International Women’s Day is almost here and what better time to celebrate the wonderful and diverse female talent that is driving the South West economy.
Here are 20 female business leaders, from across the region, who have smashed the glass ceiling, or are steering their own businesses.
Amanda Lumley
For seven years Amanda Lumley has led Destination Plymouth, the public/private sector partnership, leading on marketing, events and development of the city as a destination.
The organisation provides a range of services including itinerary planning, familiarisation visits for trade and media as well as support for conference and venue planning.
Mrs Lumley previously worked at Visit Essex, Kent County Council and Visit Kent. She is a director and vice president of the Tourism Management Institute.
During 2020 Mrs Lumley will be a key figure during Mayflower 400 year.
Ameeta Virk
Bristol-based trade expert Ameeta Virk is one of the top 100 most influential people in the country for 海角视频-India relations.
Ameeta works for the Department of International advising companies on exporting to the US and India, and is based at Bristol chambers of commerce Business West.
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She was recognised last year for her work assisting South West companies to grow their export sales in India, in addition to leading overseas trade visits and facilitating visits to the region by high-ranking Indian officials and business leaders.
Originally from California, Ameeta has had a varied career in Europe, Asia and the US in retail, education and healthcare.
When she moved to the 海角视频, she co-founded an e-commerce company focusing on luxury childrenswear and selling into multiple markets, before joining Business West in 2014.
Amy Golding
Amy Golding is the group chief executive of Bristol-headquartered recruitment company Opus Talent Solutions.
After graduating from Cambridge in 2008, Amy joined the strategy team at Deloitte in the Tech and Media team.
She left after five years to become the personal business advisor to businessman and television personality James Caan. One of her first projects was to work on the sale of six recruitment companies he owned, which were later sold for almost £90million.
After setting up a recruitment company in 2014 and selling her shares just two years later after the company had reached a £17million turnover, Amy joined Opus.
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By 2017, Amy had been promoted to the top job at Opus - aged just 31.
The appointment made her the youngest 海角视频 appointed female chief executive of a $100million company.
Ann James
Ann James took over as chief executive at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust in September 2012. Prior to this, she held a number of important roles in the NHS in the South West, including being chief executive of Plymouth Teaching PCT, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT, Devon PCT, Cluster of Devon Plymouth and Torbay.
Before joining the NHS as a national management trainee in 1989, Ms James worked as a marketing manager.
Ms James is also Health and Medical champion for the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and sits as part of the Plymouth Area Business Council, and is a member of the Plymouth Growth Board.
In her chief executive role she is a Director of the South West Peninsula Academic Health Science Network, a member of One Plymouth, board member of Health Education South West Leadership Academy.
In 2014 she was awarded an honorary doctorate of health by the University of Plymouth.
Anne Barlow
Anne Barlow is artistic director of Tate St Ives. Previously, she was director of Art in General, New York (2007–2016), curator of education and media programs at the New Museum, New York (1999–2006), and curator of contemporary art and design at Glasgow Museums (1994–1999).
Across these roles, she has led on programmatic and institutional vision and strategies, overseen museum collections, new commissions, artist residencies and public programmes, and managed numerous international collaborations.
Professor Anne Carlisle
In 2009, Professor Anne Carlisle, was appointed vice-chancellor and chief executive of what was then University College Falmouth. In this role she oversaw the merger with Dartington College of Art and the granting of full university status to the institution, whereby it became Falmouth University in 2012.
Born in Northern Ireland, she is responsible for setting the strategy for Falmouth University and ensuring it delivers its strategic objectives.
The university has more than 5,000 students enrolled on more than 50 courses, from Foundation level, to PhD and contributes more than £60million to Cornwall's economy, on two campuses: Penryn and Falmouth.
Christina Brownsword
Along with husband Andrew Brownsword, Christina Brownsword is among the richest people in the South West – the couple being worth an eye-popping £295million.
The pair owns Devon's five-star manor Gidleigh Park alongside other premium hotels in their impressive portfolio.
Their 13 hotels includes The Bath Priory; 900 year-old Amberley Castle in West Sussex; five Cotswold properties including, The Slaughters Manor House, The Slaughters Country Inn, Buckland Manor, Minster Mill and the Old Swan; plus stylish London pied à terre, Sydney House Chelsea.
The couple's wealth stems from the sale of a greetings card business to US giant Hallmark for £165million in 1994 and then the off-loading of sports retailer Snow and Rock for £50million in 2010.
The couple also own the fire ravaged Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter, but put it up for sale in August 2019.
Deborah Fraser
As director for the regions at the CBI, Deborah Fraser leads a team responsible for representing members, keeping them informed and delivering the membership offer.
The team also responds to sector-led and regional policy requirements for North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West regions to ensure that businesses across England have a strong voice within the CBI’s campaigns.
Deborah joined the CBI in 2014. Prior to her current role she was regional director for the South West where she doubled the CBI membership base.
Before joining the CBI, Deborah amassed more than 15 years’ experience running a profitable social enterprise, managing a regional branch of a national charity and spent a number of years in the civil service.
She studied politics at the University of Manchester.
Katy Barnes
Katy Barnes set up SW1 Productions in 2004 with the aim of bringing top live music to a region that was otherwise being left off of many bands' touring schedules.
More than 10 years on, SW1 Productions are bringing more live music to Cornwall than ever and with many successful shows under their belts with some of the biggest names in contemporary music having visited the South West for live performances.
Katy has more than 30 years' experience of working within the music industry. She moved to Cornwall in 1993 after working in the record industry since leaving school.
Her love of Cornwall and grandparents drew her to the area, and after working with Surfers Against Sewage on the SAS Ball for several years, Katy set up SW1 with friend and colleague Susie Moore.
Lindsey Hall
Lindsey Hall is co-founder and chief executive officer of the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) group. RIO was formed by Ms Hall and Matt Little and “went live” in September 2007 primarily as an educational organisation, working with schools nationally and internationally.
But a few months later the prospect of taking on Devonport Guildhall came into view. RIO took over the Victorian Guildhall and its neighbouring column, on a 25-year lease via a community asset transfer from the council, in 2011 and set about masterminding a £1.75million one-year renovation.
RIO launched its own business, Column Bakehouse, in 2013 and the social enterprise is progressing with ambitious plans to create a world-class digital technology hub and 3D immersive video dome in the disused Devonport Market Hall after landing a £1million windfall from the Government.
Lindsey is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a trustee of many organisations including Kernow Education Arts Partnership and Plymouth Culture Board and a governor of Devonport High School for Boys.
What is International Women's Day?
International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8 as a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. Many organizations declare an annual theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely with relevance than others.
International Women's Day is about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action - whatever that looks like globally or at a local level. International Women's Day has been occurring for well over a century - and continues to grow from strength to strength.
Margot Cooper
Margot Cooper, 77, is the founder of Bristol-based medical manufacturing company Limbs & Things.
Margot set up her company in 1990 with a vision that clinical education should move away from cadavers and animals.
She invented anatomically accurate and cost-effective models and simulators to allow students - nurses, GPs, surgeons, radiologists and paramedics – to become more competent and confident professionals.
Limbs & Things’ products are now used worldwide to teach people to take blood, administer injections, deliver babies, learn about wound repair and carry out keyhole surgery.
Margot was named one of the 50 most ambitious business leaders in the 海角视频 by the Telegraph last year. She has also won awards for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Mary Quicke
Mary Quicke is the boss of cheese making business Quicke’s Traditional Cheese, based in Newton St. Cyres, Devon.
It is the largest British naturally matured traditional cheddar maker and cheese has been made on the farm during the family’s 470 year history.
She is the 14th generation on the farm, running the business since 1987. Her award-winning products sell to key outlets in the 海角视频, and over one third to export, mainly US and Australia.
The 1,500 acre farm has 600 cows grazing outside for most of the year, grows crops to feed the cattle, as well as to sell and support wildlife in extensive environmental schemes. The business employs 43 people.
Dr Mena Fombo
Bristol-based equality and diversity campaigner Dr Mena Fombo is the co-founder of Bristol’s first black-led television production company Blak Wave.
She is also the founder of Black Girl Convention - a movement to ensure women of African and Caribbean heritage have "a sense of home" by sharing experiences.
