WeAreTheCity’s Top 100 Rising Star Awards now open | Nominate now!
WeAreTheCity is delighted to announce that nominations for their 2016 Top 100 Rising Star Awards are now open.
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Now in their second year, the WATC Rising Star Awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level. Through these awards we will celebrate 100 individual female contributors that represent the leaders and role models of tomorrow. We hope that by raising the profile of our short list and winners, we will also encourage organisations to consider how they strengthen the development of their female pipeline in the future.
Recognising that careers for women may follow different timescales, the Top 100 Rising Star awards will not have any age restrictions included within the criteria. WeAreTheCity feels it has a responsibility to ensure that female talent, regardless of age and background, receives the necessary support and skills to transition into key decision-making roles within our organisations.
“These awards are an incredible celebration of the great achievements women are making in business. We have more women on FTSE boards than ever before, the lowest gender pay gap on record and we’ve been rated the best place in Europe for women to start a business. I am proud of how far we’ve come but we must now build on that momentum so we achieve true gender equality.” – Nicky Morgan, Minister for Equalities
“We are delighted to be the lead sponsor of the Rising Star Awards which recognises the achievements of talented women on their way to the top; the contributions they make to their organisations and society in general.” – Mark McLane, Managing Director, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Barclays PLC
WeAreTheCity will use its extensive reach across the UK & Ireland to find 100 high-achieving women across 20 key industries and professions.
The nominations process opens today, 01 February 2016, for all categories. A shortlist of 10 women from each industry category will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges and will be published towards the end of April. The shortlist will then be open to a public vote. Judging for the final five winners for each category will take place with independent judges during May. The Top 100 Rising Stars will be announced in June and all winners, sponsors and supporters will be invited to attend a prestigious evening reception at Barclays in London to celebrate and collect their awards.
Categories
- Banking, sponsored by Societe Generale
- Charity, sponsored by Cancer Research UK, Women of Influence
- Consultancy, sponsored by EY
- Defence, sponsored by PA Consulting
- Diversity, sponsored by AON
- EA/PA, sponsored by EPAA (Executive and Personal Assistant Association)
- Education & Academia, sponsored by The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Entrepreneurs, sponsored by Virgin Media Business
- Facilities Management, sponsored by ISS
- HR & Recruitment, sponsored by Twenty Recruitment
- Insurance, sponsored by Lloyd’s
- Investment Management, sponsored by BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management
- Law, The Lynne Freeman Award, sponsored by Reed Smith
- Media & Journalism, sponsored by Bloomberg
- Oil & Gas, sponsored by PwC
- Property Services, sponsored by Kier
- Public Sector, sponsored by Socitm Advisory
- Sales, sponsored by WorldPay
- Sport, sponsored by Pedalsure
- Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley
We are also calling for nominations for our Rising Star Champions. This category recognises the efforts of senior leaders who are actively supporting the female pipeline. This award, sponsored by Oliver Wyman in partnership with UN Women National Committee UK, is open to both male and females who currently hold senior positions within their organisations and who have demonstrated their support for gender either internally or externally. Have you had someone champion you in your career and support you and other women in their jobs? Why not nominate them for a Champion Award to celebrate and say thank you for their support?
Find out more about our sponsors here
Criteria for entries
- Nominees must be below senior/middle management
- Nominees must be working within the industry of the category they are nominated for
- Nominees must be working in the UK or Northern Ireland
Please note our awards are open to women of all ages.
How we define a Rising Star
- Someone who is making a difference in their industry
- Someone who demonstrates passion and drive
- Someone who gives back or inspires others
- Someone who is recognised by others as having the potential to become a future leader in their industry
The Timeline
- Nominations open – 01 February
- Nominations close – 25 March
- Additional information deadline – 25 March
- Shortlist judging period – 28 March – 15th April
- Shortlist announced – 25 April
- Public voting opens – 25 April
- Finalist judging period – 25 April – 27 May
- Shortlist event – 17 May
- Public voting closes – 27 May
- Finalists announced – 06 June
- Winners event – 30 June
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Source: WeAreTheCity - Information and jobs portal for business women
WeAreTheCity's Top 100 Rising Star Awards now open | Nominate now!
WeAreTheCity are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for their Top 100 Rising Star Awards.
Now in their second year, the WATC Rising Star Awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level. Through these awards we will celebrate 100 individual female contributors that represent the leaders and role models of tomorrow. We hope that by raising the profile of our short list and winners, we will also encourage organisations to consider how they strengthen the development of their female pipeline in the future.
Recognising that careers for women may follow different timescales, the Top 100 Rising Star awards will not have any age restrictions included within the criteria. WeAreTheCity feels it has a responsibility to ensure that female talent, regardless of age and background, receives the necessary support and skills to transition into key decision-making roles within our organisations.
“We are delighted to be the lead sponsor of the Rising Star Awards which recognises the achievements of talented women on their way to the top; the contributions they make to their organisations and society in general.”
Mark McLane, Managing Director, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Barclays PLC
WeAreTheCity will use its extensive reach across the UK & Ireland to find 100 high-achieving women across 20 key industries and professions.
The nominations process opens today, 01 February 2016, for all categories. A shortlist of 10 women from each industry category will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges and will be published towards the end of April. The shortlist will then be open to a public vote. Judging for the final five winners for each category will take place with independent judges during May. The Top 100 Rising Stars will be announced in June and all winners, sponsors and supporters will be invited to attend a prestigious evening reception at Barclays in London to celebrate and collect their awards.
