A LEADING businesswoman visited Ryedale School to share her experiences and inspire pupils to achieve their ambitions.

Amanda Mackenzie, who is chief marketing and communications officer for the Aviva Group, was invited to talk to students as part of Speakers for Schools, a UK charity that connects schools with inspirational leading business professionals and academics.

Having studied psychology at the University of London, Amanda went on to work in business and over the last 25 years has been a director at British Airways Airmiles, BT, Hewlett Packard, British Gas and was then the first woman on the executive committee of Aviva.

In 2014, Amanda was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for her services to marketing and has recently started a new project with film director Richard Curtis to help bring an end to extreme poverty and tackle the impact of climate change.

Amanda spent the day at Ryedale School speaking to girls from all year groups with the aim of motivating students to achieve their full potential and to broaden their aspirations.

Airlie Mason, deputy head girl, said: “Amanda taught me that there should be no limitations to your dreams or ambitions. If you want to achieve something, go out and get it.

“Failure is merely a stepping stone to success and there are many ways to achieve. Amanda is someone who is definitely a role model that I hope to emulate.”

Head girl Hannah Woodwood said: “Amanda is such an inspiration to young people. To have been given the opportunity to meet and hear from such a successful woman was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.”

Headteacher Mark McCandless said: “Amanda was very impressed with our students and kindly sent us the following message and tweeted about her experience at Ryedale School.”

- ‘I thoroughly enjoyed my visit it was a real privilege to be there. It was very reaffirming of the talent and potential we have as a nation and I only hope the girls got something from it too. ‘You clearly have created a wonderful school spirit and no wonder Ofsted said what they did’.”