Hallett Retail founder wins NatWest everywoman award
Wendy Hallett, founder of Hallett Retail, has been named as the winner of the NatWest everywoman award.
Having set up the business up with a £1,000 bank loan 12 years ago, Hallett is now responsible for £170 million of high street fashion sales through the Hallett Retail concessions business, which is an umbrella business for 100 small fashion brands.
The company employs 1,250 people nationwide with concessions in stores ranging from House of Fraser and Debenhams to New Look and Dorothy Perkins. The brand is continuing to diversify with jewellery concessions and is also considering international expansion and a Hallett Retail transactional website.
The NatWest everywoman Awards were founded in 2003 to showcase the variety of female business role models, celebrating their success and inspiring future generations of entrepreneurs.
Commenting on this year’s winners, everywoman co-founder, Karen Gill MBE, said: “Yet again we have uncovered a host of role models who are testament that vision and determination equal success and that Britain remains a strong breeding ground for enterprise.”
Carolyn Currie, Head of Women in Business at NatWest, added: “The 2011 award winners represent exactly the type of entrepreneur that will be so vital to the future economic success, and we hope this will encourage many more women to follow in their footsteps.”
The awards were hosted by Emma Forbes at The Dorchester with guests including the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Moira Stuart OBE, Cath Kidston, Dame Mary Perkins, Chrissie Rucker and Perween Warsi.
