Biographies

Woman of the Year Award
Hidden Talent of the Year Award
Star of the Future Award
Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Store Manager of the Year Award
Inspiration of the Year Award
Leader of the Year Award
Buyer of the Year Award 2008
Director of the Year Award 2008

Specsavers Woman of the Year Award Winners

Gwyn Burr
Customer Director, Sainsbury's Plc.

Gwyn Burr joined the board of Sainsbury's as Customer Director in 2004, having rapidly progressed the corporate ladder at Rowntrees and Asda. Key achievements in her past career included being made a board member at Asda whilst in her late 20s, and accomplishing the challenging target of doubling the sales of the supermarket's own brand goods from 25% to 50%, whilst simultaneously bringing up three small children. At Sainsbury’s Gwyn has been directly responsible for increasing the number of the supermarket's customers from 13 million to 18 million, attracting a remarkable one million new shoppers for each year since her arrival.

Gwen Patterson

Proprietor, Centra Moat Filling Station
Gwen has demonstrated that if you believe in yourself and work hard, you can succeed. With no practical retail experience, but plenty of knowledge, determination and creativity, Gwen transformed the 4,200 sq foot Centra Store and has increased gross sales by 150 per cent and the store regularly achieves mystery shopping scores of more than 90 per cent. Gwen is an inspirational leader and is passionate about her community – stocking regional produce and hiring a community liaison officer to work with local groups.

Hidden Talent of the Year Award Finalists

This award goes to the woman whose innovative approach and talent is making a valuable contribution to the success of the organisation she works in.

2009

Amber Blake
General Counsel (UK), QVC

Amber Blake, from Brighton, began her career working for a law firm, before taking a position at Coca-Cola Enterprises in its legal team, and was rapidly promoted to Senior Counsel. After six years with the company, she moved to QVC to head up the legal team of five. Achieving the position of General Counsel at such a young age is no mean feat. Amber credits her success to her ability to spot an issue before it becomes a problem, her genuine passion for the business as a whole, and a lot of hard work.

Kim Roberts
Head of Retail Human Resources, WM Morrison's Supermarkets

Returning to the UK after working abroad for two years, Kim Roberts joined Morrison's in 1986, rapidly climbing the corporate ladder to become Head of Retail Human Resources. Kim has seen the company through huge change, not least the takeover of Safeway in 2004, when she oversaw the legal and cultural implications of integrating 55,000 new people into Morrison's. Kim puts her success down to hard work, surrounding herself with a great team, and retaining her beliefs in what is fair and right.

Rhonda Floyd
Senior Customer Services Manager, McDonalds Restaurants Ltd.

Rhonda Floyd started her career in retail by accident, when undertaking a summer position at Pizza Hut before she began university. She moved on to McDonald's, progressing to her current role in the 18 years she's been with the company. Rhonda is responsible for the corporate division of the Women’s Leadership Network, a vehicle for investigating the barriers preventing women from progressing to senior management, and looking at ways to address this issue. Rhonda's commitment has been recognised with the highest accolade possible from McDonald's – The President's Award.

2008

Jenny Alleyne

Regional Loss Prevention Manager, The Co-operative Group
Jenny is an inspirational role model for other female store managers that want to make the move into management. Jenny started at The Co-operative in a supervisory role and was supported by them when she postponed her management training to care for her seriously ill daughter. She has since progressed to regional loss prevention manager for 268 stores. Jenny knows how to get the best out of her team, and this empathetic approach is also evident in Jenny’s dedication to supporting local communities.

Katrina Freedman

Regional Manager, Scotland – North Division, Vodafone
Recently promoted to regional manager for north Scotland, Katrina has proven through hard work, determination and self-belief that women can progress from store management to a senior level. Her undisputed strength is in people management, but the effectiveness of her management style is also evident in the high performance of the stores she has run. One assessor called her “possibly the most accomplished manager I have ever come across”. Katrina leads by example and has won the respect of her peers, who nominated her as one of Vodafone’s top 100 employees in the UK.

Marjorie Murphy

Strategic Assortment Manager, The Co-operative Group
Marjorie had her first taste of retail while working as a part-time checkout operator at the age of 15 and after deciding that was the career she wanted to follow. What makes her stand out is her perseverance and determination to succeed. In her role as strategic assortment manager, Marjorie has led the relaunch of The Co-operative own label premium range, ‘Truly Irresistible’, growing sales from two to eight per cent, pioneering a successful format for press events to promote new ranges. Determination, insight and a deep understanding of the sector have enabled Marjorie to excel.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalists

This award will go to the founder/operator of a retail business whose entrepreneurial talent and vision will inspire others to start their own venture.

