When Emma Harrison's father left her to run his small training business, he had no idea he was launching one of the UK's most formidable women entrepreneurs. Her big break came when her father asked her to join his small industrial training business "you come on board and I'll teach you everything you need to know about running a business in 18 months." Emma only got two weeks of the promised 18 months training. "You seem to have got the hang of it," he said, and moved to Germany. Emma was just 23 at the time and had only just graduated from university but she realised the importance of marketing and began banging on the doors of local companies. One day's work won her a £150,000 contract with the Manpower Services Commission.
Emma worked hard for success and by the end of her first year, the company turnover hit £1 million. 1991 saw Emma founding A4e Ltd to deliver social change on behalf of the government. Managing £300m of government contracts, A4e now employs 1,500 staff in offices nationwide. There are many other strings to Emma's bow too. She is a renowned mentor and supports many small businesses. She is also the chairman of Andromeda, an events company; non-executive chair of SPG Ltd (manufacturing), chairman of Improving People's Health Plc and food group Novantia (that develops and owns the new Brian Turner Food Brands).
She has won a whole host of awards for her achievements:
Management Today Top 100 Entrepreneurs
Judge Entrepreneur of the Year
Inner-City UK Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Presented by Gordon Brown
Ernst and Young National Finalist Entrepreneur of the Year
Richard Branson's Fast Track 100 Motivation Award
The International Chamber of Commerce has also just named her the UK's Outstanding Businessperson of the Year.
Emma's work doesn't stop there. She was recently appointed as the Chair of Regions of the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign. Emma and her company have already donated and raised several hundred thousand pounds for the children's charity
All this and she is happily married with four children! She lives in Thornbridge Hall, Derbyshire and owns additional properties in Knightsbridge and Lincolnshire.
ACTION FOR EMPLOYMENT
Action for Employment (A4e) was founded by top female entrepreneur, Emma Harrison, in 1991. It is a privately owned organisation offering employment, welfare, education, training and business support services to the public and private sectors.
A4e pioneers the development of training and employment services for long term unemployed people as part of the government's public/private partnership. Some of the many services it delivers include New Deal and Business Links. Programmes are designed to help long term unemployed people to overcome the social, economic and educational problems standing in the way of them realising a secure career future. Every ten minutes A4e finds someone who has been long term unemployed a lasting and fulfilling job.
With an impressive £70 million turnover, A4e employs 1,500 staff in offices nationwide. Based in Sheffield, it has 100 regional offices and is fast expanding. 65,000 businesses across the UK have used A4e's services so far. Emma Harrison has ambitious growth targets for A4e and anticipates that the company will more than double in size over the next year.
A4e places a lot of importance on corporate social responsibility. Emma Harrison is a National Chair of the Regions for the NSPCC Full Stop Appeal and A4e CEO Mark Lovell sits on the National Corporate Sponsorship Board of the NSPCC. Since the campaign was launched in March 2003 the company has already raised thousands of pounds for the children's charity.
A4e is a truly unique business renowned for developing and delivering social change. Emma's mission is simply to improve people's lives, proving that successful companies can be built around doing the right things for people.
Emma worked hard for success and by the end of her first year, the company turnover hit £1 million. 1991 saw Emma founding A4e Ltd to deliver social change on behalf of the government. Managing £300m of government contracts, A4e now employs 1,500 staff in offices nationwide. There are many other strings to Emma's bow too. She is a renowned mentor and supports many small businesses. She is also the chairman of Andromeda, an events company; non-executive chair of SPG Ltd (manufacturing), chairman of Improving People's Health Plc and food group Novantia (that develops and owns the new Brian Turner Food Brands).
She has won a whole host of awards for her achievements:
Management Today Top 100 Entrepreneurs
Judge Entrepreneur of the Year
Inner-City UK Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Presented by Gordon Brown
Ernst and Young National Finalist Entrepreneur of the Year
Richard Branson's Fast Track 100 Motivation Award
The International Chamber of Commerce has also just named her the UK's Outstanding Businessperson of the Year.
Emma's work doesn't stop there. She was recently appointed as the Chair of Regions of the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign. Emma and her company have already donated and raised several hundred thousand pounds for the children's charity
All this and she is happily married with four children! She lives in Thornbridge Hall, Derbyshire and owns additional properties in Knightsbridge and Lincolnshire.
ACTION FOR EMPLOYMENT
Action for Employment (A4e) was founded by top female entrepreneur, Emma Harrison, in 1991. It is a privately owned organisation offering employment, welfare, education, training and business support services to the public and private sectors.
A4e pioneers the development of training and employment services for long term unemployed people as part of the government's public/private partnership. Some of the many services it delivers include New Deal and Business Links. Programmes are designed to help long term unemployed people to overcome the social, economic and educational problems standing in the way of them realising a secure career future. Every ten minutes A4e finds someone who has been long term unemployed a lasting and fulfilling job.
With an impressive £70 million turnover, A4e employs 1,500 staff in offices nationwide. Based in Sheffield, it has 100 regional offices and is fast expanding. 65,000 businesses across the UK have used A4e's services so far. Emma Harrison has ambitious growth targets for A4e and anticipates that the company will more than double in size over the next year.
A4e places a lot of importance on corporate social responsibility. Emma Harrison is a National Chair of the Regions for the NSPCC Full Stop Appeal and A4e CEO Mark Lovell sits on the National Corporate Sponsorship Board of the NSPCC. Since the campaign was launched in March 2003 the company has already raised thousands of pounds for the children's charity.
A4e is a truly unique business renowned for developing and delivering social change. Emma's mission is simply to improve people's lives, proving that successful companies can be built around doing the right things for people.
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