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Looking back on a decade of celebrating NI’s brilliant businesswomen

  

Thursday 26 January 2023

Looking back on a decade of celebrating NI’s brilliant businesswomen By Roseann Kelly, CEO of Women in Business Group.
 
There is always a special air of excitement at any awards ceremony. The judging. The finalists. The anticipation. 

Many months and indeed years of hard work and dedication culminating in a moment of triumph. Of recognition and reward among your peers and the industry in which you operate. Yes, there are winners on the evening. But even for those who perhaps miss out an award, the very nomination itself is a unique personal accomplishment. A tangible milestone achieved in the company of greatness.


This culture of celebration is at the very heart of NI’s Women in Business Awards. Since the first ceremony launched back in 2012, the Women in Business network has praised and profiled the very best in home-grown talent, be they an amazing mother, businesswoman, nurse, CEO, teacher, colleague or carer. 

From entrepreneurial start-ups to seasoned leaders, innovative business solutions to outstanding mentors willing to go that extra mile, it’s been a real joy to champion a decade of local talent on a stage built on the vision of inclusive growth. The accolades are inspiring, their impact often immeasurable. 

One thing’s for sure: the ripple effect of an award win has the power to inspire on a long-term basis, helping a business or individual to take the next step with confidence and conviction knowing that their work to-date has had such a tangible positive impact on those around them.

Our 2018 winner of the Outstanding Management and Leadership Award, Now Group Chief Executive Maeve Monaghan, commented at the time that the achievement not only helped her grow in the business space, but it also encouraged her to “inspire the next generation of leaders.” 

And last year’s Business Woman of the Year, Staffline Ireland chief executive Tina McKenzie, reflected on her own triumph, saying it was “an honour, not just for me but for all the female leaders of Staffline who attended, each at different stages of their career journey. Evidence of real success in business is 'a rising tide lifts all boats', and let that be our motto as we look forward to another incredible evening at the WIB Awards on Thursday 2 March." 

We may not be able to capture inspiration in a bottle, but as far as celebrating women and helping to galvanise entrepreneurs and our female business leaders so they can stand tall as role models for the next generation, the Women in Business Awards is a night like no other on the NI calendar. 

In the words of 2021’s worthy recipient of Northern Ireland’s Inspirational Woman of the Year, Caroline O’Neill, when women come together, magic happens. There seems to be a “collective desire to shout each other’s strengths from the rooftops, and when we do, it is gold and it is magic.”

The 11th Women in Business Awards return to the Crowne Plaza Hotel on 2nd March, 2023. Get your ticket to be part of the celebrations here.

Thursday 26 January 2023

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