Tag Archives: Awards

Lidl named UK’s best supermarket and M&S back in fashion at the Retail Week Awards, sponsored by Salesforce

Beloved for its ‘midl’ aisle, ironically cool own-brand socks and sliders, and top-notch in-store bakery, Lidl is now officially the UK’s best supermarket after taking the top gong at a glittering awards ceremony in London tonight – the first time it has beaten fellow German grocer Aldi.

And, after years of failing to impress fashion-focused customers, Marks and Spencer – which saw its holiday clothes and jeans fly last year – impressed the critics enough to reclaim its ‘Fashion Retailer of the Year’ crown.

Lidl and Marks and Spencer were two of 19 retailers celebrating last night at the Retail Week Awards, sponsored by Salesforce, where hundreds of the industry’s biggest names gathered to compete for an array of accolades.

Lidl’s win comes hot on the heels of an amazing year for the supermarket when 1.4 million more UK customers entered its doors and it reported an 18.8% increase in sales, to £9.3 billion. It’s now the third-largest supermarket in London, overtaking Asda and gaining ground on Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

 

Hanna Jackson, managing director at Retail Week, said: “The Retail Week Awards judges – made up of leading retail CEOs – complimented Lidl on building an incredible business in the UK. Customers are loving the quality and innovation of its food offering as well as – of course – its incredible prices. It is also playing a very clever game in attracting Gen Z shoppers with the aim of keeping them as loyal customers for life.”

Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer has enjoyed a phoenix-like resurgence in fashion following a decade of decline, boosted by the sale of customer-friendly, third-party brands including Sweaty Betty, Nobody’s Child and Sosandar. The retailer reported an 11.5% increase in clothing and home sales, to £3.7 billion, last year.

“M&S has completely overhauled its fashion credentials, thanks to co-chief executive officer Katie Bickerstaffe’s transformational strategy for the divisions,” added Hanna Jackson, managing director at Retail Week. “Its influencer-led social media strategy has really paid off, as has the way it’s brought third-party brands into the M&S family and aligned itself with celebrity fashionistas like Sienna Miller, Zawe Ashton and Sophie Ellis-Bextor in its advertising campaigns. 

“More – and younger – customers are back buying clothes at M&S. It’s a very worthy winner.”

Ryan McDonnell, CEO of Lidl GB, said: “We’re thrilled to be named Grocer of the Year, an especially poignant accolade with 2024 marking our 30th anniversary in Great Britain. When the doors to our first store opened back in 1994, our promise was simple, offer customers great quality food at unbeatable value, and this commitment still stands. Big on Quality, Lidl on Price isn’t just a brand slogan. It’s a promise that epitomises what our business stands for, and encapsulates our commitment to social responsibility and sustainability which is core to our DNA. Over the years, this has helped contribute towards a significant change in the way that British households shop for their groceries.”

Richard Price, managing director of clothing and home at Marks and Spencer, said:We’re thrilled to be recognised as Retail Week’s Fashion Retailer of the Year. The team has worked incredibly hard to elevate style perceptions while continuing to offer product that is exceptional quality and value. Lots to be cheerful about while lots still to do and so much to go after in the year ahead.” 

There was also recognition for Tesco, which was named ‘Best Retailer Over £250m’ and is still the UK’s biggest supermarket, Primark, which was named ‘International Retailer of the Year’ in recognition of its aggressive and successful programme of store openings in North America and Europe over the last 12 months, and Amazon, which won the Consumer Choice Award, as voted for by the public, for the seventh year running.

Walmart’s former president and CEO Judith McKenna was awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to Retail’ for her meteoric rise to becoming one of the world’s most influential retailers and Sainsbury’s chief executive officer Simon Roberts was named Salesforce Retail Leader of the Year’ for what the Retail Week Awards judges described as an ‘ego free’ style of leadership that makes him ‘a pleasure to work with.

Hanna Jackson, managing director at Retail Week, added: “Under Simon’s leadership, he’s addressed the retail giant’s slumping market share, guided it through Covid and the cost-of-living crisis by putting food back at the heart of the business.  

“He’s a people-focused leader who prioritises culture. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been difficult decisions as Sainsbury’s has looked at how to ensure sustainable growth, but he epitomises modern leadership that prioritises purpose.” 

Judith McKenna said: “I am honoured to receive this award and to be recognised by an industry that I love. 

“Over my 30-year retail career I have met many people in retail and beyond who have supported me. It’s been an enormous privilege here in the UK at Asda and internationally with Walmart to work with so many amazing colleagues and leaders who have taught me so much and shared their love of retail with me. I owe a debt of gratitude to each and everyone of them. 

“To be the first female leader to receive this award is particularly poignant as we approach International Women’s Day so I’d like to take the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contribution of all the brilliant women who work in retail, on the sales floor, in supply chain, in head offices and in boardrooms right across the globe. This one is for you!” 

The Retail Week Awards have been recognising and rewarding the efforts of retailers and retail workers for nearly 30 years and this year’s judging panel included some of the most respected names in the industry, ranging from WHSmith’s chief executive Carl Cowling to White Stuff’s chief executive Jo Jenkins.

Wednesday night’s ceremony came ahead of the UK’s leading retail gathering LIVE: Retail Week x The Grocer which is taking place from 12 – 13 March at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London.

EE, Currys and Majestic Wine among other Retail Week Award winners

EE also claimed a top spot for ‘Best New Store’, thanks to its new Studio store in Westfield London which features a host of new experience zones including a gaming area, smart home zone and a digital spa” where customers can use technology to detox from their screens.

Currys was awarded ‘The Green Initiative’ for recycling and harvesting thousands of products and parts, its “Cash for Trash” programme which offers customers a voucher worth at least £5 when old tech is recycled, and for its work providing refurbished white goods and devices to low-income families.

And Majestic Wine won The Microsoft Award for the Happiest Place to Work, in partnership with the Retail Trust. The specialist wine retailer conducted its largest-ever staff listening programme last year to create new employee forums to improve communication across the business.

Retail heroes celebrated 

Other individuals and teams from across the retail industry were celebrated for leading their businesses and communities during the last year, including Pet’s at Home’s regional operations director Lucy Bain, who was awarded ‘The American Express Inclusion and Diversity Hero’ for her work, which includes attracting more employees with diverse characteristics, including from more diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Life saver Bobby Storey, from sofa and carpet specialists, ScS, was awarded ‘Delivery Hero’ after spotting a gas leak in a customer’s home.

And the team at Homebase in Catford won ‘the Community Heroes award’ for their work supporting local schools, fire brigades, police, and parks across south London.

Navkinder Sanghera, AVP retail, consumer goods, travel, transport and hospitality at Salesforce UK, added: “The Retail Week Awards nominees and winners represent all that is great about the industry, with individuals and teams demonstrating innovation and resilience despite continued disruption and an uncertain economic outlook. We’re seeing brands embrace technological shifts and remain laser focused on staying connected and delivering on the high expectations of today’s customers.” 

The Retail Week Awards 2024 winners:  

THE AMERICAN EXPRESS INCLUSION & DIVERSITY HERO/HEROES AWARD – Lucy Bains, regional operations director, Pets at Home

THE BEST NEW STORE AWARD – EE

THE BEST RETAILER OVER £250m – Tesco

THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE GAMECHANGER AWARD – Holland & Barrett

THE CONSUMER CHOICE AWARD – Amazon

THE COMMUNITY HERO/HEROES AWARD – Homebase, Catford 

THE DELIVERY HERO/HEROES AWARD – Bobby Storey, ScS

THE FASHION RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD – Marks and Spencer

THE GREEN INITIATIVE – Currys

THE INTERNATIONAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR – Primark

THE MICROSOFT AWARD FOR THE HAPPIEST PLACE TO WORK IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE RETAIL TRUST – Majestic Wine

THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO RETAIL AWARD – Judith McKenna, president and CEO, Walmart International

THE RELEX SOLUTIONS RESPONSIBLE RETAILER AWARD – Cook

THE SALESFORCE BEST RETAILER UNDER £250m – Jollyes

THE SALESFORCE RETAIL LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD – Simon Roberts, CEO, Sainsbury’s

THE SAP HEAD OFFICE HERO/HEROES AWARD – Team Fusion, Ann Summers

THE SOFTSERVE GROCER OF THE YEAR – Lidl

THE SPECIALITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR – HMV

THE STORE HEROES AWARD – Beckton store team, Currys

Howorth Air Tech cleans up as awards flow in

A clean air technology business is celebrating another accolade after scooping an award for best company culture.

Howorth Air Technology’s latest honour was awarded by business coaching and mentoring organisation ActionCOACH Bolton.

Jim Liptrot, managing director of Howorth, received the accolade from ActionCOACH Bolton managing director Paul Limb.

It is the fourth award for the Howorth business in less than a year.

Last May, the company won the Best for Employee Engagement and Most Improved SME categories at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards, in recognition of its workplace culture that prioritises the growth and development of its employees.

In September, Howorth was named company of the year at the Bolton News Business Awards.

In addition, Jim was named 2023 Board Member of the Year by The Alternative Board Manchester.

The Alternative Board is a franchise network which provides peer advisory and coaching to business owners and leaders.

Jim’s award was based on his achievements during the year, the help he gave to fellow board members, and the quality of his contribution and advice. It was the second time he has won the honour since becoming a member in 2018.

Howorth, which has its headquarters in Farnworth, Bolton, and a facility at Raven Locks in Little Hulton, Salford, designs, manufactures and assembles ultra clean air equipment for use in operating theatres, and for the pharma, biotechnology and life science industries.

The company designs, assembles and supplies containment equipment for the pharma industry, such as isolators and downflow booths, to create pure air working environments for the safe handling and processing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Howorth turns over more than £20m a year and employs more than 130 staff across its operations in the UK and the United States.

Paul Limb said: “Our annual client awards celebrate and reward their efforts and achievements across a range of categories, recognising success in all of the building blocks which make a great business even better.

“I cannot think of a more worthy winner of our Best Company Culture Award than Howorth Air Tech. Its core values of integrity, collaboration and excellence are exhibited in the behaviours of its employees across the business and make up what is called ‘The Howorth Way’.

“It has shown that people are at the very centre of a company’s performance and having a fantastic culture can lead to fantastic results.”

Paul Winterbottom, owner of The Alternative Board Manchester, said: “Jim is passionate about Howorth’s purpose of changing lives for the better, which not only relates to the ultimate beneficiaries of the medical and pharma products, but also the whole team at the company.

“He is passionate about people development and provides wise counsel to the other Board members about ‘all things people’. His recognition is really well deserved, he’s a fantastic member.”

Jim said: “Winning these awards is a massive recognition of the success that can be achieved by creating, developing and embedding a culture of good employment right across the company.

“Everyone at Howorth knows how important their role is, how much their contribution is valued, and how important everyone who walks through the doors is.

“Howorth has a phenomenal purpose and a team of great people who are all aligned behind the values of ‘The Howorth Way’.”

North West-Based Digital Agency Ranks in Top 0.3% of Global Companies

Soap Media Ranks in Top 0.3% of Global Companies

  • The North West-Based Digital Agency was Named in the Clutch 1000 List

North West-based digital marketing agency, Soap Media, has made it onto the prestigious Clutch 1000 list. This recognition comes just weeks after the agency was named a Clutch Champion and Clutch Global winner. 

The Clutch 1000 is an exclusive ranking highlighting the top 1000 highest-rated business service providers on the platform. With over 280,000 total providers worldwide, being ranked in the Clutch 1000 puts Soap Media in the top 0.3% of companies globally. 

Unlike many other awards and accolades, businesses cannot apply for, or pay to be considered for, the Clutch 1000 list. Instead, honorees are selected based on four key criteria:

  • The quantity, quality, and recency of verified reviews
  • The diversity and scope of clientele and portfolio of work 
  • A robust company profile with competitive specialisations and considerable experience
  • Strong brand awareness and industry recognition 

Clutch also invests heavily in maintaining the highest standards of review authenticity.

