader Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category.

She was recognised for her devotion to educational, environmental and societal issues and for integrating social responsibility into business objectives.