Celebrating excellence: Honouring the 2026 Woman of the Year at the National Transport Awards

By Sonya Byers OBE, CEO, Women in Transport

At Women in Transport, our mission has always been to champion, support and celebrate the incredible women who contribute so much to our industry. That is why we were proud to co-create the Woman of the Year Award with the National Transport Awards as part of our 20th Anniversary celebrations.

This award recognises an exceptional woman working in transport who is making a significant contribution to the industry. Open to individuals at any level, it shines a spotlight on those whose leadership, innovation and commitment are helping to drive positive change across transport.

Following the success of the inaugural award in 2025, won by Diane Burke, Chief Operating Officer of Calmac Ferries, the response to this year's award has been truly outstanding.

We received 32 exceptional nominations, each highlighting the remarkable achievements of women working across every part of the transport sector. The quality of the entries reflected not only the depth of talent within our industry, but also the profound impact these women are having on their organisations, colleagues, customers and communities.

Our Chair, Jo Field OBE, and I had the privilege of reading every single nomination. We were inspired by the stories of leadership, resilience, innovation and dedication that emerged from the applications. Every nominee had made a meaningful difference in their own way, and selecting just ten finalists for the judging panel proved to be an incredibly difficult task.

On behalf of Women in Transport, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate a colleague. Recognition matters, and every nomination helped shine a light on the outstanding women who are helping our industry thrive. I would also like to congratulate all of this year's nominees. Your achievements deserve to be celebrated.

On Thursday 1st October, we recognised one outstanding winner, but the occasion represented something much bigger than a single award. It was a celebration of the collective contribution of women across transport and the positive impact they are making every day.

I am delighted to congratulate Sarah Boyd, Chief Executive of Lothian Group, the recipient of the 2026 Woman of the Year Award.

Sarah is an exceptional leader whose influence reaches far beyond her own organisation. I have had the immense pleasure of getting to know Sarah through my work at Women in Transport and have been continually inspired by her leadership style, generosity and commitment to supporting others.

A passionate advocate of Women in Transport, Sarah has played an active role in helping others develop and progress throughout their careers. She has served as a mentor on our Advance mentoring programme, shared her expertise as a speaker on our Lead programme, and openly reflected on her own career journey and leadership experiences with our members. Through these contributions, she has helped inspire and support women across the sector.

Her commitment to championing others, alongside her professional achievements and positive impact on the industry, makes her a truly worthy recipient of this award.

Sarah represents the very best of what this award was created to recognise: excellence, leadership, service and a dedication to making transport better for everyone.

Congratulations, Sarah, from all of us at Women in Transport. You are a truly deserving winner.

As we celebrate this year's award, we also celebrate every woman who was nominated. Together, they demonstrate the extraordinary talent, expertise and leadership that exists across our industry. Their achievements reinforce an important message: when women succeed in transport, the whole sector benefits.

We look forward to continuing to recognise and champion these inspiring role models for many years to come.