For Immediate Release
Novi, the UK’s premier network championing women in business and gender equality, today announced the shortlist for the landmark 15th Annual Novi Awards 2025. This year’s awards honour 84 remarkable women leaders whose influence, vision, and impact are creating meaningful change across industries, communities, and generations.
Power with Purpose: 15 Years of Women Leading Change
The 2025 theme, “Power with Purpose”, celebrates women who are using their leadership and success not only to excel in business but to dismantle barriers for others. From transforming boardrooms and industries to building inclusive pathways for future leaders, this year’s shortlists exemplify the belief that true power comes from using influence to uplift and empower.
Griselda Togobo, Founder and CEO of Novi, commented:
“Our 2025 shortlist represents the best of what leadership can be – power used with purpose. These women are not just breaking barriers; they are dismantling them, building bridges, and reshaping what inclusive leadership looks like. As we mark 15 years of the Novi Awards, it’s powerful to see past winners return as mentors, judges, and even sponsors – a true demonstration of progress and of women paying it forward.”
Elizabeth Vega OBE, 2024 Novi Businesswoman of the Year and Group CEO of Informed Solutions, added:
“Winning the Novi Businesswoman of the Year Award was profoundly meaningful after more than 30 years building a business. This recognition validated not just my professional achievements, but also the fabulous team that has supported, encouraged, and challenged me to build a purpose-driven business that creates an empowering workplace for our people and delivers positive real-world impact. It’s a privilege for me to pay it forward to other women leaders, helping them achieve their own breakthrough moments that enable them to build great businesses and workplaces that make a difference.”
A Framework for Change
The “Power with Purpose” theme is underpinned by three pillars:
- Power – the journeys of building influence and leadership.
- Purpose – the mission of creating a fairer, smarter, healthier world.
- Progress – the evolution from award winners to sponsors and mentors, actively creating pathways for the next generation.
These pillars echo throughout the 2025 shortlist, highlighting women whose careers are defined not only by personal achievement but also by their dedication to collective progress.
Award Categories
The 84 shortlisted candidates will compete across 14 categories, including:
- Transformational Leader of the Year
- Novi Technology & Digital Innovation Leader of the Year
- Novi Engineering Excellence Award
- Emerging Leader of the Year
- Novi Rising Star of the Year
- Inspiring Mentor of the Year
- Education/Academic Leader of the Year
- Social Impact Leader of the Year
- Public/Third Sector Leader of the Year
- Start-Up of the Year
- Female Entrepreneur of the Year
- Women on Boards
- Disruptor/Innovator of the Year
- International Leader of the Year
An overall Businesswoman of the Year will also be selected from among the category winners.
The full shortlist can be viewed at: www.thenoviawards.com
The full shortlist for The Novi Awards 2025:
Emerging Leader of the Year;
Amy Staines, Senior Financial Education Manager, Better with Money; Anupama Hatti, Head of Programme delivery, NHS Blood and Transplant; Daria Preston, Change & Transformation Lead for Bankwide Skills & Talent, Co-Lead for Pathways to Parenthood community, Bank of England; Jenny Zhou, Solutions Architect, AWS; Maria Rizov, Senior Counsel EMEIR, A&M; Poonam Kaur, CEO, fds Director Services Limited; Tara Annison, Head of Product, Twinstake; Lucy Miles, Manager, MBDA
Novi Engineering Excellence Award;
Alison Benn, Project Director , AstraZeneca; Carmen Macri, Principal Mechanical Engineer, WSP – Manchester, GTM; Julia Barr, Principal Commercial Manager, Mott MacDonald; Padmaja Das, Nuclear Deterministic Engineer, Rolls Royce SMR
Novi Rising Star of the Year;
Madlyn Debrah, Compliance Apprenticeship, Barclays; Natalia Narozanska, Lead Simulation Engineer, Evolito Ltd; Tomi Olufawo, Financial crime analyst , Barclays; Katie Irwin, Principal Manufacturing Engineer, MBDA
Novi Technology & Digital Innovation Leader of the Year;
Mivy James, Chief Technology Officer, Ministry of Defence; Caitlin Keam, VP Sustainability Applications, IFS; Katherine Lee, Director, Global Product Integration, MasterCard; Dr Claire Thorne, Venture Partner, Deep Science Ventures; Helen Kimber, Senior Data Scientist, Genetec; Constandina Kakaras, Deputy Director Software, Cloud Services, AI & Commercial X, MOD
Transformational Leader of the Year;
Cheryl Razzell, UKI Head of Specialist Solutions Architecture, AWS; Priya Devine, Global Talent Acquisition Leader – Infra, A&M; Sadaf Alam, Senior Sustainability Consultant, PM group; Selena Kearvell, Regional Sales Director, Marsh Limited; Sophie Graham, Chief Sustainability Officer, IFS; Carla McGlynn, Managing Director, Global Head of Markets Business Controls Technology / Tech Site Lead, Citi Belfast.
Education/Academic Leader of the Year;
Armin Mustafa, Associate Professor in AI and Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, CVSSP University of Surrey and SAIRECO Ltd; Cristina-Steliana Mihailovici, Lecturer, Study Group / LJMU ISC; Heena Dave, Co-Founder, Climate Adapted Pathways for Education; Shweta Singh, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick
Inspiring Mentor of the Year;
Karen Cairney, CEO and Founder, Cairney & Company Ltd; Naomi Timperley, Co Founder, Tech North Advocates; Patrice Bailey, CEO, Patrice Bailey International; Beth Crosier, Founder, CO4CH; Abeyna Jones, Founder & CEO, Medic Footprints; Srabani Sen, CEO and Founder, Full Colour, Karrie Fitzmaurice, Founder, House Of KIT,
Public/Third Sector Leader of the Year;
Charlotte Proudman, Barrister, Campaigner; Effie Blankson, HR and Transformation Practioner, Blanksons Limited; Helen Rowe, Structures and Tunnels Asset Manager, Kent County Council.
