Car dealership group, LSH Auto, which operates Mercedes-Benz of Macclesfield, is to sponsor the 2024 Women of the Year awards.
Now in its 42nd year, the iconic awards celebrate outstanding female role models across all areas of society and business. An official launch at the House of Lords marked the opening of the nomination window for the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards. Entries will remain open until 30 June 2024.
Operations Director for LSH Auto, Tracy Ellam and Group Marketing Manager, Nikki Leonard, joined members of the Women of the Year board, including President, Writer and Actress Sally Lindsay, WOTY Ambassador and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, Baroness Newlove, WOTY Directors Emma Elston MBE, Zalena Vandrewala, and Wendy Dean for the prestigious launch event.
Tracy Ellam, Operations Director for LSH Auto, said:
“We’re passionate about celebrating female role models, so we’re really pleased to be supporting the Women of the Year Awards. The automotive industry has traditionally seen a much higher percentage of male colleagues than female colleagues. LSH Auto has a desire and appetite to change this. We know that diversity provides a range of experiences and perspectives that strengthen and add value to our collective performance. The Women of the Year Awards has such positive values that really align with our own.”
The team revealed that two categories will be open for entries this year: Businesswoman of the Year and Freeths Woman with Edge. This year a brand-new title for one of the awards, the Emmeline Pankhurst Award – Woman of Achievement, recognises the events’ move to Manchester, the city where the suffragette movement began.
In the run up to the crowning ceremony in October, Women of the Year also announced a series of networking events taking place across the UK aimed at women working across different sectors including automotive, construction, manufacturing, retail and logistics which aim to bring together and empower women.
The first of these networking events will be hosted by LSH Auto at its flagship site on Brighton Road, Stockport. The event will be held in the prestigious Maybach Suite on Thursday 11 April from 12pm to 2.30pm, bringing together successful women from across the North West. LSH Auto will also host a networking event for business women from the Midlands at its Birmingham dealership in June.
Commenting on the official launch, President Sally Lindsay at Women of the Year said:
“We were delighted to declare this year’s awards officially open. To be able to do this at the House of Lords, surrounded by our incredible sponsors and previous winners, all of whom are truly inspirational, was a very special way to kick this year’s event off.
“We now look forward to the nominations pouring in, taking the time to recognise the outstanding women that are pivotal to our society. We can’t wait to meet the nominees throughout the year at our various events and of course, at our much-anticipated ceremony in October, which we are delighted to be hosting in Manchester for the very first time.”
Last year’s Businesswoman of the Year winner, Clair Heaviside said:
“This event not only celebrates the remarkable achievements of women across diverse fields but also highlights the importance of recognising their invaluable contributions to society. I am looking forward to learning of the stories that will unfold in this year’s nominations, and seeing how they go on to inspire others. Nominate a woman you know or nominate yourself. Believe me, you never know where it will take you.”
Winners are set to be announced at Manchester’s Etihad on Friday 11th October, in an event that’s expected to host over 400 people.