24 of the most influential women working in the city

INSPIRATIONAL FEMALES MAKING AN IMPACT IN HULL

INEQUALITY and the gender pay gap is considered to be one of the greatest challenges facing business.

Last year, the Minister for Women and Equalities Penny Mordaunt said: “the fortunes of mankind depend on the inclusion of womankind.” She also said that if we address the current inequality, it would “not just be women who benefited.”

The figures still make for startling reading. Research last year showed women account for less than a quarter (22 per cent) of senior roles across the country.

Only 13 of the country’s 350 biggest companies have a women at the helm.

The women who make up this list though, drive Hull’s economy and make decisions on a daily basis which shape our city and wider region.

They work across all industries, from education and politics, to transport and the public sector.

They are the most influential women across Hull and East Yorkshire.

The vice Chancellor of the University of Hull. She has previously worked at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa, and the University of Greenwich.

The managing director at Hull Trains is currently overseeing the arrival of five new Hitachi trains, worth £60m, in November.

Michelle Swithenbank is the chief executive officer at Hull College, an education provider which offers more than 1,000 courses to more than 26,000 students every year.

Inspirational Kayleigh has recently joined forces with the

Mail to launch the #Nomoreknives campaign to get knives off the street of Hull. For the launch, Kayleigh bravely walked the east Hull street where her younger brother was stabbed to death.

She campaigned to get every single secondary school in Hull to pledge to sign up to a new initiative which will see her visit pupils to talk about the real impact knife crime can have.

Emma is the chief officer at the Hull Clinical Commissioning Group. With 27 years of experience in the NHS, she has led the region’s CCG since 2013.

Dr Lancaster is the chief technical officer at Groupe Atlantic UK, the company which owns Hull’s Ideal Boilers. She is also the president at the Energy & Utilities Alliance.

The chief executive of For Entrepreneurs Only which is supporting the efforts of aspiring business people. Jan was awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2006. Her career has also spanned the financial (HSBC), education (Hull University) and charity (Young Enterprise) sectors.

Kathryn is the executive director at

Hull BID (Business Improvement District), a company focused on improving and developing business in the city centre. HULLBID represents around 750 city centre firms.

Kirsten Simister is the curator at Hull’s Ferens Art Gallery. Under her leadership, the city centre gallery has seen work displayed by the likes of David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Spencer Tunick’s unforgettable Sea of Hull.

Kath Lavery is the chair of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and among various other roles is also the chair of the Humber Business Week.

In 2013 Jean Bishop was named as Fundraiser of the Year at the national Pride of Britain Awards, which celebrates the achievements of remarkable people. Mrs Bishop, also known as the Bee Lady, has raised more than £100,000 for Age UK. The 93-year-old from Hull regularly attends local fundraising events in her bee outfit.

Dr Clode is the chair at Women into Manufacturing and Engineering. The initiative was launched by Green Port Hull, Siemens Gamesa, Airco and Jobcentre Plus to encourage women to choose a career in the industries.

Diana entered Parliament as Hull North MP, for Labour, back in 2005. A barrister, she has a close history of involvement with the NHS and held non-executive directorships in a primary care trust and acute district general hospital.

Hull’s most recently-elected MP, Emma Hardy was elected for Hull West and Hessle at the 2017 general election.

Hull’s first female Bishop and she was only the second to have the honour in the UK.

Rachael has been a director of clinical operations at Smith & Nephew in Hull for the past three years. She heads up the clinical operation team in advanced wound management at the FTSE 100 medical giant.

Reality television star Michelle Dewberry made her name