2009

Clare Thommen
Managing Director, Boudiche

Clare had always harboured a dream to become an entrepreneur, despite starting her career in customer service and qualifying as a chartered management accountant. In 2005 she met her business partner Fiona McLean, and over a lemongrass martini, the concept of Boudiche and the business plan were created. Despite no experience in buying, merchandising, fashion sales, marketing, PR and e-commerce, the pair worked hard to realise their goal. Achieving year on year 40% growth, they attracted investment to open a second store in Glasgow and have proven successful with awards including Best Newcomer at the 2006 Scottish Retail Awards and Best Lingerie Retailer in the 2007 Drapers Awards.

Holly Tucker & Sophie Cornish
Managing Directors and Co-founders, notonthehighstreet.com
Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker

Holly and Sophie have backgrounds spanning advertising, publishing, editorial and marketing. Holly began Your Local Fair in 2005, bringing together small businesses in West London, and she and Sophie quickly recognised that there was scope for running a permanent on-line offering. The site now brings together 1,200 small retail businesses, predominantly run by women and is growing at a phenomenal rate. By the end of 2009, turnover is predicted to be £6m, from under £1m in 2007, with staff rising to 24 from a team of four when the business began. This rapid growth has encouraged backing from investors of lastminute.com.

Wendy Hallett
Managing Director, Hallett Retail

As a graduate trainee with the Arcadia group, Wendy Hallett's determination and aptitude for business saw her fast-tracked through the ranks, becoming Area Manager at just 27. After the birth of her second child, she set out to establish a business model for smaller brands to launch themselves into the concession market within a boutique environment. Wendy set up Hallett Retail from home and within 12 months had her concept trialled in Debenhams. The concept was an instant success and was quickly rolled out into multiple stores. She continued to develop her idea, adapting it beyond department stores and in 2007 launched into New Look outlets building to 150 outlets. Today she employs 400 individuals in over 200 sites.

2008

Nicky Allen

Director, Box 2 Ltd
Nicky is a successful businesswoman who has cornered a niche in her market for ladies fashion sizes 14-30, transforming a one-woman shop in Brighton into a nationwide franchise of nine stores and mail order business with annual sales of £3 million. Nicky has built up a loyal customer base by offering exceptional customer service and is also extremely targeted in her buying. Always looking for a new direction, Nicky is about to embark on her next challenge: manufacturing her own label for Box 2.

Anne Furbank

Proprietor and Director, Anne Furbank Group Ltd
During her 27-year career Anne’s business has grown from a one-woman operation to an 80-strong company. She opened her first store in 1981, and by 1997 annual sales had reached £2 million. In 2003, Anne purchased The George Coaching Inn next door to the shop and last year launched Anne Furbank Online. While most people would be contemplating retirement at 60, Anne has instead bought another store, Jane of Newmarket, and taken up marathon running.

Store Manager of the Year Award Finalists

This award will go to the woman whose leadership skills and commercial flair set her apart from her peers.

2009

Donna Hunter
Store Manager, The Midcounties Co-operative

Donna Hunter worked for the Co-operative Group part-time as a shelf-filler whilst still at school, and grew a fascination for the retail sector. She moved up the ranks swiftly, taking various managerial positions before her current role, a demanding position where she is responsible for a team of around 25 staff at the highest trading convenience store in the group. Donna is known for her infectious personality and 100% commitment to the job. Achievements include reducing labour turnover significantly and drastically improving absence rates.

Lindsey McCarthy
Store Manager, Signet Trading Ltd.

When Lindsey returned to the UK from Ireland she had no qualifications due to the difference in education systems. Working part time at H Samuel whilst studying childcare, Lindsey realised she wanted to pursue a career in retail. She progressed to become Assistant Manager and helped turn around stores such as Peterborough, gaining a reputation for hitting all her KPIs. Store Manager at just 22, she now trains and develops other teams needing assistance and is an expert on the in-store design service. Lindsey believes she is successful as she has embraced every training opportunity offered, including an NVQ course in management.

Lucie Cork
Store Manager, B&Q

Working a market stall is a tough entry into the world of retail, but for Lucie Cork it proved invaluable experience. Having abandoned her ambition to be a golf pro, she briefly entered the fashion industry, but her real break came when she joined B&Q. Quickly making her mark, Lucie worked her way up to manager of a flagship store with responsibility for multi-million pound business and a staff of 200. Lucie believes she is successful as she runs the business as though it were her own, placing emphasis on both customer and cost. She invests time coaching and training her direct management team.

