Everton Chief Executive Officer Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale has been acknowledged for her leadership of the football club and the local community with a top honour at a North West awards event.
Professor Barrett-Baxendale, MBE, was named as a winner in the ‘Business’ category of the annual Inspiring Women Awards and lauded for her “strong strategic vision”.
Since becoming Everton CEO in June 2018, Professor Barrett-Baxendale has steered the Club through a global pandemic, overseen its new stadium development plans - which included Liverpool City Council unanimously granting planning permission to build a new 52,888-capacity waterfront home in the north of Liverpool - restructured the leadership of Everton Women, led a move to new headquarters inside the city’s iconic Royal Liver Building, and been part of the Board that appointed one of football’s most decorated managers in three-times Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti.
For its 29th year, the Inspiring Women Awards sought to recognise those who had shown leadership, courage, determination and passion in guiding businesses and communities - and driven lasting social change - during the coronavirus pandemic.
In March 2020, Everton and Everton in the Community were the first football club to launch a coordinated outreach and engagement campaign to support the most vulnerable, socially isolated and at-risk members of the community in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Blue Family is still in operation and has since supported more than 32,000 vulnerable people, while providing more than 265,000 meals to schoolchildren, participants and people in need across Liverpool.
As part of Everton’s move to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the Club has also received approval of outline planning permission for a community-led legacy project on the site of its existing home, Goodison Park. The plans, which Professor Barrett-Baxendale helped formulate, will allow for the creation of new facilities that will benefit local people, regenerate one of Liverpool’s oldest communities, and allow the Club and Everton in the Community to build on its life-changing, life-saving work.
Earlier this year, Evertonians gave the Club their unprecedented backing as the Blues recorded their best-ever results in the Premier League Fan Survey’s 25-year history. Everton benchmarked higher than the Premier League average in every category, with fans supporting how the Club is being led by the Board and its leadership team, how it engages with supporters, and its contribution to the local community.
Professor Barrett-Baxendale said: “It is an honour to win this award, especially as peers from across a broad range of industries have recognised Everton’s leadership in our sport, in business and within our community.
“The significant impact of the coronavirus on businesses, families and individuals has made this a challenging period for everyone. As soon as we knew we would be facing a pandemic, our vision was clear – that we had a duty as a major employer within our city to not only support our people but also our community.
“We have ambitious plans for the future of our football club, on and off the pitch, and look forward to working alongside some of the most talented women and men in our industry to deliver on them.”
The judging panel also highlighted how Professor Barrett-Baxendale has “championed” Everton Women and taken “action against gender bias.”
Last March, increased investment in Everton Women and a new leadership structure - headed up by Professor Barrett-Baxendale and focused on delivering sustained success for the team - was announced, while since her appointment as CEO, Everton has launched its ‘All Together Now’ equality and diversity campaign, achieved the Advanced Premier League Equality Standard and been named as a ‘Best Companies Top 100’ employer.
Jacqueline Hughes-Lundy, founder and organiser of the Inspiring Women Awards, said: “Denise is one of the North West’s truly inspiring women. She is a role model for others, and I am proud that the Inspiring Women Awards continues to shine a light on her remarkable achievements and work at Everton.”
