This Thursday, prepare for an explosion of talent. The First Women Awards, hosted by Real Business in association with Lloyds Banking Group, are in their eighth year and will take place tomorrow, June 28, at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.
Needless to say, we’re excited – over the past eight years this annual celebration has recognised ground-breaking entrepreneurs including Dame Mary Perkins, founder of Specsavers, Thea Green, founder of Nails Inc, multi-million selling author Annabel Karmel; and pioneering corporate leaders such as the most senior woman within oil giant BP, Angela Strank.
Yet again we are celebrating the trailblazing female leaders of Britain’s?business, entrepreneurial, engineering, science and technology and media sectors -And the list becomes more impressive every year. The ceremony will be attended by more than 500 guests, including CBI president Roger Carr.
You can book last-minute tickets and find more information at the awards website. First Women Awards supporters include: BAE Systems, Benenden Healthcare Society, Centrica, COINS, Harvey Nash, ICAEW, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Land Rover and the Financial Mail.
Of course we’ll be live tweeting the awards, so be sure to”follow @RealBusiness“for updates.
Ahead of all the buzz on Thursday, remind yourself of the 41 incredible candidates in all categories on the shortlist:
First Women of the Built Environment
- Julie White, D-Drill Group
- Amanda Fisher, Balfour Beatty Workplace
- Diane Johnson, The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA)
- Keeley Downing, Crown Utilities
- Katrina Dowding, Skanska
First Women of Engineering and Manufacturing
- Suzanne Flynn, Cygnet Solutions
- Julie Kenny, Pyronix
- Kim Mears, Openreach (part of BT Group)
- Jayne Bryant, BAE Systems
- Dawn James, Sellafield
- Jo Stephenson, Linpac
- Gina Miller, SCM Private
- Lesley Wan, Lloyds Banking Group
- Marisa Drew, Credit Suisse
- Jann Brown, Cairn Energy
- Susan Dunn, Harbour Litigation Funding
- Christine Costello, More2Screen
- Shere Hite, Hite Research Foundation
- Alix Pryde, BBC
- Nicola Mendelsohn, IPA and Karmarama
- Julia Hobsbawn, Editorial Intelligence
First Women of Retail and Consumer
- Helen Dickinson, KPMG
- Margaret Caseley Heyford, John Lewis
- Karen Hubbard, Asda
- Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish, notonthehighstreet
First Women of Science and Technology
- Fiona O’Hara, Accenture
- Cara Tredget, Shell
- Pam Maynard, Avanade
- Ruth Mallors, AAD KTN
- Pernille Bruun-Jensen, Intuit UK
- Shauni O’Neil, London Underground
- Ruth Shaw, Sports Ground Safety Authority
- Laura Lee, Maggies Cancer Caring Centre
- Robina Shah, NHS Foundation Trust
- Daniela Barone Soares, Impetus Trust
First Women of Business Services
- Hilary Thomas, Partner, KPMG
- Gaenor Bagley, Head of People, PwC
- Kath Harmeston, Group Procurement Director, Royal Mail
- Kim Challis, Group Managing Director, G4s Government & Outsourcing Services UK
- Aimie Chapple, Managing Director of Accenture Management Consulting
