Judges
Roma Bhowmick
Roma spent 16 years in the City of London working for a Blue chip service based organisation, culminating in a role as MD/Head of Division. Subsequent to this she moved into the technology sector and started a ‘high growth’ business delivering innovative technology solutions. In 2003, having achieved her business goals she sold half of the business to her partner and became an independent consultant, a Business Link Adviser and then an approved Grant Thornton ‘Growth Coach’ (via the Government funded, Growth Accelerator programme) helping CEOs/MDs and their management teams to achieve their growth objectives in a variety of sectors. Her specific area of expertise has been in challenging and developing business strategy and supporting organisations and teams through change – helping business grow faster.
In 2006 she was awarded Freedom of the City of London for ‘services to management consultancy’ in recognition of her work. Roma also works part time at the University of Hertfordshire as a Senior Lecturer teaching strategy at post graduate level where she is also completing a Doctorate.
Roma now concentrates on working with a mixed portfolio of established, “high growth” business owners and Boards on further development of business strategy, as well as programmes for change (including senior level management development training and coaching). Her current client base includes businesses from turnover of £1m to £43m and sectors – PR, Fashion, Luxury retail, Investment Management, Brokerage, High Tech and Aviation services.
Cleveland Scott York
Cleveland Scott York is one of Europe’s leading intellectual property firms and they have a keen eye for detail. Customer service is something they are passionate about and they excel themselves in this area. So they are well placed to judge this category. Sophie Maughan, Partner, join us on the panel. Specialising in intellectual property matters with nearly 20 years’ experience, she advises clients on patents, trade marks, and design rights.Sophie holds an MSc in Natural Sciences (Chemistry) from Cambridge University and practised in London before joining Scott & York in 2007, becoming a Partner in 2017 Her patent work spans chemical and life sciences, including orthopaedics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory equipment. As a Trade Mark Attorney, Sophie supports clients in brand protection and enforcement. She serves on the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) Trade Marks Committee, helping shape trade mark policy and education.
Craig McMurrough
Craig McMurrough is a seasoned change leader with over 30 years of experience driving complex transformation initiatives across a wide range of sectors, including government, finance, pharmaceuticals, retail, oil & gas, fintech, and legal services. As a Global Organisation Change Management Director and Culture Change SME, Craig combines deep technical expertise with a strong people-first philosophy, ensuring that individuals remain at the centre of any business change.
He holds an impressive array of qualifications, including PROSCI, CIPD, MBA, and CCMP, and is currently the Leadership and Culture Change Senior Manager at Accenture. His work focuses on enhancing leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, and organisational resilience. Craig has successfully introduced new systems, processes, and cultural strategies to build agility and readiness in today’s fast-evolving business environments. He is also accredited in a range of leadership and culture tools, such as LPI, OCI, LSI, Blue 4 Leadership, and Denison.
Outside of work, Craig channels his personal experience into positive action. Following the tragic loss of his sister to ovarian cancer in 2016, he became a passionate fundraising champion for Ovacome, a charity supporting those affected by the disease. He is known as “Mr. Ovary” and raises money and awareness by completing physical challenges like marathons and half marathons, often while wearing an ovary costume. Craig is a true changemaker, dedicated to making a meaningful difference in both business nd life.
Crane and Staples
Crane and Staples have been part of our judging panel since the awards started in 2015. They bring a team of solicitors to our judging day who all have great business knowledge and experience and an eye for detail!
Crane & Staples is a respected, long-established law firm based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, serving clients across the region and beyond. With roots dating back to 1938, the firm has built a strong reputation for providing trusted, high-quality legal advice with a personal, client-focused approach.
The firm offers a comprehensive range of legal services for both individuals and businesses, including family law, residential and commercial property, wills and probate, employment law, litigation, and company and commercial law. Crane & Staples is known not only for its legal excellence but also for its strong community values and commitment to client care.
