Rosaleen Blair, the chief executive of Alexander Mann Solutions, has been named as the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year.

The award, one of the most sought after for female entrepreneurs, went to Ms Blair for the way in which she has revolutionised recruitment for large companies.

She left her native Ireland and moved to London with the idea of revamping the way in which companies hire staff. She has since built Alexander Mann Solutions into a £300 million global business that employs more than 800 people.

Ms Blair, 41, ran a nanny business in Dublin before moving to London and she has helped to promote female staff within her own firm. “A number of senior managers here are women and I have been able to ensure they do not face any barriers,” she said. “Making sure that people have family lives is very important. You get more out of people if they have a good work-life balance.”

Sally Warmington, Veuve Clicquot brand director, said that Ms Blair mirrored the acumen and pioneering spirit of Madame Clicquot, after which the company was named. “Her innovative and visionary approach has transformed the international world of recruitment,” she said.

Runner-up for the award was Natalie Massenet, founder of luxury fashion retailer net-a-porter.com.

Veuve Clicquot Champagne created the award in 1972, the year after the company celebrated its bicentenary, to recognise outstanding female business achievement.

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