My trail-blazing friend Anne-Marie sadly passed away suddenly last May. Anne-Marie a mum to two daughters, wife and an amazing inspiration to Women in Business. I feel very lucky to have met Anne-Marie, she was an incredible Woman and I'm so proud to talk about her and her achievements.

Our new design Blaze Your Own Trail is in her memory and all proceeds will be donated to The Girls Network charity https://www.thegirlsnetwork.org.uk

I worked beside Anne-Marie from 1996 at a Financial Services company in London and we became great friends. I last saw Anne-Marie during the Knitting & Stitching show at Ali Pali last November when I went over to her house after the event. It was so lovely to be in her company and see her and her daughters cuddling up on the sofa together.

Anne-Marie was hugely successful in her career however her family and daughters were always at the heart of everything. Anne-Marie was extremely supportive, when I set up my own small business rather than suggesting to reconsider and return to my career in Financial Services she said to me "so proud to tell my girls about your entrepreneurial spirit...so amazing what you have done" she then went on to offer me whatever support I needed.

This wasn't the first time Anne-Marie had taken the time to support me. She gave me her time to mentor me on how to achieve an Event Manager role that I applied for which I then successfully went on to achieve.

Anne-Marie's career in the Financial Services industry spanned over 25 years and in that time she worked her own way up from Marketing Manager to being Chief of Clients on the Board of a prestigious Investment Management company. She believed in herself and her own capabilities and overcame many issues to achieve her success. She had a strong values and her daughters were her inspiration and driving force. During her career she wasn't afraid to challenge things she felt weren't right to create change for the better as she believed that by doing so she will create a better more inclusive world for her daughters. She made a real impact on her journey and along the way she mentored and empowered many Women.

She used her senior position to challenge diversity and change ways to blaze her own trail to create better ones in particular for Women and to make a more inclusive workplace. She also wanted to encourage Women to make their own financial freedom through making the investment world more inclusive. She was named Diversity & Inclusion champion 2023 by the Women in Investing Awards & Investment Week.

Anne-Marie was a great mentor, leader and such an inspiration. She brought people together and provided people with a great sense of belonging, she created an environment where everyone was supported to succeed regardless of their diversity or gender.  A true leader and she will always be my inspiration.

I hope that more Women Blaze their own trail with empowerment and courage, challenge for equality, inclusivity and a better way of working. 

The Girls Network Charity inspires and empowers girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a mentor and a network of professional role models who are women.

Anne-Marie - Your legacy is inspirational. xxx

Click below to be taken to the pattern:

Blaze Your Own Trail Pattern