A host of successful women have been recognised at an annual awards ceremony celebrating Scotland's business sector.
The Business Women Scotland Awards 2019 saw guests take to St Vincent Street in Glasgow for the fifth annual ceremony.
Founder of Hey Girls social enterprise Celia Hodson was named overall winner as well as Inspirational Woman of the Year for her work in setting up a project to tackle period poverty.
Hey Girls gives a girl one pack of products for every pack a consumer buys and was hailed by judges for her innovation and inclusiveness.
READ MORE: Hey Girls eyes £2m turnover as latest deal goes live with H&M
“Awards like this make it all worthwhile, especially on the tough days. You look at it and realise you’re doing something good," she said at the ceremony on Friday.
“I’m totally thrilled to receive the award and delighted to be in a room filled with so many brilliantly capable women.”
Along with the award, Celia also wins a two-week airtime radio advertising campaign to be taken on award sponsor Global’s Heart FM or Smooth FM to the value of £4000, along with commercial production of a 30-second commercial.
Other winners included Heather Matthews of Little’s Chauffeur Drive, who won Business Woman of the Year and Established Business of the Year Awards, and Imogen Russon-Taylor of Kingdom Scotland fragrance House, who was presented with the Rising Star of the Year and Start-up Business of the Year Awards.
Entrepreneurs from the fields of technology, finance and marketing were winners at the fifth annual awards, which put the achievements of women-led businesses firmly in the spotlight.
Guest speakers at the awards ceremony included Judy Murray OBE and charity founder Corinne Hutton.
“I’ve always believed in the strength you get when you bring like-minded people together. With a group of women, you tend to not get egos but instead a willingness to network and share. At events like this people can come together and share their experiences,” said tennis coach Judy.
READ MORE: Hey Girls: the firm on a mission to end period poverty
This year’s judges were impressed at the high standard of entries, according to Lynne Kennedy, founder of Business Women Scotland.
“The stories we have heard from entrepreneurial women who have made their mark have been truly inspirational,” said Lynne. “To learn how those lightbulb moments prospered and grew into successful businesses in a wide range of industries has been unbelievably impressive. We are delighted to recognise the achievements of women in business across Scotland.”
A full list of last night's winners:
Overall Winner
Celia Hodson, Hey Girls
Business Woman of the Year
Heather Matthews, Little's
Established Business of the Year
Heather Matthews, Little's
Inspirational Woman of the Year
Celia Hodson, Hey Girls
Rising Star of the Year
Imogen Russon-Taylor, Kingdom Scotland
Social Enterprise of the Year
Zakia Moulaoui, Invisible Cities
Sole Trader of the Year
Mhairi Mackenzie, Bonnie Bling
Start-Up Business of the Year
Imogen Russon-Taylor, Kingdom Scotland
Women in Finance
Kimberley Oliver, Xenith Financial
Women in Marketing & Social Media
Tammy Koslowski, Naf Salon
Women in Technology
Margaret Totten, Akari Solutions
Inspirational Woman of the Year
Highly commended
Susan Harkins, Business Gateway Edinburgh
Suzie McCafferty, Platinum Wave Franchising
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