Sally Lindsay first appeared on stage at the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards in 2018 to present an award to the women of the Suffragette movement, and returned the following year as its keynote speaker.
Sally is a native of Manchester and read English at Hull University where she also got the acting bug.
Sally got her first break in the ground-breaking sitcom The Royle Family. Roles in both Phoenix Nights and Fat Friends followed soon after. Sally then went on to create one of Britain’s best loved barmaids, ‘Shelley Unwin’ in Coronation Street, where she enjoyed a very happy five years.
Upon leaving, Sally moved very successfully into theatre appearing in the sell-out A Taste of Honey and Everybody Loves a Winner at the Royal Exchange.
Since then, Sally has appeared in numerous television shows including C5 hit dramas Cold Call & Intruder, the BAFTA winning Murdered For Being Different, Dial M for Middlesbrough, Still Open All Hours, Ordinary Lies and Moving On to name just a few. With her friend Suranne Jones, Sally created Scott and Bailey for Red Productions, in which she also starred. She also headed up seven series of Sky1’s Mount Pleasant.
Sally’s film credits include Pond Life, and the voice of ‘Piella’ in the Oscar-nominated animation A Matter of Loaf and Death. Sally is also the voice of Halifax in the mult-award winning C5 animation series The World According to Grandpa.
Sally has also diversified into presenting and fronted the BBC Documentary Emmeline Pankhurst: The Making of a Manchester Militant. In 2018, Sally filmed the documentary series Posh Hotels with Sally and Nigel for Channel 5 which has led to 2 series of Sally Lindsay’s Posh Weekends.
Sally is Creative Director of Saffron Cherry Productions with whom she created, produced, wrote, and stars in The Madame Blanc Mysteries for C5 & Acorn TV.
Committed to inspiring, celebrating and promoting female role models across all areas of society and the business community, Sally will help the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards continue to celebrate the achievements of women across the UK.
A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Sue has over 30 years’ experience as a HR practitioner,
with a background in logistics, parcels
and manufacturing.
A Fellow of the Institute of Couriers, a member of the Institute of Directors and proud to be a Women of the Year Ambassador, Sue is also a Trustee of Sheffield Mind. After leaving her previous role as HR Director in 2023, Sue created LimeHub HR Ltd, a HR consultancy business in South Yorkshire, working with companies to help them deliver great people strategies.
Sue’s passion lies in people development, with a particular focus on advancing the role of women in the workplace, championing initiatives to encourage women’s development in traditionally male dominated environments, aimed at fostering inclusive environments where women can excel.
Clare has held senior and strategic level roles for large corporations, such as Trinity Mirror and Northgate Plc.
While at Trinity Mirror plc, Clare was the sales lead for the creation, design and implementation of a new central advertising division, which was then franchised into other areas of Trinity Mirror.
Her career to date has been predominantly spent in the media/digital sector but includes more recent leadership experience within the technology (SaaS) sectors and automotive, where she was a key leader within a large sales transformation project. Working from telesales into field sales and into key leadership roles – Clare has wide experience in leading multi-site, multi-channel (field sales, inbound/outbound telesales and digital) operations across B2B environments.
Clare believes in fostering a culture of high people engagement, collaboration and empowerment. She feels that setting the precedent for high standards and creating an inspirational leadership pull is also extremely important. She has proactively championed the colleague agenda within her organisation. She is also actively championing the development of females within the industry by working with key female industry networks.
Being a proud Mancunian, Clare lives in Sale with her Husband Chris and two kids, Paddy and Jess. They can often be found walking their two cavapoochons, Henry. And Finn Clare loves music and loves nothing more than a great family or friends dinner (always followed with a cheese course), listening to Prince and drinking a well picked bottle of red.
With over 20 years in the hospitality industry, Alexa Cherry has held senior leadership roles across multiple departments in both the US and UK, shaping commercial strategy, marketing, and revenue growth.
A passionate advocate for the industry, she actively mentors’ young talent and showcases hospitality as a lifelong career, not just a stopgap. Previously co-chair of Pro-Manchester’s Hospitality & Leisure committee, she continues to champion the sector’s growth.
