Inspiring Women in Business

Inspiring Women in Business Shortlist

Congratulations to all of those who have made the shortlist, good luck at the ceremony.

Individual Awards

CEO of the Year

Acrelec UK Ltd

Anna Warren, CEO UK&I and DACH regions, is a driven woman with a passion for excellence along with making a difference in all aspects of the business.
Working in a male dominated industry, Anna has risen to the top with her sheer determination to create Acrelec as a company that presents a specific value to its customers and dares to ...

Ffyona Dawber

Synergy Vision

In March 2021, Synergy Vision (SV), a 13-year-old medical education consultancy with over 60 staff in London, Dublin and Sydney, became employee-owned. CEO/founder Ffyona Dawber announced the transfer of 87.5% of the company to employees saying this: secures the future for SV and is a legacy of which we are immensely proud.

Ffyon...

Sonia Dorais

Chaser

Driven by a passion for helping people and businesses reach their full potential, Sonia has dedicated the last 15+ years to growing B2B software startups and scale-ups on both traditional and SaaS based models, predominantly in fintech.

Sonia was appointed CEO of Chaser, a market-leading credit control and debt collections software a...

Sue Frogley

Publicis Media UK

Sue is UK Chief Executive of Publicis Media, one of the largest marketing and advertising groups in the world. Sue oversees 2000 people and three industry-leading media agencies, and is responsible for more than £1bn of media spend for many iconic brands such as Disney, Samsung and VISA.

In the past year alone, Sue has delive...

Tamara Littleton

The Social Element

In a year of crises, Tamara Littleton has been a stable pathfinder for her clients and her employees. Tamara established herself as an innovator by pioneering best practice in social media and disrupting traditional agency structures through The Social Element. She has led global brands and her agency staff through the COVID-19 pandemic with em...

Victoria Usher

GingerMay

In 2010, Founder and CEO of GingerMay, Victoria Usher built a multi-award winning, international PR and marketing consultancy to prove that a truly people-focused company delivers stronger business performance. Today, genuine flexible working and personalised career progression are at the heart of GingerMay's success.

Having...

Chirpa Santhanam

GBG

Chirpa excels at driving improvements through automated and data driven MI reporting to provide transparency and continuous progression. Her leadership has seen her teams shortlisted for three European Software Testing Awards, personally she has been a finalist as Women in IT excellence's Outstanding Transformation, Data Leader of the Y...

Helen Marsden

Medichecks

Helen Marsden, Co-founder of Medichecks, is a City worker-turned-entrepreneur who identified a gap in the market to provide affordable, convenient remote blood tests. Helen's personal commitment is to championing improved lives through access to clear, personal, health insights that inspire positive change. Helen has nurture...

Jade Raad

Little Dot Studios

Jade joined Little Dot Studios in 2018, initially with a focus on establishing a new business line and delivering brand partnerships, a relatively nascent area at the time. Whilst Jade's contribution was valued and successful, it was clear that Jade had a vision and appreciation for an opportunity that exceeded our expectations.

...

Janine Chamberlin

Janine Chamberlin joined LinkedIn's European business as employee #13 in 2008 as the company celebrated reaching 25 million members. Just over a decade later, having been instrumental to LinkedIn's growth globally - which today is over three-quarters of a billion members strong - she has recently been appointed UK Country Manager and He...

Lee Lythe

Spark Foundry

Lee Lythe is a force to be reckoned with. From being promoted to Chief Investment Officer whilst away on maternity leave, to being listed as one of Campaign's Top 10 Media Buyers, she continues to accelerate Spark Foundry's business by smashing targets and leading the 80-person strong investment team. During these times of uncertain...

Rachel Duncan

Experian UK

Coronavirus drove huge changes for Experian's HR team. In a matter of days Rachel and team had to move the entire UK business (4,000 employees in multiple locations) from office to home working, with all the accompanying technology, logistical and emotional implications. They equipped employees for a fully-remote world, deliveri...

