Actuary of the Year

Winner: Darshika Agarwal, McGill and Partners

Unique, fun, impressive and highly professional were just a few of the judges comments that highlighted the outstanding qualities of the winner. She has made a measurable high impact in her role and her passion for promoting the profession shines through with podcasts and the wonderfully original Actuary who Dances initiative.

Risk Professional of the Year

Winner: Insiyah Davenport, Optio Group

A professional with a pro-active approach to risk and the culture around risk, who has board level influence, has navigated multiple M&A deals and helps shape the risk function. A lot has been achieved in the last 12 months, with a big impact – a very impressive entry.

Highly commended: Liz Ryan, Zurich Insurance and Martha Phillips, AXA UK

Insurance Lawyer of the Year

Winner: Imogen Mitchell-Webb, HF Limited

An exceptional upward trajectory and very good market profile and clear ambition. The judges believe this individual handles complex, high value and high profile sport cases, requiring great knowledge and inter-personal skills and is a role model for women and LGBTQ people.

Claims Professional of the Year

Winner: Carolyn Mackenzie, Intact Insurance UK

An impressive career in claims focused on professional skills and driving an inclusive team culture across the UK and Europe, a clear example of overcoming natural shyness to overcome challenges and support others in their careers. The judges believe this winner drives excellence in a huge, multi-national division.

Most Inspiring Returner

Winner: Charlotte Pritchard, RiverStone International

The judging panel was impressed with how the winner transitioned from chief risk officer to CEO while managing motherhood. This sends a message to others that it’s possible to have both a family and a successful career. It takes someone senior to set the tone and allow the doors to open for others to follow, and the winner of this category leads by example and has had a cultural impact on her organisation.

Marketer of the Year

Winner: Sharon Mintah, AXA UK

The winner has demonstrated measurable results despite budget cuts, juggling her many responsibilities to make a difference to the award-winning campaigns she has led. She has achieved an impressive level of national press coverage and stood out to the judges as a strong performer.

London Market Professional of the Year

Winner: Jen Tan, Helios Underwriting

The winner took the academic route into insurance which has served her very well in data-driven positions. She has blazed a very visible trail, demonstrating her strengths across a number of challenging roles, and has made a big impact both within her own organisation and in the London Market as a whole.

MGA Professional of the Year

Winner: Bethany Thomas, Spring Insure Ltd

The judges said this was a very impressive entry showcasing her efforts in ensuring MGA deliver underwriting returns, maintaining underwriting discipline in soft market condition. Clear she is excelling in her day job while finding the time to continue contributing to the wider industry.

Insurance Broker of the Year

Winner: Sally Pike, The AA

The judges said this was a very strong entry with excellent supporting business metrics in a very competitive market. The move from finance into the technical pricing is not an easy transition but she delivered 13% growth, improvement in retention and evidence of moving business into a stronger position in a highly competitive market.

Underwriting Professional of the Year

Winner: Ciara Sheikh, Apollo, a Skyward Group

A high-powered underwriter in one of the most challenging classes of insurance. She has delivered exceptional growth numbers while sending the ladder down to other younger underwriters. Brokers and clients mark her out as the go-to underwriter in her field, an exceptional accolade.

Digital Champion of the Year

Winner: Raksha Kotecha, Allianz Technology UK

The winner spearheaded an impressive cloud transformation programme, accomplishing a very complex delivery with a successful go-live. She has also fostered a collaborative leadership style and made sure to put focus on the psychological safety of the users adopting the new programme, which stood out to the judging panel.

Unsung Hero Award - Insurer/MGA

Winner: Dawn Paterson, Hiscox

The judges said there was Concrete evidence of sustained operational impact, relocating from London to York, becoming the "lynchpin" of the office, covering workloads during absences without disruption, and building new networks rapidly, exemplifying quiet, dependable leadership. A well-articulated submission with charity activity a further bonus.

Highly commended: Ciara Davey, Allianz UK

Unsung Hero Award – Broker

Winner: Stacey Forster, The AA

After six years voluntarily co-chairing the Ability Network and embedding the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme, this individual has delivered a sustained, structural D&I impact on the business. An excellent example of structural change built from a back-office role, rather than a senior leadership platform.

Highly commended: Victoria Woollard, BMS Group

Unsung Hero Award - Service Provider

Winner: Clare Beavan, DWF Law

The winner’s background in the not-for-profit sector has given her a unique perspective, and she has clearly used that experience to make a meaningful impact within her organisation and the wider charitable community. The judges particularly liked her commitment to encouraging more people within her business to do volunteering, because that makes such a positive change to the way people feel about work.

Young Insurance Woman of the Year Award (small to medium firms)

Winner: Anya White, Rokstone Underwriting

The judges said this winner shows Impressive progression and impact. Relatively new to the industry, and quickly promoted to the youngest senior leader within her company. Judges particularly liked that even though she is relatively early in her career, she still makes sure to mentor other women and support the next generation.

Highly commended: Carrie-Ann Hallett, Optio Group

Young Insurance Woman of the Year Award (large firms)

Winner: Kacey-Angel Anderson, Haven Knox-Johnston Commercial (part of Howden)

A very inspiring story and the judges were impressed how much she has achieved during her first years in the industry. As the only female or her team, she has had a big impact on the organisation professionally and also through her work in her Neurodiversity Respect role.