She has a background in filmmaking, including heading up the creative production agency Eight at Knowle West Media Centre, and has more than 15 years’ experience in the voluntary sector and in community organisations and educational establishments.
Last year, Mena was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from UWE for services to Gender and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic equalities work.
She also holds a BSc in Youth and Community Work from Bath University, and a BA (hons) in Time-Based Media Production from UWE.
Paula Martin
Paula Martin is the chief executive of the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust.
Although she is not Cornish, Paula Martin spent her childhood in the county in the St Austell and Roseland area, and later came back to Cornwall in 1998 to live and work.
Paula joined the charity in May 2008 having previously worked in people, project and finance management, delivered through charitable organisations and European funded projects. She is a member of the Institute of Fundraising, the CIPD and the CMI.
Professor Penelope Endersby
Professor Penelope Endersby is the first female leader of the Exeter-based Met Office, which has been credited with kickstarting the science and research sector in the South West.
In post since December 2018 after working at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) where she led the Cyber and Information Systems Division.
She was also acting chief technical officer as well as a non-exec director of Ploughshare Innovations, the MOD’s technology transfer organisation
Her remit is to keep the Met Office at the forefront of weather and climate science.
Poppy Naylor
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership’s newest non-executive director, Poppy Naylor, is a charity fundraising and marketing consultant with almost 20 years’ experience in the voluntary sector.
She spent 15 years at Cancer Research 海角视频 and led the campaigns team, including the Stand Up to Cancer campaign.
Since 2017, Poppy has run her own consultancy business with clients including Save the Children, Macmillan Cancer Support and Unicef 海角视频’s Soccer Aid campaign, which raised a record £7.9millioon in 2019.
She is also a board trustee of First Light Southwest, a charity supporting people in Cornwall, Devon, and Wiltshire who have been affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Sam Remmer
Sam Remmer, who runs Plymouth’s Art of Dance studio, was honoured with the Industry Contribution award at the Pole World expo, the 海角视频’s largest for the growing pole fitness industry, in Bristol in August 2019.
A Pole Dance Community four-star instructor Mrs Remmer founded Art of Dance in Plymouth in 2004, now sees up to 150 people taking part in her studio each week. It’s also a business hub, providing a base for four other businesses covering diet, beauty and fitness – all run by women.
She was also involved in the World Pole Sports Championships in London in 2014.
Sarah Gibson
The chief executive of Plymouth Waterfront Partnership is leaving that role in April 2020 to take on another high-profile business job – as chief executive of the University of Plymouth's Students’ Union.
Sarah Gibson has worked with Plymouth’s Waterfront Business Improvement District (BID) since 2010 and overseen delivery of more than 70 projects that helped to transform the city’s waterfront areas.
Also Waterfront manager, Mrs Gibson has been instrumental in creating and delivering a highly successful Waterfront Business Improvement District in Plymouth's heritage quarter.
She is also vice chair of the South West BIDs group and a member of the Institute of Place Management/ She is a keen advocate for animal welfare too.
Susan Davy
With 20 years’ experience in the utility sector, Susan Davy is the financial lead at Pennon Group. She is highly respected in the City and has been instrumental in building Pennon’s reputation.
Prior to her current appointment Susan was finance director at South West Water between 2007 and 2015, during which time she was responsible for the company’s business plan to 2020.
She has also held a number of other senior finance roles in the water sector. Her knowledge of the industry coupled with financial and regulatory expertise has helped develop Pennon’s strategy.
Susan is also chairman of the CBI South West council, non-executive director of Restore and a member of the A4S (Accounting for Sustainability) CFO leadership network.
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Dr Zara Nanu
Dr Zara Nanu is the Bristol-based co-founder and chief executive of gender pay gap analysis software company Gapsquare.
Before setting up her business, Zara had been working in the charity sector for more than a decade, focusing on women’s rights - from trafficking and exploitation to education and employment.
For the past four years she has been working on running a business that is profitable as well as creating an impact on women and employment.
The software Zara’s company has developed helps businesses comply with regulations automatically but also gives insights into why they have a gender pay gap and how it can be addressed.
She said: “Together, we can make transformational change and create a more equal world in which we can all thrive.”