Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, has been shortlisted for the 2022 Bold Woman Awards by Veuve Clicquot. First launched in 1972, this will be the 50th year that Veuve Clicquot has honoured the impact of pioneering female leadership and entrepreneurship.
Announcing its finalists on International Women’s Day, the Bold Woman Award celebrates excellent female leadership, honouring inspirational women with a proven record of business or organisational growth, underpinned by a commitment to supporting other women into leadership roles.
Dr Sillem is the first female CEO of The Royal Academy of Engineering and co-founder of the Academy’s Enterprise Hub, which supports and funds UK tech and engineering entrepreneurs. Recognised as a major champion for diversity in STEM, she sits on multiple boards and councils and is an adviser to AccelerateHER, a network of female founders and partners with a mission to help women accelerate growth and scale companies.
At the Royal Academy of Engineering, Dr Sillem is pioneering a sustainable, global society and inclusive economy. Named one of the ‘Inspiring 50 Women in Tech’, she chairs the UK government’s Business Innovation Forum, the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, and co-chaired with Sir Lewis Hamilton his Commission to improve Black representation in UK motorsport. She is also a trustee of EngineeringUK and the Foundation for Science & Technology, a member of the UK government’s Levelling Up Advisory Council, a non-executive director of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK and Laing O’Rourke, and an advisor to the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
Dr Sillem says: “I am honoured and delighted to be shortlisted for this unique award for bold leadership alongside some incredibly inspiring women who have achieved so much during their careers. Having chosen to work in a community where I have always been in a minority, I hope this visibility will help to challenge people’s perceptions of leadership in engineering.
“Engineering is a fantastic career if you want to make a difference, improve people’s lives and shape the future. Through the Academy’s work, we want to inspire many more people from all parts of society to become engineers: engineering is for everyone and the engineering community should reflect the society we serve.”
Also shortlisted for this year’s award are:
- Roni Savage, MD & Founder of Jomas Associates, an Engineering & Environmental Company serving the Construction industry since 2009. Jomas was heralded as a high growth company by Goldman Sachs in 2017. The following year, Roni was awarded Black British Business Person of the Year. She has worked on many major construction schemes across the UK and is Policy Chair for Construction for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
- Melanie Smith CBE, CEO of Ocado Retail, who has overseen the business’s phenomenal success as it increased revenue by 40% since 2019 - faster growth than any other grocery retailer - and personally led the firm’s strategy to keep the UK fed during the early phases of the pandemic.
Pip Jamieson, Bold Awards judge and founder of The Dots, said:
“This year’s shortlist honours women who are having a transformative impact on the UK, driving not just financial success but real change across industry and wider society. The Bold Future category in particular is dominated by those leading social enterprises and charitable organisations, reflecting a shift towards entrepreneurship that’s driven by ethical values and purpose. Alongside representing a new generation of pioneering leaders, these tremendous nominees are driving fresh initiatives that will truly improve the lives of many.”
The accompanying Bold Future Award celebrates up-and-coming leaders of the future, honouring the women who will shape tomorrow. The finalists are:
- Mursal Hedayat MBE, Founder and CEO of Chatterbox. Chatterbox is on a mission to shake up the labour market by connecting talented yet marginalised people with opportunities in the digital economy. Their first product is an AI-powered, award-winning platform that helps companies improve cross-regional collaboration and cultural intelligence through the power of language learning.
- Victoria Hornby OBE, Founder and CEO of Mental Health Innovations (Shout). Shout 85258 is the UK’s first free, 24/7 digital messaging service to help those struggling with mental health. The organisation has had over 1 million conversations since its inception.
- Lavinya Stennett, Founder & CEO of The Black Curriculum, a social enterprise founded in 2019 working to teach and support the teaching of Black history all year round, aiming to empower all students with a sense of identity and belonging.
Notes to editors
1. The Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot is a modern evolution of the Business Woman Award which has been running since 1972; the first and longest-running international accolade for female business figureheads. The judging panel includes Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik; Pip Jamieson, Founder of The Dots; Sian Westerman, Co-Chair at British Fashion Council Trust; Naomi Kerbel, Global Head of TV and Radio at Bloomberg; and Moira Benigson, Founder of MBS Group.
The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in London in September 2022.
For more information on the awards see https://www.veuveclicquot.com/en-gb/bold-by-veuve-clicquot/about
2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.
In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.
Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.
For more information please contact:
Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering
T: +44 207 766 0636
E: Jane Sutton