Robyn Jones Named Credit Suisse Outstanding Woman in Business 2006

Dunsden, United Kingdom, December 01, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Robyn Jones, co-founder and chief executive of Charlton House, was named the Credit Suisse Outstanding Woman in Business for 2006, in association with the National Business Awards, held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Tuesday 7th November.

45-year-old Jones, a former school cook, and her husband, Tim, a chartered accountant, established Charlton House in 1991 on a weekly Government enterprise allowance of £50. Charlton House now has an annual turnover of £54 million and employs 1,420 people nationwide. The company provides high quality catering services to a portfolio of Blue Chip clients, including the corporate headquarters of BUPA, Sony and T-Mobile.

Robyn Jones said: “I am delighted to win the Credit Suisse Award for the Outstanding Woman in Business. I honestly didn't feel worthy of this award, particularly when there were so many other successful and more high profile women on the short-list. Charlton House has come a long way since the early days, and although there have been some tough times along the way, we have pulled through to become the largest independent contract caterer in the UK to have grown without acquisitions. Looking to the future, Charlton House has an ambitious five year plan which aims to increase the £54 million business into a £80 million turnover enterprise by 2009.”

Maya Salzmann, Head of Private Banking UK/International/Eastern Europe for Credit Suisse, said: “On behalf of everyone at Credit Suisse, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Robyn on being the inaugural winner of the Credit Suisse Award for the Outstanding Woman in Business. All the submissions were very impressive and owing to the high calibre of entries it was difficult to decide a winner. However, Robyn showed the strongest attributes in management and leadership skills, apparent through her ability to implement strategic plans and exploit market opportunities.”

The Credit Suisse Award for the Outstanding Woman in Business is a new award which recognizes the increasing contribution which women are making to business in the UK. This award is run in association with the National Business Awards. The National Business Awards were established to reward and recognise the importance of businesses and individuals in the UK. The Awards are an independent programme judged by industry experts and are sponsored by some of the UK's most forward-thinking businesses.

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