Erika Wilson Named Female Business Leader of the Year

We are extremely proud to announce that our Managing Director, Erika Wilson, has won the Female Business Leader of the Year Award at the Private Business Awards 2026, sponsored by BDO.

Erika Wilson receives Female Business Leader of the Year Award

About the recognition

The winners were announced at a prestigious gala dinner at The Savoy in London on Thursday 10 September 2026. Now in its second year, the programme celebrates the UK's most successful private businesses and the people who lead them. Winners were selected from a 97-strong shortlist across eleven categories by an expert judging panel of leading industry figures, from a record number of nominations spanning sectors and regions across the UK.

The Female Business Leader of the Year Award recognises an outstanding female leader who has driven significant success within her private business, showing inspirational leadership and strategic vision alongside a commitment to developing future female leaders.

From the shopfloor to Managing Director

Erika's success story

Erika joined us in 1997 as an apprentice on the shopfloor and the first woman in the company. In a male-dominated engineering environment, she earned her place by learning the product from the ground up and proving herself through results. She became sole owner and Managing Director in 2021.

Growth under Erika's leadership

Since then, the business has grown sixfold, and our workforce has more than tripled, scaling the company into an international manufacturer. Founded in a small workshop in Leeds in 1946, Wilson Power Solutions now employs more than 700 people across the UK and India.

Championing women in engineering

In 2024, Erika became the first female President of BEAMA. She has also championed the next generation of women in engineering, bringing 50 female Graduate Engineer Trainees into Wilson Power Solutions India to help close the gender gap in electrical engineering.

Erika Wilson - Managing Director

Wilson Power Solutions

"I am honoured to receive this award and be recognised alongside so many exceptional businesses. When I started on the shopfloor in 1997, I was the first woman in the company, and I had to prove myself every step of the way. This recognition belongs to everyone at Wilson Power Solutions. Our people have driven our growth, and I want to thank each of them. I hope it shows young women that there is a place for them in engineering and manufacturing, and that they can lead."

Erika Wilson - Managing Director

Wilson Power Solutions

80 years of Wilson Power Solutions

The award comes in the year Wilson Power Solutions celebrates 80 years in business. As a third-generation, self-funded family business, we will continue to invest in our people, facilities and technology to lead and accelerate the transition towards net zero in electrical networks.

Mark Sykes, Head of Consulting at BDO, commented:

"With record entries, the awards showcased some of the UK's most ambitious and exciting private and PE-backed businesses. Private businesses like these are at the heart of the UK economy, and they deserve to be recognised. The nominees exemplify the innovation, resilience and achievements necessary to defy challenging conditions."

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