PURPOL MARKETING CELEBRATES 44 FINALIST PLACES IN 2026 STEVIE® AWARDS FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS
PURPOL MARKETING CELEBRATES 44 FINALIST PLACES IN 2026 STEVIE® AWARDS FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Wiltshire awards specialists achieve remarkable finalist success for clients, Purpol Marketing, Denise O’Leary MBE and new WINNER AI platform
CHIPPENHAM, WILTSHIRE – September 2026 – Award-winning Wiltshire consultancy Purpol Marketing is celebrating an extraordinary result in the 2026 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, after 44 of the 56 award entries written by Purpol were named as finalists.
The results span Purpol Marketing’s own entries and those written on behalf of clients Cherishers 811 CIC, CeCe Digital and My Medical Website, as well as recognition for Purpol founder Denise O’Leary MBE and the company’s new WINNER AI® award-entry coaching technology.
It means almost 79% of the entries written by Purpol Marketing reached finalist status in one of the world’s leading international business awards.
Denise said:
“Wow – 44 finalists from 56 entries! I think it is fair to say we are absolutely delighted.
“Writing awards is about finding the evidence, understanding what the judges need to see and then telling that story clearly and persuasively. Every finalist place represents a brilliant story and a real achievement by the person or organisation behind it.
“What makes this result particularly special is the breadth of recognition. We have finalists celebrating entrepreneurship, innovation, mentoring, social change, healthcare, care, women helping women and AI. I am incredibly proud of all of them.”
Recognition for Purpol, Denise and WINNER AI
Purpol’s own results accounted for 16 finalist places, covering the work of Purpol Marketing, Denise and WINNER AI.
Denise has personally been recognised in categories including Lifetime Achievement – Business, Best Female Entrepreneur in Europe, the Middle East & Africa, Woman of the Year – Government or Non-Profit, Female Thought Leader of the Year – Government or Non-Profit, Women’s Rights Advocate of the Year, and two different Mentor or Coach of the Year categories.
Purpol Marketing’s work mentoring women founders is a finalist for Achievement in Mentorship Program, while its Empower, Inspire, Prosper mentoring journey for under-represented founders is recognised in Best New Product or Service of the Year – Business Services.
There was also significant recognition for WINNER AI, Purpol’s new AI-powered award-entry coach.
WINNER AI is a finalist for Achievement in Women-Led Artificial Intelligence Innovation, Best New Product or Service of the Year – Business Products, and Best New Product or Service of the Year – Business Services.
Denise is additionally a finalist for Most Innovative Woman of the Year – Government or Non-Profit for her work building an AI coach to help social enterprises access award-entry expertise.
Denise added:
“I am particularly excited to see WINNER AI recognised because it represents the next chapter of what we have been doing at Purpol for many years.
“The expertise behind it comes from real award writing and judging experience. The aim is to make that knowledge accessible to more businesses and organisations, particularly those that might not have the resources to employ a professional awards consultant.
“For that innovation to be recognised internationally before we even know what colour Stevie we have won is a fantastic endorsement.”
Client success across business, healthcare and social care
The results also produced an exceptional 28 finalist places for Purpol clients.
Cheryl Laidlaw, CeCe Digital and My Medical Website achieved five finalist places, including recognition for Best Female Entrepreneur, Best Female Solo Entrepreneur and innovation in both Business Services and Healthcare. My Medical Website is also a finalist for Website of the Year.
The biggest group of client finalist places came from Cherishers 811 CIC and its team, with 23 finalists.
Recognition spans the organisation itself and the achievements of Julie Edensor, Allison Dodd and Carol Pickard, across categories covering leadership, innovation, women’s rights, mentoring, social activism, social change, women helping women and care.
Cherishers 811 CIC itself is a finalist for Organization of the Year – Government or Non-Profit – More Than 10 Employees, recognising its approach to inclusive care and employment.
Denise said:
“This is why I love awards.
“Behind every entry is somebody doing something that deserves to be noticed. Our job is to uncover that evidence and make sure the judges understand just how significant it is.
“To see Cheryl and her businesses recognised five times and the Cherishers team achieve 23 finalist places is phenomenal. Now comes the exciting bit – finding out which colour Stevie everyone will be bringing home!”
International recognition
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor the achievements of women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run– worldwide. The Stevie Award has been hailed as the world’s premier business award.
Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for “crowned,” the awards will be presented to finalists at a ceremony in New York City on November 16 where Gold, Silver, Bronze and Grand winner placements will be announced.
More than 400 women and their guests from around the world are expected to attend the presentations, which will be broadcast live.
More than 1,500 entries from organizations and individuals in 56 nations and territories were submitted this year for consideration in more than 300 categories, including Executive of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Company of the Year, Startup of the Year, Women Helping Women, and Women Run Workplace of the Year.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award finalists were determined based on the average scores of more than 200 business professionals worldwide, serving across seven judging committees.
Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards, said, “As the Stevie Awards for Women in Business marks its 23rd year, we continue to be impressed by the remarkable accomplishments represented among the nominations. It is especially rewarding to see the significance a Stevie Award holds for women and the recognition it brings to their achievements, careers, and organizations. We congratulate all of this year’s finalists and look forward to revealing the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements on November 16.”
The Gold, Silver and Bronze placements will be revealed at the awards ceremony in New York City on 16 November 2026.