Awarded an OBE in 2022 for her work in Equality, Mentoring and Charity. Fay is the Founder of Fast Forward 15 an award winning, not for profit industry mentoring programme.
One of the founder shareholders of Zibrant, one of the largest full-service events agencies in the UK, Fay master minded the rebrand and strategy of Zibrant in 2005. The company was sold to MotivCom in 2007and reacquired by Nigel Cooper and Fay Sharpe in 2014 before being acquired by BCD M&E in 2016.
Fay has over 30 years’ experience working in the hotel, hospitality, event management and venue sourcing arena. She worked on a strategic level as Founder and joint MD, focussing on marketing, internal communications, brand values, culture and engagement specialist, CSR champion and women’s advocate.
Fay has won numerous awards; M&IT Personality of the year 2011/2018, Mentor of the Year – The Caterer Shine Awards 2017, Hot 50 awards event legend, UKCEM industry leader 2016, Executive PA award for boss of the year, Lloyds TSB CBI’s First Women of Tourism and Leisure award and achieved the number 2 position in the Event 100 list to name just a few. Fay has gone on to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of West London.

In 2015 Fay launched the Fast Forward 15 Women’s mentoring initiative, recognised by industry associations and her peers, members of the programme include corporate, agency, government and regulatory bodies. In 2018, Fay was awarded the ‘Mentor of the year’ and an Honorary Doctorate for her services to the sector from UWL.
A Mum of 2, Fay is also passionate to support good causes, completing numerous charity challenges. She has worked with a number of key universities in promoting women in events and from 2013 - 2020 has been Chair of Trustees of the Muscle Help Foundation.