WINNER : MAXINE
FREER
2023
Sponsored by Steel Benders
BREAKING THE MOULD
WINNER : MAXINE
FREER
( OOK AGENCY )
A “ surprised and genuinely shocked ” Maxine Freer said it was vital to “ follow your dream ” as she accepted the Breaking the Mould prize .
And for Maxine – founder of creative agency OOK ( One of a Kind ) – it showed that women can excel in the creative industries .
“ There ’ s less than three per cent of females running creative agencies and only one per cent are creative directors , so to be a woman running a creative business and doing it on Teesside is pretty much breaking the mould .
“ The generation coming through needs to know there is potential to work in the creative industries in the Tees Valley . Winning this award isn ’ t for me , it ’ s for the industry .”
The other finalists for the category , sponsored by Steel Benders UK , were Jessie Baguley , engineering partnerships officer at Redcar and Cleveland College , and Stephanie Zielke , co-founder of Wood Connexions .
But it was Maxine who emerged triumphant and pledged to further expand what OOK can offer .
She said : “ The plan was always to bring more conscious awareness of the creative industries – it ’ s the future of the UK economy .
“ We are also an independent freelance agency , so we only employ independent people from the creative industries – we ’ ve got about 65 independents we employ under our brand .
“ We ’ re going to keep doing what we ’ re doing – employ more independent creatives in the Tees Valley and encourage more women in particular to choose to work in the creative industries .”
And Maxine says you should never let your background or academic achievements hold you back .
She said : “ If you ’ re from a council estate like me or you failed your school exams , if you follow your dream and follow your heart , you can make it happen .”
Dreams – OOK Agency founder Maxine Freer with the Breaking the Mould trophy , presented by Ashleigh Glass of category sponsor Steel Benders .
FINALIST : FINALIST :
JESSIE BAGULEY
( REDCAR AND CLEVELAND COLLEGE – ETC .)
As engineering partnerships officer at Redcar and Cleveland College , Jessie helps shape training opportunities available to all , working directly with industry-leading employers and preparing people for the emerging green industrial revolution ahead .
Jessie plays a massive part in breaking the stereotypes by encouraging all young people , male and female , to feel empowered to pursue their career goals and consider STEM careers . In doing so , she has created an atmosphere of inclusivity within the college , while also spreading the word through partnerships with local schools .
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
STEPHANIE ZIELKE
( WOOD CONNEXIONS )
An award-winning former BBC broadcast journalist , 14 years ago Stephanie decided to leave the media profession to instead work alongside husband James running a manufacturing mill in Poland .
After learning Polish so she could implement business strategies in a second language , she spent significant time building a team in Poland to execute the marketing and business development plans she has developed on a global basis . More recently , she and James co-founded Wood Connexions to be the exclusive distributor for the Polish facility to markets in the US , UK and Europe .
In her spare time , mum-of-three Stephanie is a recording artist , songwriter and philanthropist , supporting such causes as CEO Sleepout .
Phil Anderson , Steel Benders UK ’ s operations director , said : “ A huge congratulations to Maxine Freer from OOK Agency for the well-deserved honour of winning the Breaking the Mould award - for women achieving success in a traditionally women-free zone . Steel Benders UK would also like to say what a difficult task shortlisting was , as the standard was exceptionally high . Well done to everyone nominated . We were honoured to sponsor the Breaking the Mould category once again . It was a great evening to celebrate and meet people from Teesside who are all excelling in their fields and inspiring the next generation of women to enter the business world .”