The chief executive of ecommerce business Online4baby is in the running for a top accolade at the Northern Power Women Awards 2023.
Christy Foster (pictured) has been shortlisted for the outstanding entrepreneur prize at the awards, which will be presented at a gala dinner at Manchester Central on Monday 20 March.
The awards honour trailblazing women across the region, celebrating their talent and resilience in a variety of fields.
The outstanding entrepreneur category recognises women who are driven by their desire to grow and develop their organisation, while having a positive impact on their sector or community. This year’s awards received a record-breaking 1,500 nominations across all categories.
Christy founded Online4baby in 2011 with her sister Cheryl and has spearheaded its development from humble beginnings on market stalls around Greater Manchester into a national success story.
Online4baby has grown into a leading UK e-commerce baby products business which is accelerating towards its goal of becoming a £100m turnover concern over the next three years. The business, which employs 50 people, sends out over 40,000 orders each month and is looking to soon expand sales into Europe.
“I’m immensely proud to be shortlisted for the outstanding entrepreneur award and am very excited for the ceremony,” commented Christy. “I’m incredibly passionate about giving people a fair chance at success, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexuality or background and, being a working mum myself, I’m committed to supporting other working parents.
“At Online4baby, we have begun offering flexible working hours, more holidays and longer dinner hours, as well as providing free breakfast and lunch items for the team.
“I’m proud to be a female leader and have 50% female representation at board level. I see it as my role to inspire other women to be strong and nurture their own talents. Winning the award would make me hugely proud on an individual level and would also reflect the achievements of colleagues across the business.”
Christy was also a northern regional winner and national finalist in the 2022 EY Entrepreneur of the Year competition, while Online4baby was crowned business of the year at the 2022 Oldham Business Awards for companies with turnover of over £5m.
