A host of top local business women were recently honoured at the East of England Business Woman of the Year – a prestigious awards ceremony which celebrated their achievements throughout the past 12 months.
One Suffolk business woman, Karen Finch, who is Managing Director of The Hearing Care Centre, was awarded with the top honour at the East of England Business Women Awards, being presented the Beatrice Wilkinson Memorial Award.
The Beatrice Wilkinson Memorial Award, sponsored by Suffolk Business Women, recognises high-achieving businesswoman, where the judges consider everything from financial results, to positive contributions to the wider community, as well as whether nominees encourage, motivate and inspire others.
The award was created by Suffolk Business Women and the Suffolk branch of the Institute of Directors who run the East of England Business Woman of the Year awards, in commemoration of the life of Beatrice Wilkinson, a founder of SBW.
Karen, who is a qualified hearing aid audiologist, said she was almost “speechless”, when the award was announced:
“I cannot begin to put into words how much this means to me. From all of the successful business women in the Eastern region I am thrilled to have been recognised by my peers.
“I must add though that I would not be where I am today, without my brilliant, loyal team. They are like a rock to me and have worked so hard to make the company the best in our field,” said Karen.
In 1998 Karen established her business, The Hearing Care Centre, almost single handed, and has continued to build up her successful business to what it is today. The marketplace is very competitive with 83% being taken by the NHS. The company currently employs 13 staff members, and has 14 local hearing centres across Suffolk, offering private hearing care services.
The glitzy award ceremony took place at The West Wing, at Ickworth House, in Bury St Edmunds and also saw awards given in other categories including: Business Woman of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Rising Star of the Year.