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Outstanding Finalists Announced for 2011 Business Woman of the Year Award

10-03-2011 10:04 AM CET | Fashion, Lifestyle, Trends

Press release from: Revolver PR

/ PR Agency: RevolverPr
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The finalists for the Vitalise Business www.womenoftheyear-uk.com
">Woman of the Year Award 2011 are announced today. Now in its 29th year the Award ceremony, in support of the national disability charity Vitalise, recognizes the contribution women make to the economy, celebrates achievement and creates role models for the future.

Year on year, the prestigious title attracts outstanding candidates and the 2011 finalists are no exception. Drawn from the widest range of industry sectors, each candidate has made a significant contribution to the financial success and performance of their organization

The 2011 finalists are:
· Sarah Balfour, Founder / Director, Music by Arrangement
· Sara Fowler, Senior Partner, Ernst and Young LLP
· Sue and Rachel Hawkins, Proprietors / Directors, Ace High Ents Ltd
· Professor Julia King, Vice-Chancellor, Aston University
· Suzanne Linton, MD, Freestyle Interactive Ltd
· Alison Wetton, CEO / Founder, All About Weight
· Julie White, Managing Director, D-Drill (Masters Drill Ltd)

Judy Groves, Awards Chair, said: “The Business Woman Award seeks to identify strong role models and in 2011 it has evolved to inspire young entrepreneurs to believe in themselves, follow their dreams and make the most of new opportunities. The breadth of market sectors from which this year’s finalists are drawn is proof that women today can succeed in whatever their chosen vocation may be.”

The eight finalists will meet the Business Woman Award’s judges at Mallory Court Hotel in Leamington Spa on Friday 7 October. The winner will be exclusively announced at the Woman of the Year Luncheon and Awards held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Friday 14 October 2011.

Time and again the award has shown it is a signpost to future success. The 2011 winner will follow in the footsteps of high profile title holders including: Hilary Devey, CEO of haulage firm, Pall-Ex and star of TV’s Dragon’s Den; Karren Brady, former Managing Director of Birmingham City FC and a judge on BBC Television’s the Apprentice; and Asha Khemka OBE, Chief Executive of West Nottinghamshire College, who arrived in the UK with her young family at the age of 25 with no formal education.

Chaired by Judy Groves, Group Marketing Director SCH plc

2011 Judges:
Ben Gulliford, Regional centre head for Barclays Wealth
Pauline Jorgenson Head of People Services at British Airways
Tracy Westall, UK Public Sector Sales Director in the UK, SCC
Dr Dallas Burston, Chairman of DB Ashbourne Limited

About the finalists

Sarah Balfour, Director, Music by Arrangement
A performing pianist from the age of eight, Sarah Balfour trained as a classical pianist graduating from Leeds University with a Degree in Music. Aged 21 she got her first job as a session musician and spent the next few years performing all over the world with some of the world’s leading musicians including Charlotte Church, Louise, Seal and Mandy Moore. In 2003, inspired by her passion for music and a zest for entrepreneurship Sarah set up her own agency ‘Music By Arrangement’. Today, it provides musicians and entertainers for parties, weddings and private functions worldwide. Music By Arrangement’s reputation has enabled the business to go from strength to strength. It presides over performances at many of the world’s top venues including The Victoria and Albert Museum, Grosvenor House, The Ritz, The Pigalle Club and Café de Paris, in addition to some of the UK’s most prestigious events including London’s Mozart Centenary and The American School Auction. Today, the agency represents over seven hundred performers and each is handpicked by Sarah Balfour. Music By Arrangement goes beyond representing acts to creating new ones, such as its exclusive cabaret act ‘The Hat Pack’ and a thriving five to eighteen-piece band called ‘Xtatic’. Sarah Balfour is also the owner of Orchid Events, an event planning agency.

Sara Fowler, Senior Partner, Ernst and Young LLP
Sara Fowler is the only woman at the helm of a Big Four firm in the Midlands. She was previously the head of Ernst & Young’s national fraud and investigations dispute services practice, which she continues to lead at regional level. Sara has spent 23 years with Ernst & Young, the last ten as a partner in Birmingham. She is an expert in forensic services with more than 15 years' experience and has been appointed to act as a witness both in the High Court and in arbitration proceedings in the UK and internationally. Sara has ambitious plans to expand the firm’s advisory service and invest heavily in the local team. Over the next three years, Ernst & Young is aiming to double revenues in its advisory arm as well as grow its team in all areas of practice in the Midlands to double its staff numbers in the advisory division to 100 over the next two years. Sara is a Practicing Member of the Academy of Experts and a CEDR accredited mediator.

Sue Hawkins and Rachel Hawkins, Proprietors / Directors, Ace High Ents Ltd
Sue Hawkins opened her first restaurant aged 27 with £15,000. Three years later she had sold it to buy the freehold of a large run-down pub in the centre of Stratford upon Avon. Following a massive overhaul, a stylish bar & dining room emerged and it won the industry accolade “Pub Design of the Year”. Since then, Sue has bought and sold four under-achieving pubs and hotels and won many more awards. Having made her first million by the age of 30 and her second a few years later, Sue now shares the load with her niece, Rachel, and lectures about the hospitality and catering sector.
Rachel left school following ‘A’ levels to join the ‘family firm’. Passionate about the hospitality sector, she has learned the trade working from the restaurant floor upwards. Within a year of joining the business, Rachel became responsible for managing an award-winning gastro-pub. Since then, the partners have opened two boutique hotels - both of which have been invited into the prestigious Mr & Mrs Smith hotel guide. Sue now focuses on finding, refurbishing and launching new sites, whilst Rachel takes on full responsibility for their day-to-day operations. The success of this unique combination of skills is demonstrated by the first year’s turnover at their latest boutique hotel which was over £1.5million.

