The IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2026 winners are…

Tonight, the wait finally ended as the winners of the 2026 IMAGE Pwc Businesswoman of the Year Awards were announced in a glittering ceremony in Dublin. Against a backdrop of economic transformation and a bold new era of Irish entrepreneurship, these awards recognise the individuals who have demonstrated unparalleled excellence, innovation and leadership over the past 12 months.

The 2026 cohort represents a diverse cross-section of Irish business, spanning 13 distinct categories and culminating in the prestigious Lifetime Achievement and Overall Businesswoman of the Year titles. Whether scaling international tech firms or revitalising local communities, tonight’s winners are the driving force behind Ireland’s continued growth.

Scroll down for the definitive list of the women who owned the stage – and the boardroom – this year.

Overall Businesswoman of the Year

Melíosa O’Caoimh, Country Head of Ireland, Northern Trust

CEO of the Year

Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder, Kinore Finance and Business Services

Runners Up: Áine Mulcahy, Managing Director, OCS Group Ireland & Daisy Mauhay, Founder and CEO, The Nightingale Placement Agency

Entrepreneur of the Year

Julie Collison, Director and Co-founder, Clear Strategy

Runners Up: Nadia Adan, Founder, Ashford Motors & Linda Stinson, CEO, Bellamianta

Creative Businesswoman of the Year

Francie Duff and Sonia Reynolds, Co-founders, STABLE of Ireland

Runners Up: Gráinne Dwyer, CEO and Founder, Heritage & Laura Weber, Owner, LW Pearl

Diversity and Inclusion Leader of the Year

Prof. Katriona O’Sullivan, CEO, Triumph Talks

Runners Up: Heather Lowry, Head of Talent and Organisation Development, An Post & Caroline O’Driscoll, Co-founder, I Wish

ESG Champion of the Year

Caoimhe Buckley, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Fyffes

Runners Up: Sarah Blake, Director, Earthology & Kayleigh-Ann Myles, Head of ESG, Lawler Sustainability and Founder of STPS

Emerging Executive of the Year

Kate English, Chief Economist, Deloitte Ireland

Runners Up: Laura Hogan, Marketing Manager, Lifestyle and RTD Brands, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard & Máire Neary, VP of People and Legal, Flipdish

Senior Executive of the Year

Sarah Byrne, Director of Agency, Private Equity and Venture Capital Partnerships, EMEA, Google

Runners Up: Fiona Carney, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) & Lorna Devenney, CFO, BnM

Family Businesswoman of the Year

Sarah Furno, General Manager, Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers

Runners Up: Joanna Gardiner, CEO of Elave Skincare by the Gardiner Family Apothecary & Clare Kelly, Fiona Kelly and Rebecca Kelly, Directors and Owners, Glandore

Social Entrepreneur of the Year – Community Impact

Therese Coveney, Co-founder, Together Academy

Runners Up: Professor Jean O’Sullivan, Founder and Medical Director/Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine, Global Emergency Care Skills (GECS) & Elaine Noonan, Co-Founder and CEO, Community Connect – Ireland’s Baby Bank

Social Entrepreneur of the Year – Charitable Organisation

Orla Dolan, CEO, Breakthrough Cancer Research

Runners Up: Aisling Hurley, CEO, Breast Cancer Ireland & Helene Hugel, CEO, Helium

STEM Professional of the Year

Dr Alessandra Sala, Senior Director of AI, Shutterstock

Runners Up: Niamh Donnelly, CTO and Founder, Akara Robotics & Ciara, Saoirse and Laoise Murphy, Co-founders, ACT

Start-up Businesswoman of the Year

Kim O’Sullivan, Founder and CEO, BROW AID

Runners Up: Áine Devlin, Founder, ExamRevision & Dr Sarah Kelly and Dr Michelle Hone, Co-founders, Herology

Young Businesswoman of the Year (Under 35)

Keilidh Cashell, Creative Director, KASH Beauty

Runners Up: Isabella Hughes, Founder and CEO, EstateMin & Aoife Kelly, Co-founder and COO, Celtonn

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Anne O’Leary, Vice President of Mid-Market SMB Group EMEA and Head of Meta Ireland.

Photography by Siobhan Taylor.