Team Leader of the Year- Insurer/MGA

Winner: Shelby Vincent, Zurich Insurance

The judges though this was a highly respected senior leader with a track record of developing individuals and building an internal network to support staff. An impressive submission backed-up with some great metrics and examples of her engagement and people focus.

Team Leader of the Year- Broker

Winner: Nicole Mott, WTW

The outstanding entry has had a long career in the industry and she has navigated a lot of changes very well, moving into new areas and shown flexibility, adaptability and strong leadership. She also demonstrated an enthusiastic approach to coaching and supporting her team.

Team Leader of the Year - Service Provider

Winner: Parul Varghese, Xceedance

The winner has re-designed and delivered training with measurable results, buy in from the business and strong testimonials from her team. She has shown strong leadership and an ability to build capability at scale while keeping people development at the centre of her work and leads with clear vision, discipline and transparent communication, creating a culture of trust, ownership and continuous learning.

Trailblazer Award

Winner: Amy Brettell, Zurich Insurance

Our winner has demonstrated Very strong transformational leadership with outstanding commercial results, a 50/50 gender split at every level, and visible sector impact through initiatives like bespoke PPE for women – and industry first – and the Flood Action Coalition. This demonstrates exceptional substance and genuine wider contribution.

Mentor of the Year

Winner: Katarzyna Czamara-Newton, Canopius

This winner is an excellent role model for younger women in the industry, with her mentoring focused mainly on those who are early on in their careers both internally and across the wider Lloyd’s market. The winner has overcome personal challenges, including dyslexia, to get to where she is today and it’s great to see a successful leader support younger women across the industry.

Rising Star Award

Winner: Derry Young, Aviva

This Rising Star is doing an exceptional job in a complex change environment, handling lots of change both in work and life and demonstrates calm and control beyond her experience. She is an enabler who helps others perform, excels in her role and a clear asset to the business – any competitor would want her.

Role Model of the Year - Insurer/MGA

Winner: Jo Lloyd, AXA Insurance

This was a standout entry for the judges. A strong leader within her organisation, the winner is exceptional at lifting other women up both within her own company and in the wider industry, supporting them to be more brave through a range of industry-wide initiatives.

Role Model of the Year - Broker

Winner: Louise Ann Velez, Howden

The judges said this winner clearly has the ability to influence the business and has consistently delivered strong contributions to knowledge, practice and personal development. She is clearly very active as role model and has impacted peoples careers and introduced changes and new programmes to the business.

Highly commended: Suzanne MacLeod, Miller Insurance Services

Role Model of the Year - Service Provider

Winner: Mollie Brentnall, Crawford & Co

Our winners impact is tangible and inspirational to those around her. What has elevated her above others is her transparency and willingness to show up as her authentic self in an area that remains underrepresented and often under-discussed within our industry: neurodivergence. Molly has not only embraced this as part of who she is, but has used it as a strength to break down barriers and help bring others forward both within and beyond her firm.

Gender Inclusion Network of the Year

Winner: Miller Gender Equity Alliance

This network has made very significant advances over the last year, tackling difficult topics and reaching marginalised groups with its modern and innovative approach. Embedding a charitable project in its mission also helps it stand out as a model of great employee-led corporate citizenship.

Highly commended: Aviva Balance UK

Contribution to Gender Inclusion Award

Winner: Gallagher - Ampl!fy

A comprehensive initiative to develop future female leaders, with excellent feedback from participants. Clear articulation of the inclusive, workplace practices and this program has had an impact across numerous dimensions with the outcomes very clearly articulated. This is a brilliant and a holistic narrative.

Contribution to Inclusion Award

Winner: Zurich Insurance

The winner is the first insurer to achieve Disability Confident Leader status, a Stonewall Top 100 employer, and one of only two insurers to publish socio-economic pay gap data, demonstrating exceptional transparency. The breadth of the offering is impressive with clear data to show consistent improvements.

Insurance Woman of the Year (Small to Medium Firms)

Winner: Sheila Cameron, Lloyd's Market Association

This winner is a highly influential industry leader with significant market-wide impact and visibility. She champions and delivers change at the core of the insurance industry in Lloyd’s and for female underwriters. She plays a pivotal role in making the market a more efficient place drives change.

Insurance Woman of the Year (Large Firms)

Winner: Emily Chamberlain, HWF

The judges were impressed with the winner’s commercial achievements within a specialist area as well as her contributions to the wider industry. She strongly promotes the regional insurance market and demonstrates success as a part-time worker.

Highly commended: Claire Bowler, DWF Law

Outstanding Achievement Award

Winner: Julia Graham

Over a remarkable career spanning more than 50 years, she has been an innovator, an inspirational leader and a tireless advocate for raising professional standards and creating opportunities for women.

From the start of her career in 1972, she broke through barriers in what was then an overwhelmingly male-dominated industry.

Throughout her career, our winner has been a passionate advocate for greater diversity, inclusion and opportunities for women and was one of the first people to agree to be a judge for these awards when we launched them in 2019.