Modern Muse Honour For Blue Bell Group MD

Online, November 26, 2010 (Newswire.com) - 'Modern Muse' Honour for Blue Bell Group MD

Blue Bell Group Managing Director, Sue Brownson OBE, has been honoured with the title 'Modern Muse' by everywoman - the UK's leading provider of training, resources and support services for women in business.

This major initiative has been designed to inspire and engage the next generation of female business leaders and entrepreneurs by showcasing successful women of today from all walks of business life.

The initiative entitled 'Modern Muse' was launched on 25 November with a major national press conference centred around the publication of a book and a photographic exhibition. Both shine a spotlight on 100 inspirational women who are all vibrant, successful entrepreneurs and business women, personifying the 'Modern Muse'. Their stories will encourage and inspire young women and girls to follow in their footsteps.

In featuring in the book, Sue Brownson OBE, will join leading female industry names such as Chrissie Rucker MBE (The White Company), Christina Vaughan (Image Source) Dame Mary Perkins (Specsavers Optical Group) and Judy Craymer (Littlestar Services, producer of Mamma Mia!).

The accolade is very timely as Sue Brownson OBE, together with her husband Group Chairman Chris Brownson, have just celebrated their 35 year association with BMW. The Blue Bell Group, which employs 263 people, turned over £99m in the 12 months to the end of March, a 4.2 per cent rise on the previous year. Karen Gill, MBE, Co-founder of everywoman said, "The UK is suffering from a female 'role model' shortage, yet there are thousands of wonderful women in differing roles and industries, from diverse backgrounds and education who can demonstrate the range of exciting career options that many girls don't even hear about. Younger women today tend to have a strong focus on celebrity role models and we want them to be exposed to a much broader canvas, to women who have built businesses or are working in major organisations, whose lives are equally glamorous in very many ways. Britain is a great place to nurture talent and showcase diversity. Now is the time to put out a powerful call to action that will create the momentum to make a real and sustainable difference to young females in the UK."

The UK Graduate Careers Survey (April 2009) reveals a 15 year low amongst university leavers. Just 36% of those finishing undergraduate degrees last summer were expected to find full-time employment, and in the 3 months to July 2010 female joblessness rose by 50,000 (The Work Foundation, 15 September 2010 - www.theworkfoundation.com).

The Modern Muse project is setting out to reach one million young women and girls over the next 3 years, to inspire and motivate them to look at business careers and entrepreneurship as a way to achieve their dreams. This project will help this group to aspire to a career in business by communicating stories of real women whose experiences encompass ambition, passion, success and failure; showing that business is fulfilling and can also be fun and rewarding.

Sue Brownson, OBE comments: "I am extremely honoured to have been asked to participate in the book and wider campaign. In the UK we have a vast pool of under-utilised female talent, and I am only too happy to lend my support in inspiring the one million young women and girls that the programme is looking to target."

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Press information:
www.modernmuse.co.uk
For further media information please contact Victoria Tahmasebi or Anthea Fosti at Zeus Public Relations Limited
www.zeuspr.co.ukemail: [email protected] Tel: 01260 271429 / 07971 437042