Women in Fuel co-founder Naomi Short was recognised last night for her role in launching the networking group which she says is already meeting its objectives since its formation seven months ago.
Short, who set up the 150-strong community with MyAutomate’s commercial director Clare Lafferty, was last night awarded the Outstanding Individual accolade at the APEA Awards.
She says that the win is just one of a series of successes for the group, which has now been asked to put together a female panel of speakers at William Reed’s Forecourt Show on April 12-14, 2007 at the NEC.
“This is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” says Short, senior relationship manager at payments specialist Attenda. “I think it is brilliant for us that we have been recognised as a group by pushing ourselves forward, and that we are being approached for opportunities like this. We are thinking about what topics we want to talk about, and it won’t necessarily be about women in fuel.”
She adds: “Emma Shell from Penny on the Move, and Sarah Kind from EdgePetrol did an amazing job yesterday talking on a panel at the APEA Live conference before the awards, after we were asked to put speakers forward. It is great that we now have a bigger voice by coming together.”
Short, who had also wanted the initiative to allow women to support one another at male-dominated industry events, adds: “I was surprised to see quite so many women at our meet-up on the Air-Serv stand at APEA Live yesterday – I’d say there were 35 to 40 of us there. It now means we turn up at events and instantly recognise other women in the room.”
Together with Lafferty, Short is now considering where to hold the next Women in Fuel gathering which she says might be at Forecourt Trader’s Summit at The Belfry on Tuesday, March 9, 2027.
