The female founder of a company providing training for unemployed steel workers has received a prestigious award for her outstanding entrepreneurial success.
Emma Harrison, founder of A4e, was the overall winner of the NatWest everywoman Award, which recognises the most passionate and dedicated woman business owner whom the judges felt had overcome significant challenges to achieve outstanding business success.
Emma, who set up A4e to provide skills and employment training for workers made unemployed by the decline in the steel industry, said she is proud that the company is 'doing well by doing good', helping people in need.
She has built up A4e into a global front-line public services company and plans to increase turnover to £500million by 2014.
Past achievements include reaching the finals of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award in 2006 and raising £57 million for the NSPCC Fullstop campaign.
Despite her phenomenal success, Harrison still finds the time to host tea with her staff once a week to listen to any problems, dislikes and suggestions that they have.
On receiving the award, Harrison commented: "This is an outstanding honour and I accept it on behalf of the thousands of people who have benefited from A4e's training. It takes guts and courage to be a woman in business, but no more so than an unemployed steel worker who is brave enough to take the plunge, learn new skills and put them to the test.
2A4e would never have achieved business success without the extraordinary team of individuals whom I am proud to call my colleagues. The person at the top tends to receive the accolades, but I would not be standing here today without an exceptional group of individuals who have supported the success of A4e every step of the way."
Karen Gill, co-founder of everywoman, which supports women in business, said: "Emma is an inspiration to all women in business and all the judges were unanimous in their recognition of her extraordinary success. Her philosophy of 'doing well by doing good' is a lesson to all of us that integrity and worthy business aims can underpin commercial success."
