A Welsh businesswoman has been named as one of the most influential female executives in the UK.
Gaynor Coley, originally from Usk and former student of Croesyceiliog School in Cwmbran, earned her place on Management Today’s Women in Leadership Power List 2024.
The list celebrates the industry's most visionary leaders, identifying those with the ability to significantly impact their organisations through innovative contributions, revenue growth or improved diversity.
Upon receiving the accolade, Ms Coley said: "Management Today has recognised an inspiring group of women who are role models for the next generation, and I feel very honoured to be included.
"I firmly believe that the increasing representation of women in senior roles brings much needed insights and balance into the boardroom and the results of many companies now show this."
"Like many women in the workplace, I find it uncomfortable to be singled out from the exceptional teams I have had the pleasure to work with, so a huge debt and heartfelt thanks to them all.
"Xanadoo, our latest visitor destination, will harness profits for an urgent purpose.
"It will be a place that reminds us how we solved the seemingly impossible challenges of the past with creative determination and a place that helps us understand how to navigate the social and environmental issues we face today."
Ms Coley business career started with her role as a chartered account at Deloitte and KPMG.
She later took on roles as finance director at Westcountry's Horizon Farms and the University of Plymouth before making her mark on public education and leisure.
As a founding director of The Eden Project located in Cornwall, Coley joined the team in 1997 when the project faced a financial crisis with only £10,000 in the bank.
Undeterred by the daunting task, ms Coley leveraged her financial acumen and creative visions, managing to secure the £140m required to transform a former Cornish clay mine into a globally recognised horticultural spectacle.
From 2001 to 2013, she took the lead as the managing director, cultivating an inclusive work culture which resulted in award-winning customer service and pioneering educational programmes.
Ms Coley continued climbing the professional ladder, next serving as director of public programmes at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and later chairman of the inland surf attraction The Wave Bristol.
Currently, she is planning a new visitor destination named Xanadoo in South East Wales where she grew up.
Claire Warren, editor-in-chief of Management Today, said: "The inaugural Power List attracted huge interest and has enabled us to shine a light on some of the brilliant – and sometimes unsung – women at the top of successful organisations."
The Women in Leadership Power List supplements the longstanding Management Today 35 Women under 35 awards which has previously recognised prominent names in British business sphere including Dido Harding and Martha Lane Fox.
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