Congratulations to all the winners at Utility Week’s inaugural Women in Utilities Awards
Women’s Network of the Year
Thames Water – Women's Network
Allyship Award
Nikolaj Lyngbye Kolbe, Centrica Energy
Best EDI Initiative
Thames Water – Women's Network Allyship Programme
Education Outreach
Tessa Ryan, Jersey Electricity
Returning Star
Carine Bou Tayeh, Jersey Electricity
Mentor of the Year
Sophia Goring, Business Stream
Rising Star (Utility Partner)
Nina Möger Bengtsson, Kraken
Rising Star (Utility)
Nicole McNab, Southern Water
Best Employer for Women (500+ employees)
E.ON UK
Best Employer for Women (under 500 employees)
Business Stream
Hi Viz Award
Jenny Rhodes, SES Water
Woman of the Year
Jo Dow, Business Stream
Introducing Woman of the Year, Johanna Dow
The chief executive of Business Stream explains how a career low point led to growth and why business is about much more than making money.
by Ruth Williams
Johanna Dow says forging a career in a male-dominated utilities sector meant working harder than her peers to progress.
“If I ever feel that there’s an implication or an inference that because I’m a woman I can’t do something, my attitude to that is ‘well, just watch me’.”
A founder and now chief executive of Business Stream was named Woman of the Year at the inaugural Women in Utilities Awards this summer.
She speaks with pride about the organisation she leads and the women who inspire her – but talks openly too about the worst moment of her career. “It was horrible,” she reflects, thinking about the moment when she had to deliver employees some very bad news. “Having to stand up and tell the entire workforce that we’d lost a massive contract and knowing the impact that would have on the organisation was quite heartbreaking.”
Nicole McNab wins hearts and minds to address water challenges
Anger about pollution motivated this year’s Rising Star to seek out solutions and engage with the public.
by Ruth Williams
Feeling anger while watching an evening news segment about a sewer overflow close to her home started Nicole McNab on a career change from the world of marketing to making rivers and seas cleaner.
McNab, winner of Rising Star at the Women in Utilities Awards, lives with the attitude that being told something can’t be done isn’t a reason not to try. A perfect outlook for climbing the mountain to change hearts, minds and how things are done to improve the health of rivers and seas.
McNab joined Southern Water’s clean rivers and seas taskforce two years ago. She has already been promoted to head of strategic partnerships.
Why Nina Möger Bengtsson wants to change the world
Bengtsson left a political career behind so she could make a difference in the battle against climate change.
by Ruth Williams
Since her childhood growing up in a small Danish town, Nina Möger Bengtsson has aspired to change the world.
Joining Octopus, and then Kraken Technologies two years ago, that is precisely what she is doing.
The winner of Rising Star (Utility Partner) at the inaugural Women in Utilities Awards, she’s been playing a part in the battle against climate change and fight for gender equality.
Interest in global heating came early. Bengtsson was inspired by her politically active family to join the Socialist People’s Youth Party in Denmark by the age of 13. “That’s where my eyes opened to climate change.”
