Just when you thought awards season was over for another year, QBS chief exec Dave Stevinson collects another prize.


This time, it's an Impact Award from business conference Growth Africa, a follow-up to his talk at Growth Africa 2021 held online on 22 October -- aimed at inspiring entrepreneurs and business success across the continent.


"I'm really proud and excited to receive this accolade from Growth Africa, voted on by business leaders across this critically important part of our world," says Stevinson.


"This was a chance to show that at QBS, we really mean what we say with our ESG focus -- including the social. We place great emphasis on helping others. Grateful and very pleased with the business in Africa."


Growth Africa aims to improve lives across 54 countries totalling some 30 million square kilometres (12 million square miles) -- larger than the USA, China, India and most of Europe combined).


Stevinson explains: "For the first 15 years of my career, my employers were typically large listed Asian companies, and I have set up or turned around the European operations for these firms."


In Nigerian news outlet Vanguard, conference convenor Samuel Ajiboyede says the conference is about connecting young entrepreneurs to insights that help upscale their start-ups to become "global game changers".


"We have selected the best minds from different fields to impart time-tested insights and knowledge that would help our entrepreneurs reach the zenith of their aspirations," he says.


The conference is run by San Francisco-based Growth Africa Capital.


Other speakers included Lagos Business School professor Olayinka David-West, US semiconductor industry veteran Ndubuisi Ekweke, Australia's Anthony James from Trinity Consulting and US-based Shedwool CEO Cory Warfield, according to Growth Africa Capital's Henry Ojelu.