Zoe Colosimo

Neighbourly

Zoe has been with Neighbourly since it was founded in 2013. In that time, as with many start-ups, the business has been on a rollercoaster ride and pivoted several times. Throughout it all, Zoe has been the consistent voice of reason, demonstrating unwavering commitment and resilience. She has been absolutely integral in turning it ...

Alexandra Burrell

Pizza Hut UK & Europe

While many managers deserve awards this year, Alexandra has been an absolute stalwart for Pizza Hut Delivery (PHD) and deserves the recognition for ultimately positioning her role in communications at the forefront of a business' strategy, ensuring that PHD stayed open for business and all employees remained happy throughout. Unlike man...

Naomi Kellman

Rare Recruitment

Naomi leads a team of four with responsibility for student recruitment across UK schools and universities, generating thousands of applications to become Rare candidates. She smashed her annual target of recruiting 200 high achieving students of Black heritage despite the pandemic in autumn 2020, recruiting over 300 students in just three w...

Charli Briggs

Eventure Experiences Ltd

Charli went from lying on the bedroom floor with depression and screaming out for help in 2013 to stepping into the events industry looking for a new challenge less than 3 years ago, as a Senior Account Manager at Experience Engine. Now, a Founder and running a highly successful staffing agency of her own, at the age of 29 and notably&#...

Inga Schibsted

Chaser

Inga brings a fresh, new perspective to credit control and collections. Driven by following the correct legal and financial protocols, Inga's natural empathy and kindness makes her approach particularly unique. She embodies the values of her company (caring and candidness) on all occasions.

Commercial debt recovery and outsourced cr...

Kim Rowell

BBC Three & BBC News

An Executive Producer and Commissioner, Kim has worked across BBC Three and BBC News for just 2 years, creating fascinating documentary content for young people. Themes cover everything from climate change, money, mental health, gender, identity and social activism.
Her work to date has been nothing short of outstanding: &...

Laura Gee

ReBOUND Returns

In just 2 _ years at ReBOUND, Laura has already been instrumental in adding creativity to ReBOUND's marketing strategy, expanding the breadth of mediums and proving a significant ROI of £3.2 million influenced annual recurring revenue as a result of the content and campaigns she has created.

With a multifaceted role which spans beyo...

Madelaine Allen

Axiom Europe, A division of The Creative Engagement Group

In 2009 Maddy started her career in Live Events at WRG, a division of The Creative Engagement Group (TCEG). She went from strength to strength showcasing her tenacity for growth and proving her leadership capability by growing WRG's largest pharmaceutical account from £2.8m to £6.5m in two years in her first Director role at the age of 27...

Sonia Brown

Quadrant Design

Interior design guru Sonia Brown breaks the mould for women in leadership with her fresh approach to modern office design in a traditional, male-dominated sector.

Armed with concepts for top brands; Topshop, Wagamama, Pizza Express, and Watches of Switzerland, Sonia leads retail/hospitality specialist Quadrant Design, int...

Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis

Amazing If

Amazing If co-founders Helen and Sarah are transforming education at work by challenging outdated practices of learning being limited by level and career development only being available for the fortunate few. Their business, Amazing If, has a clear purpose: to make career better for everyone, and in 2020 they made significant strides t...

Katie Vanneck-Smith

Tortoise Media

Katie Vanneck-Smith is one of the leading innovators in media today. Where she leads, the rest of the industry follows.

Tortoise is doing something different in news. When trust in the media is at an all time low is it an answer to the question: how can we do this better? When so many people feel unheard and unseen by the press, Tortoise...

Pauline Paterson

Dr.PAWPAW Ltd

Pauline Paterson is co-founder of the multi award-winning, multi-purpose, brand with a purpose, Dr.PAWPAW. Inspired by her young daughter's eczema prone skin; seeking a more natural remedy to the strong steroid creams recommended by doctors, the UK's first pawpaw balm was born.

A champion of giving back, and sustaina...

Tina Chen

HumaniTea

As a Taiwanese-American living in London, Tina was inspired by the bubble tea concept and British tea drinking culture to develop a healthy, well-balanced tea latte beverage. With her love for a quality cuppa and desire to make a positive impact on society, she made a career switch
from IT and HumaniTea, a proud social enterprise&#...

