Lyn Cecil, MD, wins Natwest Everywoman Award
WINNERS IN NATWEST everywoman AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Lyn Cecil of Secretaries Plus and The Plus Team wins everywoman Hera Award sponsored by Exemplas
2 December 2009: The UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs are today being championed, as the winners in the 2009 NatWest everywoman Awards are announced. In a year that has undeniably been one of the most challenging for the country’s business owners, these awards recognise those women that have demonstrated exceptional determination and drive in order to achieve success with their ventures. Through celebrating and raising the profile of these winners, the initiative aims to encourage future generations of women to start their own business and achieve their career aspirations.
Lyn Cecil, from London, is the winner of the everywoman Hera Award sponsored by Exemplas for the most inspiring entrepreneur aged 50 or over.
From her modest council house upbringing, Lyn Cecil was set on the idea of recruitment as a career at an early age, and in her 20s spotted a gap in the market to provide top-end PAs. She launched Secretaries Plus with a £1000 loan, growing it to incorporate a small, dedicated team of leading recruiters who supply clients including the House of Commons, Ernst Young Global, Red Bull, Burberry and Bank of England amongst others.
In 2002, at the peak of the company’s success, Lyn discovered that her Financial Director had been embezzling money to the tune of over half a million pounds. Forced into receivership, Lyn borrowed money guaranteed by her mother’s house to buy her company back, whilst coping with the consequences of such a betrayal of trust. In order to keep positive, Lyn focused on other aspects of the business such as marketing, which led to an industry award nomination, such was her determination. Showing her drive and ambition, Lyn built Secretaries Plus back up, and whilst she acknowledges that this year has been a challenge to her industry her belief in the company’s superior offering has seen them meet ambitious targets against the odds.
Lyn comments, “Being forced to put my business into receivership after 27 years and restart aged 55 was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It taught me the importance of family, friends and colleagues over material assets. I now work with a small but brilliant team and I appreciate their endeavours daily. They have made me what I am.”
“The NatWest everywoman Awards provide us with the opportunity to recognise and celebrate women’s business success and the major contribution that they make to the UK economy. At Exemplas, we recognise the additional barriers that women often have to overcome when seeking to progress in the business world. We help women to address these barriers and realise their economic potential, to succeed and thrive in today’s business climate. Exemplas is proud to be the sponsor of the everywoman Hera Award and celebrate the success of such inspirational women which will encourage more women to start up and grow their own businesses.”
Co-founder and Director of everywoman, Karen Gill, MBE adds, “2009 has been an incredibly tough year for UK plc. This year, more than ever, we are overwhelmed by the achievements of our award winners. They have all exhibited gritty determination to succeed, regardless of the obstacles that are thrown at them, whilst all the while demonstrating ethical working practices.”
2009 sees the tenth anniversary of everywoman, the UK’s largest and fastest growing independent network for women in business, and the seventh annual NatWest everywoman awards. To mark this milestone year, everywoman has launched a five point manifesto identifying areas for radical change to the landscape for women in business over the next decade. Whilst acknowledging that much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go before women are on an equal footing with their male counterparts in the business sphere. By 2019, everywoman is calling for an increase in the number of women-run businesses of 100,000, using initiatives such as the NatWest everywoman Awards to identify those who are already exhibiting success, in order to give others the confidence to go it alone.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About everywoman: Founded in September 1999, Everywoman Ltd is the UK’s leading provider of training, resources and support services for women in business, thought leaders in women’s business development and promoters of women in business and gender diversity. Its mission is to Inspire Women to Excel. everywoman works to increase the number, and raise the status, of women in the UK economy, using their experience and expertise to help women achieve their aspirations and realise their business ambitions. everywoman delivers conferences and events, awards programmes, training and leadership programmes. It developed the UK’s first, and largest, online resource for women business owners, which now has 37,000 members www.everywoman.com
About Exemplas: Exemplas is a non-profit distribution organisation with offices in Hatfield and London. We have a vast and deep fund of expertise in a range of disciplines that enhance performance and influence success. These include corporate development, leadership, skills and training, change management, enterprise, diversity and many more. For many years Exemplas has been assessing the needs of thousands of private, public and community organisations – both in the UK and overseas – and meeting them with tailored solutions. We only take on projects where we are sure we can add value, and we measure our success by the results we achieve. We jointly run Business Link East of England and Business Link for Yorkshire. We successfully deliver a number of other public contracts, for bodies such as Jobcentre Plus, the Learning and Skills Council, regional development agencies and local authorities.
About NatWest: NatWest is proud to lead the way as the pioneering Bank for female enterprise. The NatWest Women in Business service offers a network of locally based Ambassadors, dedicated to supporting the needs of female entrepreneurs. NatWest recognises the contribution that female business owners make to the economy and are proud to work with organisations such as everywoman that promote women’s enterprise. For more information, visit natwest.com/business or call 0800 028 2677, Minicom 0800 169 0088.
For further press information or images of the finalists please contact
Charlotte Heath-Bullock or Emma Jarman at LUCHFORD APM charlotte.heathbullock@luchfordapm.com or emma.jarman@luchfordapm.com
020 7631 1000
Date: 06 December 2009
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