Sarah Khan | Sara K Digital
Having worked in digital marketing for nearly 10 years, l noticed the rarity of experts, companies who genuinely care for employees and customers beyond financial gain and company politics. How can the UK be the leaders in technology if we aren't providing British SME’s the tools to grow their businesses at honest prices? As a result, SARA K Digital was born.
I serve the hardworking SMEs of the UK and support them to grow their business through online marketing such as social media. My current project provides practical, simple and empowering online marketing training and advice to SMEs - accessible online 24/7 with an expert at hand for further support.
SARA K Digital is an honest business that values each and every stakeholder and gives back to the community because it genuinely cares for people. I practice what l preach as a result, l volunteer my time to mentoring students, young professionals and helping startups who are unable to grow due to personal financial difficulties. Furthermore, a percentage of project profits go directly to educational schemes to help third world countries. And my next venture involves helping children with learning difficulties in the UK.
I believe it’s our duty to inspire and help make the world a better place through our actions for the next generation.
Jemma Moreau | Legoland
After finishing my first career in Swimming for Great Britain, I naturally moved into the fitness industry where I enjoyed a 10 year career. Working through many roles, with the Private Health Club Sector, I finally found the roles I enjoyed most all involved selling! After a year off to bring up my son I moved into a private Members Golf Club where I enjoyed 7 years in business development and changing the shape and outlook of a small club. Now I am proud to say that I work for Merlin Entertainments at LEGOLAND Windsor as VIP and Sponsorship Sales Manager. Here I am able to sell to both customers and business directly. This role allows me to draw on the different skills I have learnt over my career and being a mum of two definitely helps me understand my market and guests on a completely different level!
Aoife Doolan | HMCTS
Aoife is currently Head of Accessibility and Inclusion within Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service Reform Programme. The Reform Programme is a once in a generation opportunity to transform the entire HM Courts and Tribunals Service, enhancing the provision of a world-class justice system, in a manner that provides an improved user experience at reduced cost to the taxpayer. Aoife’s role is focussed on defining and developing the assisted digital service provision for the criminal, family, civil and tribunal justice systems - an ambitious and challenging task but one that will ensure that access to justice is maintained and even improved for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Aoife is passionate about issues of accessibility, inclusion and equality and has spent the last four years since arriving in the UK from Australia dedicated to developing public services which are accessible, easy to use, digital by design and default, and well supported for non-digital users.
Jessica Neale | CBRE
Jessica joined CBRE at the age of 17 as the first female apprentice on the CBRE Apprenticeship scheme. Since joining she has immersed herself within the business, internal and external networks and industry as a whole, taking on every opportunity handed to her. Jessica is extremely passionate about the scheme and was part of the focus group setting up CBRE’s school engagement programme, and managed the scheme in her first year at CBRE. Jessica won the CBRE Going Above and Beyond Award for her persistent determination and passion in promoting the scheme, and continuously exceeding expectations.
For personal financial circumstances Jessica did not attend university, however was determined to make a career for herself, and so left school early to join CBRE. Jessica actively promotes careers and apprenticeships to young people, acting as an ambassador for the programme by doing school presentations and careers fairs. Jessica has also spoken at the CBRE London Business Update to all London based employees, about her passion for diversity and the apprenticeship scheme. Furthermore Jess has spoken at a Real Estate Women’s event sharing her experiences and thoughts from a different social and economic background to the industry norm. She has also written various articles and been interviewed by Estates Gazette and Property Week regarding diversity in real estate. Jess is one of the youngest employees at CBRE and is the youngster member of the CBRE Women’s Network Management Board, where she represents apprentices and graduates. Jessica has been at CBRE for three years, gaining a great reputation for herself by demonstrating drive, determination and enthusiasm in everything she does, and always fulfils work to high standards. She is extremely passionate about diversity and represents the next generation of talent.
Jessica has excelled in her role as an apprentice surveyor, both academically and practically, and is therefore a great role model for not only young women but young people. Her drive and determination is an incredible asset to CBRE and the industry. If Jess was to receive this award it would encourage young people who are looking to pursue a career in an industry as an apprentice. Her personality is humble, her efforts are second to none, and her sheer determination is infectious to others. She undoubtedly has an incredible career ahead of her.
Anar Damji | Baker Hughes
Anar leads the Global Mobility Employment Tax team at Baker Hughes Inc. (“BHI”), a multinational Fortune 500 Oil field service company that supplies products, technology services and systems to the oil and natural gas industries in over 80 countries. An expert with proven ability to create and implement successful structures to deliver employment tax compliance and significant tax cost efficiencies across multi-jurisdictions. Anar is able to perform to a high standard within a culturally diverse team in challenging business environments and is passionate about developing talent. Outside of her day job Anar is responsible for a community mentoring program that works with disadvantaged youth.
Sarah Walker | GE Oil & Gas
Sarah is known for her relentless drive and intrapraneurship balanced with her ability to create a calm environment in tense situations, often by singing through late night work and calls with her team.
As a Senior Commercial Manager at GE Oil & Gas’s $4bn Subsea Systems & Drilling business, Sarah leads multinational teams to tender global EPC commercial deals over $200m. In 2015, Sarah received a GE Oil & Gas award for winning the tender for a strategic FEED design competition. Sarah began her career in the Oil & Gas industry six years ago in the GE Energy European Financial Management Programme prior to which she worked in emerging markets private equity.
In parallel to her current role, Sarah is pursuing a joint Global MBA at London Business School and Columbia Business School. She holds a Master’s degree with Commendation in Oil & Gas Law from Aberdeen University (UK) and a B.A. Cum Laude from Wake Forest University (USA).
Sarah is passionate about diversity as a stimulus for innovation in industry, leading GE's Professional Commercial Women's Network for the UK & Ireland with the goal to develop and retain female talent in commercial roles. Sarah is committed to giving back and has served on the board of the Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts.
Dana Denis-Smith | Obelisk
Dana built Obelisk into a multi-million legal business, from a standing start in 2010 and at a time she was pregnant with her daughter. In both 2015 and 2016 Obelisk was named by The Times as one of UK’s Top 50 Employers for Women, an achievement all the more impressive given the age of the business. Obelisk’s unique value proposition to the legal market was market changing as it was focused on onshoring work through an innovative business model. Obelisk has over 800 lawyers, mainly women lawyers who wished to continue to work around their family commitments but had become economically inactive due to inflexible workplaces; Obelisk deploys this amazing talent on assignments to cover peaks in work for a stellar client list that includes Vodafone, BT, Siemens, ING, Barclays and many more blue chips. The innovative business model operated by Obelisk has led to Dana being recognised as a trailblazer in the legal sector – most recently, she received the 2015 Outstanding Innovator Award from the Legal Week for "constantly finding new ways to get alternate ways of working accepted and has helped provide a voice of reason in a hotly debated area". In 2010 she was featured in Management Today magazine’s "35 under 35" list of UK female high flyers. The yearly list features a roll call of the most inspirational businesswomen under the age of 35 in the UK. She is former magic circle lawyer and international journalist.
In 2014 Dana also founded the First 100 Years Project, the UK’s largest digital library charting the journey of women in law, which also includes the commissioning of 100 originals films, all freely available and to be donated to the nation upon the projects’ completion in 2019. Uniquely for the legal profession, in 2015 the project raised over £12,000 through crowdfunding to finance some of the films.