Five in line for Businesswoman of the Year

FIVE WOMEN including the chief executive of a call centre company and the founder of a firm offering insurance to motorcyclists have been shortlisted to win the country's most prestigious Businesswoman of the Year award, it was announced today.

The final of the Veuve Clicquot award will be held in London next month when the winner of the contest, now in its 32nd year, will be chosen

The finalists are Chey Garland, 48, chief executive of Garlands Call Centres, based in the Tees Valley; Lara Morgan, 47, founder of Bedford-based branded toiletries firm Pacific Direct; Carol Nash, 62, founder of an insurance firm for motorcyclists based in Altrincham; Sara Tremellen, 38, chief executive of retail firm Bravissimo, based in Leamington Spa; and Elizabeth Wagstaff, 56, founder of the Bath-based Robinia Care Group.

Former winners of the award include US-born Barbara Cassani, who was a consultant at accountants Coopers and Lybrand before joining British Airways, running the Go budget airline and heading London's bid for the Olympic Games,and Linda Bennett, founder of the LK Bennett women's shoes chain.