A 19-year-old London Underground apprentice, Sellafield’s executive director, a Ferrari technology expert and an entrepreneurial retail duo are some of the nominees for this year’s First Women Awards, held in association with Lloyds Banking Group.

Founded in 2005 by Real Business and the CBI, the First Women Awards recognise trailblazing women from the business, entrepreneurial, engineering, science and technology, and media sectors who are laying the foundations for the next generation of female talent.

The 2012 shortlist includes inspirational teenager Shauni O’ Neill, apprentice ambassador and station supervisor for London Underground at only 19 years old, who is in the running for the Public Service award. Also in consideration for a First Women Award are: Kim Mears, who’s leading the development of the £2.5bn UK super-fast fibre-optic network; and Suzanne Flynn, the UK’s first ever RAF engineering officer.

Category by category, here are 41 extraordinary stories of trailblazing talent:

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

First Women of Finance

• Gina Miller, SCM Private
• Lesley Wan, Lloyds Banking Group
• Marisa Drew, Credit Suisse
• Jann Brown, Cairn Energy
• Susan Dunn, Harbour Litigation Funding

First Women of Media

• 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

First Women of Public Service

• 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

Winners of the First Women Awards 2012 will be announced at an amazing awards ceremony on June 28, 2012 at the Grand Connaught Rooms, hosted by BBC presenter Clare Balding. You can book 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.

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