Woman of the Year

Our flagship award recognises an outstanding senior leader who over the course of her career has contributed materially to the success of her own organisation and/or the wider industry and provided an inspirational role model for women in utilities.

The contenders

Amy O'Connor

Opus Utility Solutions

Amy O’Connor is a standout leader in utilities, recognised for her professionalism, integrity, and unwavering commitment to excellence. She leads with confidence and compassion, inspiring those around her while delivering meaningful results for the business. Amy champions collaboration, raises standards, and creates an environment where people feel supported to grow and succeed. Her influence extends beyond her role, shaping culture, encouraging development, and driving positive change across teams. Respected for both her expertise and her approachability, Amy represents the very best of women in utilities. Shortlisting her celebrates exceptional leadership, impact, and a lasting contribution to the industry.

Jennifer Denton

ZTP

Jennifer is an exceptional senior leader whose impact spans both organisational performance and the wider utilities sector. She consistently delivers transformational results through clear strategic direction, strong commercial judgement, and an empowering leadership style. Alongside her professional achievements, Jennifer is a passionate advocate for women in utilities, actively mentoring emerging leaders, championing inclusive progression pathways, and challenging barriers that limit female representation. Her influence has helped many women step into senior and technical roles for the first time. Jennifer’s authenticity, resilience, and commitment to lifting others make her an inspirational role model and a truly deserving nominee.

Jo Cox

IMSERV

Transformational CEO Jo Cox has rebuilt trust, performance and culture at IMSERV in just one year. Under her leadership, profit increased by £5.2m, field engineer attrition dropped from 45% to zero, and job abort rates fell by 20%. Employee engagement data shows a dramatic cultural turnaround: confidence that leadership is taking the company in the right direction rose by 19.6 points and leadership communication improved by 17.5 points. A former call centre agent who rose to CEO, Jo is a powerful role model for women in utilities, championing transparency, mentoring and inclusive leadership while delivering exceptional commercial results.

Josephine Parker

Watershed Associates

Jo Parker entered the water industry in 1975, when the Equal Opportunities Bill had only just been passed, the first woman engineer to work for Thames Water and possibly in the water industry. In spite of the new legislation, she faced blatant discrimination but persisted to become a Director of a Water Company and a successful consultant. Awarded the MBE for services to the water industry and with several other awards to her name, 50 years later she continues to lead and mentor women in the industry and serve as a role model to women in the water industry.

Lila Thompson

British Water

Lila has transformed British Water's approach to diversity and inclusion while driving unprecedented sector-wide engagement. As CEO, she launched the ground breaking EDI Podcast Series, tackling critical industry challenges from dealing with menopause to neurodiversity, and established the Women in Water community—now a powerful network fostering career development and industry collaboration. Her leadership has created measurable change: increased female representation in senior roles, enhanced industry dialogue on inclusion, and a stronger pipeline of diverse talent entering the water sector. Thompson exemplifies how purposeful leadership can reshape an entire industry's culture while delivering commercial and social value.

Nicola Evans

Skewb

Nicola Evans is Director of Gas Transition & Futures at Skewb, working at the forefront of the UK’s energy transition. She began her career as an apprentice gas service engineer and progressed into senior leadership roles spanning operational delivery, regulatory priorities and future focused strategy. Alongside her leadership role, Nicola serves as President of the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers (IGEM), becoming only the second woman to hold the role in its history. Through both Skewb and IGEM, she contributes to the development of the profession at a pivotal moment for decarbonisation, standards and system change.

Nicola Teague

APEM Group

Nicola is a Business Unit Director for the UK and Ireland at APEM Group, celebrating 20 years with the organisation after progressing from junior consultant to senior leader. An internationally recognised expert in fish impact assessment and protection measures, she supports utilities clients on complex projects and influences best practice across the sector. As APEM’s first female senior leader and an early working mother in the business, Nicola has championed flexible working, pay equity and inclusive policies. She is a passionate advocate for women in STEM, mentoring colleagues, leading within the Institute of Fisheries Management, and inspiring the next generation.

Prunella Khalawan

Jacobs UK

Prunella Khalawan is an exceptional individual and serves as Senior Project Manager at Jacobs, bringing over 30 years of leadership in delivering mega infrastructure and utilities projects across the private and public sectors. Since joining Jacobs in 2011, she has led with decisive vision, on complex, high‑profile programmes. Prunella champions inclusivity, embeds social value, and opens doors for women, consistently driving meaningful impact for people and projects. Her empathy, strategic insight, and transformative leadership make her a powerful catalyst for positive change. Prunella’s courage, and forward‑looking vision make her an exceptional nominee for the Woman in Utilities Award.

Roisin Quinn

National Grid

Roisin Quinn OBE FREng is one of the UK utilities sector’s most influential and respected leaders. From leading real time control of Great Britain’s electricity system through historic decarbonisation milestones and COVID 19, to her current role as Chief Operating Officer at National Grid Electricity Distribution, Ro has delivered exceptional operational performance at national scale. A values led engineer and senior role model, she has materially advanced energy security, resilience and inclusion across the industry. Through visible leadership, sustained advocacy and outstanding delivery, she continues to inspire the next generation of women in utilities.

Roselyn Unegbu

Thames Water

Roselyn is a Delivery Director at Thames Water, a Fellow of the Association of Project Management, and a member of the CIOB Steering Group. She is an experienced programme leader with over 25 years’ experience in the public, private, and voluntary sectors. She founded ‘Projects in Prism’ and ‘Prism for Girls’, an initiative creating space for women to network with peers and organisations; be supported and create a nurturing, stimulating environment. In addition to career success, mentorship is a defining thread of her professional life; championing, advocating, and crucially, opening doors, ensuring women feel seen, supported, and equipped to thrive.