Share an experience or challenge that has shaped you? I was raised on a plant-based diet in the 70s by a health-conscious single mother who thought sugar was the devil. She was years ahead of her time back then and is certainly highly relevant to my brand I am now realising. Also, having an immigrant father who worked hard to make his way in the world here in the UK and a subsequent complicated divorce when I was young… these all shaped my grit, resilience and subsequent visionary entrepreneurial journey.

Best piece of advice you have ever been given? Get the best finance director you can.

What advice would you give to your younger self or a woman just starting her career? Surround yourself with people who want the best for you and that you know you can call in the middle of the night when everything around you feels like it’s falling apart. It most likely isn’t but you need someone you trust to tell you it’s all going to be OK.

What does success mean to you? Success, to me, is about building something that reflects your values while having a meaningful impact on the world. At Thomson & Scott, we’ve never just been about selling bottles, we’re about changing the conversation around what we consume and how we consume it. Creating Noughty was a direct challenge to the alcohol industry's outdated norms and a chance to offer a delicious, sophisticated, and ethical alternative.

True success is being able to say we’ve stayed true to our principles: transparency, sustainability, and inclusivity. It’s seeing Noughty poured at the world’s top bars and hotels, knowing we did it without compromising our ethics. It’s being a B Corp and actually living those values, not just wearing the badge. And it's also hearing from people — whether they're sober-curious, pregnant, religious, or just making healthier choices — that they finally feel seen and included.

Personally, success means leading with integrity, empowering others around me, and creating a business that my team and my son can be proud of. It's not just about profit, it's about purpose.

How do you handle challenges and changes? What's in your toolkit? As a founder in a fast-evolving industry, handling challenges and change isn’t optional, it’s a constant. My toolkit starts with clarity of purpose. When you know your “why,” it becomes much easier to navigate uncertainty. For me, that purpose is to shake up the status quo in the drinks world and build a brand rooted in transparency, health, and sustainability.

I’m also a big believer in curiosity and agility. I come from a journalism and arts background, not traditional business, so I’ve always asked questions and challenged assumptions. That outsider perspective has been a strength, it’s helped me see opportunities where others saw obstacles.

Practically speaking, I rely on a strong, nimble team, open communication, and trusted mentors. I also embrace data — from customer insights to market shifts — and combine it with instinct. And I never underestimate the power of a walk, a clear head, and a good sense of humour.

Change is where growth lives. If you’re not willing to adapt, you’re not going to lead. So I welcome it, even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s messy.

Why is it important to support women in business and women-led business? Because women-led businesses are known to be far more successful than male-led businesses. The numbers don’t lie. And you can’t be what you can’t see so we need to be the role models of the future to inspire the next generation of young leaders and make the world a better place.