I was humbled and shocked to retrieve such a prestigious award. It can be lonely as a founder and I have had my moments of imposter syndrome like many others. I finally felt like I’d earned my place in the business travel industry and was thrilled to be recognised for all the work I have put in over the years.

When my name was called I was gobsmacked! It was really heart-warming to receive lots of messages of congratulations and ‘well-deserved’ from so many people, even a few people I’d not spoken to in ages got back in touch.

I’m a closet Feng-Shui practitioner, so my award has pride of place in my career corner in my ‘zen-den’ at home.

Winning the award has raised our profile again and resulted in various requests to participate in other industry initiatives such as speaking engagements, collaborations and judging other awards.

Carolyn Pearson is the founder and CEO of Maiden Voyage and is recognised as one of the world leaders in inclusive travel safety. She launched her company in 2008 after her own experiences of travelling solo during her career leading tech teams for companies such as easyJet and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Over the years Carolyn has contributed industry-wide on the inclusive travel risk and safety agenda, having spent a number of years on the GBTA Risk Committee and is a well-known speaker and media contributor.