Marking the 115th anniversary of International Women’s Day with a keynote speech from the first black female winner of The Apprentice and a series of inspirational talks from leading businesswomen, East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women network held its annual conference on 5th March.
With headline partner Barclays and associate partner Knights, the event took place at Vaillant LIVE in Derby and featured panel discussions following the worldwide International Women’s Day theme of #GivetoGain.
The conference was delivered shortly after publication of the latest FTSE Women Leaders Review showed women make up 43% of FTSE 350 boards and 31% of boards in the 50 largest private companies. The data has seen little change from 2025 but a significant increase from 2011, when FTSE 350 boards were just under 10% women.
Keynote speaker Sian Gabbidon shared insight into how businesswomen can best reach their full potential. Sian is a pioneering British businesswoman, established for leading fashion and swimwear brand Sian Marie and as the first black female winner of The Apprentice in 2018.
The conference marked the official launch of the 2026 Enterprising Women Awards. 10 categories were unveiled which will recognise outstanding achievement among East Midlands businesswomen at a ceremony later in the year.
Enterprising Women Co-Founders Eileen Perry MBE DL and Jean Mountain opened the conference. Speaking afterwards Eileen Perry said: “Women do amazingly in business but let’s step it up. Let’s push a little higher or even a lot higher – that’s my message.
“For boards to be more than 40% made up of women, according to the FTSE Women Leaders Review shows some progress, yes, but do we want that to be it and slow down? I don’t think East Midlands businesswomen do.
“Enterprising Women, which I’m so proud to have co-chaired for nearly three decades, holds an award ceremony each year, celebrating the outstanding achievement of women – leading, inspiring teams, innovating – so I see it; I see what real progress is through the entries, the winners, the ideas, the leadership.
“The East Midlands makes, creates and is wonderfully diverse and that’s why I’m delighted to be part of celebrating International Women’s Day in its 115th year with this conference, celebrating the Enterprising Women network having driven change in the East Midlands for nearly 30 years and to have just opened our Awards entry for 2026.
“Through East Midlands businesswomen sharing insight each year at this conference, we bring together and strengthen the role of women in business and that’s what will get more women onto boards, leading firms.
“I’d like to extend my thanks to the sponsors, the speakers and all who made this conference the success it has been.”
Co-Chair Jean Mountain said: “Quite simply what we have is brilliance in our East Midlands businesswomen. I’ve said that for years – across the almost 30 years now that Enterprising Women has championed female leaders, entrepreneurs and apprentices – so it’s right that as International Women’s Day celebrates its 115 years, we shine a light on the East Midlands and the women that are in business right here.
“Across the almost 30 years of Enterprising Women, we’ve not just seen increases in women taking the lead in office-based firms; we’ve seen once male-led factories and industries transformed by women.
“The International Women’s Day conference we hold is not just a confidence booster or a reminder of where women are in that journey – it’s women sharing how they reshaped a business, how they grew it and that’s the conversation we need to be having more of.
“When I look back on our almost 30 years of this network, I realise we chose the name well. Enterprising Women is what it says on the tin – ‘enterprising’ doesn’t mean carrying out work – it means being inventive, resourceful, creative, entrepreneurial and making new business ideas a success.
“I’m delighted that, once again, we’ve delivered a conference that energised the whole room, with lively panels and great speakers and it was exciting to hear so many great ideas that can drive growth in the East Midlands.”
Barclays Head of Public Sector Corporate Banking Nazreen Visram gave a talk on her career journey, sharing insight on how best to progress. Afterwards she said: “With International Women’s Day’s theme of Give to Gain, I had three pieces of advice I was keen to share with women in business.
“It’s important to give sponsorship, not advice, especially to women from underrepresented backgrounds. Give access to invisible capital networks, through informal intelligence, through networks, through stretching roles. Finally, give permission to belong because culture, not capability is the biggest block in achieving growth.”
Women on Boards CIC Co-founder and CEO Sandra Wiggins won the Enterprising Women Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 and took part in a panel on navigating obstacles and championing women in business. Speaking afterwards she said: “I’m still in shock about winning Lifetime Achievement. I’ve entered the Enterprising Women Awards over numerous years when I had my own manufacturing business. What I do now, at Women on Boards CIC came out of being usually the only female voice in the room in too many meetings.
