Happy International Women’s Day!
Known globally as the day to celebrate the achievements of women and to empower the next generation of people. We thought what better day to shine the light on 5 top female led businesses!
We have listed below 5 of the top female business brains for you to take inspiration from and wow! What a line up.
- Susan Wojcicki
Susan Wojcicki is CEO of the globes’ favourite video sharing platform, YouTube and is widely recognised as one of the worlds most respected female CEO’s. At 5 months’ pregnant, Susan rented her garage to Google founder’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin and then later became Google’s 16th employee.
Wojcicki is known for believing in the fundamental importance of paid and shared parental leave, having been quoted as saying “shared parental leave for parents is ‘good for business’”.
- Ursula Burns
Not only is Ursula Burns a well-established business leader, but from 2010 – 2016 she served as CEO of Xerox, an American corporation that sells print and digital document products and services and turning it into a viable and (hugely) profitable business. Burns is the first African American woman to lead an S&P 500 company.
She is a founding member of Change the Equation, a CEO-led non-profit program to boost STEM education, which was launched by the Obama administration in 2010.
- Karen Brady CBE
Known as one of Lord Sugars aides in the BBC’s Apprentice, Brady could be crowned as one of the UKs top business brains and has helped the UK Government in her role as Small Business Ambassador. A sporting executive, politician, television personality, columnist, author, businesswoman Brady wears many professional hats. She is currently the Vice-Chair of West Ham United FC.
- Jo Malone CBE
Queen of fragrance, Jo Malone is founder of two fragrance brands, Jo Malone and Jo Loves. Having started making perfumes at her mother’s kitchen table and selling her creations to friends, Malone is known best for her heady blends of sweet and savoury notes. Malone sold Jo Malone London in 1999 to Estee Lauder for an undisclosed amount. However, unable to rest, she launched Jo Loves in 2011. She is a passionate campaigner for entrepreneurial skills to be taught in schools and for the education system to recognise that there are children who have a natural flare for business.
- Marianne Caroline Hughes
A name you may not have heard of, but at just 23 years old, Hughes started up her business, KnowLabel. A business that aims to create a digital label which shows the social and environmental impact of the clothing item being bought. She has partnered with well-known fashion brands such as H&M and continues to expand and grow the company, in this ever eco-conscious world.
It would not be International Women’s Day without celebrating our very own Principal, Andrea Freeman who has this piece of advice to anyone who is looking to start their career:
“The most important advice I can give is do what you love doing and once you have found out what it is the rest becomes history. Life is about being happy and once you have found where your passion is, work becomes a pleasure. The five women mentioned would never have said it has been easy to get to where they are now, but they all have passion and love for what they do. Be true yourself and most importantly be honest and when you set yourself goals, every little bit moves you closer to achieving it. Life is a journey and should be enjoyed – good luck to you all.”