Leigh Smyth

ImpactMatch

B2B Thought Leader of the Year Award
Ethical Leadership Excellence Award
Founder of the Year Award
Visionary Leadership Award
Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Women in Social Impact & Changemaker Award

About Leigh

I’m Leigh Smyth, founder and CEO of ImpactMatch. For more than 20 years, I’ve worked across business, government and charities to help more people access the skills, support and opportunities they need. My work has included creating Lloyds Banking Group’s Digital Skills Academy and co-founding ActionAble to improve disability inclusion in business. I’m known for bringing people together, getting things moving and caring deeply about the people our work affects. I’ve always felt strongly that where you come from, or the barriers you face, shouldn’t decide how far you can go. I care about people being heard, having their abilities recognised and getting a fair chance. That’s why I founded ImpactMatch. I love working with people who share that ambition and helping businesses make changes that improve people’s lives.

Leigh's video

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Proudest achievements

Creating Lloyds Banking Group’s Digital Skills Academy, which helped more than one million people build their digital skills. I’m proud of helping people feel more confident doing things that others take for granted.
Advising the United Nations on financial inclusion, bringing experience from working with people who face barriers to accessing everyday financial services.
Founding ImpactMatch and building a business around something I care deeply about: helping people get a fair chance and helping organisations do more good through their work.
Co-founding ActionAble to help businesses improve disability inclusion. This matters to me because so much talent is overlooked when workplaces don’t recognise what people need to succeed.
Building a team that cares about the work and the people behind it. Seeing colleagues grow in confidence, contribute their ideas and take pride in what we achieve together means a great deal to me.
Being open about my dyslexia. I hope that sharing my own experience helps others feel more comfortable asking for support and confident about what they can achieve.

Find Leigh online

Why your vote matters

Behind every nomination is someone who keeps turning up, day after day, often when nobody is watching. Leigh is one of those people. Your vote takes a few seconds. It tells Leigh that the work has been seen, that it matters, and that people are proud of it. For a nominee, that can be the moment that makes the whole year.

People's Choice

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Leigh's road to the ceremony

Nominated
Nominated on 17 September 2026
People's Choice vote
Voting opens soon
Finalists announced
Leigh is a finalist
The awards ceremony
Thursday, 29 April 2027 at The Ridgeway Center Featherstone Road, MK12 5TH

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