Celebrating the Role Model (Mentor/Coach) Finalists

Jun 30

Role Model (Mentor/Coach) of the Year Finalists 2025

This award celebrates those women who have made a real difference by supporting and guiding others. Whether it’s through formal coaching or informal mentoring, they’re the kind of people who lift others up – sharing their time, knowledge, and encouragement to help others grow. They lead with empathy, listen without judgement, and have a lasting impact on the people they support.

Lucy McCarraher - Book Magic AI

About:
Lucy is a publisher, mentor, and multi-book author who's spent decades helping people turn their ideas into powerful stories. She’s the Founder & CEO of BookMagic AI, a book writing app designed to help entrepreneurs and experts write, publish, and promote their books with clarity and confidence. Lucy’s own writing spans 14 books – including novels, self-help, and writing guides – with her latest offering a step-by-step path to becoming an author and turning expertise into business growth.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Lucy has been shortlisted for her impact as a mentor, coach, and changemaker in the world of business publishing. Over the past 12 years, she’s personally guided more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants through the book-writing process. She’s championed a more inclusive, accessible model of publishing – opening doors for women, people from underrepresented backgrounds, and voices that may have once been overlooked. Lucy’s work has left a lasting legacy across business, publishing, and digital entrepreneurship – and it’s still growing.

Pallavi Prasad - Positive Power Coaching Ltd

About:
Pallavi is a Manifestation, Mindset, and Mindfulness Coach, certified Reiki and Pranic Healer, and author. With over 15 years of experience, she helps people align mind, body, and soul. Alongside her work as a Digital Marketer at Baxi, she runs coaching programmes, meditation sessions, and school-based workshops that blend spiritual tools with real-world strategies. Inspired by her late mother’s legacy in education, she now brings vision boards, affirmations, and mindfulness into classrooms, helping students build confidence and purpose from a young age.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Pallavi has built more than just a coaching business – she’s created a movement. She’s helped individuals and families transform their lives through grounded, accessible tools rooted in self-awareness, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual alignment. With support from the Department for Education and encouragement from the former Prime Minister, she’s now taking these tools into schools, helping children build emotional resilience and confidence early on. Recognised with the Remarkable Mentor Award at the UK Parliament, she continues to prove that manifestation isn’t about quick fixes – it’s about long-term, meaningful change.

Ziana Ayesha Butt - Accenture

About:
Ziana is a Program & Project Management Analyst at Accenture and a passionate advocate for inclusion, representation, and opportunity. She’s a published researcher, keynote speaker, and developer with experience across multi-million-pound tech projects. As an elite netballer with 15 England caps, Ziana uses her platform to champion women in tech, speak on diversity, and inspire the next generation. She leads with purpose – whether that’s mentoring apprentices, volunteering in schools, or growing the Accenture South Asian Network by 135% through bold, inclusive initiatives.

Reason for Shortlisting:
From graduating with top honours in Digital and Technology Solutions, to representing England as a netball international, Ziana has constantly pushed beyond expectations. Ziana doesn’t just talk about inclusion – she actively builds it. Whether it’s launching global platforms within Accenture that support thousands of users, mentoring young women in STEM, or writing a children’s book to spark conversations about sport and diversity, she’s driven by impact. She’s led workstreams, hosted major events, and delivered keynote speeches. Ziana’s leadership has helped scale communities, open doors for underrepresented groups, and transform how tech is taught, shared, and seen.

Christina Lovelock - Herd Consulting Ltd

About:
Christina is a consultant, writer, speaker and coach. She has led large digital teams, overseen multi-million-pound programmes, and played a key role in national transformation projects across the NHS, higher education, and local government. Now Director of Community at tech consultancy Herd, Christina continues to champion inclusion, skills development, and social value through her work. She’s the author of two books, a regular contributor to industry publications, and an active speaker at conferences across the UK and Europe. Her work is driven by one clear mission: to help more people see a place for themselves in tech – without needing to code to get started.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Christina has spent more than two decades shaping the future of tech by opening doors for others. She’s a driving force behind entry-level opportunities, having introduced graduate schemes, placements and apprenticeships across multiple public sector organisations. Christina is also the author of Careers in Tech, Data and Digital – a practical, engaging guide now used in schools and colleges to demystify tech careers for young people. A trusted coach, speaker and mentor, Christina’s impact stretches from local schools to international conferences.

Sandra Jowers - Proteus

About:
Sandra is a senior change and transformation expert with over 25 years’ experience leading high-stakes programmes across consulting, financial services, and automotive. At Proteus, Sandra guides clients through uncertainty, combining data-driven insight, augmented intelligence, and deep experience to predict and improve outcomes. Having started her digital journey during the dot-com boom, Sandra has spent her career at the intersection of technology, data, and change. Today, she’s especially focused on using AI responsibly – championing ethical applications that build trust.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Sandra was shortlisted for her depth of experience, her leadership in digital transformation, and the human-first approach she brings to everything she does. Sandra brings the kind of grounded insight that only comes from real-life experience. As a woman in a male-dominated field, Sandra is committed to representation, mentoring, and showing that experience, emotional intelligence, and curiosity are powerful drivers of innovation. Whether she’s guiding teams, supporting clients, or shaping responsible AI, Sandra makes space for people to feel heard, seen, and supported.

Seema Patel - Paragon DCX

About:
Seema is a Campaign Delivery Technical Lead at Paragon DCX with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and technology. She began her career in IT support after graduating in Information Systems from the University of Greenwich and quickly progressed into coding and SQL development. Seema has grown from a graduate developer into a trusted Technical Lead, working across a wide range of sectors including finance, charity, healthcare, and government.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Seema has led the technical delivery of high-profile campaigns, making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. Her deep expertise in email deliverability, a complex and often overlooked area, has made her the go-to for clients and colleagues alike. But Seema’s influence goes far beyond technical know-how. She’s written the processes that keep hundreds of campaigns on track, mentored new starters, and created tools and training that help others do their best work. As a woman of Asian heritage in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Seema is passionate about encouraging more women into tech. She actively supports diversity and inclusion through initiatives like DCX Inspire – Women in Data & Technology, helping to amplify voices and pave the way for future talent.

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