4
news opinion
There’s a momentum. It’s across multiple sectors and it has more pace to it than we all expected. And it looks – whisper it – like it might be sustained
The recovery has finally arrived. Business people are talking positively about activity picking up. Orders are coming in, employers are recruiting, consumers are spending.
We are not talking about a boom here. But there is a general consensus that the economic wind changed direction three, perhaps six, months ago and it is now warmer and calmer and has less of that icy, arctic feel about it.
The interesting thing is that recovery is being stoked by domestic demand. Despite all the talk about exports, overseas markets are still weak in many places, whereas the consumer in the UK has suddenly rediscovered optimism.
The rise in confidence has come from strong employment growth,
an upswing in the housing market, and – this cannot be overstated – the effects of stable, and very low, interest rates.
Indeed, the Bank of England governor Mark Carney has given some well-timed forward guidance, saying that interest rates would not rise until the national unemployment rate falls to at least 7%. In other words, signalling a period of stability that might well last for three more years.
Since economists have been saying that one of the biggest threats on the horizon would be a sudden surge on interest rates, this is music to the ears of business people across the UK.
From carnage to Carney. It’s looking promising. We just have to hope that stability is the key message so that the recovery can pick up steam through 2014.
In line with this positive outlook, we are celebrating Women in Business – announcing our finalists for the inaugural awards competition, sponsored by Barclays, Deloitte and Blake Lapthorn. A superb shortlist it is too – see right.
David Murray Publisher
15 top achievers named as finalists in Women in Business awards
Fifteen women from across the south have been chosen as the celebrated finalists for the inaugural Women in Business awards
Judges pored through more than 100 nominations to decide on the shortlist – and were delighted with the quality of entries for the first year of the awards.
The Women in Business awards are sponsored by Barclays, Deloitte and Blake Lapthorn in association with The Business Magazine.
The three categories were aimed at women in businesses over and under £10 million turnover, and there was a separate category for women professionals.
Above all, the judges were looking for women who had achieved excellence in their chosen profession; had become role models for other women; had gained a reputation for citizenship and established themselves as entrepreneurs by running their own business.
Professional Training Professionally Delivered
Skills to improve the performance of you, your employees and your business
A complete range of courses and certifications available
Flexible and professional training on your doorstep
As your local training provider, Thames Valley Training & Development offer a range of professionally accredited courses including Law (CILEx), Accounting (AAT), Sales (ISMM), Management (CMI) and IT Certifications from HP and Cisco. Call now to find out more.
THE FINALISTS IN EACH AWARDS CATEGORY ARE:
Women Professionals
• Emma Gibson (corporate finance partner, Shoosmiths)
• Emma Lane (relationship director, Lloyds)
• Jagdeep Rai (corporate director, Barclays)
• Nicola Poole (managing director, Hedges Law)
• Wendy Hart (corporate finance partner, Grant Thornton)
Under £10m Turnover
• Sandra Sassow (CEO, Seab Energy)
• Nusrat Shah (CEO, Backbone 2 Business)
• Clare Wright (managing director, Connect Reading)
• Amanda Phillips (managing director, Volume)
• Emily Bendell (CEO, BlueBella)
Over £10m Turnover • Yvonne Sherry (finance director, Ceuta Healthcare)
• Katrina Percy (CEO, Southern Health NHS Foundation)
• Yolanta Gill (CEO, European Electronique)
• Jan Ward (CEO, Corrotherm International)
• Shirin Dehghan (JDSU, ex-CEO of Arieso)
The awards will be presented at a special gala dinner at Oakley Hall, near Basingstoke, on September 12. The evening will also include a discussion and audience debate about the current success of women in business and how to create future role models.
Taking part in the panel discussion are Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation; Patrick Maher, a partner in Deloitte’s Forensic Services Practice in London; and Dawn Baxendale, chief executive of Southampton City Council.
For more on the awards see page 14.
freephone: 0808 252 5051
thamesvalleytraining.com
www.businessmag.co.uk THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88