Teen joins top businesswomen list

A 19-year-old has become the youngest entrant in Management Today magazine's annual list of top young businesswomen.

Inventor Ruth Amos took a place on the list thanks to her determination to make her StairSteady business a success, despite funding problems.

The magazine noted a shift towards traditionally male jobs with 50% of those on the list in sectors such as IT, engineering and banking.

Nominations for the list come from the experts, readers and former winners.

Management Today also said that the current economic environment means there has been a distinct shift in attitude from optimism last year to sheer hard work for 2009.

Determined to succeed

"The recession is bringing out the steel in this year's 35 Under 35 list," said Management Today editor Matthew Gwyther.

35 WOMEN COVER STARS

• Laura Stevenson - 32, Sadler's Wells general manager
• Ruth Amos - 19, engineer and inventor
• Jade Tong - 34, associate director at global real estate advisor DTZ
• Kate Hampton - 34, Children's Investment Fund Foundation director
• Savannah Miller - 30, creative director of design label Twenty8Twelve
• Samantha Mangwana - 34, employment solicitor at Russell Jones & Walker specialising in discrimination law

"These women are unafraid to knuckle down and make tough decisions - it's their fierce determination to succeed that really makes them stand out from the crowd.

"The current climate gives us all the more reason to celebrate their exceptional success. If you can make it now, you can make it any time."

Remarkably, Ms Amos showed her determination to succeed by persevering with her business despite age proving to be her "biggest hindrance".

"When I started off, every major bank refused me business banking, and that was something that hit me really hard," she said.

Inspirational

Ms Amos is currently taking three years out after her A-levels to develop her StairSteady - a rail that helps people remain mobile and climb stairs on their own rather than with a chair lift, therefore enabling them to retain their mobility for longer.

"Having a family gives me a determination to succeed"

But gaining a place on the list has been "amazing", she said.

She said she was stunned "at being named with such well-respected women".

"I've now had the pleasure of meeting some of them and they're such inspirational and amazing role models."

The magazine has also decided to honour women on maternity leave for the first time, with four nominees currently on such leave.

"Just because they are on leave doesn't mean they shouldn't be recognised," MT assistant features editor and list manager Emma De Vita said.

Job fears

She added there is a worry that during a recession the first redundancies will be women on maternity leave.

35 WOMEN - FACTS & FIGURES

• Youngest woman to appear on the list - Ruth Amos
• Average age, 31
• Two thirds studied "male" subjects at university - science, business, law, economics
• One third went to Cambridge, Oxford or LSE
• More than 50% of names on list work in "traditionally male" sectors
• Four women on maternity leave
• List breakdown: 11 entrepreneurs, four bankers, four engineers, three retailers, two lawyers

Recent figures from the Equality and Human Rights Commission show that an estimated 30,000 women lose their job illegally as a result of pregnancy.

"Pregnancy or maternity is the most vulnerable time of working women's lives, when they need stability. Women who really value their job are going to be highly committed to making it work," she added.

The magazine added it wanted to tackle the issue this year it is often ignored and more likely to be sidelined during a recession.

Savannah Miller - who runs fashion label Twenty8Twelve with her sister Sienna - is one working mother on the list with two young children and a teenage stepson.

Noted for her business acumen, enthusiasm and control of all parts of the business, she says: "If you want something bad enough, you can get it - no matter what.

"As a woman, it's extremely challenging juggling all that stuff, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Having a family gives me a determination to succeed."

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