Twenty women entrepreneurs have been honoured for leading the way in business at The Great British Businesswoman Awards, including Marston Moretaine’s Hannah Ingram-Moore, who was recognised for two major business achievements.

The daughter of Captain Tom is better known for founding charitable organisation The Captain Tom Foundation and standing by her father’s side during his fundraising efforts which gained global attention.

However, she was also acknowledged for her work as director of Maytrix Group, which provides critical education to enable businesses to grow, innovate and enhance their sustainability.

The panel of expert judges were inspired by Hannah’s ethos of hope and resilience, and her continuation of Captain Tom’s legacy after he raised £40 million for charity.

The Captain Tom Foundation launched their own #WalkWithTom initiative in the second lockdown to tackle loneliness.

The virtual event on 14 October was hosted by Wynne Evans and Carol Vorderman.

It saw 122 women recognised for their contributions across a range of categories from construction and creative industries through to engineering, finance and diversity.

The inaugural award ceremony stems from the Great British Businesswoman Series, a collective of industry experts seeking to educate and campaign for recognition and better opportunities for women in business, which launched on International Women’s Day.

The awards intend to acknowledge the persistent challenges for women in business, with only 2% of FTSE 250 CEOs being female, and tackle inequality by inspiring the next wave of women entrepreneurs to take action through the stories of success told of the evening’s shortlisted nominees.

Francesca James, from the Great British Business Woman Awards, said

“It was great to hear so many stories of how women are making their mark in various business sectors across the UK. Despite it being 2021, there are still many obstacles facing women, particularly in the senior roles in business, whether that is in funding, salary or corporate representation.

“I hope that the success of events like this signals a turning point where more women feel comfortable talking about the barriers they face in business, and hopefully, this will lead to more equality across the working world.

“We’re proud to have hosted our inaugural awards, and hope that next year will be even bigger and better, meaning we can continue to share the stories of such inspirational women, across the UK and beyond.”

Out of 600 total nominations, 122 made the shortlist with 20 final awards given out at the ceremony. The winners for each category were:

Female Ambassador of the Year Award: Hannah Ingram-Moore, Maytrix Group/The Captain Tom Foundation

Construction Businesswoman of the Year: Tina Patel, Formed Architects & Designers UK Limited

Consumer Goods Businesswoman of the Year: Anna Brightman, UpCircle Beauty

Creative Industries Businesswoman of the Year: Sharon Whale, OLIVER Agency

Engineering & Manufacturing Businesswoman of the Year: Karen Emanuel, Key Production

Entrepreneurial Businesswoman of the Year – Sponsored by Starling Bank: Julianne Ponan, Creative Nature

Finance Businesswoman of the Year: Natasha Frangos, Haysmacintyre LLP

Food & Drink Businesswoman of the Year: Annabel Karmel, Karmel Foods Ltd.

Social Enterprise Businesswoman of the Year: Sarah Jordan, Y.O.U Underwear

Technology Businesswoman of the Year: Joanne Dewar, Global Processing Services (GPS)

Transport & Logistics Businesswoman of the Year: Rachel Houghton, Business Moves Group

Utilities Businesswoman of the Year: Penelope Hope, Rebel Energy

Young Businesswoman of the Year: Anneka Wallington, Recognised London Limited

Rising Star Award – Sponsored by mthree: Ellie Long, Rolls-Royce

Gamechanger in Sport Award: Claire Nelson, Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens

Team of the Year Award: BBC 50:50

Role Model of the Year Award: Leena Nair, Unilever

Diversity Award – Sponsored by Colt: Catalina Hernandez, Ernst & Young

Male Advocate of the Year Award: Mark Bennett, Willmott Dixon Interiors

Great British Businesswoman of the Year Award: Leena Nair, Unilever