Best female talent recognised

Female leaders from the passenger transport sector have been recognised at the 2014 Women 1st Shine Awards. It saw 17 leading businesswomen were inducted into the Women 1st Top 100 Club. The ceremony was held at the London Marriott hotel in Grosvenor Square and was attended by over 150 industry leaders and was hosted by ex-rugby union star and now television presenter, Matt Dawson MBE.

Karen Boswell, MD for East Coast Main Line Company Ltd, scooped the Woman of the Year Award (sponsored by Merlin Entertainments), while Norma Unwin, Route Operations Manager – First Capital Connect at FirstGroup, was also acknowledged as a positive role model by the judges in the same category. The Women 1st Top 100 Club lists the most influential women in hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The 2014 inductees into the Top 100 Club from the passenger transport sector are: HR Director, East Midlands Trains, Clare Burles; Group HR Director, Shearings Group Ltd, Jane Burke; HR Director ScotRail, First Group, Julie McComasky; Managing Director, East Coast Main Line Company Ltd, Karen Boswell and Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Network Rail, Loraine Martins MBE. Women 1st is a campaigning arm of People 1st, the leading skills and workforce development charity for employers in the hospitality, tourism, leisure, travel, passenger transport and retail industries.