The 2026 Women in GRC Awards brought together a community of leaders, rising stars and allies to celebrate the people shaping the future of governance, risk and compliance. As headline sponsor, CoreStream GRC was proud to support an evening focused on recognition, representation and the power of keeping the conversation going long after the awards ended.
CoreStream GRC is proud to announce that one of our Configuration Analysts, Ariana Vass, took home the GRC Rising Star of the Year (SME) accolade at the 2026 Women in GRC Awards.
Why CoreStream GRC’s Ariana Vass won GRC Rising Star of the Year (SME) 2026
Ariana doesn’t just support GRC programs; she helps make them successful. Delivering configuration solutions across 80+ projects spanning compliance, risk, third-party risk and data management, she helps some of the world’s leading organizations turn complex requirements into measurable outcomes.
Recognized by colleagues as “a pleasure to work with,” Ariana combines technical excellence with a relentless commitment to customer success. Her award is a reflection of the impact she creates every day for both our customers and our team.
“Winning this award is an incredible honor and, to be honest, it was a complete surprise! I never expected to walk away with the Rising Star award less than two years into my time at CoreStream GRC, and being celebrated by a room full of such incredible women was an amazing feeling!” – Ariana Vass
Beyond her project work, Ariana plays a key role in shaping the CoreStream GRC culture through her involvement in our office and social committee, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and positivity to everything she does. The future of GRC is being shaped by talented professionals like Ariana, and we’re proud to see her recognized as a rising star.
Co-founder and CPO Richard Eddolls said: “Ariana’s caring nature and can-do attitude align perfectly with CoreStream GRC’s values, and it’s fantastic to see her recognized for all her great work. Congratulations to all the winners of the night!”
Congratulations, Ariana!
Women in GRC Awards 2026: insights and highlights from the night
Alongside the incredible wins and networking opportunities, we heard from a range of women in the sector who gave heartfelt speeches about challenges, triumphs and successes.
The night opened with a reminder from Niki Dowdall, Managing Director of the Women in GRC awards, that, while progress has been made, the leadership gap for women remains a pressing challenge:
“While we’ve made progress, the reality is that we are still far from equity in this space. Women now make up around 37% of senior leaders in UK financial services, yet only 17% of CEOs in UK mid-market businesses are women, and progress at the very top remains painfully slow. Across the FTSE 350, women hold 36% of senior leadership positions, but true parity remains a long way off. For women from ethnically diverse backgrounds, the barriers are often even greater, with representation in executive leadership remaining disproportionately low. These figures aren’t just disappointing – they’re unacceptable. But they’re also a call to action.”
CoreStream GRC’s Head of Marketing and host of the Spotlight on Women In GRC podcast, Lucy Montague (GPRC), then addressed the room in the headline sponsor speech, reminding the audience of the importance of nights like these and how to use them to their advantage:
“Get yourself a mentor, and give back, as there’s a lot to learn from the younger generation of mentees and their ways of thinking. Over 85% of women in Fortune 500 companies attribute their success to having a mentor. So tonight, let’s network and find some new mentors and mentees. Connect on LinkedIn. Post the photos and tag each other. But most importantly, keep this conversation going beyond this room.”
The 2025 Woman of the Year, Victoria Guilloit, a Partner and Director of Digital Trust and Security at Capgemini Invent, said:
“The future of GRC is not about managing more risk; it’s about creating more trust. Organizations don’t become resilient because of policies and controls alone. They become resilient because of people like us, who understand why it matters and feel empowered to act.
Compliance has often been viewed as the ‘no police’, but in truth, what we do and what we continue to do is help organizations make better decisions. We are becoming trusted advisors to boards, because we are at the heart of it. Business leaders are looking to us to help them navigate uncertainty rather than just react to it. It’s more exciting than ever before.”
She also talked about the power of the awards themselves, stating:
“Winning the Woman of the Year award last year was the proudest moment of my career.”
This level of excitement and pride shone through when Yvonne Gordan, Leidos’ Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement, won the 2026 Woman of the Year award. She rounded out the night with these inspirational words:
“Never take no for an answer, and if not now, when? I’m always there kicking the doors down, and you can do that too!”
What we learnt from the Women in GRC awards
Key takeaways for the Women in GRC community
- Representation is improving, but equity is still unfinished business. The leadership gap remains stark, particularly at CEO and executive level, making continued visibility, sponsorship and accountability essential.
- Recognition matters because it builds confidence and momentum. Celebrating women like Ariana Vass, Victoria Guilloit and Yvonne Gordan shows what progression in GRC looks like and creates role models for the next generation.
- GRC is evolving from compliance enforcement to trust creation. The community reinforced that GRC professionals are becoming strategic advisors who help organizations navigate uncertainty, build resilience and make better decisions.
- Allyship and mentorship are practical levers for change. The strongest message of the evening was to connect, mentor, learn from one another and keep the conversation going beyond the awards room.
Actions for the Women in GRC community
- Make achievements visible. Share stories, photos and recognition on LinkedIn, tag peers and colleagues, and help amplify the work of women across the GRC sector.
- Champion rising talent early. Nominate emerging professionals, invite them into strategic conversations and create opportunities for them to lead visible work.
- Move the conversation from inspiration to accountability. Track representation, challenge slow progress and encourage organizations to create clearer routes into leadership.
For CoreStream GRC, this commitment continues beyond sponsorship. Through the Spotlight on Women in GRC podcast, hosted by Lucy Montague, we continue to share stories, experiences and practical advice from women across the sector, helping to amplify voices and keep the community conversation alive.
FAQs: Women in GRC Awards and the future of GRC
The Women in GRC Awards celebrate and champion the achievements of women working across governance, risk and compliance. The awards recognize rising stars, role models, leaders and teams who are shaping the future of the profession and helping to create greater visibility for women in GRC.
Awards like Women in GRC matter because they create visibility, celebrate progress and give professionals across the sector role models to learn from. They also help keep important conversations going around representation, mentorship, leadership opportunities and equity in governance, risk and compliance.
Women can build successful careers in GRC by developing strong technical knowledge, seeking mentors and sponsors, building cross-functional relationships and taking opportunities to lead visible work. Events like the Women in GRC awards also create valuable opportunities to network, learn and connect with others in the community.
Mentorship helps women in GRC build confidence, access guidance and expand their professional networks. It also creates two-way learning, giving experienced professionals the opportunity to support emerging talent while learning from new perspectives and ways of working.
Organizations can support more women into GRC leadership by making progression routes clearer, championing rising talent early, tracking representation, offering mentorship and sponsorship, and ensuring women have access to strategic projects and decision-making opportunities.
CoreStream GRC sponsors the Women in GRC Awards because we believe representation, recognition and allyship are essential to the future of governance, risk and compliance. As a GRC technology provider, we see first-hand how people shape resilient organizations, trusted decision-making and better outcomes. Supporting WGRC is one way we can help celebrate talent, create visibility for women in the sector and encourage the next generation of GRC leaders.
About CoreStream GRC
CoreStream GRC is proud to be the headline sponsor of the Women in GRC 2026 Awards. The intuitive, flexible GRC platform delivers efficiency and value your way.
Driven by the belief that technology should be an enabler, not a barrier, CoreStream GRC is a flexible, no-code platform that helps organizations design the right GRC system for their needs with support from our expert team.
Trusted by leading organizations such as the BBC, Deloitte, NHS, PwC Middle East and Shell Energy, CoreStream GRC consistently delivers real, measurable value for risk and compliance management.
To learn more about how CoreStream GRC can help your organization turn governance, risk and compliance into a strategic enabler, speak to our team.
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CoreStream GRC, part of Axiom GRC
