22 | Tees Business
THIS IS
YOUR
TIME!
Professor Jane Turner (right) of category sponsors Teesside
Univesity presented Lexonik’s Claire Preston with the inaugural
Tees Businesswoman of the Year award.
Why you should enter the second annual
Tees Businesswomen Awards
“
I never thought for one minute
I would win the award – it was
flattering to be nominated, let alone
make the shortlist.”
So said Claire Preston, CEO of
Middlesbrough firm Lexonik after
she was crowned the inaugural Tees
Businesswoman of the Year last October.
Now our first winner is urging her fellow
Tees businesswomen – and businesses
powered by women – to pick up the baton
and go for it themselves. This is no time to
hide your light under a bushel!
“There’s a huge amount of female talent
and untapped potential in the region,” says
Claire. “The awards are an opportunity for
similarly minded people to get together and
use their voices in a really positive way.
“Off the back of the inaugural awards,
I’ve been working with people I’d probably
never have come into contact with.
“The awards have given me a forum and
a voice that would otherwise not have been
possible.
“Entering the awards is a wonderful
opportunity to work with other people, to
collaborate and to celebrate.”
Entries are now being sought for the
outstanding females and female-inspired
businesses that deserve to win the
accolades in the second annual Tees
Businesswomen Awards, in association
with Northern Skills Group, the training
and apprenticeship arm of Middlesbrough
College.
Winners will receive their trophies at a
memorable awards ceremony at Wynyard
Hall’s Grand Marqiuee on the evening of
October 24.
Following the massive success of the
inaugural event, Tees Business is organising
the awards to celebrate women in business
on Teesside, inspiring a new generation of
females to succeed in business, creating
more female entrepreneurs and business
leaders than ever before.
As the Tees region’s business magazine,
Tees Business is proud to be giving this
opportunity to local firms, organisations and
individuals to shout from the rooftops about
the women who are making an outstanding
contribution – and to the organisations that
champion them.
Individual categories include awards for
Lifelong Inspiration, Breaking the Mould,
Inspiring Others, Best Newcomer and the
much-coveted Tees Businesswoman of the
Year.
Company categories include SME of the
Year, Training & Apprenticeships Award,
Best Company Scheme for Women, Charity/
Voluntary Award and the woman-powered
Business of the Year.
The awards are free to enter.
Nominations can be submitted via the Tees
Business website.
Each award category is described below
but more details of what we’re looking
for from each nomination can be found at
teesbusiness.co.uk.
2018 Winners’ Roll Call
Businesswoman of the Year –
Claire Preston (Lexonik)
Business of the Year –
J&B Recycling
Lifelong Inspiration Award –
Anne Preston (Prestons of
Potto)
SME of the Year –
Hunters Estate Agents
Inspiring Others Award –
Yasmin Khan (the Halo Project)
Best New Business –
Fourteen Drops
Breaking the Mould Award –
Andrea Pearson (SABIC)
Charity/Voluntary Award –
the Halo Project
Best Newcomer –
Jessica Williams (Just Williams)
Training &
Apprenticeships Award –
Nifco UK