Zaha Hadid Wins Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award

The renowned architect was presented with her award at a ceremony at Claridge's in London

Zaha Hadid, the renowned Iraqi-British architect, has won the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award 2013.

The double Stirling Prize-winner, who is known for her futuristic designs that include the London Aquatics Centre built for last summer's Olympic Games and the Natiional Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, was presented with her award at a ceremony at Claridge's in London last night.

Hadid, who beat off stiff competition from Nails Inc chief executive Thea Green and Drax's Dorothy Thompson, said of her win: 'It’s hard to believe, but it’s still difficult for women to break the business barrier. Through perseverance and hard work, I’ve been able to do so, but it’s been a long struggle.'

She added: 'When I started my career in architecture it was very much a male dominated industry, but in recent years I’ve seen a growing number of talented female architects join the profession and succeed.'

For the first time in its 41-year history, the Veuve Clicquot Awards also announced a New Generation prize last night to celebrate emerging female entrepreneurial talent in the UK. That award went to Kathryn Parsons, who founded Decoded, a company that runs computer coding and programming courses.

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The Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award was founded in 1972 to champion the success of business women around the world. It's the first international prize that recognises women entrepreneurs and past winners include L.K. Bennett founder Linda Bennett, accessories designer Anya Hindmarch and The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick.