The ceremony, held at the London Marriott hotel in Grosvenor Square, was attended by over 150 industry leaders and hosted by ex-rugby union star and now television presenter, Matt Dawson.

Organised by Women 1st, the annual event aims to recognise and celebrate female talent in hospitality, retail, passenger transport, travel and tourism, shining a light on individuals who show outstanding talent, aptitude and initiative in their roles and recognising the mentors and businesses that support their careers.

The hospitality sector winners of the 2014 Shine Awards are:

* Small Business Award (sponsored by Bloom Retreats): Sally’s Cottages
* Mentor of the Year Award (sponsored by Pommery): Stephanie Hamilton, Executive Operations Director, ISS Food & Hospitality
* Stepping Up Award (sponsored by Sodexo): Catharine Barras, Operations Manager, BaxterStorey
* Rising Star Award (sponsored by Gate8 Luggage): Linzi Martin, District Operations Manager, William Hill

The Women 1st Top 100 Club includes the most influential women in hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. Its members are reckoned by judges to be highly successful in their careers and to provide positive role models, motivation and guidance for the next generation of leaders.

The 2014 inductees into the Top 100 Club from the hospitality and tourism sector are:

Amanda Afiya, Editor, The Caterer
Ann Cadman OBE, Managing Director, The Source Academy
Catriona Kempston, Marketing Director, Mitchells & Butlers
Deirdre Wells OBE, CEO, UKinbound
Jill Whittaker, Managing Director, HIT Training
Kathryn Porter, Divisional Resourcing Director, Hilton Worldwide
Kim Kaewkraikhot, Owner and Chef Director, Thai Leisure Group
Pervin Todiwala, Co-Patron and Operations Director, Café Spice Namaste, Mr Todiwala's Kitchen,
Assado Waterloo and The Park Café
Sarah Miller, Regional Managing Director, BaxterStorey

Simone Roche, director of Women 1st, commented: “I’d like to congratulate all the winners and also say well done to all the finalists for getting this far.

“The Top 100 Club and the Shine Awards give us a chance to recognise individuals, mentors and businesses that make a real difference to the companies they work for and to our industry, and demonstrate just how many talented women we have in our sector.

“Both our winners and shortlisted finalists are an inspiration to their industry and are great examples of the drive, commitment, enthusiasm and sheer passion required to make it.

“Crucially, they also provide excellent role models for tomorrow’s female leaders, helping to ensure that our industries build a strong pipeline of talent for the future.”

Women 1st is a campaigning arm of People 1st, the leading skills and workforce development charity for employers in the hospitality, tourism, leisure, travel, passenger transport and retail industries.

It was launched in 2009 to address the issue that large numbers of women were leaving the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries each year and the imbalance between men and women at senior levels.

The Women 1st Shine Awards is sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions UK and Ireland, and the Women 1st Top 100 Club is sponsored by Fraser Giles Partnership.

To find out the full list of Shine Awards winners visit www.women1st.co.uk/awards.