‘Unstoppable women’ recognised at leadership summit and national awards

Sheridan Ash, founder and co-CEO of Tech She Can and a leader in technology innovation at PwC, won the social impact category at the Forward Ladies Leadership Summit and Awards 2022 before going on to win the overall Business Woman of the Year award.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post after winning the awards, Ms Ash said: “I left school with no qualifications because of terrible dyslexia. I was bullied a lot and if there had been a vote for the person most likely not to succeed in life, I think I probably would have won it.

"When I left school, I had no aspirations and no role models. So to be here today winning Businesswoman of the Year, it’s quite a journey from that start in life.”

She added: “But nobody succeeds on their own. There’s a whole army of really talented people that work with me to achieve what we’ve achieved at Tech She Can.”

Seventy five shortlisted applicants competed for eleven awards in categories across all sectors. The event, which was held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, was hosted by former broadcast journalist and co-founder of Fleet Street Group, Arti Halai.

The awards welcomed back leading business figures on the judging panel, such as Sahar Hashemi, founder of Coffee Republic.

Yorkshire winners included Jillian Thomas, managing director of Future Life Wealth Management in Sheffield, who was named transformational leader, and Jodie Hill, managing partner at Thrive Law in Leeds, who won the start up category.

Other winners included Carlotta Zorzi, UK partnerships manager at Shopify, who won the emerging leader award; Khadija Owusu, a medical doctor who was named rising star; and Dawn Childs, CEO (operations) of Pure Data Centres Group, who won the STEM leader category.

Maria Peggs, founder and CEO of Vispera, won the inspiring mentor award; and Noel-Ann Bradshaw, deputy dean and professor of operational research and mathematics education at the University of Greenwich, was named education/academic leader.

Christina Lawford-Potter, founder and CEO of DiamondAir International, won the female entrepreneur award; Mae Vip, co-founder of ERIC, topped the disruptor/innovator category; and Georgina Merckel, business owner of The Organised Personal Assistant, was named young entrepreneur.

This year’s theme, unstoppable women, celebrated women who have overcome exceptional odds to get where they are. It celebrated the role models, those inspiring their teams and the next generation of talent, smashing glass ceilings and uplifting communities.

Speakers included Joanna Jensen, founder and executive chairman of skincare brand Child’s Farm, and Louise Hardy, chartered civil engineer and winner of the Business Woman of the Year 2021.

The event also included panel discussions on how neurodiversity affects unstoppable women and how the next generation are preparing for being unstoppable.

Speaking to the audience, Griselda Togobo, chief executive of Forward Ladies, said: “If just one person leaves this room thinking they can do it, they can be fearless...then my work here is done.”