Categories
- Banking, sponsored by Societe Generale
- Charity, sponsored by Cancer Research UK, Women of Influence
- Consultancy, sponsored by EY
- Defence, sponsored by PA Consulting
- Diversity, sponsored by AON
- EA/PA, sponsored by EPAA (Executive and Personal Assistant Association)
- Education & Academia, sponsored by The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Entrepreneurs, sponsored by Virgin Media Business
- Facilities Management, sponsored by ISS
- HR & Recruitment, sponsored by Twenty Recruitment
- Insurance, sponsored by Lloyd’s
- Investment Management, sponsored by BNY Mellon and Newton Investment Management
- Law, The Lynne Freeman Award, sponsored by Reed Smith
- Media & Journalism, sponsored by Bloomberg
- Oil & Gas, sponsored by PwC
- Property Services, sponsored by Kier
- Public Sector, sponsored by Socitm Advisory
- Sales, sponsored by WorldPay
- Sport, sponsored by Pedalsure
- Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley
Nominate Now
We are also calling for nominations for our Rising Star Champions. This category recognises the efforts of senior leaders who are actively supporting the female pipeline. This award, sponsored by Oliver Wyman in partnership with UN Women National Committee UK, is open to both male and females who currently hold senior positions within their organisations and who have demonstrated their support for gender either internally or externally. Have you had someone champion you in your career and support you and other women in their jobs? Why not nominate them for a Champion Award to celebrate and say thank you for their support?
Nominate a Rising Star Champion
Find out more about our sponsors here
Criteria for entries
- Nominees must be below senior/middle management
- Nominees must be working within the industry of the category they are nominated for
- Nominees must be working in the UK or Northern Ireland
Please note our awards are open to women of all ages.
How we define a Rising Star
- Someone who is making a difference in their industry
- Someone who demonstrates passion and drive
- Someone who gives back or inspires others
- Someone who is recognised by others as having the potential to become a future leader in their industry
The Timeline
- Nominations open – 01 February
- Nominations close – 25 March
- Additional information deadline - 25 March
- Shortlist judging period – 28 March – 15th April
- Shortlist announced – 25 April
- Public voting opens – 25 April
- Finalist judging period – 25 April – 27 May
- Shortlist celebration event at Bloomberg– 17 May
- Public voting closes – 27 May
- Finalists announced – 06 June
- Winners event – 30 June
Rising Stars 2015 - So what happened next for our winners? | Part Six
In 2015, thanks to the help of a number of amazing supporters and sponsors, WeAreTheCity ran the first of its Rising Star awards programmes. The aim of the awards was to identify 50 future leaders and role models under a management level across 10 different industries. After a staggering amount of nominations and an intensive judging period, we finally arrived at our shortlist and opened the public vote. The public vote resulted in over 15,000 votes from across 112 different countries and galvanized amazing support from our nominees’ networks, their companies, the press, as well as our own sponsors and supporters. After a final judging process, we identified our amazing top 50 winners and celebrated their awards alongside our sponsors, friends and supporters at the House of Commons in September.
First, we speak with Memona Mohammad of BT, who was one of our winners of Rising Stars in Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley.
Memona, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
I was featured on BT’s internal homepage, “BT Today”, in an article that shared some coverage of the award’s celebrations and acted as a thank you to colleagues who supported me, right from the nominations through to voting. It was great to get the encouragement and recognition both internally and externally.
Since the awards, the winners from the Technology category were invited to a celebratory lunch at Morgan Stanley. This was really nice of Morgan Stanley to host us. We were able to meet with other inspirational people from the firm, including Gerard Hester, Mark Looker, Ulla Harker, Harvey Weller, Louise Zenasni, Bo Lu and Katherine Loe. They have reached senior positions and worked in areas such as Foreign Exchange and Emerging Markets Technology, Technology & Data, Operational Support, Institutional and Wealth Management and some have even featured on WeAreTheCity.
Once a month, I am now also mentoring four female students, aged between 15-16 from a school in East Croydon. My aim is to help the students build on their strengths and confidence, stretch their capabilities and pursue their interests whilst learning about the opportunities and options they have when leaving school. As part of the Ethnic Minority Network Mentoring Scheme, I have also started mentoring an apprentice, who is in her second year at BT. It is truly rewarding to give back to others, helping them to think about their achievements, their future and how they can find opportunities that are right for them.
I have also been given the opportunity to take on more responsibility in my current role as an Account Manager, working with additional customers, taking on work from a new contract and being one of the main interfaces from BT. By doing so, I have been helping to build on their IT services, global WAN, ensuring customer satisfaction and innovation. I have also been able to learn more about the portfolio and how BT can help other service providers. I believe that there is no glass ceiling, there is only a mirror and the only thing stopping you from progressing is yourself, so don’t let that be a barrier.
What top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
• Help others. Whether it’s in the workplace or at events volunteering, when you are helping others you are sharing your experience, advice and knowledge and inspiring others to want to do well. At the same time you are also putting into practice your own skills and building on them. It’s a chance to do some networking, practicing how to present yourself and learning a lot from others around you too.
• Understand how your role fits into the company you work for, where the work comes from and the teams involved in the end-to-end processes. You also get to meet more people this way, building your relationships in the team and your knowledge too. Knowledge is power and I believe it helps to know the detail. You have to be willing to learn and encourage others to do the same.
