Sharon Davies

…who has pioneered on behalf of young people, finding new and better ways for many to learn, grow confidence and realise potential that would otherwise have been untapped. It started when she was only 19 and working in a supermarket – a customer saw her own potential and got her involved in a project on a housing estate in Birkenhead. She saw first-hand the difference it made learning outside school in the real world, and so started a 30 year career, the last 15 at Young Enterprise where she’s now CEO. The customer-led element is providing opportunities and support that click – that are relevant and feel relatable. It’s important work – learning helps protect young people from financial scams by being financially educated as well as preparing them for the world of work in ways a classroom can’t always get to. The central idea is to help people experience success by being enterprising, and doing that with more than 300,000 young people a year. And despite the scale, staying grounded and connected, to young people plus educators, volunteers and employers, knowing that there will always be a better way.