Ashleigh is shortlisted for Employee Owner of the Year 2026!

When I looked at the entry form, I honestly couldn’t think of anyone who hits all the marks quite like Ashleigh does!

So much of what makes Zoonou feel like Zoonou involves Ashleigh - from how we welcome new co-owners into the company, to the care and thought she puts into our culture, to the work she leads behind the scenes to keep everything running as it should.

The UK Employee Ownership Awards recognise both businesses and individuals who drive effective employee ownership (EO) practices and empower employee owners to unlock Great EO impacts. The Employee Owner of the Year category celebrates someone who, while not being in a leadership role, acts as a genuine EO champion, demonstrates an ownership mindset and goes the extra mile to help develop and promote ownership in their company - and beyond.

And that’s exactly what Ashleigh does.

She brings employee ownership to life in a way that’s real and felt every day. Not as a concept or a policy, but in the way people are welcomed, supported, listened to, and included. Whether that’s improving onboarding, strengthening our approach to wellbeing, or helping shape how we work together as co-owners, her focus is always the same - making things better for our company and the people around her.

The shortlisting is a significant achievement in itself, and a really clear reflection of the impact Ashleigh has across Zoonou and our wider communities.

Whatever happens on the night, this recognition simply reflects what we already see every day - Ashleigh is our Employee Owner of the Year.

The winner will be announced at the eoaLive! event on the 10th of June at the Library of Birmingham.