• Really listen to other people and anyone you meet. Be open-minded and learn about their journey; listen to their stories, advice and decisions in life.
Next, we talk to Sarah Gerken of Willis, one of our winners of our Insurance Rising Stars category, which was sponsored by Lloyds.
Sarah, what has happened since winning your Rising Star award in September?
Since winning the Rising Stars in Insurance Award, I have been promoted to the role of Account Director, something that usually takes a number of years to achieve. In this new role, I am responsible for the insurance and risk management of a rapidly expanding pharmaceutical company. My work to date has received special praise from the company’s CFO, Risk Manager and Company Secretary. I have also been invited to talk to graduates who joined the company in 2015 and mentor younger insurance professionals. Finally, an article dedicated to my success was published on the company’s intranet site.
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
• Set yourself short (6 month) and longer term (2-3 year) goals. Write down how you plan to achieve those goals to avoid career stagnation. These have to be flexible enough so that any opportunities can be seized. The longer-term goals should include your next promotion/role.
• Seek out mentors. I have a mix of mentors whose careers I aspire to and/or who have been successful in their chosen field. Regular mentor meetings help ensure that you are on track with your goals and help to facilitate your progression through networking suggestions, introductions and advice.
• Continual learning. Always challenge yourself to learn new skills. Companies are often willing to invest in their staff. Therefore do not be afraid to push to be sent on training and development courses.
Finally, we talk to Debbie Grimshaw of Brother UK, one of our EA/PA category winners of 2015 Rising Stars, which was sponsored by Barclays.
Debbie, what has happened since winning your Rising Star award in September?
Winning the award has raised my profile greatly in the EA/PA world and my network has extended beyond Manchester and the UK - I am now connected with EAs/PAs all over the world.
I have been featured on our company Twitter feed, our internal social media platform Yammer, through Manchester PA Network and I have written some PA magazine articles.
Following the award I was asked to contribute to Exceptional EA showcases, Real Careers, in which administrators from around the globe generously share the benefit of their experience by means of an interview. This has reached administrators in all corners of the world and in various industries.
I was extended an invitation to do my very first speaking event with EUMA at their regional training day in Manchester. It was an honour to be interviewed by Sheila Anderson, Founder of EUMA North West about my career and in particular my recent Rising Star award.
Then came the amazing offer from Victoria Darragh to sit on the board of the new EPAA, launching in January 2016 as a Non-Executive Director. I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to join the line-up of inspiring assistants that make up the board for this new and much needed professional association.
Last but certainly not least I was nominated for a Manchester PA Network Ambassador award in the inaugural Manchester PA of the Year Awards held in November 2015. I did not win in my nominated category, but I was stunned and absolutely speechless to receive the overall Manchester PA of the Year Award 2015.
Before winning the Rising Star award nobody really knew Debbie Grimshaw. Since then though, I’ve built my personal brand, had a platform in which to share experience and knowledge, pushed outside of my comfort zone speaking in public, won an award which will go down in history as the first ever Manchester PA of the Year and am now very excited to give back to the EA/PA community by joining the EPAA Board in 2016.
What top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
On the train down to the shortlist event at Bloomberg headquarters, I was questioning myself as to why I had ended up on a shortlist alongside other PAs who I felt already had huge profiles and were so well established in the EA/PA community. Having met those other PAs, listened to Vanessa Vallely speaking and after chatting with others about their nominations, I came away with a completely different mind-set. Yes I have worked hard, I have come a long way from the days of starting out as a receptionist/secretary, I am inspiring others and I did deserve to be there on that shortlist. So thank you WATC you have taught me to believe in myself.
My 3 top tips are:
• Find yourself a mentor. Having the right people to advise and support you should be part of your development strategy and never stay in a role where you can’t be heard, contribute or learn. Continue to invest in your personal development to open doors to broader responsibilities.
• Network online and in person. There is a huge amount of low cost or free training on offer, delivered by some really inspirational people. My career has grown, doors have opened and opportunities have come about, just by being connected with those people I have met at networking events. I now have the Google of Manchester at my fingertips…there's not a question you can put to the network that someone won't come back on with help, suggestions or even a solution for you.
• Give back and support others. Not only does it help them, but it’s great for your own personal development too. Whilst awards are wonderful to receive, my greatest reward will be to see someone else reach this achievement and know that sharing my knowledge and experience has helped them on their journey to success. At Brother UK, one of our values is to ‘grow ourselves by growing others’ and I truly get so much out of doing just that!
WeAreTheCity would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our Rising Stars for sharing their successes with us. We are sure you will agree that they are all achieving amazing things and offering sound advice to future Rising Stars.
We look forward to featuring more of our Rising Stars next week. Please note our Rising Star programme for 2016 opens on 1st February 2016. More details will be posted to the site during January – click here for more information and to register your interest in our awards
One week to go - who will you nominate? | WeAreTheCity's Top 100 Rising Star Awards
Last year, through our Rising Star awards WeAreTheCity highlighted the achievements of 50 future leaders and role models across 10 different industries and professions. We are proud to announce that our 2015 winners have gone on to achieve phenomenal success over the past six months. You can read about some of our previous winners achievements here.
Due to the success of the 2015 awards, WeAreTheCity is seeking to recognise the achievements of a further 100 role models and future female leaders in 2016, however we cannot do this without your nominations!
