A HEADHUNTER in the male dominated civil engineering recruitment sector is being celebrated for her success as a businesswoman.

Sam Davies, of Denbigh, is a finalist in the Entrepreneur category at Chwarae Teg’s Womenspire Awards, where her she will be recognised as a forerunner in her field – having set up one of only four such businesses in the UK and the only one with a woman at the helm.

Having founded iConsult Technical only five years ago, Sam now has a small team in Denbigh. Together they have a following of around 11,000 engineers in the sector - getting the right candidates to the right jobs for major infrastructure contractors and consultancies, nationwide and overseas.

Sam said: “Being named as a finalist in the Womenspire Awards is a real achievement and I’m delighted. It’s been hard work building the business, especially as I am relatively young at 33 and work in a male dominated sector, but it has been worth it.

“I worked as an employee within recruitment agencies for some time before starting up on my own. I felt that the sector often had an aggressive environment to work in. I wanted to create a business without that sort of culture and prove that a softer approach can be just as, if not more, successful.”

Sam employs staff members from the local area who she encourages to learn and develop in their roles. She also has philanthropy at the core of the business, having raised thousands for charities such as Sense and donating to the children’s ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital.

Cerys Furlong, chief executive, Chwarae Teg: “Sam is what Womenspire is all about and deserves every recognition. She has shown that women can compete in a man’s world on a national scale even from a small office in rural Wales. She also encourages other women to progress their careers within the engineering and scientific industry which is incredibly important.

“The way she conducts herself and her business makes her a real role model to others, especially women who often lack the confidence to set up on their own.”

Chwarae Teg’s Womenspire 2020 ceremony will take place on September 29. It will be hosted across social media due to Covid19.

ITV’s Andrea Byrne and actor Carli De’La Hughes will co-host online.

To register for the event visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womenspire-awards-2020-tickets-92332002505

The event will run from 7pm until 9pm.