Awarding Talent at Network Ireland Cork

7th June 2021

Posted In: So In Demand

Dr Tara Shine, Co-Founder of the social enterprise that inspires people to live and work more sustainably, Change by Degrees, has been named as the overall Network Ireland Cork Businesswoman of the Year

Dr Shine, who has spent 20 years as a climate change negotiator and adviser on environmental policy at the international level, was announced as the 2021 winner at a virtual awards ceremony recently. She also scooped the award for STEM Businesswoman, with seven further award winners also celebrated at the Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

They included the winner of the Power Within Champion Award, Miriam Bourke, the Corporate Lead in Invesco Cork who works primarily in a consultancy role for multinational pension schemes.

Solo Businesswoman is Learning & Development Consultant and Owner of Ardin Career Development, Michelle Dinneen; while Emerging New Business was won by Ingrid Seim, an accredited Psychological Coach and the Founder of Avenues Consultancy & Coaching.

The award for Established Business went to Carol Brick, HerMoney, who opened her business in 2016 to assist professional women in all areas of financial planning; while Creative Professional went to singer, guitarist, songwriter and recording artist Fiona Kennedy of Fiona Kennedy Music.

Elena Canty, Communications Executive with Event Plan scooped Rising Star Employee for her role in social media management, digital marketing, and communications activities within the company and Shining Star Employee went to Konstantina Stefanidou, a Senior Engineering Materials Leader with Depuy Synthes, Johnson & Johnson.

The winners across all categories will go forward for the national Network Ireland Business Awards on 8 October in WIT Arena, Waterford.

Speaking on the winners, Network Ireland Cork’s president, Barbara Nugent said: “The 2021 winners of the Network Ireland Cork Businesswoman of the Year Awards are hugely different, all operating across diverse fields, but are intrinsically linked through their exceptional leadership, creativity and resilience through crisis and uncertainty. They have used their knowledge, expertise and influence to shape their companies, and in some cases, the wider community for the better. Each woman is a truly deserving winner. We look forward to them representing Cork at the national finals in October.”

Network Ireland Cork is a not-for-profit Cork organisation that is the largest branch of Network Ireland in the country.