Last night, Thursday 2nd July 2026, the 2026 Women in GRC Awards brought together the brightest minds and boldest voices in the Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) sector for an evening of celebration, connection, and well-deserved recognition.
Now in its fifth year, the Women in GRC Awards continue to spotlight those making waves in the industry - not just for what they do, but how they do it. This year, the awards attracted over 400 nominations across 26 categories, recognising women, allies, teams, and organisations who are reshaping the GRC landscape globally. From rising stars to established leaders, the nominees represented the very best in innovation, inclusion, and leadership.
The judging process for the 2026 awards took place in June, bringing together 18 respected industry leaders and allies from across the GRC sector. Judges undertook a rigorous and thoughtful review of each application, spending hours evaluating the impact, leadership, and innovation demonstrated by each nominee. Their dedication ensured a fair and thorough selection process, and made clear just how high the calibre of this year’s nominations truly was.
A total of 26 winners were honoured at the event, which welcomed more than 200 guests - including shortlisted finalists, judges, sponsors, and industry allies, to a vibrant celebration of excellence and community.
Hosted by broadcaster Polly James, the evening began with a powerful welcome address by Niki Dowdall, Founder of the Women in GRC Awards.
In just five years, we’ve had the honour of recognising some amazing women, allies, and teams – people who have broken down barriers, challenged the statusquo, and brought their passion and leadership to a space that, quite frankly,hasn’t always made room for them. While we've made progress, the reality is that we are still far from equity in this space.
Following Dowdall’s speech, the audience heard from Corestreams Head of Marketing, Lucy Montague
As someone who went to an all-girls school—where leadership, confidence, and ambition in women were the norm—I’ve had the privilege of seeing equality and opportunity from a very young age. So I was genuinely surprised when I entered the workplace and experienced something slightly different—subtle barriers, subtle barriers that often go unnoticed, but still have a real impact. And that’s just one perspective—many women face even greater barriers, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalised groups. Which is exactly why complacency isn’t an option—especially in today’s political and social climate.
Lean into the challenge, and step outside your comfort zone.
Full list of 2026 Winners:
- GRC Rising Star of the Year: SME – Ariana Vass, CoreStream GRC
- GRC Rising Star of the Year: Large Company – Namrata Haribal, Bumble
- GRC International Rising Star – Skye Caprice Hinds, Swift
- GRC Innovator of the Year – Laura Oliver, Admiral
- GRC Ambassador of the Year – Mairead Smith, Impax
- GRC Role Model of the Year – Yvonne Gordon, Leidos Europe Ltd
- GRC Educator of the Year – Tereza Scott, Head of KPMG Business Institute
- Male Advocate of the Year – Tom Banks, AXA Commercial
- Sustainability Champion in GRC – Vicky Withey, Bell Integration
- Legal Champion of the Year – Sarah Hall, West Northamptonshire Council
- Governance Champion of the Year – Puja Arora Chopra, OXFORD BIOMEDICA PLC
- AI Leader of the Year – Ana Newman, Arm
- Technology Leader of the Year – Leo-Nor le Roux, NTT DATA
- Diversity & Inclusion Champion of the Year – Renee Sinamtwa, Law Debenture
- Information Security Leader of the Year – Lurong Chen, Nemean Services
- CEO of the Year – Beatriz Shorrock, Vantify
- Compliance Leader of the Year – Tayo Oyinlola, The Weir Group
- Risk Leader of the Year – Shonagh Methven, United Response
- Privacy Leader of the Year – Sam Berry, NHS Property Services
- Diversity & Inclusion Team of the Year – Barclays
- Cybersecurity Team of the Year – Capgemini Invent
- GRC Employer of the Year – Liverpool John Moores University
- Women in BFSI Risk & Resilience Award – Emily Gooday, Genistar Ltd
- Women in Protective Security & GRC Leadership Award – Alexsandra Szylkiewicz, Salesforce
- Women in Third-Party Risk Management & GRC Excellence Award – Clare Shilling, Admiral
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the most prestigious accolade of the evening, the Woman of the Year award - which was kept under wraps until the very end.
The 2026 honour went to Yvonne Gordon, Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement at Leidos Europe Ltd, in recognition of her outstanding leadership, advocacy, and contributions to the profession. Yvonne also took home the GRC Role Model of the Year award earlier in the evening
Her dual win marked a powerful close to an unforgettable night, one that reminded everyone in the room what’s possible when values, vision, and action align.
To explore the event, read more about the judging process, or learn how to get involved with the Women in GRC Awards, please visit: www.womeningrcawards.com
For any queries please reach out to us on heather@grcworldforums.com