Since 2007, this award has recognised individuals for their marketing achievements over an extended period of time. Each year, a shortlist is compiled based on the success of brands over previous years at the Loeries.

Under Claudia Walters' leadership, Mercedes-Benz South Africa has taken 13 Loeries (two of them Grands Prix), two Ads of the Year, a rare D&AD Pencil and a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2011.

Thanking the Loeries Committee for such a coveted accolade, an elated Walters said, "Marketing and advertising is a fascinating industry, and whilst in the position of Marketing Communications Manager at Mercedes-Benz Cars, I have been presented with opportunities that I could only have dreamt of when I first entered the world of advertising."

"There have been challenging times, but I have had great satisfaction in reaching many of our customers through unique and diverse channels. One being digital media, which has been evolving at a rapid pace, but the results has been phenomenal," adds Walters.

"Capturing the fashion space over the last few years has also been a tremendous achievement and I will continue to convey the message of fashion and modern luxury with our fascinating and beautiful cars," concludes Walters.

Walters has come a long way since she graduated with a degree in Business Management and Administration from Leipzig University in the late 1990s. She joined Daimler-Benz in sales and customer management before moving to South Africa in 2000 and she has never looked back. A large part of her career was spent in various aspects of Customer Relationship Management, giving her the grounding she needed to relate to target markets by the time she took up the position of Marketing Communications Manager in 2011.

Her guidance in bold creative efforts has helped steer the repositioning of the brand in South Africa, focusing on a new, more engaged target audience. Her increasing focus on the expanding digital environment, while still pushing the boundaries of traditional advertising, has led to the brand becoming a digital trendsetter within the motor industry in South Africa.

As a marketer, one relies on intuition, and this has stood Walters in good stead, as her efforts in augmenting digital marketing have shown remarkable results. Always at the forefront of evolving trends, the visible results of these efforts has led to a number of accolades for the Mercedes-Benz brand, most recently the Sunday Times Top Brands Award - Cars.