"I am pleased to announce that since receiving my award I have been given a double promotion! I will shortly be moving from my existing role in Learning and Development to a new role where I will now be coaching senior leaders of the bank and leading a team of 3-4 people.” - Lucy Booker, RBS – WATC 2015 Rising Star in Banking
If you know an amazing woman who is operating below a senior/middle management level who deserves recognition, then please consider nominating her for WeAreTheCity’s Rising Star awards. You can nominate between 01 February and 25 March.
In order to prepare your nomination, we suggest you read the following guidance.
Our criteria for entry is:
Our criteria for entry is:- Nominees must be below senior/middle management
- Nominees must be working within the industry of the category they are nominated for
- Nominees must be working in the UK or Northern Ireland
Please note our awards are open to women of all ages.
Here is what the judges are looking for in a Rising Star:
- Someone who is a champion of women in their business or sector
- Someone who strives to achieve success and results
- Someone who gives back or inspires others
- Someone who is recognised by others as having the potential to become a future leader in their industry
Rising Star categories:
| Banking, sponsored by Societe Generale | Charity, sponsored by Cancer Research UK, Women of Influence |
| Consultancy, sponsored by EY | Defence, sponsored by PA Consulting |
| Diversity, sponsored by AON | EA/PA, sponsored by EPAA (Executive and Personal Assistant Association) |
| Education & Academia, sponsored by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business | Entrepreneurs, sponsored by Virgin Media Business |
| Facilities Management, sponsored by ISS | HR & Recruitment, sponsored by Twenty Recruitment |
| Insurance, sponsored by Lloyd’s | Investment Management, sponsored by Newton Investment Management |
| Law, The Lynne Freeman Award, sponsored by Reed Smith | Media & Journalism, sponsored by Bloomberg |
| Oil & Gas, sponsored by PwC | Property Services, sponsored by Kier |
| Public Sector, sponsored by Socitm Advisory | Sales, sponsored by WorldPay |
| Sport, sponsored by PedalSure | Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley |
| Rising Star Champions, sponsored by Oliver Wyman in partnership with UN Women National Committee UK |
Our Rising Star nomination questions:
- Please provide specific examples of this individual's achievements in her day job (100 words or less)
- Please tell us why you believe this individual is a role model in her industry and should be named as a WeAreTheCity Top 50 Rising Star. (200 words or less)
- Please detail how this individual is helping others (eg mentoring/charity work/internal or external networks/school activities (100 words or less)
- Please provide three words that sum up this individual. (eg inspirational, motivational, infectious etc)
- Please detail any other awards this individual has received or notable educational achievements (If known) (100 words or less)
- If your nominee was named as a Rising Star 2016, how do you think she would leverage this award to encourage others? (100 words or less)
Our advice for those nominating
- Ensure you have the relevant contact details for your nominee (email address/full name/job title/company etc)
- Prior to nominating, ensure you are aware of their achievements both in relation to their work and external activities
- Ensure you include key details and try to quantify/qualify your statements with outcomes/how the individual went above and beyond/their impact or contribution to a wider project
- Be clear and concise - you only have a limited amount of words to answer each question
- Ensure that you have enough time to complete the nomination to the best of your ability. There is not an option to save the nomination as you populate the fields and WeAreTheCity is unable to process incomplete entries
We are also calling for nominations for our Rising Star Champions. This category recognises the efforts of senior leaders who are actively supporting the female pipeline. This award, sponsored by Oliver Wyman, is open to both male and females who currently hold senior positions within their organisations and who have demonstrated their support for gender either internally or externally. Do you know a senior individual who is going above and beyond to champion women? If so, please consider nominating them for our Rising Star Champion awards via the Rising Star website on 01 February 2016.
"Since the awards I have won the Sky Sports Inspirational Helen Rollanson Sportswoman Award 2015, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky 1 I also received a personal message from David Beckham!” - Annie Zaidi, Leicester City Football Club – WATC 2015 Rising Star in Sport
NOMINATE NOW
Still have questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions or email the team at RisingStars@wearethecity.com.
To check the terms and conditions of the awards, please visit here.
For more information on the timeline for the awards, please visit here .
WeAreTheCity – Proud to introduce our Rising Star Judges for 2016
Judging the Rising star awards is no easy task. Several of the judges from last years awards stated it was one of the hardest judging activities they have ever undertaken due to the amazing achievements of the women who were nominated. We expect this year will be no different!.
For our 2016 Rising Star awards, we are leveraging the extensive experience and industry knowledge of 21 amazing judges. Each judge has been carefully selected for their expertise in a particular field or their breadth of knowledge across the business landscape.
We are also proud to welcome back six of our 2015 judges, Heather Melville, RBS, Simone Roche, Northern Power Women, Sarah Boddey, AIG, Paul Sesay, The National Diversity Awards, Duncan McRae, Flying Colours Marketing and Jo Gaglani who leads WeAreTheCity in India.
We are also honoured to introduce 17 new judges for this years awards from African Caribbean Business Network, Baringa, BlackRock, CBRE, Coaching Squared, Cisco, Diawa Capital Markets, Executive Secretary, The Equalities Office, Guardian Women in Leadership, Money & Co, The Royal Navy, Rosa Fund for Women, Shell, Sodexo, Women in Technology & The Be Group.