Alexa is also a proud supporter of the Women of the Year Awards and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, always looking for ways to push boundaries and celebrate the incredible people in hospitality.
Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services Ltd, Director of the British Stainless Steel Association, Non-Executive Director of ART Business Loans, CEO and Founder of Women with Metal Ltd, Founder of the Women in Industry Podcast.
Kirsty has 35 years’ experience in the metals sector, and as the Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services, she is an expert in finishes for the Nuclear, Pharmaceutical and Architectural sectors and is in demand to consult on projects worldwide.
She is the founder of the Women in Industry Podcast which celebrates women’s achievements in traditionally male dominated sectors to encourage more diversity and to shine a spotlight on those women who are breaking barriers and forging a path.
Kate has been supporting Women of the Year for over 15 years, becoming an ambassador 10 years ago.
Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Kate’s career has seen her working in both Local Government as Lord Mayor’s Secretary and the Ceramics Industry in Sales, Marketing and Public Relations.
Now retired Kate supports charities from many different backgrounds through trusteeships and fundraising.
During her many years involvement with WOTY, she has met many amazing women and heard first hand their incredible stories, and she remains committed to inspiring, celebrating and promoting female role models across all areas of society and the wider business community.
Clair Heaviside is the Co-founder and Creative Director of digital agency, Serotonin.
Based in Manchester UK, the multi-award-winning agency works with clients globally, across a whole range of sectors and industries, from property to technology, hospitality & leisure to health and fashion.
In 2022 she was listed in the Top Ten Female Entrepreneurs To Watch by The Telegraph and NatWest. For the past three years, Clair has been a trustee of Haven, a charity that supports children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
Serial entrepreneur, Jennie Johnson MBE, is Founder and CEO of My First Five Years (MFFY).
She was the first female to win the UK Private Business Awards CEO of the Year (2017) and was voted UK’s Businesswoman of the Year (2019).
Jennie founded Kids Allowed in 2003, growing it to become one of the UK’s largest nursery groups, before successfully exiting in 2020. Working with tens-of-thousands of parents, children and childcare professionals gave Jennie the insights which led to her eureka moment in January 2021 – where she saw the opportunity to bring together technology, science and research to create an app to support and empower parents through the unique challenges of those first five years of their child’s life.
Within a year of founding, MFFY had raised over £1.5m in seed-funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and a number of high profile North West Entrepreneurs.
Suzanne is Founder and CEO of Freestyle, a digital innovation consultancy based in Warwickshire.
Mentoring the next generation of business superstars is part of Suzanne’s DNA and she is committed to inspiring, celebrating and promoting female role models across all areas of society and the business community as an ambassador for the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards.
Suzanne’s driving ambition has always been to find a better way of operating: to deliver great results for customers whilst also recognising the potential in people, regardless of their background.
The ultimate aim is to develop meaningful careers as well as brilliant teams.
With 30 years of dynamic experience in financial services on the commercial side, Jay Mistry has honed her expertise at the intersection of Investment Banks and Fintech companies.
Her impressive career spans top-tier institutions like Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, BNY Mellon, and Broadridge Financial Solutions. Jay is a recognised specialist in Post-Trade services, catering to the complex needs of Banks and Institutional Broker-Dealers across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America.
Her client portfolio is as diverse as it is distinguished, encompassing Global Custodians, Broker/Dealers, and Investment Managers. Now, as she leads VERMEG’s growth in the UK and South Africa, Jay is committed to expanding the brand’s footprint while ensuring seamless and effective management of existing client relationships. Beyond her strategic roles, Jay is passionate about mentoring teams, helping them become successful sales professionals by sharing her invaluable hindsight and industry insights. Her unique blend of commercial acumen and deep industry knowledge makes her a driving force in the financial sector.
Emma is the Executive Editor of Morning Live and The One Show for BBC Studios and has worked in live TV for over 20 years.
