Spa MD in line for top UK award

A DROITWICH entrepreneur is one of just six women from across the UK vying for the prestigious title of Businesswoman of the Year at a ceremony next week.

Viv Hudson-Findlay, managing director of HotelshopUK on Tower Hill in Droitwich has been named on the shortlist for the honour which will be presented at the 30th annual Women of the Year lunch in Birmingham.

The event celebrates personal achievement and success outside of London in the areas of female enterprise and personal achievement and will see one of the shortlist crowned as Businesswoman of the Year.

The hard-working businesswoman has been honoured for her efforts to develop the online side of HotelshopUK, a company which acts as a booking agent for UK leisure, corporate travel and short breaks.

Thanks to Viv, HotelshopUK recorded staggering sales figure rises and she told The Standard she was delighted to have been nominated.

“I am very happy and very excited really to have got this far and to be shortlisted is a great honour. I am looking forward to my

interview today (Friday) in front of the panel,” she added.

“It’s very hard to believe at times because we just think of ourselves as a little Droitwich company who have overcome the floods and continue to do our best for our valued customers.”

Viv will be up against Andrea Miles, director of Mirrors for Training, Sarah Cressall, managing director of The Creation Station, Christine Griffiths, director of Aeolus Power (Wind-Energy), Sheree Cook, managing director of Cube Environmental, and Emma Elston, co-founder of UK Container Maintenance.

Previous winners of the award include Suzie Norton, former chief executive of Screen WM and Karen Brady, one of Sir Alan Sugar’s trusted aides on The Apprentice and vice-chairman at West Ham United.

Judy Groves, awards chair, said: “Each year we have a different flavour to the type of entries we receive and this year’s candidates have an extremely entrepreneurial flavour to them.

“As always, the quality of the entrants is extremely high. We have a great selection of women who played crucial roles in helping businesses across a wide range of industries perform extremely well despite the tough economic climate.

“To be named on the shortlist for this prestigious event is a fantastic achievement in its own right, so whoever is named Businesswoman of the year will be a worthy winner.”

The 2012 Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards will be held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole next Friday (October 5).

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