2008

Judith Ayling-Whitehouse

Retail Store Manager, Vodafone
Judith consistently strives to deliver excellent customer service and motivates her teams to achieve their best, using positive reinforcement and praise. The results are evident in her store’s success, which despite its small size beat 350 other branches to win Vodafone’s Customer Experience Award. Judith’s passion for her job often sees her taking on added responsibility, most recently as audit champion for the Midlands. This role enables her to share her coaching and expertise in people development with other store managers in the region.

Becky Copper

Store Manager, Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd
When Becky was 29, she was appointed manager of Sainsbury’s Basingstoke store, making her the youngest and only female manager in her region. Now manager of the flagship Bagshot Road store, Becky has masterminded a £6.8 million refit and significantly increased sales through her selection of product lines and passion for delivering customer service. Her can-do attitude and willingness to overcome any challenge have helped Becky rise quickly since joining Sainsbury’s eight years ago.

Ann Greenall and Sarah Percox

Store Managers, Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd
Both women are up for the role as they are Sainsburys’ first job share partnership at store manager level and over the last six years have proven that working part-time does not prevent women from succeeding in retail. The success of their partnership can be seen in sales – up three per cent in the last financial year despite extremely tough trading conditions – and in employee development, with around 50 of the colleagues they have managed now holding supervisory or management roles.

Inspiration of the Year Award Finalists

This Award will go to the woman whose efforts are bringing about positive cultural change for women within her organisation.

2009

Helen Humphrey
Vice President National Operations, McDonald's Restaurants Ltd.

Helen Humphrey joined McDonald's as a 16 year old school girl. Relishing the teamwork, and responsibility she was given at such a young age Helen deferred her university place two years later to take on the challenge of restaurant management. Twenty five years on Helen is Vice President of National Operations, having progressed through the managerial ranks. As part of the Executive team, Helen is heavily involved in the development of the UK Business Plan which sets the strategic direction for the company and she is directly responsible for ensuring that this strategy is implemented across all 1,200 restaurants in the UK. As the first female Director of Operations in McDonald's Helen is passionate about being a positive role model for other women.

Samata Angel
CEO, Head Designer and Author, Samata’s Muse

Samata worked in a boutique whilst studying economics, finance and business, which led to a marketing role for a Japanese fashion label. Whilst working in PR for Elival boutique, she was employed by The Talent Magazine as Fashion Editor, which inspired Samata to start her own label, Samata's Muse. She has participated in The Clothes Show Live, Festival of Youth Arts and New York Nolcha Fashion Week. Samata was determined to succeed and was inspired to write guides for all those that had taken a more traditional approach to fashion design through colleges. Samata now lectures students at the London College of Fashion.

Tarra Simmons
Learning and Development Manager, The Midcounties Co-operative

Having contemplated a career in the Navy or the Prison Service, a holiday job with the Co-op aged 17 convinced Tarra Simmons that her heart was in retail. She was accepted into the company’s trainee management scheme. Building her skills, Tarra joined the management team which enabled her to run a store as if it were her own business. Tarra has since carved out a niche for herself in her current role as training manager, developing this new department, which has given her the opportunity to pass on her knowledge to the next generation of aspiring young recruits.

2008

Jackie Bampton

Events Co-ordinator, ASDA Stores Limited
Jackie is fiercely passionate about improving other people’s lives. Working with community leaders, she has set up a ‘Scrufts’ dog show, raised funds for three police bikes and often gives up her weekends to help local community groups. Despite being past retirement age and caring for a disabled daughter and disabled husband, Jackie has no plans to give up her full-time job yet. In the words of Dennis Ansell, chairman of Leigh Park Community Board, “She makes the world a better place.”

Jessica Horler

Area Manager for South Wales, Argos Ltd
Jessica has risen steadily through the ranks during her 22-year career in retail and proven that women can deliver fantastic results while bringing up two small children. Jessica is considered one of Argos’ top three achievers in the business and having started on the shopfloor herself, has an intuitive understanding of what inspires employees from all levels. She is a true inspiration to other women wanting to pursue an area manager role.