A proudly working class girl who grew up in Burnley, Emma’s passionate about tackling social inequality in the workplace and removing barriers to make sure everyone can thrive, regardless of their background.
Her Morning Live team was presented the awards for Best Inclusive Practice and Best Factual Series at the 2024 RTS North West awards.
Emma was also awarded a special commendation as a Business Woman of the Year 2024 finalist
Sally Penni is a practising Barrister at law and the founder and CEO of Women in the Law UK.
She is a multi-award-winning Barrister for her work in Equality. She is one of the best-known lawyers in the North West of England.
Outside of her practice she is a Speaker, Author and Broadcaster and is the host of Talking Law podcast. Sally is an ambassador for Women on Boards UK, and the Pankhurst Centre Manchester along with Sally Lindsey and others.
Julianne Ponan MBE is a leader in the free-from industry, driven by her experience with severe anaphylaxis since age two.
Refusing to let allergies define her, she founded Creative Nature, a Top 14 allergen-free brand, securing listings in major supermarkets and exporting to 16 countries.
She has influenced airline catering, co-founded Allergy Awareness Assemblies, and advocates for people with allergies through roles with GS1 UK and the FSB.
A frequent speaker in Parliament and media including Sky News and BBC, she was awarded an MBE in the Kings New Years Honours for her contributions to business, export and allergy awareness.
Recently, she became Medic Alert’s first ambassador in 65 years.
Dr Roni Savage is CEO & Founder of Jomas Associates, an Engineering Company serving the Construction Industry since 2009.
Named Most Influential Woman in Construction 2022, Roni, is a Honorary Fellow of Royal Institute of British Architects, a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers, Chartered Geologist and SiLC (Specialist in Land Condition).
A graduate of University of Portsmouth with a BEng(hons) in Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, she also holds a Masters’ (with distinction) in Environmental Management from University of Exeter.
She has worked on many major construction schemes, including the widening of the A406 and M25, as well as various buildings and structures across the UK. She has been involved in designing sustainable remediation solutions to enable the reclamation of several brownfield sites, which may have laid derelict otherwise. She was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Portsmouth in July 2023 for exceptional contribution to the construction industry.
Multi-award winner, and mum of three boys, Roni is a passionate diversity champion, speaking internationally on matters relating to diversity in business, engineering and construction. Roni is policy chair for construction for the federation of small businesses, with an advisory role to the UK government, and vice chair of YMCA SPG, a charity committed to empowering young people. She also sits on the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee for the King’s Awards, and the UK government SME Business Council.
Nicole is a long-standing Trustee for the DT38 charity in conjunction with West Ham FC. DT38 aids to raise awareness of testicular cancer to save lives.
She has invested in multiple businesses and frequently provides significant investment to those she believes have a promising future.
Dedicated to inspiring, celebrating, and promoting female role models in all areas of society and the business community. As an ambassador for the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards, Nicole will continue to celebrate the achievements of women across the UK.
Moving into the later years of her career, Nicole now wants to pass her knowledge to the next generation and use her personal journey to inspire women.
Gareth has had a varied career starting in luxury retail and spent 15 years as a Human Resource director specialising in learning and development and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
He is a professional mediator and seasoned development coach, lending his skills to several organisations such as Young Enterprise and
The Prince’s Trust.
He has developed a portfolio of businesses since 2012, from working with the Natural History Museum to bring dinosaurs to Blackpool for the first time, to introducing the pioneering co-working space Ziferblat to the UK in 2015, for which he won multiple awards for innovation
and hospitality excellence.
Mark Smith joins us this year as an ambassador, having been a long-term advocate of Women of the Year.
His career spans the public, private and higher education sectors and has a common theme: creating opportunity for all.
Mark’s multifaceted career is characterised by his ability to build a common purpose amongst partners, helping them support the communities they serve. His legacy extends beyond the projects he has led; it lies in his positive impact on the individuals and communities he has touched.
As an advocate for equality of opportunity, he continues to be a driving force for positive change, having just returned from a joint UN and Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office-backed mission to Pakistan to promote export growth by female-led businesses.
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