Jane Boyes, Chairwoman and Managing Director of Boyes Rees Architects in Cardiff has been named Best Woman in Property at the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards 2011.

Now in its second year, the Welsh Women Mean Business awards was set up to recognise and honour women running their own businesses in Wales.

Boyes Rees is one of Wales' largest architectural practices, offering innovative and sustainable design and planning services to the private and public sector.

Ms Boyes was also shortlisted for the Best Business Leader award in the event staged at the Vale Hotel in Hensol in front of an audience of 300 guests.

Jane Boyes is a leading figure in the Welsh property and construction industry. After achieving her architectural qualifications and progressing her career at a time when property and construction was traditionally dominated by men, Jane completed a management buy out of the practice where she worked and created Boyes Rees Architects in 1994.

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Jane said: "It's a great honour to win this prestigious award. I am very proud of Boyes Rees and what the business has achieved over the last 17 years.

"Despite the continued challenging market conditions facing us all in the industry, we are continuing to secure new work with existing and new clients across a range of different sectors including healthcare, education, leisure, commercial and residential, and have also secured our place in this year’s AJ100 listing for top UK architectural practices."

In addition to the success of her architectural practice, Jane and her business partner Gary Loo successfully set up independent estate agency La Maison Properties in Llanishen in 2009. This was followed by the opening of a second branch in Llandaff last year with aspirations to create a network of offices across the principality.

Sarah Cornelius-Price, Organiser of Welsh Women Mean Business Awards said: "Myself and the judges have met some phenomenal women through this process. Jane, and the other winners, are hugely inspirational and are great examples of how women make an incredible contribution to the Welsh economy. I applaud them all for their successes."

Ms Boyes also won the Woman in Construction and the Built Environment award at the Welsh Woman of the Year Awards in 2008.