Cathy O’Neill

HR Director, Fortnum & Mason PLC
Cathy is an example of a woman who has risen from a junior role to the top of her company. She began at Fortnum & Mason 29 years ago as an assistant in the personnel department and is now HR Director. It was a combination of Cathy’s ambition, drive and dedication to the Fortnum’s brand that helped her rise so quickly through the ranks. Cathy’s experience gives her a thorough understanding of all aspects of the business and she is a popular and highly respected figure amongst colleagues.

Star of the Future Award

2009

Emma Green
Brand and Marketing Services Manager, The Midcounties Co-operative

Starting her career straight from school as a travel agent, Emma Green quickly progressed up from a trainee to manager. In 2005 Emma began co-ordinating the marketing for all six areas of the Co-operative's business, and her skills were quickly recognised by her appointment as Brand & Marketing Service Manager in 2007. She undertook her CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing in addition to her day-job and in 2008 was chosen as one of 52 individuals from the company to form part of The Leadership Team. Emma's award-winning idea to restructure the team has resulted in increased productivity and success.

Leah Boothe
Operations Manager, McDonald's Restaurants Ltd.

Leah Boothe started as a part-time crew member at McDonald's but her talent was recognised almost immediately when she was offered a place on a new company programme targeted at young, passionate individuals who have the potential to excel. Leah worked as a Junior Business Manager whilst simultaneously completing her degree in Social Research. Accelerating up the managerial ranks to her current role as Operations Manager, Leah is responsible for 52 restaurants. Passionate about raising the profile of senior women in the company outside of her day-to-day heavy workload, she is actively involved in the Women’s Leadership Development Programme, acting as a role model and ambassador for other women entering the sector.

Lucy Clarke
Store Manager, The Co-operative Group

Lucy Clarke fell in love with the retail sector whilst undertaking a temporary position as a supervisor at a Co-operative store. Her talent was quickly noticed and she was soon promoted to the position of Store Manager at the age of just 20. At such a young age she has demonstrated huge success by achieving 100% feedback from mystery shoppers and significantly improved morale levels. Lucy is credited by her team for her passion and commitment to the business, her friendly and approachable nature and willingness to listen to any staff concerns.

2008

Sarah Green

Director, 1st for furniture
At the tender age of 18, Sarah started her own furniture business. Funding was initially a problem, and several male competitors said she’d never make it work. But Sarah’s pragmatism and willingness to learn (she’s gained her class 1 lorry licence to help with the manual side of the business) have ensured she’s overcome any obstacles in her path. Now Sarah is embarking on a new venture: a furniture home delivery business, having spotted a gap in the market.

Gemma Hallam

Store Manager, Dorothy Perkins
Gemma has risen to the challenge of running her own store and is an excellent example of how hard work, commitment and an empathetic approach to customers and colleagues can drive success in retail. Gemma recently beat 200 other managers to win regional ‘branch manager of the quarter’ and led her branch to win ‘Company Model Store’ in early 2007. At 28, Gemma is an inspiration to other young women working in Dorothy Perkins of how much you can achieve in a short space of time.

Emma Semper

Category Buyer - Fresh Fish, The Co-operative Group
Emma has been nominated for the award due to her role in delivering a range of responsibly sourced own-brand fresh fish. Using her buying expertise from previous roles at Morrisons and Netto, but with little knowledge of the new buying area, Emma has worked hard to understand the dynamics of the sector and build relationships with suppliers and colleagues. Emma has demonstrated resilience, a passion for products and willingness to work through the toughest challenges.

Leader of the Year Award

2009

Elaine Roughley
Operations Director, Clinton Cards

Elaine Roughley has spent her entire career in retail. She joined Clinton Cards in 1990, working her way up the ladder to her current role as Operations Director, where she is responsible for a team of seven regional managers covering the whole of the country. Key achievements include working in partnership with the HR team to drive the ‘Change Management’ programme, resulting in a significant reduction in labour turnover and a 27% decrease in the number of people leaving the business. Elaine is particularly proud of her recent appointment as an Ambassador for Skillsmart Retail, helping to raise the profile of the sector as a viable career option amongst young people.

Suzanne Marshall
Area Manager, Argos Ltd.

Suzanne Marshall has spent 17 years with leading high street retailer Argos, initially in HR roles and progressing to her current position as Area Manager for the North East, responsible for a team of 27 store managers. Moving from a support service to operations is quite rare in the retail sector, but Suzanne has more than succeeded in making this transition, leading a dynamic and driven team. They finished top of the Argos tree when pitted against other regions sales targets over the peak Christmas trading period as well as achieving the highest score for mystery shop visits in the company.