On behalf of WeAreTheCity, our sponsors and future nominees we would like to sincerely thank all of our judges for their dedication to female pipeline and for donating their valuable time to judge the Rising Star awards in 2016.
Our Rising Star awards are the only awards of their kind to focus solely on the pipeline of female talent below a management level. The aim of the 2016 awards is to recognise and celebrate 100 female role models and individual contributors across 20 different industries who represent the future leaders of tomorrow.
MEET OUR JUDGES NOW
Source: WeAreTheCity - Information and jobs portal for business women
Announcing WeAreTheCity's Top 100 Rising Star Awards 2016
"Shining a spotlight on the female talent pipeline"
Now in their second year, the WATC Rising Star Awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level. Through these awards we will celebrate 100 individual female contributors that represent the leaders and role models of tomorrow. We hope that by raising the profile of our short list and winners, we will also encourage organisations to consider how they strengthen the development of their female pipeline in the future.
This year we are also pleased to announce a new category to our awards, Rising Star Champions, which recognises the efforts of senior leaders, male and female, who are actively supporting the female pipeline outside of their corporate responsibilities.
Vanessa Vallely, founder and CEO of WeAreTheCity, said: "The focus on increasing the number of women on boards in the UK over the past few years has been incredibly successful. We now need to focus on helping to highlight women who will be future managers and directors within our organisations.
"The UK has an abundance of female talent of all ages but we need to give these women the chance to shine. Given the success of the Rising Star awards in 2015 and the ongoing achievements of our winners, we decided to double the amount of awards winners from 50 to 100 and extend our reach across 20 industries. Expanding the awards in the UK and subsequently into India later in 2016 is all part of WeAreTheCity’s strategic objective of highlighting the achievements of 500 pipeline women over the next five years."
Recognising that careers for women may follow different timescales, the Top 100 Rising Star awards will not have any age restrictions included within the criteria. WeAreTheCity feels it has a responsibility to ensure that female talent, regardless of age and background, receives the necessary support and skills to transition into key decision-making roles within our organisations.
WeAreTheCity will use its extensive reach across the UK and Ireland to find 100 high-achieving women across 20 key industries and professions.
“The need for more women in senior leadership roles is widely recognised. At Barclays, we want to go further – we believe in cultivating a pipeline of female talent across all levels of the organisation, from the executive assistant right through to the boardroom. These awards recognise the considerable achievements of talented women and our sponsorship reflects our commitment to support the women that come through our ranks to stay until leadership.” – Mark McLane, Managing Director, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Barclays PLC.
The WATC awards will be officially launched on 01 February 2016 and are sponsored by Barclays and supported by leading organisations including AON, Bloomberg, Cancer Research UK (Women of Influence), The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Executive and Personal Assistants Association, EY, Keir, Lloyd’s, ISS, Morgan Stanley, Newton Investment Management, Oliver Wyman in partnership with UN Women National Committee UK, PA Consulting, PedalSure, PwC, Reed Smith, Societe Generale, Twenty Recruitment, Virgin Media Business and Worldpay.
The nominations process opens on 01 February 2016 for all categories and will take place online at wearethecity-risingstars.com. A shortlist of 10 women from each industry category chosen by an esteemed panel of judges will be published towards the end of April. The shortlist will then be open to a public vote.
Final judging will take place throughout May when our judges will choose the final 10 winners from each of the 10 categories. The results of the public vote will also be factored into the final scores. The top 10 rising stars will be announced in June and all winners, sponsors and supporters will be invited to attend a prestigious evening reception at Barclays in London to celebrate and collect their awards.
Categories – Rising Stars in:
| Banking, sponsored by Societe Generale | Charity, sponsored by Cancer Research UK, Women of Influence |
| Consultancy, sponsored by EY | Defence, sponsored by PA Consulting |
| Diversity, sponsored by AON | EA/PA, sponsored by EPAA (Executive and Personal Assistant Association) |
| Education & Academia, sponsored by University of Chicago Booth School of Business | Entrepreneurs, sponsored by Virgin Media Business |
| Facilities Management, sponsored by ISS | HR & Recruitment, sponsored by Twenty Recruitment |
| Insurance, sponsored by Lloyd’s | Investment Management, sponsored by Newton Investment Management |
| Law, The Lynne Freeman Award, sponsored by Reed Smith | Media & Journalism, sponsored by Bloomberg |
| Oil & Gas, sponsored by PwC | Property Services, sponsored by Kier |
| Public Sector, sponsored by Socitm Advisory | Sales, sponsored by WorldPay |
| Sport, sponsored by PedalSure | Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley |
| Rising Star Champions, sponsored by Oliver Wyman in partnership with UN Women National Committee UK |
Criteria for entries
- Open to all women regardless of age
- Nominees must be below senior/middle management
- Nominees must be working within the industry of the category they are nominated for
- Nominees must be working in the UK or Northern Ireland
- Individuals can nominate themselves
How we define a rising star
- Someone who is a champion of women in their business or sector
- Someone who strives to achieve success and results
- Someone who gives back or inspires others
- Someone who is recognised by others as having the potential to become a future leader in their industry
The Process
- 01 February: Nominations open for all categories
- 25 March: Nominations close for all categories
- 25 March: Additional information deadline
- 25 April: Top 10 shortlist from each category announced/public voting opens for all shortlisted nominees
- 17 May: Shortlist celebration event at Bloomberg
- 27 May: Public voting closes for all shortlisted nominees
- 06 June: Top 5 Rising Stars for each category announced
- 30 June: Top 100 Rising Stars drinks reception and awards for winners, guests and sponsors at Barclays
Rising Stars 2015 - So what happened next for our winners? | Part Five
In 2015, thanks to the help of a number of amazing supporters and sponsors, WeAreTheCity ran the first of its Rising Star awards programmes. The aim of the awards was to identify 50 future leaders and role models under a management level across 10 different industries. After a staggering amount of nominations and an intensive judging period, we finally arrived at our shortlist and opened the public vote. The public vote resulted in over 15,000 votes from across 112 different countries and galvanized amazing support from our nominees’ networks, their companies, the press, as well as our own sponsors and supporters. After a final judging process, we identified our amazing top 50 winners and celebrated their awards alongside our sponsors, friends and supporters at the House of Commons in September.
