3M BIC CEO Prof Liz Towns-Andrews was named winner of the STEM category at the regional finals of the Yorkshire, North East and Scotland Forward Ladies Women in Business Awards, at a ceremony which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle on 14 October.

Liz said: “I’m really honoured to be the overall winner of the STEM category. The achievements of all women in STEM should be celebrated. It is a tough sector to succeed in as a woman, and despite there being a shift in the number of women in industry in recent years, there’s still a long way to go. Not many women are at the helm of science and engineering companies, and I would like to see that change.”

Now in its seventh year, the awards have grown from being purely regional into one of the most prestigious events in the national calendar for professional women. Forward Ladies, founded in 1999, supports women in their professional lives to celebrate and champion the role of women in the workplace.

Griselda Togobo, MD of Forward Ladies, said: “This has been a fantastic year for women; we continue to start, grow and run high profile successful companies. We have been surprised and delighted by the number and calibre and diversity of the applications we have received, and look forward to celebrating their success.

“The award categories are a reflection not only of the types of businesses with which women are involved but also industries which need to attract and encourage young women to join for future growth and prosperity.”

Wishing Liz lots of luck in the national final, where she’ll go up against other finalists from the regional heats on 1 December at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.