An accomplished horsewoman who competed for Great Britain at the Olympics in Athens and Beijing, Hindle has since set up two construction companies. Lancet Homes build family homes across the North West. The separate Woodhouse Bespoke builds higher end properties in the Cumbrian and Lancashire countryside. However, the bulk of Hindle’s wealth comes from Brookhouse, the commercial property empire she inherited from her late father.placeholder image
An accomplished horsewoman who competed for Great Britain at the Olympics in Athens and Beijing, Hindle has since set up two construction companies. Lancet Homes build family homes across the North West. The separate Woodhouse Bespoke builds higher end properties in the Cumbrian and Lancashire countryside. However, the bulk of Hindle’s wealth comes from Brookhouse, the commercial property empire she inherited from her late father. | John Gichigi/Getty Images

Founders of Warren James, Coach House and Lancet Homes among 10 richest businesswomen in the North West

Sean Gleaves
By Sean Gleaves

Digital Reporter

Published 23rd Aug 2024, 18:43 BST

Find out who’s leading the region’s economic success and how they built their fortunes.

North West Business Insider has just revealed the ten women who rank the highest in the list of the working wealthy:

*The Top 50 Rich List for the region can be found in the September issue of Insider, which is out now. Order your copy here.

Bovingdon was 22 when she and her father started Coach House. Their Altham-based furniture and homeware retailer took its name from an old barn next to a pub that served as their first premises. There are now more than 10,000 product lines with items imported from 10 European and Asian countries. Coach House should now be worth at least £70m and a run of dividends adds at least £16m.

5. Diane Bovingdon, 69 - 2024: £86m

Bovingdon was 22 when she and her father started Coach House. Their Altham-based furniture and homeware retailer took its name from an old barn next to a pub that served as their first premises. There are now more than 10,000 product lines with items imported from 10 European and Asian countries. Coach House should now be worth at least £70m and a run of dividends adds at least £16m. | Coach House

Photo Sales
Kane founded Boohoo with Mahmud Kamani in 2006. Their fast fashion empire has struggled after bumper trading during the pandemic and the shares have lost 90% of their value since their peak four years ago. Newcastle-born cut her teeth in the Hong Kong fashion world. Her annual salary from Boohoo was £523,904. This was £21,000 more than Kamani. She recently transferred part of her stake in the Manchester-based fashion platform to her ex-husband as part of a divorce settlement. She now owns 1.58% of the Manchester-based fashion group – a holding worth £6.7m.

6. Carol Kane, 57 - 2024: £65m

Kane founded Boohoo with Mahmud Kamani in 2006. Their fast fashion empire has struggled after bumper trading during the pandemic and the shares have lost 90% of their value since their peak four years ago. Newcastle-born cut her teeth in the Hong Kong fashion world. Her annual salary from Boohoo was £523,904. This was £21,000 more than Kamani. She recently transferred part of her stake in the Manchester-based fashion platform to her ex-husband as part of a divorce settlement. She now owns 1.58% of the Manchester-based fashion group – a holding worth £6.7m. | Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Paul Wilmot

Photo Sales
Whittaker owns half of ESL Fuels, a supplier of environmentally sustainable fuels based in Ellesmere Port. She and her husband Stephen set up the business in 2000, initially making biodiesel from fat repurposed from curry and fast-food restaurants. ESL now makes road, heating and marine biofuels. After profits of £10.6m on sales of £185.4m in 2020-23 ESL should easily be worth £100m. A run of dividends easily adds another £5m to Janet’s 50% stake.

7. Janet Whittaker, 66 - 2024: £55m

Whittaker owns half of ESL Fuels, a supplier of environmentally sustainable fuels based in Ellesmere Port. She and her husband Stephen set up the business in 2000, initially making biodiesel from fat repurposed from curry and fast-food restaurants. ESL now makes road, heating and marine biofuels. After profits of £10.6m on sales of £185.4m in 2020-23 ESL should easily be worth £100m. A run of dividends easily adds another £5m to Janet’s 50% stake. | ESL Fules

Photo Sales
Cross and her husband Larry have built Oak Tyres into one of the UK’s largest independent tyre wholesales. They initially began with a Liverpool-based retailer in 1980 before concentrating on wholesale. The business now has 450,000 sq ft of warehouse space across Haydock, St Helens, Trafford Park, Leeds and Washington. Record profits of £10.2m on sales of £181.1m suggest the business is now worth at least £100m. Debra and her trust own half of the £100m company.

8. Debra Cross, 59 - 2024: £50m

Cross and her husband Larry have built Oak Tyres into one of the UK’s largest independent tyre wholesales. They initially began with a Liverpool-based retailer in 1980 before concentrating on wholesale. The business now has 450,000 sq ft of warehouse space across Haydock, St Helens, Trafford Park, Leeds and Washington. Record profits of £10.2m on sales of £181.1m suggest the business is now worth at least £100m. Debra and her trust own half of the £100m company. | Oak Tyres

Photo Sales
Previous
2 / 3
Next Page
Related topics:Lancashire
News you can trust since 1886
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice