This Sunday is International Women’s Day, which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Here, in the East Midlands there are many inspiring businesswomen who are making a significant contribution to the local economy.
Some of them are experienced operators who have succeeded in their chosen fields, in some cases against the odds.
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Others are just starting out - but their early successes and determination to succeed is equally inspiring.
Here, the Business Live East Midlands team profiles just some of our region’s most inspirational businesswomen.
ELIZABETH FAGAN - D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
As the chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Elizabeth plays a key role in supporting economic growth in the region. D2N2 helps create new jobs, homes and skills across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Elizabeth brings her vast business experience to the role. In her career she held a number of top roles at pharmacy giant Boots. And in 2016, she became the Nottingham headquartered firm’s first female managing director, heading up the company’s operations in the 海角视频 and Ireland. She later went on to become non-executive chairman.
Recently made a CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to gender equality in business, Elizabeth left Boots last month after a long and distinguished career, in order to focus on non-executive roles with other organisations.
RACHEL HAYWARD - Ask the Chameleon
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As well as being the boss of an award-winning bid writing and consultancy business called Ask the Chameleon, Rachel also works hard to represent fellow small businesses and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Last year, her business scooped the Micro Business Award at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) East Midlands Awards and recently she was appointed to help head up the FSB’s grassroots lobbying activities across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
And as well as running her own business, Rachel also finds time to teach business students at the University of Derby.
FIONA LAMBERT - Harpenne
Leicestershire businesswoman Fiona Lambert was bought in to head up new business development at River Island in 2018.
In 2019 she launched her first venture with the chain, an on-line spin-off called Harpenne - described as “stylish and affordable womenswear” with an “attention to detail, inspired by a European flair and femininity”.
Prior to joining the business she was product director at Dunelm’s Leicestershire HQ.
Her background includes working alongside George at Asda founder George Davies to set up and launch George as the first fashion supermarket brand in 1990.
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For seven years after that she was womenswear product director at the Next HQ, just outside Leicester, then returned to George in June 2007 as brand director.
KAREN ROTHERY - Leicestershire County Cricket
Leicestershire County Cricket Club announced the appointment of Karen Rothery as its new chief executive at the start of 2019.
Karen has ten years’ experience of senior management roles in sport having served as Chief Executive Officer at both British Universities College Sports (BUCS) and Surrey Sports Park (SSP) at The University of Surrey.
Skilled in vital areas such as management, leadership, commercial, governance and strategy, Karen also has a passion for growth and development in sport and a track record in delivering success.
Karen has a lifelong connection to the county of Leicestershire having grown up in Enderby, being educated at Lutterworth Upper School and later at Loughborough University, where she gained a Masters in Sport and Leisure Management.
KATIE LAVIS - Little Starts Gift Cards
Katie is the founder of Little Starts Gift Cards, a Derbyshire firm which sells a range of tailored activities and experiences for parents to enjoy with their babies and young children as gifts, instead of traditional presents like a bunch of flowers or vouchers for the high street.
Inspired to set up the business after having her own children, Katie gave up her job as a commercial solicitor to run Little Starts.
Since launching, the Melbourne firm has grown rapidly. In the last 12 months alone, it has gone from offering gift cards for 120 classes a week across nine brands in Derby, to 2,000 classes a week from more than 60 brands across the country.
Earlier this year, her company was given a major boost when it was named Marketing Derby’s Rising Star for 2020, an initiative which aims to give a helping hand to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
MARGARET MILES-BRAMWELL - Slimming World
Margaret founded Slimming World in 1969 after borrowing £200 from a friend to start the business. She began with her first weight loss group in Mansfield Woodhouse.
Today, Slimming World is a leading weight-loss organisation, with more than 19,000 weekly groups supporting 900,000 members across the 海角视频 and Ireland.
The groups are run by a network of 5,500 community-based Slimming World consultants, who receive specific training at the firm’s Derbyshire head office.
In 2009, Margaret was honoured with an OBE for services to the community in Derbyshire and to the field of weight loss management.
DEBORAH EWAN - Pukka Pies
Deborah Ewan was brought in as the new chief executive of family-owned Pukka Pies two years ago.
During her first three years turnover went from £46m to almost £53m.
Pre-tax profits for the last financial year were up almost £1 million to £3.6 million.
When she arrived she said it was an incredibly positive time to join the Syston pie company, as figures from market research specialists IRI data suggested Pukka’s share of the “hot pie” market was up more than 10 per cent.
Pukka supplies 35 million pies a year to fish and chip shops and football groups, including Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
There has been a big campaign to build on the 25 million pies which go into the nation’s shops and supermarkets each year.
ANDREA PINCHEN - Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers board member Andrea Pinchen was promoted to a new role of chief operating officer at the club last year.
After joining Tigers from Emirates Airlines in 2004 as ticket office manager, she became commercial manager in 2012 with overall responsibility for sponsorship, corporate hospitality and the club’s conference and events business.
She joined the board as commercial director two years later and helped restructure the club’s commercial operations.
That work coincided with a push towards non-matchday events such as conferences and weddings, and ensuring that sponsors and fans were aware of the opportunities to use club facilities during the week.
She has also been involved in discussions for a new hotel the club is building on the former Granby Halls site to the north of the recently expanded stadium, which has a capacity for almost 26,000 fans.
FIONA MOFFAT - Timms Solicitors
Fiona is managing partner of Timms Solicitors, a law firm which can trace its roots back to 1892.
Its main office is in Queen Street, Derby - but the firm also has a presence in Derby, Burton, Ashby and Swadlincote. Fiona splits her time between her managing partner role and working with the firm’s family team.
Under her direction, Timms has become very much part of Derby’s business community, raising vital funds for charity through various events - and supporting key events.
JACKIE MOODY-MCNAMARA - Brilliant Women
After holding senior positions at Punch Taverns and NewRiver, Jackie founded Brilliant Women, which works with businesses and individuals to accelerate the development of talented women through mentoring and coaching programmes.
Jackie, who lives in Littleover, Derby, has launched a campaign in partnership with 海角视频 Hospitality, which aims to create more diversity in the hospitality sector.
She recently staged an event, to which senior male executives from the industry were invited, to highlight the findings of new independent research into what holds women back from attaining senior positions in the hospitality sector.
KAREN SMART - East Midlands Airport
Karen Smart was appointed managing director of East Midlands Airport in 2018, having previously director of landside operations at Stansted Airport.
She took up her role at the 海角视频’s largest pure cargo airport in April 2018, leading a team of more than 500 employees.
Karen joined MAG in 2014 and, during her time with the business, also served as Customer Services & Security Director at London Stansted Airport.
Prior to joining MAG she spent several years at the service provider Serco and had a distinguished career in the RAF.
East Midlands Airport plays a pivotal role in driving the 海角视频’s economy as the country’s largest airport for dedicated cargo traffic.
ANNE-MARIE HUNT - NatWest
Anne-Marie Hunt studied law and psychology at De Montfort University before joining NatWest Bank as a trainee in 2000. She has held many positions within the bank, both in Leicester and across the wider East Midlands.
In 2018 she was appointed director of commercial banking in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland – a role which sees her heading up a team of commercial bankers who look after 500 SMEs across the region.
Her team supports a local homeless charity through volunteering and fundraising, helps school pupils through the NatWest’s Moneysense programme, and young people through her work with The Prince’s Trust.
She recently joined the board of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership.
KAVITA OBEROI - Oberoi Consulting
Kavita is the boss of Derby-based IT and business healthcare consultancy Oberoi Consulting - a company she founded back in 2001.
Since then, her business interests and investments have grown, with Oberoi Consulting developing pioneering technology that can ultimately save lives.
At the same time, Kavita has been helping budding entrepreneurs and small firms through the Oberoi Business Hub, which she founded in 2012.
A familiar face to fans of the TV show The Apprentice: You’re Fired, she was made an OBE in 2014 for services to entrepreneurship and start-up businesses.
AMANDA STRONG - Mercia Image Print
For more than 30 years Mercia Image Print, which is based at Little Eaton, near Derby, has been producing high quality printing for its clients, with Amanda at the helm.
Print can be a tough industry to be in, but key to Mercia’s success is having a loyal customer base across the sectors, including public and private.
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The business has won numerous awards and Amanda is an active member of the local business community, involved in various organisations.
Last summer, to mark the firm’s 30th anniversary, the company organised a campaign called 30 Days of Giving, which aimed to raise £30,000 for 30 local charities. It received overwhelming support from the Derbyshire business community.
GLYNIS WRIGHT - Glynis Wright & Co
Glynis Wright is the founder of Glynis Wright & Co and this year's president of the Leicestershire Law Society
She retrained as a lawyer when she was nearly 40. Prior to that, she had pursued a successful career in local government, most latterly in the field of economic development.
She returned to university as a mature student and undertook a conversion degree course at De Montfort University in Leicester followed by the Legal Practices Course.
She completed the LPC with multiple distinctions and was awarded the special status of student of the year by the Law Society nationally for having achieved the highest marks for her academic year over 3 campuses.
Glynis completed her practical training as a solicitor with a long-standing Leicester firm and specialised in family law from the outset.
Within two years of qualifying as a Solicitor in 2003, Glynis was invited to become a Partner in the firm running the family law department.
Glynis set up her own Leicester based niche family law and mediation practice in April 2011 at 5 Bowling Green Street, Leicester.
HELEN WATHALL - G Wathall and Son
Helen is managing director of Derby’s longest established independent funeral director, Wathall’s.
The fifth generation of her family to work at the business, she started at the firm when she was 18 - and was just 29 when she took over the reins following the death of her father Bill.
In 2003, she became the first woman president of the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, which represents hundreds of family-owned firms across the country.
Today, as well as her day job, Helen is the chairman of the St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District. In last year’s New Year’s Honours list, she was made an MBE for her services to business and the local community.