Social Impact Leader of the Year;
Alice Hendy, CEO and Founder, Ripple Suicide Prevention Charity; Amy Watson, Director, HASSL Ltd, Elena Sinel, Founder & CEO, Teens in AI; Emma Porter, Founder / Director, The Rebuild Site; Kim Perlow, CEO, Link UP London; Saba Khan, Co-founder, Northwest Women in STEM Community Interest Group; Sheila Bailey, Director, Artemis Philanthropy Advisory Ltd; Adebukola Salau, IT Delivery Lead, Her Connect Hub and Women For More International; Michelle John, Founding Director, PEGS Support; Alina Timofeeva; CEO, Unique.Bold.You
Women on Boards;
Ann Harding, Chair, HAE UK; BINDI KARIA, Innovation Expert, Venture Partner, NED, Advisor, bindi ventures; Sarah Knowles, Head of PPP Asset Management, Kajima Partnerships Limited
Disruptor/Innovator of the Year;
Divya Garg, CEO, LetsLocalise Limited; Dr Pauldy Otermans, Head of Research AI Technology in Education, COO, Otermans Institute; Geeta Sidhu-Robb, CEO/Founder, WCorp Ltd; Hilary Young, CO-Founder, 448 Studio Ltd/ TA Forumm; Lucy Cohen, Founder and CEO, Mazuma; Maira Bana, Head of Computational Engineering (Technical Director) | Trustee, RED Engineering Design | SheCanEngineer; Nikita Thakrar, Co-Founder & CEO, Included VC; Victoria Sharpe, Managing Director, Exstent Limited
Female Entrepreneur of the Year;
Marine Vincent, CEO, The French Pharmacy; Ruby Raut, CEO & Co-founder, WUKA; Amy Cunningham, Director, The Strings Club; Tina Euri, Director / Founder, Moving Waves; Sarah Louise Gallagher, MD & Founder, Impulse Recruitment Ireland; Gemma Crane, Managing Director, Mindset-HR Ltd; Nadia Hussain, Founder and Director, Hair Loving Limited
Start-Up of the Year;
Anna Watson, Founder/Creative Director, Anna James; Debra Rose , Owner/Director, Healthy Feet Franchises; Nadya Ali, Founder, EssencesByNadya; Sonica Beckmann, Founder, House of Kind; Vassiliki Somaraki, CEO & Founder, V&V Health Innovations.Ltd
International Leader of the Year;
Cassandra Illidge, VP Global Partnerships & Executive Director of HBCU Programs, Getty Images; Dorcas Uwem Jonah, Marine Engineer/Marine Surveyor, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore; Gloria Tabi, Researcher/Advocate, EVERYDAY INCLUSION; Kirsti Jane, CEO & Chairperson, House Of Luxury LLC; Lisa Saha, Principal, British Columbia School; Minister Dr. Ashley Blanshaw, Teacher Aide and Founder/ CEO, The I am Determined Tour; Samallie Kiyingi, Global General Counsel, Standard Chartered Bank; Simran Bhatia, Brand Licensing Technologiest, Isaac Morris Ltd; Victorious Eche, CEO, VictoriousEche.com
Selection Process
An esteemed panel of judges, comprising leaders from some of the world’s most renowned organisations, will evaluate each candidate against criteria including leadership, personal insight and influence, business awareness and impact, and community involvement.
Event Details
The 15th Annual Novi Awards ceremony and leadership summit will take place on Friday, 21st November 2025 at The Londoner Hotel, London. The event will feature a leadership summit alongside the awards ceremony, offering attendees a unique opportunity to network and gain insights from some of the most influential women leaders who embody the spirit of Power with Purpose and honourees from this year’s 3rd Advocates for Gender Equality.
Novi extends its gratitude to this year’s sponsors: Moonrise 24hr Recruitment Ltd (Female Entrepreneur of the year sponsor), Informed Solutions (Technology & Digital Innovation Leader of the Year and Businesswoman of the Year sponsor) and Alvarez & Marsal (Transformational Leader category sponsor). Their support ensures that the awards continue to inspire, celebrate, and elevate the next generation of women leaders.
The organisation also acknowledges its charity partners, novi FUTURES & Ella’s.
For more information about the Novi Awards and to view the full shortlist, please visit https://www.thenoviawards.com/award/the-2025-novi-awards/#finalists
Tickets for the awards ceremony and leadership summit are now available for purchase at https://www.thenoviawards.com/events
About Novi
Founded in 2005, Novi is on a mission to elevate women’s voices and amplify their impact. With members worldwide from both private and public sectors, including some of the world’s largest organisations, Novi offers various membership pathways for women driving change.
As part of its commitment to recognising excellence, Novi hosts The Novi Awards annually. This flagship event celebrates women breaking barriers and shaping a more inclusive future of business. At Novi, we believe we are Unstoppable Together.
For more information about Novi, The Novi Awards, and the Advocates for Change in Gender Equality list, visit https://www.wearenovi.com or contact [email protected].