Victoria Ainsworth

Senior Director

Victoria Ainsworth has been a pivotal figure at Hawthorn Advisors since 2016, leading major campaigns and driving impactful initiatives, such as the government-backed Alison Rose Review for Female Entrepreneurship, which launched the 2023 Rose Review Progress Report – resulting in extensive media coverage and engagement with numerous stakeholders. 

Beyond her own professional achievements, Ainsworth has significantly contributed to the organisation by promoting flexible working, advancing training initiatives and mentoring her colleagues. And her dedication extends into her personal life – using her experience to support her residential community in navigating the UK cladding scandal, for example. As well as all this, at the agency she has also managed to find time to take part in fundraising initiatives to raise money for charitable causes, including the UK Three Peaks and Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.

The judges were impressed with Ainsworth’s position as a role model at Hawthorn, particularly in her support for working parents and her efforts in fostering the development of the next generation through mentoring and learning and development initiatives. Her resilience – she lost all her possessions in a house fire last year – and significant contributions to her organisation’s culture and policies were also cited. 

Judges comments: “Big cultural impact on the organisation and its policies.”