A marketing and business award expert has been selected as a finalist at an awards ceremony in the US.

Debbie Gilbert, from Chard, has been named a finalist in the Women Helping Women category in the 21st annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Her career and initiatives have positioned her to win a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award in the programme.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honour female executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run worldwide.

Out of more than 1,500 entries from organisations and individuals in 36 nations and territories, Ms Gilbert is one of only eight women from the UK to be selected for this recognition.

She is being recognised for her commitment to supporting women on their business journey.

Ms Gilbert has built a national business award programme, The Best Businesswomen Awards, now in its 10th year, which has recognised almost 1,000 women.

Her networking company Businesswomen UnLtd has supported 4,000 women since 2011, and she has also worked with businesswomen, supporting them with their marketing.

In 2018, she wrote a bestselling book ‘The Successful Mumpreneur’ which shares advice for women running a business around their family.

Ms Gilbert said: "Being selected for this award is an absolute honour and I am very excited to not only fly the flag for Somerset but for the United Kingdom.

"This will help me to continue to raise awareness that women need support to build a sustainable business."

The finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 200 business professionals worldwide who worked on six juries.

Their scores will also determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements, which will be revealed at the awards dinner in New York on November 8, 2024.

Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards, said: "In its 21st year, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business received an impressive collection of remarkable nominations.

"We look forward to recognising the outstanding achievements of women at the final."