Currently, the agency has 4.9 stars out of 5 from current and previous clients across a multitude of industries. They also have an average referral rating of five out of five. 

On this recognition, Sonny Ganguly, CEO of Clutch, said:

“The Clutch 1000 is one of the most prestigious awards a service provider on Clutch can earn. By featuring these top 1000 companies, we aim to connect businesses with the right service providers for their goals and, in turn, accelerate their own growth. Congratulations to these service providers for not only this recognition but for their steadfast commitment to delivering value for their clients.”

Jack Oddy, Managing Director of Soap Media, said:

“Earning a place among the top 1000 global companies validates our commitment to delivering superior client satisfaction and services that fuel lasting growth. We’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come over the past two decades, and we look forward to continuing to support new and existing clients this year and beyond.”

Rutland-Based Business Club Announce Entrepreneur of the Year

The Geoffrey Pointon Entrepreneur of the Year Award was Presented Late Last Year

Rutland-based business club “The Biz Club” are delighted to announce the winner of The Geoffrey Pointon Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2023.

Following the very successful Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, The Biz Club recently announced Mark Batty of Lawnscience in Stamford as the winner of this prestigious award.

All of the applicants were judged by some of the brightest business minds in the Rutland area, paying particular attention to businesses created by innovative and inspiring entrepreneurs making a difference in their community.

Mark was delighted when Dr Sarah Furness, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, and the guest speaker on the night Geoffrey Thompson, ex-High Sheriff of Rutland presented the award.

“I entered the award as I hoped it would help me to differentiate myself and my business in a crowded and competitive marketplace,” says Mark when asked why he entered.

“The application process was particularly robust involving an initial interview and then a presentation to The Biz Club members at a monthly luncheon in October last year. I was one of two finalists and the members present voted on the day, by way of a secret ballot.”

“I am delighted to have been awarded the prize and already some members have approached me to carry out lawn care services for them.”

In addition, The Biz Club and Uppingham marketing business and sponsor Quibble Digital are helping Mark to increase his online presence with a comprehensive online marketing strategy to attract new customers to his business. 

“This is a huge bonus and one that I hadn’t expected. I’m very much looking to reap the benefits that The Biz Club and Quibble are offering over the next couple of months.” Concludes Mark.

When asked about the award the new chair of the Biz Club Mark Shaw had this to say, “this was a fabulous award and The Biz Club sincerely hopes this award will have a positive impact on the future of Lawnscience.”

The club, alongside Quibble, also hopes to work with Mark and provide some ongoing business mentoring. 

Bromwich Hardy bag more accolades

A leading independent commercial property agency has again topped the leaderboard for agency deals.

Coventry-based Bromwich Hardy was ranked as the top agency in Warwickshire in the EG rankings for the final quarter of 2022. The firm was also ranked joint second in Worcestershire.

The Coventry-based firm recorded 16 lettings and occupational sales in Warwickshire over the final quarter of last year, more than twice as many as its nearest rival in the county.

Founding partner Tom Bromwich said: “We know we had a really good year in 2022, despite difficult trading conditions across the country, but it’s always good to have that success verified by independent data.

“I’m delighted that we have again been acknowledged as the leading commercial property agency in Warwickshire, and I look forward to us working to maintain our position in 2023.

“Our success is down to our incredible team and I would like to thank them for all their continued hard work.”
The EG tables cover all occupier sales and lettings but exclude lease renewals and deals under NDAs at the time of publishing. They are based on transactional data shared by members of the EG Radius community.

Business partners Kristy and Suzanne win major national award for flexible, fast-growth business

Embracing flexible working long before the pandemic made it fashionable has helped human dynamos Kristy Roff and Suzanne Evett win a major business award.

The owners of virtual outsourcing agency Get Ahead in Berkshire, North Hampshire and Surrey have won a Great British Franchisee Award from whichfranchise – the highest honour in the franchising world.

