Draft:Joanna Knight

Joanna Kathryn Knight, OBE (born Joanna Kathryn Swash on 9 October, 1972) is a British businesswoman. She has been group CEO of Moneypenny, a UK-based provider of answering services, since 2018, after joining the family-owned business in 2005. She received an OBE for services to the economy in the 2024 New Year Honours.

Early life
Swash was born in Wrexham and educated at Allan School Comprehensive in Mold, Flintshire.

Career
Knight joined Moneypenny, a UK-based provider of answering services in 2005, and became CEO in 2018. Under Knight's leadership Moneypenny has grown rapidly, successfully entered the US market, securing private equity from ECI Partners and acquiring three further businesses; VoiceNation, Alphapage, and Sunshine Communications in the US, leading to the creation of a state-of-the-art headquarters in Duluth, Atlanta.

Knight's leadership style is one that is based on the power of people. Her straight-talking, open approach has earned her a place as one of the leading voices in the press and for business reform at government level, working under the Boris Johnson's Prime Minister's Business Council. This approach has also resulted in Moneypenny being continuously recognised as a Great Place to Work.

Knight has featured in several thought leadership books: Celebrity Service by Geoff Ramm, The Nowhere Office by Julia Hobsbawn and Employee Experience by Ben Whitter, and is a regular guest on BBC Radio 5 Live Wake Up to Money.

While Moneypenny is a global business, Knight is passionate about her and the business' responsibility to the local area, lobbying for greater investment and recognition. Knight headed the consortium backing an Investment Zone for Flintshire and Wrexham which received UK Government backing worth up to £160million as well as acted as Chair of the City of Culture 2025 Bid that saw Wrexham receive £125,000 as a close runner-up to the winner Bradford.

She has been recognised with the following accolades; IOD Director of the Year, Corporate Responsibility; Management Today CEO of the Year; Cranfield School of Management, Women to Watch; Giving Something Back Award from The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For.

Knight is a governor of her former school, Allan School Comprehensive.