Innovator of the Year Award

2009

Alex Pike
Group Marketing Director, Simple Health and Beauty Ltd.

Alex entered the retail sector as Group Marketing Director of Simple in 2007, bringing with her a wealth of experience from the leisure sector, building and developing companies including Sea Life Centres and Fitness First. Moving to FMCG, Alex has found her broad experience and different perspective help her within the role, which has seen Simple grow its customer base by 52%. Her job includes overseeing new product development and Alex is credited with dreaming up the latest must-have beauty essential, Vitamin E Serum Pads, spearheading marketing to secure in-store presence in all major customer accounts including Boots and Tesco.

Laura Tenison MBE
Founder and Managing Director, JoJo Maman Bébé

Laura was inspired to investigate opportunities within the maternity sector as a result of a car crash that left her critically injured. Whilst in hospital, she met a young mother who berated the lack of pretty baby clothes available via mail order. Laura began researching the sector, recognising it was under-represented. Using the capital from the sale of her French property business, she launched JoJo Maman Bébé aged just 25. Laura’s eye for design combined with strong business acumen has been a key factor in her success. She also credits her judge of character; she has built up a very loyal team, many of whom have been with her since the company started, and cites the importance of trust between employer and employee as a critical success factor.

Wendy Hallett
Managing Director, Hallett Retail

Buyer of the Year Award 2008 Finalists

This award will go to the woman whose achievement, product diversity and/or innovative sourcing are bringing about positive change to their retail business.

Angela Cattigan

Category Buyer - Kiosk, The Co-operative Group
During her 11-year buying career, Angela has demonstrated a commercial aptitude for her role in Non Food, consistently delivering against financial targets and, in her latest role, revitalising the Home Entertainment category. She has driven growth in a seasonal event programme over the last three years of 60 per cent (equivalent to £2.2 million), introduced new events into the greeting cards category and developed a programme of event-linked charitable donations that won The Co-operative an award from the British Heart Foundation.

Maria Elener

Category Buyer - Wine, The Co-operative Group
In the five years Maria has worked at the Co-operative, she has established a reputation in the industry as a champion for Fairtrade wine and driven phenomenal sales growth in this category. The Co-operative’s sales of Fairtrade wine increased by 57.8 per cent in 2007, and it delivered nearly £500,000 back to the two Fairtrade projects in South Africa and Argentina. She is a role model for women who want to work in retail in order to make a difference in the world.

Sam Rosen-Nash

Savoury Groceries Buyer, Fortnum & Mason
Sam has worked at Fortnum & Mason for six years and in that time has shown tremendous drive and determination to succeed. Her infectious passion for food and professional attitude have won Sam the respect of her peers and enabled her to overcome a lack of formal qualifications and retail experience. Sam wants junior members of staff to enjoy the same opportunities she had, and consequently dedicates much of her time to coaching them about buying and inspiring them with trips to suppliers.

Director of the Year Award 2008 Finalists

This category is open to all female directors working in retail, whether working in operations, finance, IT, Marketing, Merchandising etc.

Gillian Maskell

Merchandising Director, The Body Shop
Gillian is an outstanding businesswoman who has risen to her current position of Supply Chain Director for UK and Ireland due to her tenacity, commercial acumen and sharp mind. Gillian has extensive experience in retail and has built up a wealth of skills across a broad range of roles, from Department Manager to Buyer and Merchandising Controller. Gillian’s strengths in analysis and creating processes have helped to significantly improve stock levels for The Body Shop At Home, its party planning service, and established supply chain best practices for the business.

Angela Morrison

IT and Change Director, Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd
As the IT Director of a FTSE 100 company, Angela has proven a woman can succeed in both retail and IT. Angela has successfully engaged her team in her mission to create ‘the best IT division in retail’ and saved Sainsbury’s millions of pounds by undertaking a major change programme. Keen to nurture young, talented women, she also takes an active mentoring role with aspiring female managers and is a member of the e-skills board, a government-funded body that promotes IT in education, particularly amongst girls.

Sue Townsend

Commercial Director, Blackwell
Sue is a multi-talented individual and her current diverse role draws on all her strengths in sales, marketing, buying, merchandising and store development. She is an example of how women can succeed at the highest level of retail, with a 19 per cent increase in sales in some academic book categories attributed to her. She is also an inspirational leader to her team, motivating them with her enthusiasm and empowering them to develop their own skills while meeting the commercial objectives of the company.