First, we speak with Angela Cooke of PwC , who was one of our winners of Rising Stars in HR, sponsored by Twenty Recuruitment.
Angela, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
A lot has happened for me since winning the Rising Stars awards. First of all, it was announced within PwC’s HR department and across the organisation.
I have also been up to lots of great stuff - I have led the launch of Back to Business, PwC’s return to work programme for women who have been out of the workplace for more than two years. This has resulted in significant press coverage externally and has resulted in raising my profile; internally within the firm at a board level and externally through other organisations, particularly as PwC is only one of nine other organisations to launch such a programme.
What top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Network, network, network!!
- Get a sponsor. I was put forward for this award because I had fantastic sponsorship from Andy Woodfield. His support, along with WeAreTheCity, has been incredible. Thank you so much.
Next, we talk to Donna Olliver of KPMG, one of our winners of our EA/PA Rising Stars category, which was sponsored by Barclays.
Donna, what has happened since winning your Rising Star award in September?
Since the awards, both Caroline Renouf and I were covered within the Guernsey Press. I was asked to write an article for Real Careers: Exceptional EA. I’m still mentoring in the office and Caroline and I are thinking on how we can give back next year. I think winning the award has given me more confidence.
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Don’t be afraid to ask for training. The world is changing so fast that if you don’t keep up, you will be left behind.
- Have a mentor, it doesn’t matter if you are new to the role or if you have been in it for years. There are still things that you can learn from others.
- Join a PA network. It gives you a chance to meet fellow PA’s in your area and you can learn, network and support each other. It’s a great thing to be part of.
WeAreTheCity would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our Rising Stars for sharing their successes with us. We are sure you will agree that they are all achieving amazing things and offering sound advice to future Rising Stars.
We look forward to featuring more of our rising stars next week. Please note our Rising Star programme for 2016 opens on 1st February 2016. More details will be posted to the site during January – click here for more information and to register your interest in our awards
Rising Stars 2015 - So what happened next for our winners? | Part Four
In 2015, thanks to the help of a number of amazing supporters and sponsors, WeAreTheCity ran the first of its Rising Star awards programmes. The aim of the awards was to identify 50 future leaders and role models under a management level across 10 different industries. After a staggering amount of nominations and an intensive judging period, we finally arrived at our shortlist and opened the public vote. The public vote resulted in over 15,000 votes from across 112 different countries and galvanized amazing support from our nominees’ networks, their companies, the press, as well as our own sponsors and supporters. After a final judging process, we identified our amazing top 50 winners and celebrated their awards alongside our sponsors, friends and supporters at the House of Commons in September.
First, we speak with Isla Kennedy of Accenture, who was one of our winners of Rising Stars in Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley.
Isla, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
Isla, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September? Within Accenture, I have been mentioned at two events, interviewed in a global webcast, featured in a newsletter and on our internal social media, Yammer.
As part of my Girls in STEM work at Accenture, we are currently in the process of organising an event across five locations for over 1,500 girls, aged 11-15 in January, which should be great.
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Manage your own career – work out where you want to be, then talk to the right people, help out in the right areas, and get known for the right things.
- Manage your own time – performance is about productivity, not activity nor time in the office! Make time for other commitments and life outside of work. Learn to say no (when appropriate!). Yes, sometimes you’ll need to stay in the office late for critical deadlines, but then other times you should be able to leave early (or on time) for that theatre show or dinner date. Find your own balance that works for you.
- Expect peaks and troughs – it is unlikely that work will always be great and exactly what you want it to be. If it is then great, but normally there are highs and lows. As long as there are more highs than lows then that’s fine. Try not to get too down in the lows as you know there will be a high coming along soon. If there isn’t then it’s time to change jobs!
Next we talk to Emma Mason, Squire Patton Boggs, one of our winners of our Rising Stars in the Sports category, which was sponsored by Ladbrokes.
Emma, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
Emma, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September? In my professional life, the Rising Star awards have been a great profile raiser. Our managing partner circulated an email about the awards and people have been very supportive.
Given the current industry push for gender equality in Sport at all levels, it would be great to see some of sport’s national governing bodies, high profile athletes and other stakeholders working with WeAreTheCity in future years to either support or recognise the awards and what they set out to achieve.
So Emma, what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Spend time learning about the value of (and how to implement) effective goal setting and self-evaluation: hard work without focus or direction and absent the ability to learn from your mistakes (as well as your successes) will rarely get you anywhere.
- Spend time investing in the people you surround yourself with: it’s not easy on the way to the top or even once you get there. You will need people you can rely on – both inside and outside your organisation - to give you sound advice and sometimes some harsh truths!
