Janette Faherty, CEO of Avanta, one of the UK’s leading work-focused training and enterprise companies, has been appointed to the board of directors of Prowess.

Avanta is the holding company for TNG and InBiz.  With almost 700 staff, these two organisations deliver training and enterprise support from their network of 80 offices across the UK.

In her new role in Prowess, a UK-wide network supporting the growth and development of women-owned businesses, Janette will be contributing to the development of Prowess as it seeks to improve the infrastructure and policy environment for women looking to start and grow businesses.

Prowess has more than 300 members, who help 100,000 women to start up 10,000 new businesses per year. This is achieved by raising the awareness of women entrepreneurs and organisations that support them, networking and sharing best practice. Prowess plays a leading role in educating leading policy makers about the economic benefits of women entrepreneurs and working with its members to promote the quality of women’s enterprise support in the UK.

Janette Faherty said, “Self employment is often the solution for women looking to balance family commitments with a fulfilling career, yet women are under-represented in business ownership in the UK.”

“In the last twelve months, InBiz has engaged with over 2,300 women in discussions about starting their own business and supported 453 of them to start trading during that period.

“Through my work with organisations such as Prowess, I aim to offer support and advice to women on what they can achieve. Avanta is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all groups of people and aim to help women realise their potential and make the most of their careers and businesses.”

Erika Watson, Executive Director of Prowess, said, “We believe that Janette will be a fantastic addition to our board of directors. She is proof that you can be a successful business woman and entrepreneur while achieving a happy balance between your family and work life. Through her work with Avanta, Janette is familiar with the issues around female entrepreneurship, the difficulties they face and how they can be overcome with the right support.”

Janette’s appointment to the board of directors also coincides with the appointments of Jon Yon, Director, East Sussex Enterprise Gateway, Polly Gibb, Research Manager, Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) and Julie Hall, President of the Association of Scottish Businesswomen.