Serving the Teesside Business Community | 23
Thrilled - Nicola Duffey.
SABIC – sponsoring
Inspiring Others category
Petrochemical giant SABIC, whose UK
headquarters are based on Teesside, are
sponsoring the Inspiring Others category,
as they did in 2018.
Nicola Duffey, SABIC Teesside’s
head of HR, said: “The inaugural Tees
Businesswomen Awards were a fantastic
opportunity to showcase the female talent
we have in the area, and SABIC is thrilled
to be sponsoring the Inspiring Others
category again.
“Last year’s winner, Yasmin Khan, was a
truly inspiring and a deserved winner.
“Following the awards, we were
inspired to hold our first International
Women’s Day event for local schoolgirls,
where Yasmin was our keynote speaker.
It was great to be able to build on
the networks we made at the Tees
Businesswomen Awards and to work
together to promote a better gender
balance in the workplace.
“We already have a number of
talented young female engineers on
Teesside who we believe can be our
leaders of the future and act as role
models for our company, our industry
and our area. The Tees Businesswomen
Awards gives women like this the
opportunity to showcase their talents and
achievements.”
Impressed - Cornerstone’s Chris
Petty (right) with Tees Business
co-editor Dave Allan.
Cornerstone Business
Solutions – sponsoring
Company of the Year
Having sponsored this category in 2018,
commercial IT specialists Cornerstone are
again backing the Company of the Year
category.
Cornerstone managing director Chris
Petty said: “Last year’s inaugural awards
were awesome – so it was an easy
decision when we were asked if we’d like
to be involved again.
“An increasing number of businesses
are being driven by women and we’re
looking forward to judging the Company
of the Year category again this year to find
a worthy successor to 2018 winners J&B
Recycling.
“I do think it’s important to tell the next
generation that they can achieve anything
they want to achieve and they shouldn’t
allow society to pigeonhole them into a
particular job, skill or industry because of
their sex.
“And I was impressed by the
amazing range of businesses and skills
represented at the 2018 awards –
everything from chemical engineers to
undertakers, from estate agents to pie-
makers! They were proof that the world
is your oyster if you get out there and go
for it.”
Punch Robson
Solicitors – sponsoring
SME of the Year
Punch Robson Solicitors are
sponsoring the SME of the Year
category, as they did at the inaugural
awards. MD Elaine McLaine-Wood
said: “Hunters Estate Agents were
deserved winners in a very tough SME category last year, but it was just lovely to
see everyone – not just our women – out in force on a wonderful night for Teesside.
“It’s been so nice to see that community evolve, from what started out as just an
idea about a year ago, and we can’t wait to see a repeat of that this year. The night
itself was very slick, you wouldn’t have thought it was the inaugural event if you
didn’t know.
“I don’t think we shout about our successes as much as we should – so we need
to do it more, and it doesn’t matter if that’s coming from a male or female.
“It’s important to give recognition where it’s due, and it’s good that we now have
these awards to recognise some women who might not usually raise their profile.”
Evolving - Punch
Robson’s Elaine
McLaine-Wood
with Dave Allan.
Recognition -
Matt Johnson.
Developments by Joseph
Homes – sponsoring Breaking
the Mould category
Developments by Joseph Homes, creators
of custom-build properties at Wynyard
Park, are again sponsoring the Breaking the
Mould category, which celebrates those
women forging a career in unconventional
sectors and roles.
Development director Matt Johnson said:
“We were delighted to be involved with
the inaugural Tees Businesswomen Awards
in 2018. It’s so important to recognise the
talent in our region to create role models
and inspire the next generation.
“Raising the profile of the talented pool
of female executives we have in the region
can only help strengthen the case as to why
the Tees Valley is a great place to live and do
business.
“It was a privilege to sponsor the
Breaking the Mould category last year and
we’re looking forward to sponsoring and
judging the category again this time around.
“The category attracted such strong
entries last year so it was a formidable
challenge to shortlist just three – and we’re
expecting it to be even tougher this year.
It’s fantastic to get an insight in to women
who are getting out there and breaking the
mould in their own field of work and often
in sectors or roles that have been seen as
men’s roles in the past.
“I’m confident the second Tees
Businesswomen Awards will be even more
successful than the first as a celebration of
the amazing businesswomen we have here
in our region.”