Aberdeen businesswoman featured in new book on women leaders

19/03/2019
Jeanette Forbes
Jeanette Forbes

North-east entrepreneur Jeanette Forbes, CEO of PCL Group and Proprietor of Grape & Grain, is one of a number of high-achieving women from across the UK to be featured in a new book on leadership by author Hilarie Owen.

In her latest book “We Lead”, a study of how women become leaders Hilarie, who is recognised for her research work on leadership, has interviewed women from the worlds of business, sport, education, the Armed Forces, government and the public sector.

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In addition to Jeanette they include Paralympian champion Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson; polar explorer Ann Daniels; Nicola Henderson, youngest ever skipper in the Clipper Round the World race; Anne Jessop, first female chief executive of the Royal Mint; Dr Alice Bunn, Director of the UK Space Agency; Air-Vice Marshall Sue Gray and Katherine Bennett, senior VP at Airbus.

In her interviews, Hilarie asked the women to give their personal insights and thoughts on what helped shape them as leaders. Her questions ranged from asking about their early life and first role models, what encouraged them, defining moments, where they continue to find inspiration and what the experience of leadership has taught them.

The book will be launched this week in London and will be available in Waterstones. Jeanette will be one of the women featured who will attend the launch to speak about their leadership journey.

Jeanette said: “It is extremely humbling to be seen as a role model for anyone who wants to start their own business.  Where you have come from is often the starting point of your business leadership journey and what you learn over the years is how to grow into the person you always wanted to become.”

This is Hilarie’s ninth book on leadership. She said: “Being Welsh I wanted to include women leaders from Wales, Scotland and Ireland as well as England and interviewed two amazing women from Scotland. This book combines a life’s research into leadership with interviews of 30 amazing women who can show a path for others to follow.”

Jeanette, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2018 Elevator Awards, started her first company PCL Group, a total IT and cabling company for the offshore, marine, commercial, industrial and renewables sectors, in March 2000 after being made redundant during an oil and gas downturn. In 2017, she diversified her business interests and opened Grape & Grain, a wine bar on Aberdeen’s Thistle Street.

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