
Eleven of the UK’s most inspirational trailblazers were named “First Women” at a glittering First Women Awards ceremony in London on June 12. Held at the London Marriott, Grosvenor Square and hosted by sports personality and broadcaster Clare Balding, hundreds turned out to celebrate the ground-breaking women.
Morella Kayman, co-founder of Alzheimer’s Society, was presented with the First Women Awards’ prestigious Lifetime Achievement accolade, in recognition of her tireless commitment to improving the lives of people affected by the disease over the past 40 years. After her late husband was diagnosed with dementia in 1972, Morella was shocked at the lack of support and advice available. She started to gather support and launched the Alzheimer’s Society from her spare bedroom. Today the charity raises £70m a year and provides 86,000 people with support across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Judges described Morella as an “incredible, vibrant woman with a truly inspiring story” and added “she is not just a role model for young women today, but also for older women too. She is still active within society; she is still fundraising and shows no sign of stopping.”- Jan Flawn, founding chair, PJ Care (First Woman in Business Services). Working as a registered nurse, Jan came up with the idea of creating a specialist neurological care centre for adults with progressive or acquired neurological conditions. Launched in 2000, she now has eight care centres and rehabilitation clinics in the South East.
- Ellvena Graham, chief operating officer and head of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland (First Woman in Finance). The first woman to be appointed as executive director in the organisation of 7,000 people, Ellvena is responsible for the day to day running of the bank in Ireland. Championing other women in business, she founded Ulster Bank’s Women in Touch network aiming to inspire other women in managerial roles.
- Jane Wernick, director, Jane Wernick Associates (First Woman of the Built Environment). After becoming the first female structural engineer at Arup, Jane worked on some notable projects including the construction of the Millennium Wheel. An innovator in her field, she founded her own firm in 1998 and is also an internationally renowned lecturer.
- Lucy Dimes, CEO, UK & Ireland, Alcatel-Lucent (First Woman in Science and Technology). In 2011, Lucy became the first female CEO of Alcatel-Lucent where she led the firm’s financial turnaround. She also pioneered the company’s diversity forum, launching the ‘StrongHer’ women’s network.
- Joanna Kennedy, director, global leader of programme and project management, Arup (First Woman in Engineering). Starting out at Oxford University, Joanna was just one of three girls on a course of over 100 students. Today she has had an inspiring career which has spanned more than 40 years, throughout which she has worked on a number of major engineering projects.
- Nora Senior, executive chair of Weber Shandwick in the UK and Ireland (First Woman in the Media). Nora began her career at Saatchi and Saatchi and became the youngest managing director of a UK plc when she was appointed head in 1987. Her current role at Weber Shandwick began in 1998 after she merged her own successful PR company, the PR Centre, with the agency.
- Sarah Weir OBE, CEO, The Legacy List (First Woman in Public Service). Sarah led a successful career at Lloyd’s of London where she became the first female managing director and one of only two senior women. Switching paths, she decided to pursue her passion for the arts and founded the Legacy List in 2012.
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