“Kristy and Suzanne are a shining example of how to do franchising well,” says Rebecca Newenham, founder of the Get Ahead network. “Their growth has accelerated over the last two years, and they’ve expanded by taking on a new territory in Surrey, creating a southern super-hub for us.”

Suzanne came from a corporate HR background and saw the attrition of highly-skilled employees who ended up leaving because they couldn’t work flexibly around their families. Kristy spent eight years in radio and 10 years at an IT consultancy but craved a better work-life balance. Having met when their children were young, they realised how much more flexible their lives could be if they worked together as business partners.

“We’re both really passionate about flexible working and how it can benefit businesses as well as individuals,” says Suzanne. “Joining Get Ahead allowed us to grow our own virtual expert team, offering flexible work to other people. And our clients gained access to the skills and professionalism they needed, but on a flexible basis, only paying for the hours they required.”

Delighted at their win, Kristy says life in business has been a rollercoaster ride. “Covid hit us in March 2020. We both had to home-school our children, and we were ineligible for any government assistance, having only recently started our business. But we still managed to welcome new clients on board and deliver a huge online event – the Enterprise Lab’s virtual expo StartUp>ScaleUp Summit. With our team of seven super Zoom facilitators, we delivered the behind-the-scenes operation, coordinating two free days of business learning, 200 exhibitors and 72 speaker sessions.

Business growth accelerated over the last two years, with year-on-year income up 50% in 2022, and we’re expecting to do the same again this year. Our biggest highlight was when Suzanne delivered all the elements of the International Inhalation Asia Conference in Hong Kong. She completed it despite political riots forcing a last-minute venue change and lots of on-the-ground troubleshooting.

Winning this national award puts all our hard work into perspective. It’s so easy to be focused on the day-to-day and not look back on how far we’ve come. Being recognised as a Great British Franchisee just four years into our business is a huge achievement we are both immensely proud of.”

Get Ahead founder Rebecca says their flexible approach to life and work is one of their strengths. “I was impressed with how quickly Kristy & Suzanne put a job-share arrangement in place during the pandemic so they could work as well as prioritise their children,” she says. “In our wider franchise network, Kristy has recently taken on a pastoral coaching role, regularly checking in with new franchisees to see how they’re doing, while Suzanne has transformed the way we manage and recruit for our virtual expert team. She’s set the standard for future virtual experts, designing a process that lets franchisees search for specific skills in seconds and shortlist virtual experts who match client requirements. She’d recognised it as an issue for franchisees, who were finding it difficult to know who could do what as our business grew. But she didn’t just highlight a problem – she took it on board, invested the time and delivered a solution. That, to me, is above and beyond what I would expect of a franchisee.”

The Great British Franchisee Awards are run by whichfranchise, supported by Lloyds Bank, BDO, Worldpay from FIS, AMO Consulting and Chantry Group..

To learn more about Get Ahead, visit https://getaheadva.com/

Britain’s most inspiring women in business crowned at national awards

The business women leading the way in their industries have been named in the second annual Great British Businesswoman Awards.

The programme launched in 2021 to recognise the growing number of trailblazing women in business leadership and entrepreneurship, champion their peers and advocates, and inspire the next generation of businesswomen.

In 2021, over 140,000 female-founded companies were established, a figure that is growing by a third every year, and the number of women in leadership positions in FTSE 100 companies increased to 32.5%, from 30.6% in 2020. It’s thought that this increase in representation of women in business could unlock a huge amount of economic potential, especially as the trajectory continues.

The final took place at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London as the awards was held in person for the first time, after coronavirus meant the first ever ceremony was held online.

The overall Great British Businesswoman of the Year was awarded to Beth Knight, Amazon in the Community Leader for Europe, whose work surrounds building a better working world for women.

From helping women and girls to advance their careers in technology with programs like Amazon Future Engineer, to overseeing large-scale philanthropy initiatives for refugees fleeing the current crisis in the Ukraine, Beth has been highly commended for the work she has undertaken so far in her career.