Justine Perry
Multi Award winner Justine Perry is the owner and founder of Cariad Marketing. Established in 2009, Cariad Marketing is a multi-award-winning digital marketing agency based in Hertfordshire. With over 25 years of sales and marketing experience—most recently managing major titles like The Evening Standard and Loot during her 17-year tenure at Associated Newspapers—Justine launched Cariad in 2009 to empower SMEs with big‑agency thinking at accessible prices
Under her leadership, Cariad has garnered multiple awards, including finalist recognition at the 2024 UK Digital Excellence Awards and wins at the 2023 UK Content Awards and Elite Business Top 50 SMEs Justine’s strengths lie in inbound marketing, SEO, social media, PPC, and digital strategy, complemented by her dedication to client success and nurturing team talent.
Denise O'Leary
Denise O’Leary is the founder and owner Purpol Marketing and is a board level Marketing Director who has maintained her ongoing accreditation as a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing every year since 2005.
Denise also holds both a Master’s Degree specialising in Marketing with Business Strategy and a First Class Honours Bachelors’ Degree in Business Administration. As well as her academic credentials, she has 20+ years of marketing experience in demanding business environments, within the Construction sector.
Denise is an experienced keynote speaker. By engaging with UK government at No10, the Cabinet Office and the House of Lords she will share knowledge on how businesses can realise their potential and win critical bids. She will define critical elements in the bidding approach and showcase the attributes of consistently successful bids. Denise measures her business success by how much her clients win.
Sharon Gaffney
Sharon has over 20 years experience working with small businesses. She has been a judge on the Shining Stars since it started and is also a judge for The Best Business Women Awards.
Sharon has vast experience of dealing with start-ups and supporting business growth with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Supporting over 1000 business through start up stage to becoming established businesses. She has strong professional skills in Business Advice, Business Strategy, Development of Training, Negotiation, Business Planning, sustainability, Coaching, and Event Management, including organising from scratch The Watford Fringe Festival.
Carole Ann Rice
Life coach, author and columnist Carole Ann Rice has been one of the UK’s leading life coaches for 20 years: one of the first life coaches in the UK. She is a published author of two books Find Your Dream Job and Start Your Dream Business. As the only coach in the UK to have a column in a national daily paper her Happy Monday column ran weekly in the Daily Express for 7 years she is regularly featured in the national press – The Daily Mail, Metro News, The Times, Woman and Home, Glamour and Grazia, Psychologies, Good Housekeeping etc. and she was also featured in SKY BSB’s 6-part series “Who’d Be A Billionaire?”
She is the proud winner of the Best Coach Award in the Best Business Women’s Awards in 2017.
Corporate clients include the London School of Economics and the National Children’s Bureau, Sports England, and McCann Erickson.
She coaches high end clients and CEO’s, students and supermodels, scientists and start ups and anyone looking to reach their potential and to live with passion and purpose in all things they do.
She is MD of the Pure Coaching Academy (accredited by the IAPCM) for 9 years where she trains amazing people to become world class life coaches.
She is an inspirational and fun public speaker who uses wit, wisdom and a bit of magic to create astonishing transformations.
Maggie Sarfo
Maggie Sarfo is a passionate international best-selling author, speaker, advisor and mentor for inspirational business leaders, entrepreneurs and individuals; with a special interest in entrepreneurship, women in business, technology, B2B, and high growth companies who are embarking on ambitious growth strategies and people transformation.
She’s CEO of Meres Consult Ltd (www.meresconsult.com) and owns The Athena Network–London City business network franchise.
With over 19 years’ experience, majority of her clients become hugely successful in their roles and businesses, or transition happily. Maggie also deals with purpose and mission development (personal & organisational).
Experience and clients include: Gartner, GLG, WPP, Brunel Business School, The Wellness Universe, Women Lawyers and Mothers. She’s also worked with a variety of SMEs in the west London (Park Royal); where she was on the judging panel for various business awards.
Her blog (maggiesarfo.com) is her playground, where she explores the topics of business growth, personal growth, Leadership and the intersection of AI & Emotional Intelligence.
