Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo Women in Business finalists announced

The finalists have been announced in The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo 2013 Women in Business Awards which have Coutts and Co as the lead sponsor .

With a record entry the judges had a challenging task deciding who should be in the final line up.

But they were delighted with the varied entries from women entrepreneurs across the county.

Members of the judging panel were: Sarah Pullen, managing director of Gloucestershire Media; Sylvia Bullock, executive director of Gloucestershire College; Rebecca Jeal of Gloucester Quays; Alan Jones of GE Aviation; Angie Petkovic, representing Tayabali Tomlin; Suzanne Hall-Gibbins of Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce; Kimberley Hatherall of Holiday Inn Express, Cheltenham; Victoria Adams of GE Propellers; Chris Norbury of EDF Energy, and Christine Wadley of Coutts & Co.

The winners will be announced at the Women in Business Awards evening at Hatherley Manor Hotel on March 21.

For details about the event, visit the Women in Business website

The finalists:

  Women 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