“If we don’t step ourselves forward and we don’t celebrate success, or whatever success looks like, then we are not putting role models out that open the doors for our next generations to come through.”
Knights Partner Jenny Colver was on the panel and afterwards said: “It’s important for us to connect with the business community and given that I’m a female partner, supporting Enterprising Women is so good.
“You see the wonderful work the network does in supporting women across the East Midlands within business, connecting people, driving really good conversations and discussion topics.”
TV presenter and consultant Anne Davies chaired a panel on overcoming workplace and career challenges. Afterwards she said: “The theme of International Women’s Day being ‘Give to Gain’ is a wonderful thing to be discussing as it’s genuine – the more you give, the more you gain. The more collaborative you are, the more you get back, when you think about what you have gained by being given or what you gave that gained for you.
“This conference is important because by giving, by sharing the knowledge you have, realising you know something, you get to see it change somebody else’s life. In my case, this thinking enabled me to create a whole new business and a system of helping people get over fear of standing up in front of people.
“It was lovely to discuss and hear people’s stories, which were so personal. That’s important to me – being authentic and personal. If you are, you get more out of life.”
Vaillant Live Premium Sales, Conferencing and Events Manager Felicity Kemp said: “It’s been fantastic to host this event with Enterprising Women and East Midlands Chamber. I work in a team of women – my boss, myself, my team are all female based and many of our office and industry are so it’s been really nice to support.
“There’s still a gap to go in getting women further in business, not just in the event industry but in business in general. It’s been so good to support the diversity and inclusion and help the conversations keep going and build momentum.”
Datalink Electronics Managing Director Mariam Smith won the Enterprising Women Awards Businesswoman of the Year in 2025 and gave a talk on what powered and influenced her career journey. Afterwards she said: “It felt like such an amazing achievement to win the Businesswoman of the Year Award. I never expected it in a million years so it felt like an amazing validation.
“Celebrating success is absolutely important because there are fewer and fewer women in leadership roles and I feel women don’t champion themselves. To have other people push them is so important. I’m not a very confident person and I don’t like public speaking so having somebody to push me and encourage me has been fantastic.”
Speakers & Panelists at the 2026 International Women’s Day Conference:
- Sian Gabbidon – KEYNOTE SPEAKER – BBC’s The Apprentice winner 2018; leader of fashion brand Sian Marie
- Scott Knowles – Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber
- Eileen Perry MBE DL – Co-chair Enterprising Women; Vice Chair, East Midlands Chamber; Founder and Managing Director, ER Recruitment
- Jean Mountain – Co-chair, Enterprising Women
- Nazreen Visram – Head of Public Sector Corporate Banking, Barclays
- Sandra Wiggins – Co-Founder & CEO, Women on Boards
- Anne Davies – TV Presenter and Presenting Consultant
- Jenny Colver – Partner, Knights
- Amy Haroff – Chief Executive, East Midlands Combined County Authority
- Mariam Smith – Managing Director, Datalink
- Sarah Thomson – Principal Partnership Officer, De Montfort University
- Preethi Kang – Commercial Manager, Qinesis and Chair of Generation Next
- Rachael Edmondson-Clarke – Performance Consultant & Coach, Ellevar
Enterprising Women Awards 2026 – categories
Businesswoman of the Year – sponsored by Michael Smith Switchgear
For a businesswoman that demonstrates all-round excellence in business
Female Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by Freeths
For a female entrepreneur that demonstrates having developed their business
Social Commitment Award – sponsored by Mackworth Vehicle Conversions
For demonstrating an innovative, proactive approach to corporate and social responsibility
Small Business Award
For achieving consistent growth while owning or managing a small business
Female Employee of the Year Award – sponsored by Cambridge & Counties Bank
For making a significant difference to an organisation and contributing to its success
Team of the Year Award – sponsored by Azets
For a successful team led by a dynamic female leader
The Innovation Award – sponsored by Pick Everard
For an individual woman or female-led team that has innovated in their field
Apprentice of the Year Award
For an apprentice working toward or has completed an apprenticeship in the last 12 months
Developing Leader Award – sponsored by Sarah Higgins
For achieving exceptional career growth, with potential to develop as a leader
Lifetime Achievement Award – sponsored by NOCN
For significant contribution to a business for 10 years or more
Entry for the 2026 Enterprising Women Awards is now open. To enter or find out more click here.
To find out more about East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women network click here.
