Meat Business Women Announces 2025 Ambition Award Winners at UK & Ireland Summit
In its landmark tenth anniversary year, Meat Business Women has today revealed the winners of its 2025 One to Watch and Allyship Advocate awards, celebrating 20 standout individuals making an impact across the food industry.
Unveiled at the sold-out UK & Ireland Summit on Thursday 22 May, the awards shine a spotlight on ten exceptional young future leaders and ten inspiring allies who are championing inclusion. The winners are also featured in the inaugural Ambition Index, available to download now.
Download your copy of UK & Ireland Ambition Index
The awards were expanded for one year only to honour 10 winners in each category, a fitting way to mark a decade of Meat Business Women’s mission to support, inspire and empower women across the meat and food industry.
2025 One to Watch Winners:
- Aimee Mahony, Chief Poultry Advisor, NFU
- Harriet Wilson, Assistant Buyer, Tesco
- Jessica Thorne, Logistics & Digital Capability Manager, McDonald's
- Julia Black, Group Ethics and Social Sustainability Senior Manager, Hilton Foods
- Leanne Crosier, Compliance Manager, Sofina Foods Europe
- Megan Cole, Assistant Technical Manager, ABP Food Group
- Michelle Brearley, NPD Manager, Cranswick
- Natasha Hall, Senior NPD and Innovation Manager, Kepak
- Niamh McTrinley, Learning & Development Manager, Kepak
- Phoebe Traquair, Livestock Adviser, NFU
2025 Allyship Advocate Winners:
- Stuart Menzies, Commercial Director, UK Division, OSI Europe
- George Harrigan-Brown, Group Internal Audit & Risk Director, Hilton Foods
- Amie Burke, Learning Engagement Lead, IGD
- Bev Mitchell, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnebrogue
- Natalie Gorman, Senior HR Advisor, Kepak
- Gary Rowland, Head of Learning & Development, Dunbia
- Sophie Tapp, Change and Communications Coordinator, Avara Foods
- Emma Weingart, Transformation Programme Manager, Avara Foods
- Vicky Brown, Business Systems Controller, Cranswick
- Jason Willis, Site Engineering Manager, Cranswick
The One to Watch award recognises early and mid-career women who are making a mark in their organisations and show exceptional potential for leadership. Sponsored by Huhtamaki, this award was open to direct applications from individuals across the industry.
The newly launched Allyship Advocate award, sponsored by Morliny Foods, celebrates individuals of any gender who are mentors or allies to others, creating opportunities for others to grow and succeed. Winners were nominated by their peers and colleagues in recognition of their visible commitment to being change-makers.
Each of the 20 winners will now benefit from group coaching sessions with a professional executive coach to support their continued career development.
Laura Ryan, Global Chair of Meat Business Women, said: "2025 is such a milestone year for Meat Business Women, and we couldn’t think of a better way to mark it than by welcoming delegates to our largest ever Summit and recognising the incredible talent and allyship that exists across our industry. These individuals really show what’s possible when people support, champion, and invest in each other."
The announcement formed part of the UK & Ireland Summit, themed ‘Fuelled by Ambition’, which brought together 250 delegates alongside industry speakers for a day of inspiration, strategic networking and personal development.
Delegates heard leadership insights from Steph Wood Managing Director of One Stop Stores Ltd and Amy Witham, Director of Operational Performance at Sofina Foods Europe, whilst a leadership panel session focused on Ambitions for Gender Balance over the next decade.
The panel, chaired by Elaine Willis, Commercial Director at Linden Foods, saw senior leaders share best practice on how their business is already making progress towards the ambition of the Food Business Charter, a landmark initiative launched by Meat Business Women in March 2025 to reach 40% female representation in the food industry by 2035.
