The Leonardo Royal, St Paul’s, played host to the 4th annual Great British Businesswoman Awards on January 30th, 2025, bringing together over 300 attendees to celebrate and recognise the remarkable achievements of women in business across the UK.
The evening honoured exceptional female leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators across various industries, celebrating their contributions and inspiring stories. Attendees included influential figures from diverse sectors such as banking, construction, engineering, and the creative industries, creating a vibrant atmosphere of celebration and recognition.
The awards celebrated winners across 28 categories from an impressive shortlist of over 130 individuals, teams, and organisations. A distinguished panel of judges, including industry leaders and past winners, evaluated the nominees, learning about their achievements and the transformative impact they have had within their industries.
Founded to champion and amplify the contributions of women in business, the Great British Businesswoman Awards continues to provide a platform for celebrating success and driving progress toward gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The evening began with a drinks reception, followed by an inspiring speech by the founder of the awards Nicola Dowdall. She stated “When we first launched the Great British Businesswoman Awards, our vision was simple but powerful: to create a platform that not only recognised the incredible women shaping industries but also challenged the systemic barriers that continue to hold so many back.”
Nicola concluded her speech with a key piece of advice for the guests. “Lets always take time to help one another, we really do know what it’s like in some male dominated sectors, and above all lets always be kind to everyone, it’s so important and kindness really can help in most situations”.
The 2024 Women of the Year, Sadie Restorick took to the stage shortly after “The Great British Businesswoman Awards, [are] a night dedicated to celebrating the resilience, achievements, and impact of women in business. The event is a powerful reminder of the challenges overcome, the barriers broken, and the progress still to be made”
Following a drinks reception, speeches, and dinner, the awards ceremony began. With the winners of the categories including:
Banking and Finance Businesswoman Award - Ruth Handcock,Octopus Money (CEO)
Construction Businesswoman - Julie White, D-Drill & Sawing
Consumer Goods Businesswoman - Sarah Jordan, Y.O.U Underwear
Engineering & Manufacturing Businesswoman - Aine McGreeghan, South Eastern Regional College
Creative Businesswoman - Christina Gabbitas, Christina Gabbitas Writing Ltd
Entrepreneurial Businesswoman: Innovation & Technology - Louise Doyle, Needi
Entrepreneurial Businesswoman: Consumer & Retail - Victoria Hargrave, The Tanning Room
Entrepreneurial Businesswoman: Marketing and Social - Ashleigh Donald, Halo Business Consulting Ltd
Entrepreneurial Businesswoman: Sustainability & Impact - Tracy Turner, Turners Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services
Food and Drink Businesswoman - Shelly Nuruzzaman, Bang Curry
Media Businesswomen - Rebecca Ellul, BBC Studios
Game changer in Sport - Georgina Mitchell, Ambitions Gymnastics Ltd
Male Advocate of the year Award - Simon Scott-Nelson, Wellity Global
Social Enterprise Businesswoman - Sol Escobar, Give Your Best
Technology Businesswoman - Monica Eaton, Chargebacks911
Telecoms Businesswoman - Daisie Henshall-Brown, British Telecom
Transport & Logistics Businesswoman - Lauren Aste, CWT
Utilities Businesswoman - Ramona Vlasiu, E.ON Next
Diversity Initiative of the Year Award - Teens in AI
Female Ambassador of the year: SME - Hannah Strawbridge, HanLawCo
Female Ambassador of the year: Large Company - Shelley Cotterill, DXC TECHNOLOGY
Rising Star Award: SME - Hayley Leech, Indigo Swan
xRising Star: Large Company - Grace Jansen, IBM
- Role Model of the Year: SME - Bethan Davies, 'Cause Collective
- Role Model of the Year: Large Company - Sharon Sharples, Barclays, Carlotta Zorzi-Chapman, Shopify & Vicky Soden, Deloitte
- Young Businesswoman - Emily Banks FRSA, Enna Global
- Support Network of The Year - Womens Utilities Network (WUN)
- Team of the Year Award - DXC TECHNOLOGY - Account Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team
The final award of the evening, the prestigious Great British Businesswoman of the Year, was awarded to Sharon Sharples, Barclays, recognising her outstanding achievements and transformative impact within her field.
The Great British Businesswoman Awards continues to be a platform for celebrating female talent, inspiring change, and showcasing the stories of women who are redefining leadership and business success.
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