2008 First Woman of Tourism & Leisure

Jacky Wood OBE, chief executive, British Show Jumping Association
The British Show Jumping Association was always run by men. Women were a rarity in the organisation - they didn`t hold clerical positions, let a lone rise through the ranks to a position of power. That was until Jacky Wood joined the organisation. She started her career in the shows department 40 years ago and slowly but surely, she worked her way up, eventually working with show jumping greats: David Broome CBE, Ronnie Massarella OBE and Harvey Smith. In January 2000, Wood was appointed chief exec - the first female to head up the BSJA in the history of the sport. Last year she was awarded an OBE for her services to show jumping - a fitting accolade the year before her retirement. Editor of British Show Jumping Magazine Maria Clayton describes Wood as "one of the fairest, objective and focussed women I`ve ever had the pleasure to work with.


2008 Shortlist
Professor Soraya Dhillon MBE
Mumtaz Kassam
Nargis Khan
Sabeena Qureshi

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