The programme was founded by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2021, who had been blown away by the increasing volume and quality of applications to the prestigious awards series by women in previous years.

The winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from companies including Burberry, easyJet, WarnerMedia, Cabinet Office, Greggs and Heathrow Airport, who all have their own vast experience working within diversity and inclusion.

The Great British Businesswoman Awards were founded by Francesca James, who said that the showcased winners would play an important role in inspiring others: “It has been a great honour to highlight the commendable stories of the winners, not only because they thoroughly deserve to be applauded for their tenacity and leadership, but because the value of positive female role models and male allies in business cannot be underestimated.

“Statistics show that the participation of women in business is on the rise, but we want to play a part in ensuring this continues by shining a light on the stories that will instil confidence in the next generation and make certain that no stories of success go unnoticed.

“Congratulations to our fantastic winners, not only for your awards, but for the important work you are doing to lead and innovate your industries.”

Full list of winners:

Banking & Finance Businesswoman of the Year: Natasha Frangos, Partner, Head of Corporate, Haysmacintyre LLP

Construction Businesswoman of the Year: Gauri Talathi-Lamb, Co-Founder, Iolas Capital

Consumer Goods Businesswoman of the Year: Martha Keith, Founder & CEO, Martha Brook

Creative Industries Businesswoman of the Year: Lucy McCarraher, Founder, Rethink Press

Engineering & Manufacturing Businesswoman of the Year: Samidha Anand, Engineering Manager, Caterpillar

Entrepreneurial Businesswoman of the Year: Lizzie Carter, Founder, Only Curls Ltd

Food & Drink Businesswoman of the Year: Joyce De Hass & Raissa De Hass, Co-Founders, Double Dutch Drinks

Social Enterprise Businesswoman of the Year: Emily Aklan, CEO, Serenity Welfare

Technology Businesswoman of the Year: Collette Allen, Chief Operating Officer, SmartSearch

Telecoms Businesswoman of the Year: Tejal Maniar, CEO, BT OnePhone Ltd

Transport & Logistics Businesswoman of the Year: Nancy Hobhouse, Head of ESG ,Evri

Utilities Businesswoman of the Year: Lisa Waterhouse, Diversity & Inclusion Manager, National Grid

Young Businesswoman of the Year: Laura Cooper-Jackson, Director, Industrial Signs Group

Rising Star Award: Krystle McGilvery, Founder, Mind Over Money

Gamechanger in Sport Award: Charlene Gravesande, Assistant Producer, Sky UK Limited

Team of the Year Award: PUMA UK&I

Role Model of the Year Award: Lucile Kamar, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, ITN

Diversity Award: OLIVER

Male Advocate of the Year Award: Conor Whelan, Chief Information Officer, Experian PLC

Female Ambassador of the Year: Beth Knight, Amazon in the Community Leader, Europe, Amazon

Great British Businesswoman of the Year : Beth Knight, Amazon in the Community Leader, Europe, Amazon

Nominations Now Open for 2023 Women of the Year Awards

The House of Lords has played host for the official launch of 41st Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards 2023 (WOTY), marking the opening of the nomination window for the highly prestigious honour ‘Business Woman of the Year 2023’.

Sally Lindsay, WOTY President and highly established British actor and writer took centre stage at the major launch event, sponsored by Lloyds Bank PLC, to unveil the proceedings for this year’s event and recognise the very notable and extremely deserving past winners of the last 40 years.

Taking place on Friday, 6th October 2023 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards, is a celebration of achievement which promotes positive female role models who provide inspiration across all areas of society and the business community. The lead sponsor for the event is the major online bank, Aldermore.

Sally paid homage to the hugely inspirational women who have come to the fore this year, stating at the event: “The last 12 months saw women continue to strive to achieve across many fields. We celebrated success seeing our very own Lionesses win Euro 2022, Stephanie Frappart became the first ever woman to referee at the Men’s World Cup. Elisabeth Borne became only the second female to take the position of prime minister in France and the late American author and activist Maya Angelou became the first Black woman to appear on a US quarter but whilst there was much to celebrate, we continue to see women fighting for basic human rights across the world.