Victoria Brocklesby

Origin Doors and Windows

Victoria Brocklesby is COO and Co-Founder at Origin, the UK's leading manufacturer of aluminium doors and windows.

Since 2001, Origin has grown into a £42 million turnover business, with operations in America, Dubai and Europe, and over 290 employees. Even with this growth, the family ethos that Victoria instilled ha...

Vivien Wong

Little Moons

In one of the most competitive food sectors, Vivien is leading an independently owned ice cream brand with revenues of £18m and team of 150. In 2010, Little Moons created the mochi category in the UK, and they still lead it with no direct product competitors, a rarity in FMCG.
Vivien has been instrumental in driving the business ...

Jyotsna Chandrani

HSBC

Mentoring is Jyotsna's passion, and she's mentored for over 16 years throughout university and now in her corporate life. She wants to help others understand their abilities and talents, achieve their personal goals, and to realise external validation isn't needed to have a voice at the table.
At university, Jyotsna me...

Lisa Quest

Oliver Wyman

Lisa champions individuals at all levels of the organisation pushing for a diverse and inclusive workforce. She is the Executive Sponsor for the Women of Oliver Wyman and Global Executive Responsible for Inclusion and Diversity. In her role she has pushed to reshape both attitudes around the qualities and qualifications for the firm and the structu...

Victoria Usher

GingerMay

With the passionate belief that experience brings the responsibility of sharing knowledge, Victoria Usher, CEO and Founder of GingerMay ' a multi-award winning, international strategic PR and marketing consultancy ' ensures she dedicates 10% of her time to mentorship initiatives. Whether nurturing industry professionals or inspi...

Abadesi Osunsade

Brandwatch

Aba joined Brandwatch in July 2020 and has made a marked difference to the organisation and its commitment to community and belonging. Her initiatives have included:
Working closely with the exec team and each department to focus on attracting and retaining top talent from all backgrounds. This has resulted in at least 50% of candidates being fro...

Angela Cretu

Avon

Since joining Avon over 20 year ago, Angela has lived Avon's belief that a better world for women is a better world for all. Now, as CEO, she builds on her experience to ensure Avon is 'not just another big company, rather a force for good.'

Angela has taken this commitment to new levels, including instigating a b...

Anna-Louise Gladwell

AnalogFolk

In January 2020, Anna-Louise joined AnalogFolk London as managing director. Throughout this challenging year she achieved shifting the agency into efficient COVID operational mode, supported growth in its workload, partnered with clients in accelerating and developing effective digital strategies and onboarded new team members to provid...

Danielle Bassil

Digitas

In a 2018 restructure, Digitas parted ways with its management team and more than a third of its staff. Digitas needed a reboot and a reminder of what it would stand for moving forward. In June 2018, Dani became CEO, and her vision for the agency has been simple: 'happy people doing brilliant work for clients that love us'. Dani...

Kathleen Russ

Travers Smith

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Travers Smith's Senior Partner Kathleen Russ, has led a number of initiatives aimed at improving gender equality and D&I both within the firm and wider business community:

- Instrumental in development of the firm's "BAME Allyship" Programme. Launched in 2019, the Programme ...

Rania Robinson

Quiet Storm

Rania Robinson is CEO of ad agency Quiet Storm and one of UK advertising's most active diversity champions. Determined to bring about a revolution in the make-up of the ad industry, she devotes time and energy to encouraging young people from different backgrounds into the business, and advancing the cause of women.

In 2020, Ran...

Shivvy Jervis

FutureScape 248 Ltd

Which brilliant innovations and discoveries from the science, digital and neuroscience worlds could help businesses run more sustainably and ethically? How can we maintain both profit and purpose and rally more governments and organisations to act on their moral obligations to the communities in which they operate?

And which vital skills and...

Equality Initiative of the Year

Winners to be announced at the virtual awards ceremony, Thursday 24 June

Flexible Working Initiative of the Year

Winners to be announced at the virtual awards ceremony, Thursday 24 June

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