Celebrating the Leader of the Year Finalists

Jul 1

Leader of the Year Finalists 2025

The Digital Women Awards are proud to reveal this year’s inspiring finalists for Leader of the Year. This award celebrates those who lead with vision, purpose, and impact – individuals who are driving change, empowering others, and setting new standards in their field. Let’s meet the remarkable leaders who’ve made the 2025 shortlist.

Jessica Breon - Trader PhD Ag Marketing

About:
Jessica is the Director of Marketing at Trader PhD, where she leads strategy, content, and digital marketing for a company that supports farmers and ag professionals with risk management tools and market insights. With over a decade of experience in marketing and project management – and a deep personal connection to agriculture from her upbringing on a family farm – Jessica brings both expertise and industry insight to her role. Jessica is also an active contributor to the wider agri-marketing community, serving on the board of the National Agri-Marketing Association.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Jessica was shortlisted for her transformative leadership at Trader PhD, where she has driven measurable growth through strategic innovation and a people-first approach. From leading a full-scale website overhaul that boosted daily users by 341% and increased web leads by 2300%, to implementing automation that streamlined workflows and improved lead response time, her impact has been both immediate and lasting. She also introduced the company’s first email marketing strategy, consistently outperforming industry benchmarks, and championed internal development through initiatives like a Lunch and Learn series and team mentorship.

Sandra Varley - Interflora UK

About:
Sandra is Head of Flying Flowers at Interflora and a member of the Interflora Senior Leadership Team. She is responsible for the overall strategy, trading performance, and brand marketing of the Flying Flowers business. With a background spanning retail operations, commercial buying, product development and ecommerce, Sandra has worked with leading brands including Harrods, Boots, John Lewis and Interflora. Her experience includes running a successful floristry business and delivering freelance consultancy for small businesses overseas. Since joining Interflora in 2020, she has led the development of a high-performing team and driven sustainable, profitable growth for Flying Flowers.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Sandra has been shortlisted for the way she’s transformed the Flying Flowers brand through bold thinking, clear direction, and genuine team leadership. She took what was once a shared resource setup and made a strong case for a dedicated team – giving the brand the focus it needed to grow. Since then, she’s led that team to punch well above its weight, defining a vibrant new brand identity that stands out in a crowded market and connects with a younger audience. Sandra’s leadership is hands-on, encouraging and full of energy. She empowers her team to take ownership, test ideas, and build their confidence along the way. Sandra leads with heart and purpose, and it shows – in the results, in the culture she’s built, and in the people around her.

Katharine Photiou - Legal & General

About:
Katharine is Managing Director of Workplace Savings at Legal & General, overseeing a business that serves 5.5 million customers and manages £96 billion in assets. She leads all aspects of product, proposition, compliance, P&L, and digital strategy, with over 10 dedicated digital teams delivering a seamless, tech-driven customer experience. Under her leadership, the business has invested in innovative platforms including AI-powered tools, end-to-end digital pension journeys, and a newly launched mobile app.

Reason for Shortlisting:
At L&G, Katharine has led major digital transformation initiatives – launching advanced platforms, introducing award-winning customer journeys, and developing a new workplace app now used by over 260,000 members. Katharine’s leadership combines strategic vision, digital innovation, and a strong commitment to diversity and mentorship. She actively supports over 30 women through mentoring, has championed apprenticeship programmes, and is a leading voice on bridging the pensions gender gap. Her ability to deliver measurable results while empowering others and shaping industry standards has positioned her as a standout leader in digital financial services.

Chloe Jessamy - Supportal Business Services Ltd

About:
Chloe is the founder of Supportal Business Services, an online boutique agency supporting digital founders and service providers. With nearly 20 years of experience and a portfolio spanning hundreds of businesses, Chloe specialises in streamlining workflows, implementing automation, and helping clients reclaim their time through smart digital solutions. She also leads Time Freedom Lab, a digital learning platform offering templates, toolkits, and training to help business owners work smarter, not harder.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Chloe has been shortlisted for her contribution to empowering women in the digital space through operations, mentorship, and education. Chloe has helped over 300 service-based businesses streamline their operations, implement smart systems, and scale sustainably. Over the past year, she’s expanded her impact with digital product sales and co-founded a mentorship platform designed to upskill virtual assistants and help them build scalable, tech-driven businesses. Her work as a speaker, mentor, and advisor highlights her dedication to supporting women at every stage – from emerging entrepreneurs to the next generation of digital talent.

Janina Downey - Jacada Travel

About:
Janina is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Jacada, where she leads luxury travel marketing that blends exclusivity with responsible tourism. She has built and now oversees a growing digital team, bringing together SEO specialists and marketing executives to drive performance through data-led content, conversion-focused strategy, and cross-channel digital execution. Alongside her marketing leadership, she is also an active mentor in creative arts and a passionate advocate for neurodiversity and inclusive workplaces.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Janina was shortlisted for her leadership in transforming Jacada’s digital marketing function while staying true to the brand’s commitment to responsible tourism. She built and leads a high-performing digital team from the ground up, introducing data-driven strategies, cross-channel marketing, and SEO best practices that have significantly improved performance and collaboration. Her ability to mentor writers in analytics and content value has bridged the gap between creativity and digital insight. Beyond her role, Janina champions positive impact through her work on animal welfare policy and her advocacy for neurodiversity and inclusive growth in the workplace.

Melissa Phillips - Games Leadership

About:
Melissa is a leadership coach, consultant, and founder of Games Leadership. With nearly 20 years in entertainment and over a decade in games, she founded the company to address the lack of meaningful support for leaders navigating fast-paced, high-pressure environments. Through coaching, training, and consultancy, Melissa supports studio owners, managers, and creatives alike. She also runs a not-for-profit community offering free talks and peer support to make leadership development more accessible.

Reason for Shortlisting:
As founder of Games Leadership, Melissa has supported over 300 industry leaders through coaching, training, and community events. In the past year, she launched a 12-week development programme, and built a not-for-profit network of over 1,100 members offering free resources and peer support. She has delivered workshops for AAA and indie studios, championed inclusive leadership, and created scholarship pathways for underrepresented leaders. Melissa stands out for her deeply human approach – grounded in lived experience and a clear mission to make leadership more accessible and sustainable across the industry.

Elizabeth Booi - Phambily Analytics (PTY) LTD

About:
Elizabeth serves as the Head of Business Intelligence and Data Architect at the University of the Western Cape, where she leads a multidisciplinary team advancing data-informed decision-making in higher education. Her work integrates institutional research, data governance, and learning analytics to support inclusive student success and equitable academic planning. Through her social enterprise, Phambily Analytics, she founded Phambily Academy – an open-access platform offering over 140 digital and data skills courses, focused on upskilling marginalised youth and women.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Elizabeth was shortlisted for her outstanding leadership in using data to drive meaningful change in education. As Head of Business Intelligence, she leads initiatives that use data to identify at-risk students early and support their success. Her impact extends nationally through her role as President of the Southern African Association for Institutional Research, where she introduced practical strategies and training to embed a culture of data-informed action across universities. Through Phambily Academy, she has provided free data and digital skills training to thousands of underrepresented youth and women. Internationally, her work with the University of Oxford’s AIEOU initiative supports ethical AI in education. Elizabeth stands out for her ability to combine systems thinking with human-centred impact – using data not just to report, but to uplift and empower.

The Digital Women Awards are proud to celebrate these extraordinary individuals.