She enjoys a good game of tennis, yoga and family beach holidays.
David Bell
David Bell is a highly accomplished, multi-award-winning company director, entrepreneur, executive business advisor, technology expert, keynote speaker and chat show host. He is passionate about helping others succeed and driving businesses forward to achieve their full potential.
Starting his entrepreneurial journey back in 1995 at the tender age of seventeen, David Co-founded APC Solutions – now recognised as a leading provider of wireless communications solutions. Twenty years on it’s now a multimillion-pound company delivering projects in the UK, Europe, South Africa, North America and the Middle East.
David has vast experience and knowledge in communications, IT solutions and technology, backed with a solid understanding of business management and leadership.
In 2013 David founded Simboc Limited, a business consultancy and management company providing bespoke services to other organisations. Motivated by his passion to see others reach their potential, David takes particular pleasure when mentoring and coaching others to help them realise their dreams and business goals.
David frequently receives public speaking requests and has vast experience presenting at awards ceremonies, universities and corporate events.
David Founded The Speaker Expert in early 2015 to help coach and train individuals who want to learn how to speak and present like an expert. The Speaker Expert is now the go-to speaking organisation for many business owners and their teams.
David volunteers as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) ambassador for STEMNET, helping to inspire young people and encourage them to enjoy STEM subjects.
In 2015 David was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs for his contribution to UK enterprise.
In June 2017, David was awarded Fellowship (FCIM) status as a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
In late 2020 David Co-founded UniEE (University of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs), then shortly afterwards David and Nick launched ChatBox Productions. Chatbox Productions – ‘the home of conversation’ is a company born from the pandemic and was founded by business owners David Bell and Nick Looby. They answer the need for support, information, entertainment, and discussion in both business and public arenas.
Antoinette Oglethorpe
Antoinette Oglethorpe is a multi-award-winning consultant, coach, speaker and author. She specialises in career management and mentoring. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management. She is also an Associate Member of the Association for Coaching. She has published two books – Grow Your Geeks: A Handbook for Developing Leaders in High-Tech Organisations and Confident Career Conversations. Empower your employees for career growth and retention. Both books achieved number 1 Bestseller status on Amazon in their categories. Confident Career Conversations was runner-up Leadership Book of the Year in the Institute of Leadership Awards.
Antoinette founded her eponymous training and coaching company, Antoinette Oglethorpe Ltd. in 2012. Before that, she had 25 years’ experience as a Learning and Development Director for Accenture, Avanade and FTSE 500 companies. She frequently provides free resources to HR practitioners via her website. She speaks at events across the globe on subjects like the impact of mentoring and the importance of career conversations to engage, keep and develop leaders, among other talent development topics.
Kath Reynolds
Kath is a founding Director of Balance Recruitment and is responsible for the operational, financial & strategic functions of the company. Registered with CIMA, Kath has over 30 years’ accounting experience and over 20 within the Recruitment industry. A member of APSCo, she participates in their initiative, ‘Mentorjam’ where she is able to share her wealth of experience and lessons learnt with Finance leaders who are looking for a mentor to help them flourish.
Kath’s career began in Chartered Accountancy before moving into commerce where she gained an extensive array of skills and knowledge. Throughout her career she has led the finance and operational functions of varying sized companies, which has provided her with an in-depth understanding of the elements required to develop and grow a successful business. Kath has managed teams of varying sizes from 2 to 20 and enjoys the hands-on approach and the 1:1 training aspect of management.
Kath excels in quickly being able to analyse & identify financial and commercial issues within businesses that may be holding them back. Over the years, she has implemented several systems and procedures which have turned struggling companies into profitable entities within months of her recommendations. She has also managed to successfully navigate her own business, Balance Recruitment, through some of the most turbulent economic times in recent history.
Kath knows what a winning award entry looks like with having been finalist for Best Business Women Awards twice, winning silver & also gold! Her multi-award winning business has also been awarded a staggering 17 accolades since their inception in 2008.
