Maggie O’Carroll, chief executive of Liverpool’s The Women’s Organisation, joins Paul Corcoran of Agent Marketing and and James Harper of Walton Flooring Centre on the shortlist

Maggie O’Carroll, chief executive of Liverpool social enterprise, The Women’s Organisation is on the shortlist the Institute of Directors (IoD) North West and Isle of Man Awards.

She is nominated in the Director of the Year – Third Sector category of the awards which will this year take place online for the first time. The virtual ceremony takes place on Wednesday, July 15. Click here to see the full shortlist.

Ms O’Carroll joins other Liverpool-based entrepreneurs on the shortlist. They include Paul Corcoran of Agent Marketing, shortlisted in the Director of the Year – Small to Medium Business category, and James Harper of Walton Flooring Centre, nominated for Director of the Year – Family Business.

The IoD’s annual North West & Isle of Man Director of the Year Awards has grown over the past 16 years and seeks to highlight the significant contribution business leaders can make to society and the economic prosperity in the North West.

Founded by Ms O’Carroll as Train 2000 in 1996, the Baltic Triangle-based The Women’s Organisation has helped more than 50,000 women to create, or improve, their own businesses. It is also currently the lead agency for the successful Liverpool City region Enterprise Hub start-up support project.

In May, it was included in a list of the top social enterprises in the UK along with other Merseyside-based social enterprises, including First Ark Social Investment, the Furniture Resource Centre, and co-operative bakery Homebaked.