Pictures: Women in Business Award winners revealed

American-born Debra Drew won the the Diamond Jubilee Woman of the Year Award last night at The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo’s Women in Business Awards in association with Coutts.

Debra, who moved to the UK from North Carolina 12 years ago, is director and co-owner of Brockworth-based Fabric Architecture Ltd which specialises in the manufacture and installation of tensile fabric structures for applications such as performance areas and canopies.

Women in Business Awards 2012. Sarah Pullen, front left, Gloucestershire Media, with winners Debra Drew, Claire Stringer, Angie Petkovic, Kate Green, Christine Griffiths and Olivia Hutchins
Women in Business Awards 2012. Kate Green after receiving the Innovation Award
Women in Business Awards 2012. Aeolus
Women in Business Awards 2012. Jane Williams,Suzanne Hall-Gibbins, and Victoria Flay
Women in Business Awards 2012. Angela Ellis, Yvette Stader, Carol Jones and Bridget Redmond
Women in Business Awards 2012. Angie Petkovic after receiving the Mentor of the Year Award
Women in Business Awards 2012. Angie Petkovic receiving the Mentor of the Year Award from Suzanne Hall-Gibbins, Director of Initiative and Chamber, Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce
Women in Business Awards 2012. Barbara Lloyd, Kate Parker, Jane Muller, Sarah Walker and Rebecca Sharpley
Women in Business Awards 2012. Becky Boseley and Katri Link
Women in Business Awards 2012. Christine Griffiths of Aeolus Power Ltd, after receiving the Business of the Year Award
Women in Business Awards 2012. Christine Griffiths of Aeolus Power Ltd, receiving the Business of the Year Award from Nicole Archer, Business and Sponsorship Manager,Gloucestershire Media
Women in Business Awards 2012. Claire Stringer after receiving the Women in the Work Place Award
Women in Business Awards 2012. Claire Stringer receiving the Women in the Work Place Award from Nettie Majic, Sales Developement Manager, Gloucestershire Media
Women in Business Awards 2012. Clare Bradbury, Bernadette Curtis and Nina De Winter
Women in Business Awards 2012. Collin Higgins and Associates staff
Women in Business Awards 2012. Debra Drew after receiving the Diamond Jubilee Woman of the Year Award
Women in Business Awards 2012. Debra Drew receiving the Diamond Jubilee Woman of the Year Award from Charlie Ellison,Coutts and Co
Women in Business Awards 2012. Emma Logan receiving the Contribution to the Community Award on behalf of Denise Leighton from Alison Tennant, Marketing Manager Gloucestershire Quays
Women in Business Awards 2012. Emma Logan, Erica Jones, Lorrin White, Angie Petkovic and Gill Brimfield
Women in Business Awards 2012. Gooseberry Bush staff
Women in Business Awards 2012. Jane Beames, Lisa Van Ebeling, Nicola Fairhurst
Women in Business Awards 2012. Kate Green receiving the Innovation Award from Fiona Stoddart, advertising director, Gloucestershire Media
Women in Business Awards 2012. Nicky Purveur, Tracy Newman, Mary Wathen and Caroline Irvine
Women in Business Awards 2012. Nikki New, Katy Barrett, Aggie Soroka and Paula Loughlin
Women in Business Awards 2012. Olivia Hutchins after receiving the Rising Star of the Year Award
Women in Business Awards 2012. Olivia Hutchins of Green Car Depollution, receiving the New Business of the Year Award from Sarah Walker, Conference and Events Sales Executive, Cheltenham Racecourse
Women in Business Awards 2012. Rachael Anstee, Claire Campbell, Suzanne Headington
Women in Business Awards 2012. Sarah Pullen, Managing Director of Gloucestershire Media
Women in Business Awards 2012. Sarah Pullen, Managing Director of Gloucestershire Media
Women in Business Awards 2012.Dee Baron, Tracy May and Cathy Taylor
Women in Business Awards 2012.Michelle Louth and Sylvia Bullock
Women in Business Awards 2012.Olivia Hutchins receiving the Rising Star of the Year Award from Jenny Eastwood, assistant editor Gloucestershire Media
Women in Business Awards 2012.Susie Noble, Deborah Lord, Sallie Curtis and Lisa Marsh
Women in Business Awards 2012. Hayley Baker and Charlotte Taylor

Debra was described as a great leader who has tremendous expertise in taking bespoke designs and packaging into production and despite the recession Fabric Architecture has grown with offices in North America and the Middle East and over 5,000 installations throughout the world.

She was presented with her Women of the Year Award at the glittering Women in Business Awards presentation dinner at The Centaur at Cheltenham racecourse last night attended by more than 270 of Gloucestershire’s leading businesswomen.

Dyson DC50i - Bagless upright vacuum cleaner - BALL Technology -...

Freenet Electrical Ltd

View details

Thisi is Dyson's smallest upright vacuum cleaner with the performance of a full size upright machine. The DC50i has Dyson's most advanced cleaner head technology and 2 Tier RadialTM cyclones.

Terms: LIMITED STOCK OFFER. FREE delivery to most UK postcodes - Next working day dispatch.

Contact: 01664 491439

Valid until: Monday, May 27 2013

After being presented with her award by Charlie Ellison of award sponsors Coutts, Debra said: “I am delighted. It is recognition from other women in the county which is so powerful.

“We (the company) really encourage entrepreneural thought from everyone. It is a very driven company and we are all very passionate about design and new cultures. We love going to new countries.”

There were eight awards presented at the event which was hosted by Gloucestershire Media’s managing director Sarah Pullen who praised the spirit of the county’s businesswomen.

“We are now in our third year of recognising hard working women in business in the county,” she said. “This is down to you and you alone for your tremendous support to us in our quest to support and highlight women in business.

“At a time when there is so much doom and gloom in the national press about the economy, it’s more important than ever that we celebrate our local success stories.

“I am absolutely overwhelmed by the enormous energy, talent and innovation of our finalists. The entries were really outstanding. We have so much talent in Gloucestershire you should all be proud. And our newspapers are proud to support the Women in Business awards.”

She also thanked the sponsors, Coutts who were title sponsors, Cheltenhan Racecourse Conference and Events, Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce, Gloucester Quays and Harrison Clark.

Award winners

Mentor of the Year: Angie Petkovic, APT Marketing and PR, Cheltenham

Rising Star of the Year Award: Olivia Hutchins, Green Car Depollution, Tewkesbury

New Business of the Year Award: Green Car Depollution

Women in the Workplace Award: Claire Stringer, Gooseberry Bush Day Nursery, Kemble

Contribution to the Community Award: Denise Leighton, Merry Den Care, Cinderford

Award for Innovation: Kate Green, National Star Centre, Ullenwood, Cheltenham

Business of the Year: Aeolus Power (Wind-Energy) Ltd, Pilning

The Diamond Jubilee Award-Woman of the Year: Debra Drew, Fabric Architecture Ltd, Brockworth