The winners of the prestigious Women in the City Future Leaders Award 2014 have been announced today, with the Facilities Management sector represented for the first time ever, as Catharine Barras of BaxterStorey is selected for the title of finalist.
The national Future Leaders Award, sponsored by the ICAEW, Google, HSBC and Penna, shines a spotlight on exceptional women and leadership talent. This year’s winners were selected from a shortlist of ten outstanding candidates, with the results announced at the 5th Future Leaders Award Ceremony at Carpenters’ Hall, in the City of London.
This is the first year the foodservice sector has been represented and achieved top five status, leading BaxterStorey to cement their place alongside global leaders, such as HSBC, Lloyds, PwC and KPMG, as investors in talent. Catharine has excelled within her field which has led to her forming part of the senior BaxterStorey leadership team, continuously driving change, developing high performing, motivated teams and delivering impressive results.
Catharine is an Operations Manager in BaxterStorey’s catering operations within the food service sector where she manages the day-to-day operations of senior national contracts, and is responsible for one of the company’s highest turnover areas as well as working with BaxterStorey’s RBS team.
A true ambassador for women in business and the food service industry
Simon Esner, Director, BaxterStorey said: “Having just turned 29, Catharine is one of the youngest operations managers within the food service industry and is a true ambassador for women in business and the food service industry. Her involvement with ‘Women in the City’ demonstrates her commitment to raising the profile of the industry, ensuring that food service is viewed as a credible and dynamic business and ultimately a career of choice. Catharine has demonstrated drive and determination towards her own development and that of her team which has led to consecutive promotions and promotions of her team year on year.”
The finalists
The five finalists, selected from the shortlist of ten candidates for the Women in the City Future Leaders Award 2014 are:
- Joint Winner – Naomi Bowman, Senior Manager – Governance & Operations – Group Monitor Liaison Office, HSBC Holdings PLC
- Joint Winner – Dr Deborah Gill, Interim Director, UCL Medical School, University College London
- Finalist – Catharine Barras, Operations Manager, BaxterStorey
- Finalist – Lynn Maxwell, Managing Director for Debt Capital Markets, HSBC Bank PLC
- Finalist – Kim Swan, Senior Manager, International Regulatory Affairs, Lloyd’s
Sponsored by Google, HSBC, Penna and ICAW, the Women in the City Future Leaders Award is open to women working in any sector, function or role within the UK for organisations (private, public or third sector) employing 250 or more people. At a relatively young age, these women are contributing beyond their functional, technical or specialist area, are committed to their personal and professional development and have a heightened sense of self-awareness.