Monica Dupont-Barton | Reed Smith LLP
I've always wanted to build a European leverage finance practice from London. With the enlargement of Europe, the possibilities of investments in Europe have also increased. The leverage finance desk of every fund and every bank in London contains nationals from at least Germany, France, Italy and Spain (and possibly Holland). And yet law firms are necessarily national in their approach to delivering legal advice.
I joined Reed Smith last year to help build a truly European leveraged finance practice. I played a pivotal role in recruiting highly trained individuals that were well known in the leveraged market from Gide, Linklaters and White & CAse. I was also the driving force behind the growth of our French practice with the recruitment of a finance partner. We didn't use headhunters so my personal reputation in the market played a key role. We were just starting off at Reed Smith so people didn't know us. I used my personal credibility to attract both talen and clients.
One year on, we've worked on inovative unitranche transactions in a number of European jurisdictions including Germany, Holland, Greece, France, Norway and Italy and, most recently, we've extended our reach into the NY market. We've driven all deals from London - because our clients, the alternative capital providers are based in London. Our team in London can chair conference calls and negotiate deals in English, French, Italian or German and we're proud of our diversity. As a result, our skills set have improved, we're better lawyers and better business people, because we understand our client's business and we transpose it in different jurisdictions.
I have also become member of the 30% club and have founded an informal club of women in the leverage finance and alternative capital provider industry to help support each others careers. On every panel discussion that I have chaired over the past year, I've ensured that at least one panellist is a woman.
Last year I have become involved with the French Chamber of Commerce in London and have organised a number of ladies' event through the Chamber.
My biggest achievement this year is to found a team that works hard but has a life outside of work. The legal profession is a difficult one for work life balance, but we strive to introduce flexible working whenever we can and we encourage every member of the team to build a family and a life outside of work.
Polina Zabelina | BP
Polina Zabelina is a chartered Corrosion Engineer in BP Upstream Engineering Centre Team. In her current role she supports BP Projects and Operations by providing corrosion and erosion expertise.
During her 3+years at BP she developed and delivered Erosion training to more than 100 engineers in various BP regions and improved company’s erosion management strategy (estimated value for BP >$500M/year) and was recognised with a Tallow Chandlers Award (2014) for this work.
Prior to BP Polina was a Corrosion Engineer for Sakhalin-1 project (Exxon Neftegas Limited) where she managed Corrosion Monitoring and Chemical Injection program for the whole project.
Polina is from Siberian city Omsk, where she graduated as a Chemical Engineer in 2008. She is a committee member of Institute of Corrosion, member of NACE and PinkPetro Community board member. Polina is also a STEM ambassador and enjoys encouraging students to study engineering.
Vicki Ghiotti | Sodexo
Vicki joined Sodexo in 1994 following various PA roles within the pharmaceutical, IT and medical industries.
Vicki left Sodexo in 1999 to become self-employed and successfully ran a secretarial business from home providing support to local businesses and individuals.
Vicki returned to Sodexo in 2001 as PA to the Business Development Manager, Justice Services.
During her time with Sodexo, Vicki has also worked as a Project Coordinator within the Business Development Team assisting in the production of bid documentation for new custodial business. In 2009, Vicki travelled to South Africa where she worked with a team in Johannesburg producing bid submissions for four new build prison projects.
Vicki is a member of the Leadership Team for Women Work (Sodexo’s gender employee network) and assists in all activities including scheduling monthly team meetings, minute-taking, communicating with the network membership and promoting events. The main event in the Women Work calendar is the Annual Conference, and Vicki is heavily involved in the organisation of this. She also sits on the Events Sub-Committee which arranges and schedules regular events for the network’s members.
Vicki is currently PA to the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director of Sodexo Justice Services. However, from 1 September Vicki will move into a new role as PA to the CEO, Justice Worldwide.
In her spare time, Vicki enjoys spending time with her young son. She also volunteers at events to increase awareness and raise much needed funds for Iain Rennie Hospice at Home.
Emily Thorpe ǀ Happy Working Mum
Emily, is an author, coach and inspirational speaker, who is passionate about transforming the lives of career or business mums, helping them go from tired, stressed, overwhelmed and feeling guilty to relaxed, calm, balanced and in control.
Author of the book “The Working Mums 5-step Solution To Having It All”, Emily also offers talks, transformational workshops and programmes, which all help women to unlock the secrets to successfully combining professional success with being the mum they truly want to be. Ditching the plate spinning, juggling and guilt and instead enjoying quality time with their children and becoming a 'memory maker'.
As a devoted Mother to two boys, and a highly successful air-traffic controller working in a high-pressure environment, whilst also running her own successful coaching business, Emily knows exactly what it takes to “have it all”, helping women to enjoy the journey and those precious family years with a sense of balance, ease, serenity and fun!
Liv Cooke ǀ Liv Cooke Freestyle
I am the only professional female football freestyler in the UK, at 16 years old I can happily say I've achieved all of this myself from the countless nights staying up late finishing my website or writing emails and the cold winter days out there training in the rain.
I aim to promote females in sport and aid the movement for equality via the product of my hard work.
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Becky Rogers | C & C Search
Growing up as one of three girls it is fair to say that I am the classic middle child! Overly Loud and regularly saying the wrong thing at the wrong time I would happily say I am the child that has always caused my parents the most problems. However my outgoing nature has always led me to want to be the best and to never settle for anything less and I have been incredibly lucky to work for some hugely influential and empowering woman.
