Acorns 2018: Hannah Robson, head of bespoke events, Concerto

Ambition "To start my own events agency, delivering tailor-made events for clients."

Remarkably, Hannah Robson worked her way up from being an intern to head of bespoke events at the Concerto Group within five years.

It all started in 2012 with a placement while studying for an event management degree at the University of Hertfordshire. On return to studying, she continued to work four days a week, becoming a valuable team member due to her client liaison, event and time management skills. By 2015, she was an account manager, then progressing to senior account manager.

Robson had already shown her mettle during the rigorous pitching process, winning and retaining clients that have contributed £1.8m in revenue since 2014. That, coupled with her ambition and leadership qualities, made Robson first choice in 2017 to head up bespoke events, managing three departments, a team of nine and revenues of £2m. Within six months, she increased year-on-year profit by 25% and set strategic objectives to expand market reach. She has subsequently acquired the department's first fixed site, which will host cooking masterclasses, adding £1m in revenue.

Staff development is close to her heart and she works with individuals to map out career paths, providing support, advice and opportunities. She manages interns and has built strong links with universities, such as Bournemouth. She stays in touch with each of the eight interns when they return to university, coaching them, giving advice on interviews, helping them develop LinkedIn profiles and reviewing their dissertations.