Crazy Week – We won 2011 Specsavers Business Woman of Year Award!

This week was one of those crazy, mad yet incredibly fun weeks to go down in prominent A&J history!

Starting on Wednesday 14th September in The Savoy Hotel, London, that was the venue for 2011 Specsavers Everywoman in Retail Awards. Our Founder Catherine Owens had been shortlisted to the final 3 for ‘Leader of the Year – In a Business with a Turnover of less than £200 million’ (we obviously just snuck in there under the turnover category, or perhaps rather easily!). Up against a Manager at Dorothy Perkins and the Managing Director of Crew Clothing.

The awards were established to help readdress the gender balance in management roles within retail by highlighting inspirational role models and their accomplishments. They draw attention to women in the industry who have shattered glass ceilings through hard work and determination to succeed.

In a fabulous ball room of The Savoy and after a scrumptuous dinner, we had insightful talks by Maxine Benson MBE and Karen Gill MBE the Everywoman Founders and then Gaby Roslin was the entertaining host for presenting the Awards.

Then the nail-biting moment of truth when Sue Brownson OBE, the Group Managing Director of Blue Bell BMW Group who was sponsoring this particular Award entered the stage and read out….. wait for it…. Catherine Owens as being the winner!

Astounded but also delighted she made her way onto the stage to accept the fabulous glass handbag trophy Award. Yes it really is in the shape of a handbag – solid and engraved, incredibly and deliciously gorgeous!

Determined to not just say thank you, Catherine told the audience her favourite quote from Maud van de Venne “Successful women can still have their feet on the ground. They just wear better shoes.” And then said that with her size 10 feet, now she had A&J she was delighted she could finally wear nice shoes!

Being presented the Award by Karen Gill and Sue Brownson OBE :