Women of the future

Entrepreneur and businesswoman Hayley Gait-Golding was amongst 8 of Britain’s most inspirational young women recognised at the 2011 Women of the Future Awards in London last night (16 November).

Hayley, 29, who sold her own house to fund her dream of creating the successful healthy snack company BEAR nibbles, was named Entrepreneur of the Future in her highly contested category. Launching in 2009 as a self-funded start up, BEAR nibbles is now a nationally stocked brand after only two years.

Held in association with Shell, the awards were attended by HRH The Princess Royal, HRH Princess Badiya bint El Hassan, Cherie Blair and wife of Deputy Prime Minister, Miriam González Durántez.

Also recognised was 22-year-old Zoe Jackson, who scooped the Women of the Future award in Arts, Media and Culture. Zoe created her own youth-led performing arts company at only 16-years-old to inspire other young people, and was predicted by the judges to be ”pivotal in the performing arts industry very soon”.

Woman of the Future in Arts, Media and Culture:
Winner: Zoe Jackson, managing director, Living the Dream Performing Arts Company
Shortlisted:
Princess Nauf Albender Al Saud, director, Lahd Gallery
Caroline Bird, poet
Carla Buzasi, editor, Huffington Post UK
Sally Lai, chief executive, Chinese Arts Company
Karen Pearson, founder, Folded Wing

The Woman of the Future in Business and Finance
Winner: CJ Antal-Smith, category director for emerging markets, Asda
Shortlisted:
Lisa Bryant, women in business director, Lloyds Banking Group
Anna Kuriakose, group product director, Monitise
Kirsten McLay, senior management consultant, IBM
Lyndsay Menzies, chief media officer LBi International N.V and CEO, bigmouthmedia
Alex Pumfrey, programme director, Digital UK
Zahera Sheikh, director, global banking central management office, HSBC
Emily Yoder, executive director, JP Morgan

Entrepreneur of the Future
Winner: Hayley Gait-Golding, founder, Bear Nibbles
Shortlisted:
Nathalie Dauriac, CEO, Signia Wealth
Charlotte Fantelli, founder, Fantelli Imprint
Alexandra Popa, founder, Bordelle
Alyssa Smith, founder, Alyssa Smith Jewellery
Claire Watt-Smith, managing director, BoBelle

The Professional Woman of the Future
Winner: Layla McCay, assistant medical director, Bupa
Sophie Chandauka, legal counsel, Virgin Money
Caroline Dhir, partner, human capital, Ernst & Young
Jane Papasolomontos, director, KPMG
Brioney Thomas, partner, Burges Salmon
Aisling Zarraga, partner, Linklaters LLP

The Woman of the Future in Public Service
Winner: Elizabeth Anderson, head of foundation affairs, The Aldridge Foundation
Shortlisted:
Kiran Bali MBE JP, non exec director, Magistrate, Independent Member of West Yorkshire Police
Rosalind Campion, head of the office of the sentencing council, Ministry of Justice
Kris Hallenga, founder and CEO, CoppaFeel!
Barbara Soetan, chief executive, Elevation Networks

Science and Technology Woman of the Future
Winner: Dr Kylie Vincent, RCUK Fellow in Chemistry, University of Oxford
Shortlisted:
Tracy Brogan, senior operations engineer, Centrica
Suzanne Coogan, project manager, Shell UK
Debra Lam, policy and sustainability consultant, Arup
Dr Emily Flashman, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, University of Oxford

The MBA Star Award
Winner: Noa Epstein, consultant, Google & MBA student, Cambridge Judge Business School
Shortlisted:
Alice Rackley, senior retail consultant, Deloitte MCS (Imperial College Business School, London)
Gloria Ruto, sales 1st integration project manager, Shell UK (Imperial College London Business School)
Antonia Koop, international coordinator/ CEO, PECOJON (Warwick Business School)

The Young Star Award
Winner: Shareen Khaliq, student, Mulberry School for Girls
Shortlisted:
Hannah Blyth, student, St John’s College
Le My Dang, student, Clapton Girls’ Academy
Osaseri Guobadia, student, University of Cambridge
Monique Hoi Yin Ho, biochemist student, Imperial College

The Women of the Future Corporate Award
Winner: Sky
Shortlisted:
ARUP
Jones Lang  LaSalle
JP Morgan
Vodafone Group

Mentor of the Year
Winner: Prof Jenny Higham, director of education, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College
Shortlisted:
Simon Dolan, managing director, SJD Accountancy
Helen Mahy, group company secretary, National Grid
Rebecca Rees, founder, Freestyle
Sophie Turner Laing, managing director, Entertainment, Sky
Vanessa Vallely, head of business management, Aviva Investors