A FORMER Woman Entrepreneur of the World is to help Kent businesswomen smash through the "glass ceiling".

Perween Warsi will be one of the main speakers at a free seminar in Ashford, one of two such events on The Art of Transformation being hosted in June by the Institute of Directors and sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

She will be on the platform for The Advancement of Women in Business with other leading female business leaders.

The event is held against the background of a survey that found that out of 1.5 million additional jobs likely to be created in the UK over the next 10 years, 85 per cent will be taken by women.

Perween has transformed her business S&A Foods from a cottage industry supplying local takeaways and restaurants into an international operation.

Its authentic ready meals and accompaniments are to be found in supermarkets, catering establishments and pub chains across the UK and Europe.

She has successfully combined the roles of wife and mother with that of running a rapidly-expanding business.

Her achievements have been recognised with a clutch of top awards, two honorary degrees, a CBE and MBE.

She said: “With a female-led business, the problem can be one of ‘daringness’. It is seen as perfectly acceptable for a man to have ambitious goals and visions. But a woman who thinks big is often said to be too big for her boots.

“The vision of global reach and power doesn’t come naturally to a lot of women for whom personal relationships and cultural values are equally as important as wealth and power. Having a successful career can mean sacrificing having a family, a choice which many women find it difficult to make.”

The event, hosted by the Institute of Directors, will be held at Ashford International Hotel on June 29.

Other speakers will include Christine Watson, founder and director of executive coaching and mentoring company Blu-Sky: Pam Jackson, a partner in the tax and legal services practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers; and Shelagh Rushforth, a management consultant and adviser on strategic change.

In the other event, on June 2, the IoD hosts a discussion on sustainable business practice at the Ramada Hotel and Resort at Hollingbourne, near Maidstone.

Rodger Broad, director of the IoD’s South Region, explained: “The advancement of women in business and sustainable development are issues that are fundamental to good business practice and success. Companies ignore them at their peril.”

The Ashford seminar begins at 3.30pm and the Maidstone event at 4pm. In both cases a complimentary buffet supper is due to be served at 7.45pm.

Contact the IoD on 01483 501329, email iod.south@iod.com, or visit www.iod.com/southeast