The First Women Awards is the UK’s leading awards programme for senior-level business women and professionals.
Since conception in 2005, the awards have grown in influence and impact and enjoy the support of many of the UK’s leading firms, industry bodies and inspirational business leaders.
Hosted by Clare Balding in 2015, the First Women Awards produced another stellar crop of leading ladies, including those heading up transformational change at companies such as EY, Quintessentially Events, Unilever and Pai Skincare. Read more on Real Business >
“An award like this tells me that I’m doing something right… so it’s really something to have this acknowledgment. It means a lot.”
Vidhyalakshmi Karthikeyan, BT
“…there are so many incredible stories to be shared and another stunning collection of role models to inspire the female business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.”
Dawn Elson, Gatwick Airport
Attend
Keynote on the night from Henrietta Jowitt, Deputy Director-General, Commercial at the CBI
“We’re delighted once again to support the First Women Awards – celebrating the real positive difference female business leaders have on the UK economy, our productivity and our place in the world.
Telling the stories of these sleeves-rolled-up leaders in our society is critical as we urge chief executives to do even more to help capable women progress from entry-level to senior management positions.
Lord Davies’s review has given us a strong start – we must now build on this progress by looking “beyond boards” to executive roles and increase the overall number of female leaders.”
This year's winners
Winner
Dell
Finalists
-
Sky
-
AT Kearney
-
Unilever
-
Sodexo
Winner
Joanne Smith
CEO, The Consulting Consortium Ltd and RecordSure Ltd
Finalists
-
Rachel Barton
managing director/partner, Accenture -
Emily Kettle
managing director, Facts International -
Lisa Humphreys
board director, trading, MediaCom -
Amanda Sizer Barrett
director general, Federation of Garden & Leisure Manufacturers -
Marsha Ward
founder and director, The Number Hub
Winner
Katy Moss
managing director, Trent Refractories
Finalists
-
Faye Banks
head of operations North East, National Grid -
Alison Orrells
managing director, The Safety Letterbox Company -
Tanuja Randery
president UK & Ireland, Schneider Electric -
Jacky Sidebottom-Every
sales director and co-owner, Glossop Cartons -
Jenny Young
head of diversity, Royal Academy of Engineering
Winner
Hazel Moore
chairman, FirstCapital
Finalists
-
Sharon Bishop
CEO, Close Brother's Premium Finance -
Emma Codd
managing partner for talent, Deloitte -
Sandy Lucas
chief operating officer, GE Capital UK -
Kath Myers
managing director, West Region, Barclays community banking, Barclays -
Jackie Waring
founder & CEO, Investing Women
Winner
Shamim Sarif
novelist, screenwriter, film director, Enlightenment Productions
Finalists
-
Jo Davies
CEO, ZAK -
Annemarie Hordern
executive TV producer, Bloomberg -
Sarah Tierney
founder & CEO, We Are Colony -
Sara Tye
founder and managing director, redheadPR
Winner
Hilary Chipping
deputy CEO & director of infrastructure, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership
Finalists
-
Sharon Curtis
centre co-ordinator, Ellesmere Childrens Centre -
Susan Jowett
chief executive officer, The Spencer Acadmies Trust -
Ren Kapur
CEO, X-Forces -
Sarah Maskell
head of RAF diversity & equality, RAF
Winner
Sally Preston
managing director & founder, Kiddylicious
Finalists
-
Stephanie Betts
founder & creative director, Josephine Home -
Vicky Brock
CEO and founder, Clear Returns -
Kate Hardcastle
founder, IWP -
Julianne Ponan
CEO & owner, Creative Nature -
Grainne Kelly
CEO and inventor, BubbleBum UK
Winner
Claire Guest
CEO, Medical Detection Dogs
Finalists
-
Helen Gammons
CFO, Rotolight.com -
Sharon Hanly
general manager (Ely) ALS life sciences division, pharmaceutical, ALS Food and Pharmaceutical -
Leonor Stjepic
chief executive, RAFT (the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust) -
Alison Vincent
chief technology officer, Cisco -
Selina Wray
senior research associate, UCL Institue of Neurology
Winner
Valerie Owen
chair, Swan Housing Asscociation
Finalists
-
Kerry Mashford
chief executive, National Energy Foundation -
Jacqueline O'Donovan
managing director, O'Donovan Waste Disposal -
Katrina Kostic Samen
managing partner, KKS Strategy
Winner
Jude Kelly
artistic director, Southbank Centre
Finalists
-
Monica Ferguson
CEO, The Stables -
Liz Wenman
director, Rally Round Ltd -
Caroline White
chief executive, Youth Hostel Association -
Cheryl Williams
director (founder), Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Winner
Kate Newhouse
chief executive officer, Doctor Care Anywhere
Finalists
-
Tessa Cook
co-founder & CEO, OLIO -
Jude Ower
CEO and founder, Playmob -
Charlotte Pearce
CEO & co-founder, Inkpact -
Donna Sewell
CEO, Legal Edge -
Carol Smillie
managing director (co-founder), DiaryDoll
Winner
Clare Johnston
co-CEO, The Up Group
Finalists
-
Julie Deane
founder & CEO, The Cambridge Satchel Company -
Becky Downing
CEO & founder, Buzzmove -
Kirsty Loveday