Professor Julia King, Vice-Chancellor, Aston University
After sixteen years as an academic researcher and university lecturer at Cambridge and Nottingham universities, Julia King joined Rolls-Royce plc in 1994 where she held senior executive positions. In 2002 Julia became Chief Executive of the Institute of Physics returning to academia in 2004 as Principal of the Engineering Faculty at Imperial College, London. In December 2006 she became Vice-Chancellor of Aston University. Julia is regularly called upon to advise the Government on education, defence and technology issues and holds a wide range of board and non-executive positions. She was appointed the UK’s Low Carbon Business Ambassador by the Prime Minister in 2010. Julia’s academic research has been recognised through the award of the Grunfeld, Bengough, Kelvin and John Collier medals and she was made a CBE for ‘Services to Materials Engineering’ in July 1999. She is a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, an Honorary Graduate of Queen Mary, London, an Honorary Fellow of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, Cardiff University, the Society for the Environment and the British Science Association.

Suzanne Linton, Managing Director, Freestyle Interactive Ltd
Suzanne Linton joined Freestyle a full-service digital agency at its start up in the mid 90s. Today it offers strategic consultancy, creative design and technical build across a range of digital channels. Since its inception, Freestyle has grown to become one of the leading independent full service digital agencies in the UK and is currently ranked 26th by NMA. It is the largest digital agency in the Midlands, with a 65 strong team of experts. Following university, Suzanne trained to work as a Chartered Accountant. After realising that accountancy provided great business training but was not her ideal long-term career choice, she applied for jobs in Marketing. Following spells at AMEC (working in the UK, Europe and the US) and as Financial Director to a fast growing consultancy, she grabbed the opportunity to be part of a new agency start-up in Freestyle. Fifteen years later, Suzanne is the Managing Director with responsibility for the overall strategy and growth of the business, but with special focus on people, clients and staff. Independently owned, many of the firm’s staff are ‘home grown’ and the agency now provides first class strategic thinking and straight forward business logic to deliver results for a wide range of household names and businesses Clients include Lloyds TSB, Lufthansa and Virgin Active. Suzanne is an active member of the Institute of Directors, the CEO Group and sits on the CBI SME Council.

Alison Wetton, CEO / Founder, All About Weight
Alison Wetton is the Founder and Chief Executive of All About Weight, a fast growing weight loss and weight management company headquartered in Crewe. Alison began her career as an Avon girl, developing her sales and marketing experience working for a leading PLC brand. She later set up and sold a large food business to one of the UK’s best known cigarette vending companies. Alison later saw a gap in the market for a weight loss plan that combined faster weight loss through quality, nutritionally complete meal replacement, combined with healthy eating and exercise for long term weight control. All About Weight was launched in 2007 following two years of product development and research. Today, Alison is working with divisions of the NHS in the specialised field of weight loss nutrition at pre and post weight loss surgery. She has developed a retail pharmacy concept, a worldwide on-line business, a door to door service and client support options involving over 120 self employed Consultant Mentors across the UK, aided by a team of highly skilled dieticians and nutritionists, a busy customer services department and 24/7phones lines. All About Weight is now the leader in the field of Lifestyle Nutrition.

Julie White, Managing Director, D-Drill (Masters Drill Ltd)
Julie White is the daughter of diamond drilling pioneer Peter White. She completed a management buy-out and restructure to take over the firm her father founded as its Managing Director. Having graduated from business school in 1989 and introduced a specialist floor preparation service, Superfloor UK Ltd., to the group’s portfolio, Julie has always been a ‘hands on’ Director. D-Drill has now been trading for 40 years and it has the UK’s largest branch network in its sector with an unrivalled team of experts utilising the latest equipment in drilling and sawing technology. Julie is the first woman to be appointed to a professional body for the industry, having joined the board of directors of The Drilling and Sawing Association. Under her leadership, D Drill has won numerous industry accolades including a coveted award from the International Association of Concrete Drillers and Sawers (IACDS) Diamond Awards, the equivalent of an Oscar for the drilling and cutting sector.

About The Vitalise Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards
Now in its 29th year of celebrating personal achievement and success, The Vitalise Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards is considered to be the ‘Oscar ceremony’ for female enterprise and personal achievement outside of London.
It has raised over half a million for official charity, Vitalise. Vitalise is a national charity providing much-needed respite breaks with care for disabled people and carers at three fully accessible UK holiday centres.
Year on year, several hundred high profile guests show their support through attending the Awards. The luncheon’s president is Penelope, Viscountess Cobham and its sponsors in 2011 are Barclays Wealth, British Airways, Jaguar Cars, Hilton Birmingham Metropole, SCC and The Challenge Factor.

In 2011, entertainment will include a show piece by Television’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ stars Ryan Hammond and Lindsey Muckle. The dancing stars will be followed on stage by key note speaker Kirsty Allsopp, the television property guru best known for co-presenting ‘Location Location Location’.

A sparkling drinks reception is held prior to the luncheon alongside boutique shopping stalls that contribute to the fundraising.
A limited number of last minute seats remain available. Tickets including luncheon cost £65 and can be purchased at www.womenoftheyear-uk.com

Media contact
Beatrice Mocci Tel 0141 339 4175 / Email beatrice@revolver-pr.co.uk

Revolver Pr
38 Lansdowne Crecent
Glasgow
G20 6Nh

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