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From instagram influencers
to app inventors...Annegrewupin Swansea,thedaughter
of asteelworkeranda departmentstore
worker.Sheshoweda flairforscience,
andstudiedchemistryandcomputer
sciencesatSwanseaUniversity.After
startingoutin bankingin 1981,sherose
to becomeCOOofAlliedIrishBanks
in 2012.DuringthisstintasCOO,Anne
realisedthatbankingneededtochange
andmodernise,butthatshewouldn’tbe
abletoachievethisin hercurrentpost
duetoentrenchedwaysofthinking.
Shefoundeddigital-onlyStarlingBank
in 2014withonegoalin mind– to
disruptandrevolutionisetheworldof
banking.In thepastfiveyears,Anne’s
mobile-basedbankingapphaswon
overalmosthalfa millioncustomersand
beennamedtheUK’sbestbankfortwo
yearsrunning,whileAnnewasrecently
awardedanMBEforherwork.
Annesays:“I wouldn’thaveexpected
to havefoundedmyownbank,butit
neededtobedone.Mostpeoplethought
it wouldbeimpossible,butI hadtodo
it. Genderdiversityin thetechsectoris
changingbutnotquicklyenough.People
talkaboutit being‘a man’sworld’but
manyoftheearlytechpioneerswere
women.Theratioofmentowomenon
the seniorteamatStarlingis currently
60:40.I’dloveit tobe50:50.” >>THETECHENTREPRENEUR
REVOLUTIONISINGBANKINGanneBodenMBe, 59
Lynne has amassed over 20,000
Instagram followers and a further
5,000 on Facebook and Twitter. Her
aesthetically beautiful feed showcases
Lynne’s great style – boho harem pants,
bold prints and stylish separates.
Lynne says: “I’ve been a personal
stylist since 2012 and worked in retail
before that, so I just love fashion.
However, I would never have dreamt
that I would have a career as a social
media influencer. I’ve been amazed how
these great platforms can encourage,
inspire and build confidence.
“I feel part of a wonderful community
because my followers are really
engaged. Post-menopause, we
women tend to lose confidence,
and there’s this unwritten rule that
we should fade away and not wear
attention-drawing clothes. But proper
styling empowers women – and if
I can help women try new ideas and
make pieces work for them, then
I’m happy. Starting my account was
the best decision I have ever made.
“Within a year I’d hit 10,000
followers. Since then things have
snowballed and my site has such great
traffic I’ve been able to open my online
store. My husband has even wound up
his business to work with me full-time.”SHARING FASHION IDEAS,
@ST yLING mATTE RS
lynne Meek, 57
THE BEAUTy jOURNALIST
AND yOUTUBER FOR GROwN-UPS,
NADINEBAGGOTT.COmnadine Baggott, 56
Nadine created her channel to reach women
over 50 who are too often ignored, neglected
and treated like a minority. She has 96,000
YouTube subscribers, averaging 30,000 views
per video. Her combined Instagram, Facebook
and Twitter followers reach over 97,000.
Nadine says: “In our society and in the
media, women are either in their fresh-faced
twenties or they are grannies. There is
no in-between. But in the next decade the
percentage of the UK population aged 50+
will outstrip the percentage of those under- These women deserve respect and to be
reflected back in the media and advertising.
I set up my YouTube channel because there
was no one speaking directly and honestly to
my generation. My success as an influencer
is down to this. And I think my followers like
me because they see I’m real. By embracing
a young technology and owning it for my
generation, I’m exploding the patronising
myth that women over 40 can’t find their
way around the TV remote.”
aMazing
WoMenaWa r d s
IN PArTNErSHIP WITH
2019