“August marks one year since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan and just last month, we saw men walk out of a university to show support for their fellow female students who have now been banned from obtaining higher education. We continue to see our Iranian sisters fight for their rights following the harrowing death of Mahsa Amini after being detained for wearing her hijab incorrectly and of course we have all seen the difficulties faced by men AND women across Ukraine as they continue to suffer in the war declared by Russia.

“Closer to home we continue to see statistics that tell us there are less women sitting at Board level in FTSE 100 companies today than there were in 2010. Women made up the majority of those made redundant during the pandemic. Navigating career and childcare continues to be a major issue with PregnantThenScrewed reporting that around 54,000 women a year lose their job in the UK for simply getting pregnant. This is all happening in 2022! So, when people next ask you, our sponsors and ambassadors, why we still have Women of the Year, you have just a snapshot of information there to share.

“Looking forward within the organisation, there is a whole new generation of young women looking to be inspired and supported in whatever they choose to do by men and women like those present in this room today and here at Women of the Year we’re determined to be a part of that support network for the future.”
As well as the main honour, WOTY Business Woman of the Year 2023, two other major awards will be presented on 6th October – ‘Women of Achievement’, in celebration of a much deserving group of individuals or team, and ‘Woman with Edge’, sponsored by leading law firm Freeths LLP, and celebrating the younger generation of women coming through the ranks and ‘the ones to watch’.

Attending the high-profile launch evening at the House of Lords were many other honoured guests including WOTY Ambassador and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords Baroness Newlove, and WOTY Directors Emma Elston MBE, Sharon Redrobe OBE, Zalena Vandrewala and Fleur Sexton DL.

Key launch event sponsors include Lloyds Bank PLC (House of Lords overall launch event sponsor), No.3 Gin (House of Lords launch event drinks sponsor) and Aldermore (major sponsor of the Awards and Luncheon). Other key sponsors include Freeths LLP, Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Limited, Aston University, Strategi Solutions, Red Cloud Business Services Ltd and Miss Media.
To make a nomination for WOTY Business Woman of the Year 2023, or for Freeths LLP Woman with Edge, please visit https://www.womenoftheyear.org.uk/nomination-form/

Sally Lindsay Officially Opens the 2023 Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards at The House of Lords

The House of Lords played host yesterday evening (Thursday 12th) for the official launch of 41st Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards 2023 (WOTY), marking the opening of the nomination window for the highly prestigious honour ‘Business Woman of the Year 2023’.

Sally Lindsay, WOTY President and highly established British actor and writer took centre stage at the major launch event, sponsored by Lloyds Bank PLC, to unveil the proceedings for this year’s event and recognise the very notable and extremely deserving past winners of the last 40 years.

Taking place on Friday, 6th October 2023 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards, is a celebration of achievement which promotes positive female role models who provide inspiration across all areas of society and the business community. The lead sponsor for the event is the major online bank, Aldermore.

Sally paid homage to the hugely inspirational women who have come to the fore this year, stating at the event: “The last 12 months saw women continue to strive to achieve across many fields. We celebrated success seeing our very own Lionesses win Euro 2022, Stephanie Frappart became the first ever woman to referee at the Men’s World Cup. Elisabeth Borne became only the second female to take the position of prime minister in France and the late American author and activist Maya Angelou became the first Black woman to appear on a US quarter but whilst there was much to celebrate, we continue to see women fighting for basic human rights across the world.

“August marks one year since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan and just last month, we saw men walk out of a university to show support for their fellow female students who have now been banned from obtaining higher education. We continue to see our Iranian sisters fight for their rights following the harrowing death of Mahsa Amini after being detained for wearing her hijab incorrectly and of course we have all seen the difficulties faced by men AND women across Ukraine as they continue to suffer in the war declared by Russia.