managing director & founder, Love Drinks -
Debbie Wosskow
CEO, Love Home Swap
Winner
Sarah Matthew
president. global health practice, Golin
Finalists
-
Sally Bucknell
director, diversity & inclusiveness UK&I;, EY -
Jason Lane
executive vice president, Europe business development, MasterCard Incorporated -
Gary Reader
partner, global head of insurance sector, KPMG -
Carol Rosati
global head of inspire & director, Harvey Nash -
Jo Haigh
senior partner, Fds -
Deborah Frances-White
writer, comedian and diversity and inclusion champion, Deborah Frances-White
Winner
Pip Murray
founder, Pip & Nut
Finalists
-
Megan Aspinall
senior due diligence engineer, renewable energy services, DNV GL -
Eloise Bloniarz
programme director, Future Workshops -
Christine Cordon
general counsel, Osper -
Marieke Flament
MD Europe, Circle Internet Financial -
Jessica Kruger
managing director, Ethos Foods -
Dr Clare Eluka
founder, Premae Skincare
Key Dates
| Nominations close: | 15 April |
| Shortlists announced: | Late April |
| Judging day: | 5 May |
| Awards night: | 22 June |
Programme for the evening
| 6:45pm | Champagne reception |
| 7:40pm | Welcome speeches |
| 8:00pm | Dinner |
| 9:30pm | First Women Awards hosted by Katherine Ryan |
| 11:00pm | Cash bar |
| 1:00am | Carriages |
Sponsors
2016 Judges
Yvonne Baker
chief executive, MyScience
Naeema Choudry
partner, Eversheds
Claire Edmunds
founder & CEO, Clarify
Jan Flawn CBE
chair, PJ Care
Hilde Hukkelberg
director, Innovation Norway UK & Ireland
Dawn Ohlson
UK director of systems, Thales UK
Mandeep Rai
CEO, Creative Visions Global
Nicola Green
head of direct sales acquisition & retention, Bupa UK
Dr Helen Meese
head of healthcare, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Michelle Sephton
managing director, Elegant Resorts
Emma Watkins
director, CBI Wales
Emma Sinclair
co-lead, Enterprise Jungle
Rowena Ironside
founder & chair, Women on Boards
Sally McCombie
senior director corporate affairs, PepsiCo UK
Jennifer Dunstan
partner heading the fund investor relations team, 3i
Heather Melville
director of strategic partnerships and head of business inclusion initiatives, RBS
Faye Speedie
chief sales officer/sales director, Tangle Teezer
Adele Blakebrough
CEO, Social Business Trust
Susan Attard
deputy town clerk, City of London
Anne Minors
design principal, Sound Space Vision
Lesley Batchelor OBE
director general, Institute of Export
Sue Mackenzie
operations director, P&O; Ferries
Amanda Riddle
director of communications, Girls' Day School Trust
Kate Lester
founder & CEO, Diamond Logistics
Nicola Grant
head of marketing, UK & Ireland, MasterCard Worldwide
Andrea Holland
corporate marketing manager, BMW
Sadie Morgan
director & founding partner, dRMM Architects
Jason Myers
CEO, Busaba Eathai
Damian Grimshaw
professor of employment studies, Manchester Business School
Gareth Williams
partner, KPMG
Angela Evans
Previous years' winners
- Amanda White, head of rail, Transport for Greater Manchester
- Anabel Fielding, CEO, Quintessentially Events
- Claire Edmunds, founder & CEO, Clarify
- Dawn Ohlson, UK director of systems, Thales UK
- Helen Milner OBE, chief executive, Tinder Foundation
- Kate Lester, founder & CEO, Diamond Logistics
- Leena Nair, SVP leadership and organisation development and global head of diversity and inclusion, Unilever
- Lynn Rattigan, chief operating officer, EY
- Mandeep Rai, CEO, Creative Visions Global
- Sadie Morgan, director & founding partner, dRMM Architects
- Sarah Brown, founder & director, Pai Skincare
- Yvonne Baker, chief executive, MyScience
- Anne Minors, design principal, Sound Space Vision
- Annemiek Hoogenboom, People's Postcode Lottery
- Annika Small, CEO, Nominet Trust
- Jo Haigh, senior partner, Fds
- Melanie Leach, managing director, Twofour
- Poppy Mardall, founder, Poppy's Funerals
- Sam Smith, CEO, finnCap
- Susie Hewson, international sales and marketing director, Bodywise Ltd - Natracare
- Tanni Grey-Thompson, crossbench peer, House of Lords
- Vidhyalakshmi Karthikeyan, senior researcher, BT
- Dawn Elson, head of engineering, Gatwick Airport
- Heather Jenkins, director of buying & agriculture strategy, Waitrose
- Jan Flawn CBE, chair, PJ Care
- Jean Sharp, chief taxation officer, Aviva
- Joanna Kennedy, director, global leader of programme & project management, Arup
- Judith Hackitt, chair, Health & Safety Executive
- Lucy Dimes, CEO UK & Ireland Alcatel-Lucent and Head of Vodafone Global Account
- Morella Kayman MBE, co-founder and vice president, Alzheimer's Society
- Nora Senior, executive chair, UK regions & Ireland, Weber Shandwick
- Diane Johnson, skills ambassador, The Electrical Contractors Association
- Hilary Thomas, partner, KPMG
- Holly Tucker, founder, notonthehighstreet.com
- Jann Brown, MD & CFO, Cann Energy
- Julia Hobsbawm, CEO & chair, Editorial Intelligence
- Julie Kenny, chair & CFO, Pyronix
- Pam Maynard, general manager, Avanade
- Ruth Shaw, chief executive, Sports Grounds Safety Authority
Join the conversation @RBFIRSTWOMEN
RB First Women
@RBFirstWomen
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