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Winners Crowned at Women of the Year Awards in Manchester

The Women of the Year Awards and Luncheon took place in Manchester for the first time in its 42 year history on Friday 11th October at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

Over 400 people gathered to listen to the stories of and celebrate the three inspirational and worthy winners.

With over 300 nominations and 20 applicants shortlisted in three categories; ‘Business Woman of the Year’, ‘Freeths Woman with Edge’, and the inaugural ‘Emmeline Pankhurst Award: Woman of Achievement’.

Roni Savage, CEO and Founder of Jomas Engineering, was the deserving recipient of the Women of the Year award. Since founding the business in 2009, Ronnie has also won ‘Most Influential Woman in Construction 2022’, and sits on the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee for the King’s Awards, and the UK Government SME Business Council. Judges commended Roni for her passionate advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and her embodiment of the essence of the Woman of the Year Awards.

Whilst Julianne Ponan MBE, founder of and CEO of Creative Nature, a top 14 allergen-free food range took home the ‘Freeths Woman with Edge’ award. Judges noted that Julianne’s commitment and drive to overcome obstacles throughout her journey, which made her a standout nominee.

Figen Murray was honoured with the ‘Woman of Achievement’ award, recognising her work and strength in campaigning for ‘Martyn’s Law’, which aims to better protect the public from terrorism in the aftermath of her son’s death at the hands of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. Figen attended alongside her daughter Louise Webster.

Amongst attendees, Manchester businesses including Co-op Live, Allied London, and Shenton Group represented. Writer, and actress Sally Lindsay, who is the residing President of the awards, gave a speech to welcome guests and celebrated the event being in Manchester, the ‘creative capital of the UK’ and one of the best places to visit in the world in as cited by the New York Times earlier this year.

Notable judges included representatives from key sponsors of the awards and alumni including, Aldermore Bank, Freeths, Strategi Solutions, and Roland Dransfield.

Zalena Vandrewala, Chair of the Women of the Year Awards, said: “The build-up to this year’s awards, being held in Manchester for the very first time, has been nothing short of thrilling. It was amazing to see the day come to life as we hosted hundreds of guests to celebrate the sheer talent and inspiration of women across the UK, and of course, crown our well-deserved winners.”

On her win for ‘Business Woman of the Year’, Roni commented: “Winning Business Woman of the Year is a truly humbling accolade. To run an engineering business where only 14% of the workforce across the industry are female, I feel incredibly honoured to represent such a small minority, carrying the torch for those after me.

“I want to also say a huge congratulations to my fellow finalists, who all deserved to be here, and thank you to the Women of the Year team for giving me the opportunity to spotlight what is possible for women in the construction industry.”        

Steven Hewitt, from headline sponsor Aldermore Bank, said: “As head judge for the Women of the Year Awards, I was inspired by the extraordinary talent, innovation, and leadership displayed by women throughout the UK’s business arena.

“This year’s finalists have once again raised the bar and surpassed expectations, demonstrating remarkable achievements that not only propel their industries forward but also pave the way for future generations of female entrepreneurs.

“These awards continue to serve as testament to the invaluable contributions women make to both our economy and society, and I’m immensely honoured to be part of recognising their exceptional accomplishments.”

The Women of the Year Awards aims to recognise and celebrate women’s achievements across various sectors in the UK, such as hospitality, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, and more.

Past winners of the awards also include Baroness Karren Brady, Dame Julie Kenny CBE, Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE, Fiona Allen and Jenny Campbell.

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