Welcome
FOREWORD
By Rob Lawson
Our Wearside business community has long been blessed with many inspirational and successful women business leaders .
Women such as Dame Irene Hays ( owner of Hays Travel and former chief executive at Sunderland City Council ), Ellen Thinnesen ( CEO at Education Partnership North East ), Sarah Slaven ( MD at Business Durham ), Sarah Reid ( MD at Richard Reed Solicitors ), Sharon Appleby ( CEO at Sunderland BID ), Rebecca Ball ( CEO at Sunderland Culture ), Michelle Cooper ( CEO of County Durham Community Foundation ) and Marie Nixon ( theatre director at Sunderland Empire ).
And as well as having four experienced and respected women MPs representing Sunderland and Durham , we have so many women running their own successful SMEs – women such as Louise Kennedy at Oculus , Louise Bradford at Creo Comms and Natasha McDonough at MMC Research .
These women and thousands like them contribute massively to the vibrancy of our local economy – and in many cases have had to fight inequality and sexism to do so .
Wear Business thought it about time that we celebrate the women who create , drive and lead local businesses and organisations . Which is why we launched our Wear Businesswomen Awards late last year .
Our awards will be at The Stadium of Light on Thursday , October 12 , when our guest speaker will be Dame Irene Hays .
The response to our awards has been remarkable and we ’ re hugely grateful to those who have so quickly agreed to support what we ’ re sure will be a great night of celebration .
We ’ ll be providing information about tickets for the night soon , but in the meantime , there is still time for you to sponsor one of our remaining categories .
To find out more , go to the awards section at wear . business .
Rob Lawson Editor , Wear Business
WEAR BUSINESS ISSUE 12 HIGHLIGHTS
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MENOPAUSE MATTERS
Is your workplace sympathetic to the menopause ?
16 DOUBLE BOOST
Sunderland College and Hays Travel back inaugural Wear Businesswomen Awards
20 TEAM PLAYER
How balancing your ‘ soldiers and artists ’ is key to success for any business , says Sunderland boss
26 CENTRE OF ATTENTION
North East BIC stretches south to offer more support
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30 CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE
Topping out ceremony at impressive new Sunderland offices
North East Business & Innovation Centre ( BIC ) Wearfield Enterprise Park East Sunderland SR5 2TA Email : info @ wear . business Web : wear . busines
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Executive editor : Rob Lawson Designed by : KINSHIP Writers : Sarah Walker , Dave Robson , Rob Lawson . Photography : David Wood , Tom Banks , Tim Richardson . Published and distributed by : Resolution Media & Publishing Executive Editors : Dave Allan and Martin Walker .
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