BREAKING THE MOULD
Sponsored by Steel Benders UK
WINNER :
NIKKI SAYER
( CASPER SHIPPING )
An executive board director at River Tees-based Casper Shipping , Nikki Sayer leads the customs division and has played a critical role moving goods in and out of the UK pre-and post-Brexit , achieving more than 500 per cent growth in sales .
Her career began 33 years ago as a British Steel YTS at the Redcar blast furnace but she progressed rapidly , with various key positions in the company ’ s shipping division and three years as global shipping manager in Dubai .
She also became the first female chair of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers ’ North-East branch and founded the North East School of Shipping .
She said : “ I ’ ve been a woman working in a man ’ s world for a long time but I ’ ve been doing a lot to help bring young people into the shipping industry , and trying to found the North East School of Shipping – things I don ’ t get paid for .
“ When I first started there were wolf whistles and lots more things you can ’ t do these days . But do you know what ? It made me stronger , it made me give it back to them and that ’ s helped make me the person I am today .”
She added : “ Sometimes you don ’ t want to bang the drum about women doing a job because we ’ re just doing a job , but I ’ m really pleased to represent women in the shipping industry .”
Celebration – Tania Cooper ( right ), managing director of Breaking the Mould category sponsors Steel Benders , hands over the Breaking the Mould award to Casper Shipping ’ s Nikki Sayer .
FINALIST : FINALIST :
VIC TOSH ( ICI BOULBY )
She ’ s been going underground for a living since 2008 and , as one of a handful of female employees at the second deepest mine of its kind in Europe , safety adviser Vic Tosh is the only woman interacting with the underground workforce on a daily basis .
She joined 13 years ago as a technical assistant with Cleveland Potash , quickly becoming underground safety officer in a traditionally male domain . It ’ s a hazardous environment , with temperatures of 40C , and it ’ s her job to ensure the proper processes and procedures are in place .
After a spell working as HSE adviser at DMC Mining – part of what was then Sirius Minerals ’ Woodsmith mine - “ Toshie ” returned to Boulby in July 2020 , where her knowledge and skills continue to earn the respect of the mine ’ s 500-strong male-dominated workforce .
DONNA KING
( SEYMOUR SKILLS ACADEMY )
Construction and civil engineering training is Donna King ’ s passion and under her management , Seymour Skills Academy – a specialist 11-acre training centre at Hartlepool – has become recognised as a shining example of good practice across the sector , including being named CECA NE Training Company of the Year .
Unfazed by working in a maledominated environment , mum-of-three Donna ’ s career highlights have included setting up a training academy for Sillars ( B & CE ), becoming centre manager at Total Training and , since 2020 at Seymour , recruiting a team of respected trainers , developing a new team on-site , identifying continuous cohorts of learners , building stakeholder partnerships and expanding the academy ’ s educational offering .
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
General manager of Steel Benders UK , Phil Anderson , said : “ It was an amazing evening , celebrating the success of businesswomen across Teesside . It was fantastic meeting so many ambitious and inspiring people , and all coming together for one celebration .
“ Steel Benders UK would like to congratulate Nikki
Sayer for a well-deserved win of the Breaking of the Mould award . We had great difficulty shortlisting for the category , as all the ladies were winners in our eyes . A massive congratulations and well done to all the women nominated .”
36 | Tees Business