“Closer to home we continue to see statistics that tell us there are less women sitting at Board level in FTSE 100 companies today than there were in 2010. Women made up the majority of those made redundant during the pandemic. Navigating career and childcare continues to be a major issue with PregnantThenScrewed reporting that around 54,000 women a year lose their job in the UK for simply getting pregnant. This is all happening in 2022! So, when people next ask you, our sponsors and ambassadors, why we still have Women of the Year, you have just a snapshot of information there to share.

“Looking forward within the organisation, there is a whole new generation of young women looking to be inspired and supported in whatever they choose to do by men and women like those present in this room today and here at Women of the Year we’re determined to be a part of that support network for the future.”

As well as the main honour, WOTY Business Woman of the Year 2023, two other major awards will be presented on 6th October – ‘Women of Achievement’, in celebration of a much deserving group of individuals or team, and ‘Woman with Edge’, sponsored by leading law firm Freeths LLP, and celebrating the younger generation of women coming through the ranks and ‘the ones to watch’.

Attending the high-profile launch evening at the House of Lords were many other honoured guests including WOTY Ambassador and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords Baroness Newlove, and WOTY Directors Emma Elston MBE, Sharon Redrobe OBE, Zalena Vandrewala and Fleur Sexton DL.

Key launch event sponsors include Lloyds Bank PLC (House of Lords overall launch event sponsor), No.3 Gin (House of Lords launch event drinks sponsor) and Aldermore (major sponsor of the Awards and Luncheon). Other key sponsors include Freeths LLP, Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Limited, Aston University, Strategi Solutions, Red Cloud Business Services Ltd and Miss Media.

To make a nomination for WOTY Business Woman of the Year 2023, or for Freeths LLP Woman with Edge, please visit https://www.womenoftheyear.org.uk/

Scottish sustainability pioneer named country’s best entrepreneur

A Scottish sustainable packaging pioneer has clinched the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022, UK Transformational Leader title. Glasgow-based David MacDonald, owner of Cullen Eco-Friendly Packaging, won the hotly-contested national award at the recent EY Awards ceremony in Manchester. A panel of entrepreneurial peers judged MacDonald the winner from over 30 semi-finalists and 19 finalists of the UK’s brightest and best entrepreneurs who are driving economic growth and job creation.

David has been a force in the sustainable packaging movement, producing over 1 billion eco-friendly packaging products since 2020, announcing the creation of 120 new jobs this year and driving a £15 million expansion plan to make the UK a sustainable products and packaging manufacturing leader. Additionally, he spearheaded the launch of the innovative Fibre Bottle, a patented biodegradable paper bottle that can, uniquely, remove 300 million plastic bottles, pouches or glass per year from our shelves, which has earned an endorsement from one of the world’s foremost environmental campaigners, Sian Sutherland of A Plastic Planet.

Under David’s leadership, Cullen has become a global company, growing from one export country to 34 destinations, with the skill and capacity to replace most single use plastic packaging with moulded fibre alternatives within one month. David is also recognised for transforming the whole culture of Cullen, with the company now united in supporting and driving his mission of helping the world achieve its sustainability goals.

David MacDonald, Cullen ECO-Friendly Packaging’s Owner, said: “I’m so proud to be named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 UK Transformational Leader Winner. I am delighted and humbled to be recognised for my achievements in growing the business, generating jobs and creating sustainable, market-disrupting products and packaging that are viable replacements for single-use plastics. Sustainability is my passion and I’m driven by innovation and finding solutions to our clients’ challenges, solutions that will bring about real change.”

Gregor Angus, EY regional judge commented: “Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates leaders with inspirational stories – those who are creating long term value, reframing our future, and contributing purpose beyond profits. Entrepreneurship can be demanding and isolating, so the programme goes beyond a competition and enables leaders to reflect on their successes and share their most pressing challenges with like-minded peers in this outstanding entrepreneurial community.

“It has been a privilege hearing the stories of our inspiring Scottish cohort as they demonstrate the talent, passion and entrepreneurial flare we have throughout the country, and the value they create within their business, across local and international markets and for their communities.”