The CEO of PizzaExpress, the founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards and the co-founder of Europe’s largest matcha brand are among the shortlist for the 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Awards.
Now in its 54th year, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Woman Awards are the longest-running international honours for women in business, recognising exceptional, audacious women in business who have achieved both institutional and personal success. While the Future Award honours inspirational, ambitious up-and-coming female entrepreneurs.
The finalists for the 2026 awards are:
Bold Woman Award
Paula MacKenzie, CEO of PizzaExpress – With a track record of driving performance and success across various hospitality brands, during her tenure at PizzaExpress, Paula has achieved record customer satisfaction, overseen a nationwide refurbishment programme and implemented new concepts, such as the PizzaExpress Pod. She’s also opened dozens of new restaurants both in the UK and internationally, and launched the brand’s very own record label, PX Records – all while the brand raised over £1 million for charity.
Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of MOBO Group – Kanya has turned the MOBO awards from a fringe celebration to one of the UK’s biggest cultural exports. She recently launched House of MOBO, a new cultural hub in South London, built on a legacy of creativity and community. The MOBOLISE career development platform launched a UK-first initiative in late 2024 aimed at equipping 100,000 Black talents with AI literacy and career opportunities. The MOBO Awards celebrate their 30th year in 2026.
Smruti Sriram OBE, CEO of Bags of Ethics (Supreme Creations) – Smruti has helped transform Bags of Ethics into a global leader in reusable packaging, and merchandise, helping eliminate over 30 billion single-use items worldwide. Working with brands like Dior, Harrods and Nike, Smruti has championed the vertically integrated supply chain that empowers an 80% female workforce, achieving a consistent 15-30% year-on-year business growth.
Bold Future Award
Alisha Fredriksson, CEO and co-founder of Seabound – Through Seabound, Alisha is solving an incredibly complex challenge: how to cut emissions in the shipping sector. Her entrepreneurial daring led to the development of a world-first, modular carbon capture system that retrofits onto existing ships to reduce CO2 by up to 95%. She has scaled the business from concept to commercialization with tier one shipping companies in under four years, building an expert team of 18 and raising £8.5m in funding and grants along the way.
Josephine Philips, founder of SOJO – A pioneering entrepreneur, Josephine has revolutionised a fragmented industry. Integrating proprietary technology, logistics, and an in-house repair centre, SOJO has become the repair service for some of the biggest fashion brands including Ralph Lauren, Selfridges, and Marks & Spencer.
Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed – At just 28, Marisa has transformed PerfectTed into a £50m ARR powerhouse, driven by a mission to make matcha more accessible. What started as a kitchen-table idea is now a permanent fixture in over 30,000 retail and café locations across 50+ countries. Today, PerfectTed is the fastest-growing founder-led brand and retail business in the UK.
Previous winners include Dame Julia Hoggett DBE, CEO of the LSE plc, Professor Sarah Gilbert, for her leadership in developing Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, and Anne Pitcher, former CEO of Selfridges in 2020.
Thomas Mulliez, president of Veuve Clicquot, commented “Madame Clicquot was just 27 when she took the reins of her husband’s Champagne house, in an era where women were excluded from the business world. She led Veuve Clicquot to become a brand of excellence, proving that courage, vision, and relentless determination can break barriers and rewrite the rules.
“This year’s shortlist truly embodies the legacy of Madame Clicquot. They are redefining what business can be, from tackling plastic pollution and fashion waste, to cementing Black music at the heart of British culture. Bold, inventive, and unafraid to challenge convention, they show that innovation and ambition can create both commercial success and lasting societal change.”
Sian Westerman, Board Member British Fashion Council and judge for the awards commented: “The path for women in leadership roles remains disproportionately steep. Many face hurdles from ingrained biases to a lack of funding for female founders.
“However, the women on this year’s shortlist refuse to simply endure this difficult ascent. Through their work, tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges. They don’t settle for the way things have always been done – they challenge, disrupt, and ensure the door remains firmly open for those who follow.”
The winners of the awards will be announced at a glamorous ceremony on 20th May.
