Carla stepping offline to honour winning women

ONE of the most powerful women in the online media industry will be the guest speaker at this week's Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo Women in Business Awards in association with Coutts&Co.

Carla Buzasi, UK editor-in-chief of the online newspaper The Huffington Post, will speak at the awards at the Hatherley Manor Hotel on Thursday night.

Carla has strong local links, having been a pupil at Stroud High School with family living in the area.

A writer and editor with extensive print and digital media experience, she has also worked on Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, the Guardian and many other publications.

With a record number of entries this year the awards, now in the fourth year, have attracted a wide cross section of female entrepreneurs.

For more details, visit www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/wib

■ Woman of the Year (sponsored by Coutts&Co)

Helen Hammond (managing director, Elephant Creative, marketing and PR agency, Northleach)

Julie Moore (managing director, Green Gourmet, Stonehouse)

Debbie Franklin (area manager, Andrews and Partners, estate and lettings management)

■ Contribution to the Community (sponsored by Gloucester Quays)

Chris Roberts (freelance writer and business facilitator, Fairford)

Anna Wood (solicitor, BPE, Cheltenham and charity fundraiser)

Debbie Moore (Cedars Amethyst Trust, Cheltenham)

Anna Buckland (director, Global Art Inc Ltd, Gloucester)

■ Female Apprentice Development Award (sponsored by Gloucestershire College)

Mary P's Day Nursery (Tewkesbury)

Laura Leigh Hairdressing (Cheltenham)

Agnieszka Soroka (head chef, Pepper Crescent, Cheltenham)

■ Award for Innovation (sponsored by GE Aviation)

Vanilla Moon (Eastcombe)

Tait Technologies (Cheltenham)

Jaz Media (marketing and communications, Cheltenham)

■ Rising Star of the Year

Sarah Churchill (The Artisan Kitchen, Gloucester)

Laura Milne (Your Final Fitness Formula, Cheltenham)

Lyndsey Burnett (head of marketing and online sales, Dynmark, Cheltenham)

Wendy Thomson (Wendygoesgreen, Stonehouse)

Kimberley Hatherall (Holiday Inn Express, Cheltenham)

■ Communicator of the Year

Sali Gray (Pink Car Rally, Gloucester)

Felicity Read (managing director, Leapfrog PR, Cheltenham)

Angela Edwards (Gloucester Rugby)

British Association for Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) (Gloucester) Julie Speed

BOR (Big On Results) (communications agency, Cheltenham) Naomi Attard

■ Women in the Workplace (sponsored by EDF Energy)

WSP Solicitors (Stroud)

Attivo Group Ltd (Cheltenham)

Expectations! Recruitment Services (Gloucester)

■ Mentor of the Year (sponsored by Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce)

Felicity Read (Leapfrog PR)

Kimberley Kirkham (GE Aviation)

Jo Redfern (UCAS)

■ New Business of the Year (sponsored by Holiday Inn Express, Cheltenham)

The Baby Journey, Cheltenham

Festival Law LLP, Cheltenham

Yuan Ltd, Cheltenham

Melissa Antonious, Cheltenham

■ Business of the Year (sponsored by Tayabali Tomlin)

Stuart Holmes Hair and Beauty Spa (Cheltenham)

Pepper Crescent Ltd (Cheltenham)

Attivo Group (Cheltenham)

Expectations! Recruitment Services Ltd