Elisabeth Lewis-Jones, CEO of PR agency Liquid received the award at the Birmingham Best Places to Work Awards 2026.
The award looked to highlight women in the region whose leadership has created a lasting positive impact through vision, values and contribution to strong cultures.
Elisabeth, who grew the company from a garage start-up to a well-respected global communications agency, took home the prestigious prize, with judges recognising her ability to balance commercial success with a genuine commitment to employee wellbeing and development.
They noted that her approach exemplifies the forward-thinking leadership increasingly required in today’s business landscape.
Over the years, Lis has cemented her position as a recognised leader in her industry becoming the first person from the Midlands to serve as CIPR President in 2008 and later chairing the PRCA Council in 2011/12.
Her legacy includes introducing Chartered Practitioner status to the PR profession and pioneering the first PR awards to be held outside London.
Elisabeth said: “This is a milestone moment for Liquid to share the stage with some of the region’s best businesses, and it is an honour to be recognised for our efforts in investing in leadership, training and culture.
“As the city’s business landscape continues to grow and evolve, the Birmingham Business Best Places to Work Awards proves to be a reminder of the importance of raising the standards and setting a genuine benchmark for what modern employment should look like”.
Held at the Great Hall, University of Birmingham, the black-tie ceremony saw ten members of the Liquid team join Lis in celebrating excellence in workplace culture, leadership and employee development across the region.
On the night, Liquid was also nominated for the Best Medium-Sized Business award, alongside four other well-established Birmingham businesses, but narrowly missed out on being awarded the prize.
More than 250 business leaders and shortlisted finalists attended the event, where highlights included a fireside chat between Birmingham Business director and host for the evening, Carl Jones, and Moneypenny CEO Jesper With-Fogstrup.