Despite not being an overachiever on the academic front and struggling with dyslexia I have always felt that a competitive and committed attitude was all I needed to succeed in the world of business.
Currently working for an all female start up recruitment agency I am hugely proud of everything we have achieved and am privileged to have been recognised for this award.
Caroline Andrews | Giles Wilson
I am extremely flattered to have been nominated for this award but this also reflects the team ethic that we produce at the firm. I started working in law because I wanted to help families get through their most difficult moments, and my developing practise of fertility law was a natural result of that.
Through my work for the charity Verity, I have come into contact with tens of thousands of women who have personal health issues which make starting a family quite a lot more complicated than it should be. The law in this area is rapidly developing, and so through my firm I am privileged to have been able to help families understand these issues in my region. I started initially as a paralegal, and over the past 8 years I have developed to a Senior Associate with responsibilities for overseeing many younger members of staff. I am grateful for the role I have in training these , as I am able to demonstrate to them how powerful good legal representation can be in protecting and mending families.
This year I have had a paralegal specifically working on my case load and it has been fantastic in watching how with care and attention from myself as her trainer, she has developed her legal understanding of family law cases; as well as the changes in her own confidence. Both this firm and the charity I volunteer for place an emphasis on self awareness of matters to then be able to access the right professional support, and I engage in this through our social media outlets.
Stephanie Niven | Tesco Pension Investment (TPI)
Stephanie joined TPI in December 2012 as an Equity Portfolio Manager on the global equity team with responsibility for stock selection in the materials, energy and healthcare sectors. Together with her team she has established a robust and effective investment process, driving top quintile performance of the fund over the past two and a half years, with direct oversight of £3.4bn of assets and indirect responsibility over a further £3bn.
Stephanie was previously at hedge fund boutique Javelin Capital LLP, where she was a Partner and Portfolio Manager with responsibility for the fundamental investment strategy of the portfolio. She joined Javelin Capital with former colleagues of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she worked for five years on the Global Active Equity team.
Stephanie graduated from Merton College, Oxford University with a Double First in History, coming in the top ten of her year. Stephanie is a CFA charterholder, receiving the designation in 2010.
Outside of work, Stephanie is a keen athlete, having been selected to represent Great Britain at the ITU World Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Belfort, France. She has also completed four ironman triathlons, most recently achieving a podium position in Langkawi, Malaysia in September 2014.
Rosie Batty ǀ Oliver Wyman
Rosie started at Oliver Wyman in January 2012 having done an internship with the company in 2010 and having graduated from Oxford University with a first in Physics (MPhys).
Since starting work, Rosie has worked with many top tier clients across a range of different industries including Aviation, Financial Services, Retail and Healthcare. Last year, she worked in the project management office for the European Central Bank as they performed the AQR (Asset Quality Review) that Oliver Wyman supported. Since then, she has chosen to specialise in Healthcare Consulting and has worked across both private and public healthcare provision as well as doing some life sciences work.
Rosie is currently working for an NHS client to support the development of new models of care that aim to improve outcomes and experience for patients whilst simultaneously reducing cost within the local health economy. She also supports business development opportunities for the HLS practice within Oliver Wyman, inputting her acquired expertise into proposals and contributing to pitches with senior clients as required.
Alongside her project work, Rosie is a very active member of the office. Right from the start she has taken a prominent role in recruiting and recently supported a project to review the recruiting process and the impact the different stages have on the diversity of candidates receiving an entry-level offer. As well as her involvement in the design of the recruitment process, she attends and presents at many recruiting events, has acted as a mentor for women interested in joining the industry and regularly does interviews for entry level positions. She also acts as a ‘buddy’ for more junior female consultants, providing support as required and generally offering mentorship and advice. Each year since she started, Rosie has received a ‘Firm Contribution’ award each year in recognition of her involvement and contribution to the firm.
Nyarai Kadungure | Barclays
Nyarai joined Barclays Bank at entry level (Analyst 1) as an undergraduate, through hard work and determination she has progressed through all four Analyst stages within the company and is currently on a year’s secondment for an Assistant Vice President position.
As part of her own self-development and learning, she embarked on a seven year personal development plan, to improve her industry awareness and employability. The learning objective funded by Barclays, started with a course on Credit Skills Development, an industry qualification to enhance her understanding of the lending relationships banks have with their customers. Once completed, she moved to phase two completion of The Professional Certificate in Banking certified by the Institute of Financial Services (ifs) and The Professional Diploma in Banking Practice Management. Now five years into that development plan, she is progressing to level six of the ifs university programme, a BSc (Hons) qualification in Banking Practice and Management. Aware that her journey is unique to herself, Nyarai is working with Barclays HR department, project managing the development of a Talent management scheme that supports colleagues in developing a targeted and individual development plan.
In her capacity as Co-Chair of Barclays Junior Advisory Committee, a sub-committee of the Women’s Initiative Network, Nyarai helps to engage junior employees at AVP and Analyst levels with the business. The aim is to focus on areas with maximum impact under the three areas of Mentorship, Training & Development and Retention. She facilitates programs which empowers juniors to not only meet critical business objectives but to also establish mentoring relationships for their own personal development. Nyarai helps to deliver great initiatives which create dialogue between senior leaders and junior members within the business and has looked to develop the initiative in the US and Asia.
As a member of the Women in Banking and Finance network, Nyarai is also progressing through the Toastmaster’s competent speaker and competent leader manuals to develop her skills for that senior role in Banking she is aspiring for.