- Take time to celebrate your successes: this was something I did very poorly as an athlete and it led to wasted periods of low motivation and productivity and is therefore something I have tried to improve upon in my second career. While you should always set your next target after achieving a goal, failing to recognise where you have come from is counterproductive. Celebrating your success will build your own self-confidence and give you the motivation to push forward and achieve that next goal.
Final two things I would say are:
- Never undersell yourself. There will be enough people who will voluntarily do that for you – don’t prove them right. You must be your own biggest advocate; and
- Never underestimate the power of smiling – it will relax you and it will put other people at ease. Plus, securing your dream job or career is a lot about the journey and what you learn on the way and who doesn’t want to be happy while striving to reach their dreams!
WeAreTheCity would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our Rising Stars for sharing their successes with us. We are sure you will agree that they are all achieving amazing things and offering sound advice to future Rising Stars.
We look forward to featuring another three of our rising stars next week. Please note our Rising Star programme for 2016 opens on February 1st. More details will be posted to the site during January - click here for more information and to register your interest in our awards
Rising Stars 2015 - So what happened next for our winners? | Part Three
In 2015, thanks to the help of a number of amazing supporters and sponsors, WeAreTheCity ran the first of its Rising Star awards programmes. The aim of the awards was to identify 50 future leaders and role models under a management level across 10 different industries. After a staggering amount of nominations and an intensive judging period, we finally arrived at our shortlist and opened the public vote. The public vote resulted in over 15,000 votes from across 112 different countries and galvanized amazing support from our nominees’ networks, their companies, the press, as well as our own sponsors and supporters. After a final judging process, we identified our amazing top 50 winners and celebrated their awards alongside our sponsors, friends and supporters at the House of Commons in September.
First, we speak with Polina Zabelina, BP who was one of our winners of Rising Stars in Technology, sponsored by Morgan Stanley.
Polina, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
Since the Rising Star awards, I have been very busy as I was seconded to another BP Project which is a great opportunity for me to expand and enhance my experience. I didn’t expect such level of publicity: I have been featured in 3Q BP internal magazine and have been recognised by the Institute of Corrosion (I am member of the committee) during one of the evening meetings; PinkPetro published my story on their website and in the weekly newsletter too.
I was also shortlisted for an interview for IET YWE Award, but unfortunately didn’t get through to the finals.
I was also selected by BP to attend the Queen Elizabeth Prize Awards (amongst a couple of others) at the Royal Academy of Engineering and the reception in Buckingham Palace where Professor Robert Langer who won the prize gave an incredibly inspirational speech. It was such an amazing event!
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Work hard, be proactive and passionate about your job
- Networking is key - actively maintain your network. Don’t be afraid and make contact first or ask somebody to connect you with others.
- Find a mentor who will make a difference
Next, we talk to Donna Evans of Barclays, one of our winners of our Rising Stars in the EA/PA category, which was sponsored by Barclays.
Donna, please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
Firstly, I would like to thank WeAreTheCity for organising such a powerful event. It was a great honour to be nominated and truly amazing to be in a room with so many inspirational women.
Since winning the award, Barclays has actively been involved in raising my profile and featured an announcement about Rising Stars on the internal Internet. As a direct result of winning the award, I was approached internally to do a Spotlight Speaker Session about my career to date, for other assistants across our branch network. This has led to us hoping to extend the Win London Assistants Forum, which I Co-Chair, to other regions globally, creating a strong, united platform for assistants across Barclays. Our Hong Kong office has already announced it will be launching its own Assistants Forum soon. Our UK Forum also successfully launched the first Barclays Assistants day in-line with the National Pay day, which was a great success and attended by assistants and senior managers alike.
I am really looking forward to 2016 as we have a number of exciting initiatives in the pipeline. Also very exciting is that I have been nominated by SecsintheCity for the Social PA award. I was delighted to be invited to the awards ceremony, held on 12th November at The Ivy. It was another wonderful event and I feel privileged to have been nominated.
So Donna, what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
In terms of advice I could give, I have three tips to offer:
- Network – do not underestimate the power of networking
- Work hard, broaden your skill base and be willing to adapt and learn
- Embrace opportunities
Finally, we speak to Caroline Andrews from Giles Wilson who was one of our winners of the Rising Stars Law category sponsored by Reed Smith.
Caroline, what has happened since winning your Rising Star award in September?
Since September, Giles Wilson LLP has won additional prestigious national awards, including the Law Society Excellence Award for Learning and Development. This is due to the work of our fee earners in mentoring younger members of staff through their acquisition of skills in legal knowledge, case management and time management, which has been a great way of ‘giving forward’. It was particularly gratifying to see the paralegal I have mentored be awarded a Training Contract at the firm. One of the firm’s recent groundbreaking cases in fertility law, which our family law team worked tirelessly on, is now being used to help other Judges make decisions about fertility treatment and parenthood.
Verity, the charity I represent in my spare time, is now part of the international process to re-name the medical condition from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). This is a huge task and it is an honour to be involved.
I have received tremendous support from colleagues and the professional networks I attend - as well as widespread social media! It has enabled me to focus a little more on my career and what I wish to achieve moving forward.
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- There is no such thing as a bad idea – some may be used, some may not. Some may need a more extended thought process or other people to execute, but constantly thinking and discussing can help members and their careers.
