Nora Senior, Executive Chair of UK Regions and Ireland of global PR, Public Affairs and Digital agency, Weber Shandwick, has been honoured with the 2015 Midlands Business Award for Lifetime Contribution to UK Business.
Nora, who is currently Chair of Scottish Chambers of Commerce also serves as the President of the British Chambers of Commerce, received the award from Midlands-based entrepreneurs, Harjinder Singh Sandher and Mark Swift of WMG Innovative Solutions, at the 9th Annual Award ceremony held in Birmingham and attended by over 400 guests.
The award is presented to ‘exceptional individuals who have demonstrated outstanding personal contribution to UK business’. Previous recipients of the award include Lord Digby Jones; Sir John Egan; Sir John Pearce Lord Battacharyya; Sir Robert Burgess.
Speaking at the ceremony, Harj Sander said: “Nora has reached the top of her profession in business and her ability to galvanise businesses into exports and international trade has been outstanding.
“Her position within the Chambers of Commerce is unique amongst business leaders. She has been tireless in her efforts to promote business views and interests to government and has been a leading proponent of the Skills and Young People agenda as well as an inspirational leader and role model for women. She is highly respected as a leading business figure and an inspirational recipient of this prestigious award.”
On receiving the accolade, Ms Senior said: ”I am conscious that I have a responsibility as the first woman to be honoured with this award to encourage other women in business to strive for greater business success. Business success is important as a creator of jobs and a generator of wealth.
“As businesses, we have a responsibility to invest in and develop the talents of our young people – the entrepreneurs and business leaders of tomorrow. These awards present a platform to showcase businesses who have been successful, not just in the region, but nationally and internationally.
A former Businesswoman of the Year, Nora has over 24 years agency experience in the public relations industry and has worked with many major international brands, specialising in multi-country and multi-disciplinary corporate communications programmes, advising both FTSE 100 organisations as well as start-up companies across a wide range of sectors, including property/construction, energy, finance, healthcare, technology and FMCG. She has worked with many major brands including Coca Cola; Oracle; Bausch + Lomb, Perrier, Glenmorangie, Shell and Tesco.
She was previously Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi (North) and founded a start-up company The PR Centre.
Nora is a regional adviser to the London Stock Exchange. She was awarded the First Women UK Media Award in 2013 and has been recognised through a series of awards including a global ‘Stevie’ for Best Woman in Business in EMEA; a UK Business Achievement Award and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for outstanding contribution to the PR industry.