Aarti Parmar
Aarti Parmar is a multi award winning Brand Strategist, Coach and Speaker who guides legacy minded founders to align their identity, business and personal brand with purpose, intentional growth and the conscious choices that shape tomorrow today.
With over a decade of experience working with growth focused business owners across the UK and globally, she delivers 1:1 programmes, consultancy and immersive group experiences that cultivate meaningful influence from the inside out.
Bridging strategy, identity and embodied leadership, Aarti helps founders become more aligned, and trusted in how they show up, communicate and lead.
She has been featured in Forbes and Marie Claire, and is also a long standing awards judge for the Best Business Women Awards.
Lorraine Thomas
Lorraine Thomas is an award-winning property developer, mentor and socially conscious landlord. An outspoken advocate who believes in property with purpose and people before profit. A giant thinking, risk-taking visionary who’s shaking up the sector and becoming a sought-after voice.
In 2016 Lorraine took a leap from her career in business development for the legal sector, when she landed a role procuring rental properties for disadvantaged young adults. A defining moment which led to her now buying and developing properties ground up in this sector and renting to high-risk and vulnerable tenants.
Today Lorraine mentors other budding developers wanting to build ground up or start their own property portfolio. She is on a mission to create a new breed of socially conscious landlord who combines commercial savviness with a social conscience.
Lorraine knows what a winning entry looks like and has a razor-sharp eye having previously been a Chartered Institute of Marketing examiner. Her notable accolades include:
Awarded Lancelot Andrewes medal; Commentator for Government Dept for BEIS; Panellist Women in Asset Finance; Tide Banking and Google – inspiring women of colour; Appeared on BBC Politics Live; Invited to No.10 as an inspiring business leader; Named in 2020 as one of the top 100 inspirational businesses led by women in the UK for f:entrepreneur #ialso100
Falguni Desai
Falguni Desai is an experienced Business Growth Coach with 20 years’ legal experience.
She is a Solicitor and a Chartered Secretary (FCIS) with an Msc in Corporate Governance and Ethics (Distinction). As a City professional, she understands the challenges of cutting it in a competitive market. Falguni has seen the reality of business development from both sides – as part of the corporate engine and as a successful business owner.
Falguni has extensive experience as an in-house lawyer managing board activities at a high level. She has managed multi-million pound transactions including mergers and acquisitions, launched and implemented staff share incentive schemes, and has been at the heart of implementing corporate governance best practise.
Her experience as a lawyer and years spent as an executive professional combined with ActionCOACH’s systems is a formula her clients have successfully implemented to stay ahead of the game and improve their position in the marketplace since 2017.
She is committed to helping business owners realise what they set out to do by improving cash flow and profit, spending their time where they add the most value, leveraging the capability of their teams and building a resilient business. Falguni works with her clients on a 121 basis(Turnover of £500k to £10m) and also manages mastermind groups of entrepreneurs.
Falguni is an Advisory Board member of Be The Business, a Freeman of the City of London, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (Chartered Corporate Governance Institute), and a Board Member of The Asian Circle, a charity working to end violence against women and girls.
Lisa Robyn Wood
Lisa Robyn Wood
The Middle Manager Coach
GRIP Coaching Limited
Being a Manager Shouldn’t Be Sh*t.
I grew my career within the energy sector, enjoying several management positions across a range of departments including customer services, process improvement, contract management, and finance, before being promoted to a senior middle management role within metering operations. This promotion triggered imposter syndrome which motivated me to employ a personal coach.
Coaching reconnected me with my confidence, self-belief, and value, and this strengthened relationship with myself enabled me to progress my career into areas I would not have felt capable of attempting prior to my experience. It is this power that I’m on a mission to share with as many managers and leaders as I can in my own coaching practice as The Middle Manager Coach.
I don’t think being a manager should be sh*t and so I work with middle managers, who work in the most pressured and conflicted layer in any business, to embrace their roles with energy and enjoyment, to get a grip of their personal development and growth, and connect with their confidence and capabilities, to ensure that they thrive and don’t get caught in the crap trap.