- Reading – It is important to be well read on news and current affairs, as well as on skills such as leadership, networking and marketing. You need to constantly learn.
- Networking is not just for employers – Giles Wilson LLP encourage their solicitors to network and look at building a client base for the firm. Attending a regular networking meeting has been a fantastic way of meeting other businesses to learn from and build relationship with. I highly recommend it for anyone even if they do not find it easy or are nervous to start with!
WeAreTheCity would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our Rising Stars for sharing their successes with us. We are sure you will agree they are all achieving amazing things and offering sound advice to future Rising Stars.
We look forward to featuring another three of our rising stars next week. Please note our Rising Stars programme for 2016 opens on February 1st. More details will be posted to the site during January - click here for more details and to register your interest in our awards
Rising Stars 2015 – So what happened next for our winners? | Part Two
In 2015, thanks to the help of a number of amazing supporters and sponsors, WeAreTheCity ran the first of its Rising Star awards programmes. The aim of the awards was to identify 50 future leaders and role models under a management level across 10 different industries. After a staggering amount of nominations and an intensive judging period, we finally arrived at our shortlist and opened the public vote. The public vote resulted in over 15,000 votes from across 112 different countries and galvanized amazing support from our nominees’ networks, their companies, the press, as well as our own sponsors and supporters. After a final judging process, we identified our amazing top 50 winners and celebrated their awards alongside our sponsors, friends and supporters at the House of Commons in September.
First, we speak with Annie Zaidi, Leicester City Football Club who was one of our winners of Rising Stars in Sport, sponsored by Ladbrokes.
Annie, please tell us what has happened in your careers since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
Since winning the prestigious Rising Star award 2015 things have been crazy but a good crazy. A few weeks ago, I sadly failed my UEFA by 7 marks. Failing this prestigious coaching award felt like someone had ripped my heart from my soul and I was tempted to throw in the towel and give up. Then reflecting back and staring at my Rising Star trophy, I realised that quitting is not what successful people do. Again reflecting back made me realise that even though failing hurt, I need to get back up stronger and more determined than ever, so now I'm working twice as hard to prepare myself to be reassessed.
I am currently still going to QPR to coach the U21’s, which I love doing and don't mind the M1 rush hour traffic.
Also since the awards, I have been invited to North Wales to help inspire and empower young girls into realising their potential, to prevent them from early teen pregnancies and risk of being excluded. In two days, I coached 77 girls and now they want to appoint me North Wales Patron of Sports (the first in the making).
Last week I won Sky Sports Inspirational Helen Rolloason Sportswoman award 2015, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 & Sky 1, where I also received a personal message from David Beckham. You can watch this here:
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Don't allow barriers other people put in front of you to become your barriers
- Don't quit at something you love no matter how many times you fail, it makes you stronger and hungrier to succeed
- Focus on the journey, not the destination on your path to success
Next, we talk to Alicia Millar of Reed Smith, one of our winners of our Rising Stars in Law, which was sponsored by Reed Smith.
Alicia, please tell us what has happened in your careers since winning the Rising Star awards back in September?
There was a lot of publicity at Reed Smith for a number of reasons - three employees were nominated for a Rising Star award; the award was in honour of Lynne Freeman and presented by Tamara Box, partner for Reed Smith – all amazing publicity for the company and our amazing women. Since the awards I have been showcased by the company’s internal comms and have featured in our external social media/web PR. I have also been listed in Brummell magazine as one of their Inspirational women in Diversity and Inclusion. I have also been nominated for another award which recognises my achievements.
In terms of giving back, I have nominated others for awards and have connected/shared insights and best practice with others who are just starting out on their diversity and inclusion journey. The key thing is receiving such generous support and recognition from outside the firm and outside the UK.
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
Always do what you know is the right thing to do, always push at open doors and knock politely at any that are closed – they often only appear to be closed.
Don’t restrict yourself when it comes to allies and sponsors - your biggest influencers can often come from the most unlikely places.
Own your success and be genuinely grateful for praise received – this was actually the biggest thing I took from Vanessa Vallely, MD at WeAreTheCity - own your success and your achievements, don’t give them away!
What else? There’s no such thing as “just doing the day job” when you are looking at your value and worth to an organisation and in measuring your performance/success/potential, but the extra mile can be just one small step.
Finally, we speak to Vinita Ramtri of Barclays who was one of our winners of the Rising Stars in Investment Management category sponsored by BNY Mellon.
So Vinita, what has happened since winning your Rising Star award in September?
Since the awards I have been featured internally on Barclays intranet and have done more public speaking. I have also signed up for LifeSkills created with Barclays which plays a crucial role across local communities, to help inspire the next generation when they move into work and create a better future for them. I am looking forward to my first assignment, which will hopefully be later this year.
So what top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- Keep good company. 'Look for three things in a person, intelligence, energy and integrity. If they don't have the last one, don't even bother with the first two.' Warren Buffet
- Stand up for what you believe in. 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.' Martin Luther King Jr.
- Always, find your own answers. Look around for inspiration but when it’s time to act; sit back, think and dig deep.
WeAreTheCity would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our Rising Stars for sharing their successes with us. I am sure you will agree they are all achieving amazing things and offering sound advice to future Rising Stars.
We look forward to featuring another 3 of our rising stars next week. Please note our Rising Star programme for 2016 opens on February 1st - click here for more details and to register your interest in our awards. More detail will be posted to the site during January.