Wadebridge’s Gaynor Coley Among UK’s Top Female Executives

Gaynor Coley, from Wadebridge, has been honoured as one of the UK’s most effective female executives, featuring in Management Today’s Women in Leadership Power List 2024.

This prestigious list celebrates inspirational and visionary leaders across various sectors, chosen by senior business leaders for their measurable impact on their organisations through increased revenues, improved diversity, or significant innovation.

A Storied Career

Gaynor, a founding director of The Eden Project in Cornwall, has an illustrious business career that began in chartered accountancy with Deloitte and KPMG. She held Finance Director posts with Westcountry-based Horizon Farms and the University of Plymouth before taking on high-profile leadership roles in public education and leisure.

Joining Eden in 1997, Gaynor played a pivotal role in securing the £140 million required to transform a redundant Cornish clay mine into a globally recognised horticultural phenomenon. As Managing Director from 2001 to 2013, she established a vibrant and inclusive operating culture, producing award-winning customer service, groundbreaking educational programmes, and a regenerative economic impact internationally recognised.

Impact Beyond Eden

Gaynor’s leadership journey continued as the Director of Public Programmes at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where her two-year tenure saw a major brand refresh and a significant increase in visitor numbers. She later chaired the inland surf attraction The Wave Bristol, where her expertise in complex capital projects and relationship management guided the board through the challenges of start-up and the Covid-19 pandemic to a successful opening.

A Vision for the Future

Currently, Gaynor and her co-founder Susan Hill are developing Xanadoo, a new visitor destination that promises a unique experience. This project aims to harness profits for urgent social and environmental purposes, blending arts, crafts, science, and technology to inspire and engage visitors.

Gaynor expressed her gratitude for the recognition from Management Today, highlighting the importance of increasing female representation in senior roles for balanced insights and boardroom diversity. She acknowledged the exceptional teams she has worked with, attributing her success to their collaborative efforts.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Claire Warren, editor in chief of Management Today, remarked on the significance of the inaugural Power List, emphasising the brilliant and often unsung women at the helm of successful organisations. The list includes start-up founders, divisional leaders, and CEOs of major businesses, each with a compelling story.

Gaynor’s latest project, Xanadoo, is envisioned as a place where creativity is unleashed, and visitors are motivated to help create a better world. The first stage feasibility is complete, with plans to progress the physical reality of the project in the coming months.

The Women in Leadership Power List complements Management Today’s long-running 35 Women under 35 awards, which have recognised prominent names in British business over the years, including Dido Harding and Martha Lane Fox.