I help individuals and organisations to make effective and healthy management a reality for themselves, their people, and their business, by providing 1-2-1 coaching and training for their middle managers and teams.
I have been privileged to work with multiple managers and leaders across a range of organisations, including Viridor, Floodre, Suntory, HSBC, Camelot, Burberry, and Swarovski, as well as small businesses and entrepreneurs.
I’m qualified in Corporate & Executive Coaching, Personal Performance Coaching, NLP, and DISC; all through The Coaching Academy and with each diploma accredited by the ICF.
I currently split my time between the Kent coast and Cape Town in South Africa with my husband Dom and our Springer Spaniel Alfie.
Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam
I trained and qualified as an accountant 20 years ago with Ernst & Young and then moved on to join Bunzl plc, a FTSE 100 organisation where I worked in various senior finance roles for 6 years.
My last two full time CFO roles involved being a key member of successful management teams growing start ups from no more than a few employees. One business, a pioneering eco friendly consumables supplier, increased its revenues by 9 times during my time there.
A true highlight was winning a tender for the 2012 London Olympics with this enterprise. A second business, in student accommodation, grew from initially managing 20 properties to over 600 properties (and over 3,000 beds) in 25 cities whilst I was part of the team.
I gained huge satisfaction from growing the business and setting up a great finance team. I have enjoyed the variety in my career and consider myself fortunate to have worked with so many types of organisation. I am truly passionate about helping businesses achieve their full potential.
I now run The FD Consultant, which is a collective of fractional/part time FD’s who help growing businesses thrive.
Shelley Otway-Wood
Shelley Otway Wood was a professional singer dancer and actress in londons west end and on many tours
She trained at The GSA on a full singing scholarship and went into 42nd Street, Anything Goes, Oliver, Stepping Out and carousel professionally right up to the age of 30yrs old
In 2008 she hung up her dancing shoes and opened a franchise theatre school, 5years later she took the brave move to set up her own theatre school business called “ steppin out stars of tomorrow”
In this time she has coached many of her students into the following London shows including Chitty, Les Miserables, Matilda, The secret garden and The Lion King.
Shelley has won a multitude of awards including the Best Businesswomen Award Gold award for working with Children and Families in 2023 and in 2024 a Silver award for Most Inspiring Businesswoman and Best Business.
In 2004 she also won a Silver Stevie award in the Global Women in Business Awards presented in New York for Most Inspiring Business Woman and is featured in the CIE top 24 female entrepreneurs of 2025
She was also awarded in 2024 , Business Leader in theThames Valley awards, Best childrens theatre school in the Parent & baby award and Southern enterprise children’s theatre school of the year 2024
Shelley also now uses her extensive knowledge and experience to coach businesses who specialise in performing arts.
Mary Gregory
Mary Gregory is a sought-after international leadership consultant, best-selling author and coach who has led change for organisations including First Choice Holidays, O2, Ralph Lauren and Tesco. A trusted coach to senior executives in both the private and public sectors, she designs and delivers leadership programmes and is particularly interested in empowering women leaders and aligning executive teams.
Integrating her experience from her career, which she began as a therapist in child and family psychiatry, with developing leaders and building high-performing, inclusive cultures, Mary is committed to empowering leaders to create inclusive workplaces where people thrive. Her deep understanding of what makes humans and organisations tick supports her clients to enable sustainable change.
She designs lively and interactive programmes both online and in person, which puts the organisation and learner at the centre of the experience. Mary’s clients describe her as a warm, compassionate, challenging, and tenacious coach who helps them achieve the desired results by expanding their thinking, taking a deeper look and accessing the courage to take positive action.
Her background is grounded in psychology, enhanced by completing a Masters in Change from Surrey University. She is also a qualified professional coach, coach supervisor, master NLP trainer and is licenced in MBTI, Hogan, Strengthscope, Values Orientation and EQi.
