IMAGE PwC Business Woman of the Year 2024 Award Winners Announced

At an event in the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road, Dublin 4, and with over 960 in attendance, Emma Maye was presented with the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Award 2024. 

With over 20 years’ experience across various sectors of the construction industry and a family legacy in the home building industry, Emma Maye is the co-founder, CEO and creative vision behind the Ardale Group, a business that comprises of Ardale construction and Core Builders Suppliers. 

Ardale was established in 2012 by Emma and her husband and business partner, Alan Hegarty to build innovative, sustainable properties; the business is currently developing 1,000 A-rated homes in Dublin and Wicklow. Core was established in 2016 through a series of acquisitions and integrations. 

As a woman in a very male-dominated sector, Emma has underpinned her business with values including honesty, transparency and respect for customers and colleagues alike, along with a true commitment to ESG. She leads a team of 120, working across six Dublin depots, along with a nationwide ecommerce division. 

Prior to setting up Ardale, Emma was Managing Director at ELM Holdings, managing a portfolio with a value in excess of €1 billion. 

The IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Anne Heraty, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Cpl Resources plc, which she established in 1989 and played a key role in developing to become Ireland’s leading employment services company. In 1999, Anne floated Cpl Resources, becoming the first female head of an Irish listed company. She currently sits on the board of Kingspan Group plc, Ibec, Sherry Fitzgerald and is Chair of Barretstown Children’s Charity. Anne is a founding member of Endeavour in Ireland. 

Anne Heraty is the ninth Irish woman to receive the IMAGE Lifetime Achievement Award and joins a stellar group, including Breege O’Donoghue, Company Director, Penneys/Primark; Voxpro co-founder Linda Kiely; former Global President of Mars Food, Multisales and Global Customers, Fiona Dawson CBE; and Mary Robinson.

At the 2024 IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards, women from the broadest possible spectrum of business were acknowledged in categories including Start-up, Young Businesswoman, CEO, Family Business, Management Professional, Sustainability Champion, STEM, and Creative. New for 2024, and as advocacy and philanthropy become more intrinsically linked with our working lives, the categories of Social Entrepreneur and Diversity & Inclusion have been divided further, each into two sub-categories: Social Entrepreneur for those in a Charitable Organisation, and Social Entrepreneur for those who make a Community Impact; while the Diversity & Inclusion category was split to honour the Diversity & Inclusion Community Advocate, and the Diversity & Inclusion Industry Leader, for those working directly in the sector. 

Clodagh Edwards, CEO, IMAGE Media says, “This year’s IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards saw huge growth in entries as women north and south of the border shared their stories of success with us, which is a really uplifting experience. It’s also a tough one as every place on each shortlist is tightly contested, and our judging day becomes more and more challenging as we try to find our winners. 

“There is a lot to consider, and I’d like to express particular thanks to the judging panel for their dedication in reaching our decision, which we are all, unanimously, delighted with. The recipients of each of the 13 category awards are an outstanding group of women, each of whom show great leadership as well as incredible business acumen and that very female trait of excellent multitasking. On behalf of everyone at IMAGE, I’d like to convey our most heartfelt congratulations to all our impressive winners.” 

Marie Coady, Markets Leader at PwC says, “Congratulations to all the deserving award-winners and outstanding nominees for this year’s IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards. These awards celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of women in business and showcase inspiring examples of what can be achieved if we create an environment where everyone can thrive and realise their full potential. When we mentor and empower women, we support their individual ambitions while creating an environment where diversity flourishes and businesses are transformed.”

The category winners for 2024 are: 

CEO of the Year
Fiona Matthews, Managing Director, Applegreen

MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL of the Year
Ashley McDonnell, Global Digital Media and E-Commerce Director, PUIG

FAMILY BUSINESSWOMAN of the Year
Edwina Donnellan, CEO, MillroadMotors t/a Donnellans Centra

STEM PROFESSIONAL of the Year
Karen May, Company Director and Chief Financial Officer, XOCEAN Ltd

ENTREPRENEUR of the Year
Mairead Mackle, CEO and Founder, Tarasis Enterprises

START-UP of the Year
Dr Helena McMahon, Co-founder, Seabody

YOUNG BUSINESSWOMAN of the Year (UNDER 35)
Aine Kennedy, CEO and Founder, The Smooth Company

CREATIVE BUSINESSWOMAN of the Year
Gráinne Humphreys, Executive Director and Festival Director, Dublin International Film Festival Ltd

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION BUSINESSWOMAN of the Year – COMMUNITY ADVOCATE
Lisa McKenna, Principal Solicitor, McKenna & Co Solicitors

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION BUSINESSWOMAN of the Year – INDUSTRY LEADER
Tracy Gunn and Michelle O’Keeffe, Co-founders, Platform55

SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION of the Year
Dr Val Cummins, Chief Impact Officer, Simply Blue Group

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR of the Year – COMMUNITY IMPACT
Dairine Kennedy, Co-founder, Neurodiversity Ireland

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR of the Year – CHARITABLE ORGANISATION
Martina Jennings, CEO, Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation

The IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards, sponsored by Key Capital, DS Automobiles, Glenveagh, Kuehne + Nagel, Pinergy, Eversheds Sutherland, Ornua and Paul Sheeran, and in association with Marks & Spencer, Movement, Enterprise Ireland and istil 38, celebrates women in business across 13 categories, plus the overall IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year. Now in its 16th year, the award ceremony recognises the every-expanding contribution Irish women make to business and modern life. The shortlist for the 2024 IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards can be viewed here.

ENDS