Nikki King OBE, Managing Director at Isuzu Truck UK Limited, was awarded a PwC Lifetime Achievement Award at the First Women Awards in London on Thursday 11th June 2009
King, who runs Isuzu Truck UK, was a company administrator until she was 40 years old before going on to lead a £32m management buyout of the company in 2004.
Judges of the award, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers,
said she was a 'beacon of female talent' and provided 'an outstanding role model and leadership figure for women at every stage of their career'.
On receiving the award, Nikki King said, "This award came as a total surprise and I felt truly humble in front of so many inspirational women. This award is not just for me but for all women working in today's hugely competitive transport industry."
Hosted by Real Business magazine, the First Women Awards were founded five years ago to celebrate 'glass ceiling breakers' in business and public life. They are supported by the CBI and held in association with Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.
Concluding her award reply, Nikki King said, "On behalf of all the nominees, I would like to thank Lloyds TSB for their sponsorship of the event and on a personal note I am grateful to Wendy Whewell, our corporate bank manager from HBOS, for sponsoring my nomination. HBOS has firmly supported the Isuzu business all along the way and we look forward to continuing this same great relationship with Lloyds Corporate Division for many years to come."
On behalf of the Lifetime Award sponsors, Sarah Churchman, Head of Diversity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, said: "The current recession threatens to decelerate or, worse still, reverse the progress being made by UK plc towards a fairer gender balance in corporate life.
"Now, more than ever, the business community needs to eschew the notion that gender diversity is a 'solved problem' and continue to identify role models capable of inspiring a generation of women to pursue their goals.
"Nikki's personal and professional success makes her an ideal candidate. The First Women Awards continue to provide an important platform for promoting female talent in the UK and PwC is delighted to be playing a part."
The achievements of women from eight sectors were recognised on the evening, held at the London Marriott. The awards, whose patron is the Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown, were judged by a panel including Val Gooding, the former CEO of BUPA; Naguib Kheraj, CEO of JPMorgan Cazenove; Mike Terrett, COO of Rolls-Royce and Sarah Churchman, Head of Diversity at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.