Embridge CEO Emma O’Brien secures Enterprise Vision Awards spot for emotional intelligence
Emma O’Brien, the chief executive and founder of Embridge Consulting, has been named a finalist for Business Woman of the Year at the 2026 Enterprise Vision Awards, the UK’s largest business awards dedicated solely to women. The shortlisting places her among a select group of female entrepreneurs recognised for commercial success, resilience and positive impact across their industries and communities.
The EVAS, which will hold its ceremony on 2 October 2026 at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool, celebrate women shaping the future of entrepreneurship. Judging panels assess candidates on uniqueness, innovation and the ability to create lasting value. O’Brien’s nomination specifically impressed judges with her commitment to challenging traditional business models and her “people-first” approach to digital transformation — a philosophy that has defined Embridge Consulting since its founding in 2009.
Building a people-first transformation consultancy
O’Brien launched Embridge Consulting from her kitchen table after being made redundant following the birth of her second child. Unable to find a senior part-time role in the corporate world, she set out to build a consultancy that would put people at the centre of technology change. That ethos — that technology should work for people, not the other way around — remains the company’s core belief today.
The consultancy has since grown into a nationally recognised transformation partner, employing 75 consultants and working with more than 40 subcontractors. It serves over 350 public and private organisations, including Surrey County Council and St James’s Place, across sectors such as healthcare, higher education, not-for-profit and professional services. In August 2024, Consultancy.uk ranked Embridge among the leading ERP consultancy firms, awarding it silver status from a field of more than 1,000 candidates.
What sets Embridge apart, according to the company, is its “emotionally intelligent, elastic” methodology — an approach designed to ensure that transformation adapts, sticks and scales. Rather than treating change as a one-off project, O’Brien’s team promotes continuous evolution through its proprietary Business Transformation as a Service (BTaaS) model. The firm also developed LEO, an integrations management platform that helps clients connect systems without disruption.
“We’ve always believed that change succeeds when people do,” O’Brien said in a statement following the EVAS shortlisting. “So every solution we build starts with understanding.” That understanding extends to the company’s internal culture, which is built on empathy, respect, care, creativity and collaboration. Embridge is a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and runs an “Embridge Shout! Awards” programme to recognise employee contributions.
The company’s growth has been underpinned by a long-standing partnership with Unit4. In 2015 Embridge became Unit4’s first official systems integrator partner in the UK, achieving Elite Partner status by 2020. In 2025 it was named Unit4’s Global Service Partner of the Year and appointed as the firm’s exclusive UK public sector go-to-market partner.
O’Brien’s leadership has earned multiple industry accolades. In 2022 she was named a “Rising Star” on LDC’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders Programme. In August 2024 she won the best Public Sector Entrepreneur category at the Enterprise Awards, described as the “Oscars for technology entrepreneurs”. And in 2025 she took home the Tech Innovator award at the Tide Everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, the UK’s longest-running recognition programme for female founders.
Personal tragedy and a charity born from loss
O’Brien’s journey has been marked by profound personal challenge. She navigated the pressures of growing a consultancy through the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced a rapid shift to remote working and tested the resilience of professional services firms across the UK. But the most devastating blow came in 2023, when her son Leo died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). Leo had been diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of three, and his condition worsened during the pandemic owing to unstructured home-schooling and a lack of support. He was later also diagnosed with autism and a rare genetic condition called KBG syndrome.
Channeling her grief into action, O’Brien founded Leo’s Angels, a charity that aims to accelerate access to epilepsy care and improve outcomes for other families through technology. The charity is working to fund and develop tools that enhance data-driven decision-making for clinicians, empower families with real-time information, and integrate seamlessly into existing healthcare systems. Its pilot project has a fundraising target of £750,000. In September 2025, Leo’s father, Ben, cycled 260 miles from Kent to North Devon to raise money for the cause. Previously, O’Brien and the Embridge team had raised more than £50,000 for Young Epilepsy.
Leo’s Angels shines a light on SUDEP, a condition that remains under-recognised despite an estimated 80% of epilepsy-related deaths being potentially avoidable, according to the charity SUDEP Action. O’Brien has said she wants to prevent other children from being lost due to gaps in the healthcare system.
Finalist interviews for the Enterprise Vision Awards will take place in early June 2026. If selected as Business Woman of the Year, O’Brien will join a growing community of women recognised for redefining leadership and shaping the future of British business.