Past and current clients include:Johnson Mathey, GE, Thoughtworks, Dairy Crest, Cisco, British Business Bank, LB of Camden, LB Hounslow Aldi, Inspired Villages, MTV, Tapestry, Anya Hindmarsh
Diane Watson
Diane Watson is an award winning distinguished financial advisor, entrepreneur, and the passionate
founder of ‘She Can Prosper.’ With an unshakable belief in empowering women to achieve financial
independence, Diane has dedicated her career to guiding individuals towards a secure and prosperous
future.
With almost three decades of experience in the financial industry, Diane has become a trusted voice in
wealth management and financial planning. Her expertise spans a wide range of financial disciplines,
including investment strategies, retirement planning, income protection and estate planning. Diane’s
personalised approach to financial advice has helped countless clients navigate complex financial
landscapes with confidence.
Driven by her commitment to bridge the gender gap in financial literacy and empowerment, Diane
founded ‘She Can Prosper.’ This groundbreaking initiative aims to provide women of all backgrounds
with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to take control of their financial destinies. Through
workshops, mentorship programs, and online resources, Diane is fostering a community where women
can openly discuss financial matters, ask questions, and learn from each other’s experiences.
Diane’s impact extends beyond her professional achievements. Her advocacy for gender equality in
finance has earned her recognition as a thought leader and a role model. She has been featured in
numerous publications, podcasts, and speaking engagements, where she shares her insights on the
importance of financial education and independence.
Her book ‘She Can Prosper’ (published on 16th November 2023) became an Amazon Best Seller and
supports her unwavering dedication to empowering women financially.
Tracey Barr
Tracey Barr is a highly regarded independent consultant with over 35 years’ experience helping organisations across the health and care sector navigate complex change. Her clients range from policy makers and NHS providers to healthcare charities, digital health innovators, and investors.
Known for her clear thinking and people-centred approach, Tracey blends strategic insight with a deep understanding of how to get things done, turning complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies and plans. She is especially skilled at working with diverse stakeholders to build consensus around transformative ideas, and her work has supported everything from early-stage innovation to large-scale service redesign.
Alongside her strategic projects, Tracey advises digital health, med tech, and SME leaders on growth, investment, and exit strategies. She is a valued business mentor, with a particular focus on supporting female founders, entrepreneurs, and fellow independent consultants drawing on her own experience to not only help them to thrive in their roles but importantly love what they do.
Tracey is excited and delighted to be as a judge for this year’s Best Business Women Awards.
Stefan Thomas
Stefan Thomas is the bestselling author of Business Networking For Dummies (2014) and follow‑up titles including Instant Networking and Win The Room. With a 20-year background in estate agency, Stefan transitioned into networking after leaving in 2007. What began as nervousness at events evolved into mastery and he became Network Director for UK‑based 4Networking, overseeing over 5,000 events annually and growing the organisation into a dynamic, education‑focused network.
Since publishing Business Networking For Dummies, Stefan has sold over 10,000 copies and attended more than 1,500 face-to-face events across the UK. He is now an in-demand keynote speaker and trainer, working with major clients including Lloyds Bank, BT, CIMA, Oxford Brookes University, and Utility Warehouse.
Stefan helps professionals rethink networking not as a chore, but as an everyday mindset that turns small conversations into big opportunities. He blends practical insight with a passion for connection and confidence.
Silvia Del Corso
Silvia Del Corso is the Director of PinkSEO Ltd, a pure-play SEO agency based in London. She founded the company in 2021 after moving from Tuscany and now leads a team of senior specialists focused exclusively on SEO for established UK businesses, particularly in the medical, legal and specialist service sectors.
Her agency work centres on transparency, data-driven decision-making and explaining SEO in plain English to help business owners understand how search engines impact their growth.
They focus on delivering SEO strategies that improve visibility, increase enquiries and support long-term sustainable growth.
She also speaks regularly at business and professional events about Google, AI and ethical SEO practices.”
