Entrepreneur and television personality Trinny Woodall, who won the Inspiration Award at the 2024 Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards, has said artificial intelligence could give women a powerful advantage in the workplace if they learn to harness it early.

Woodall, founder of the cosmetics brand Trinny London, recently paused operations across her business for two days so that around 150 employees could receive hands-on AI training, reflecting her belief that mastering emerging technologies is now essential for both business competitiveness and personal career growth.

The training initiative was delivered by Cambridge-based technology company Lichen AI and introduced staff to practical applications of AI tools across areas such as marketing, product development, customer engagement and operational efficiency.

Woodall said the decision to dedicate company time to AI training stemmed from a sense of responsibility to ensure her workforce is prepared for the technological changes reshaping modern industries.

“AI is a way women can get ahead,” she said. “It puts knowledge at our fingertips exactly when we need it. When you have that access to insight and information, you can walk into any room with more confidence and authority.”

The programme began with staff learning how to work with several of the most widely used AI systems, including Gemini, Claude and Midjourney. Employees were taught how to prompt the tools effectively and apply them to real business challenges, from generating marketing content to analysing customer data and developing product concepts.

On the second day of the workshop, staff were divided into teams and challenged to create AI-powered applications designed to enhance different areas of the company’s operations. In total, 25 groups presented their concepts to senior leadership, with the winning team receiving a prize voucher from Selfridges.

The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into the company’s growth plans. Trinny London, which reported turnover of around £70 million and EBITDA of approximately £4 million in 2025, has expanded rapidly in recent years and opened 20 new retail locations during 2025.

Woodall believes AI will become a crucial tool for building customer loyalty in the highly competitive beauty sector. The brand has begun deploying predictive personalisation technology from Dynamic Yield to tailor website experiences to individual shoppers.

The technology allows Trinny London’s online store to dynamically adapt its homepage and product recommendations based on browsing behaviour, purchasing history and other customer signals.

“Beauty is incredibly trend-led and fast-moving,” Woodall said. “AI helps us understand our customers more deeply and serve them the right products and messages at the right moment.”

The company is also using AI-driven translation tools to expand its digital presence internationally without the heavy costs traditionally associated with multilingual content production. These systems help adapt marketing campaigns and product descriptions for customers in markets across Europe, Australia and the United States.

Woodall’s focus on AI training also reflects her wider commitment to empowering women in business and entrepreneurship.

Despite growing awareness of gender equality in technology, women remain underrepresented in many AI-related fields. Woodall believes that gaining practical experience with AI tools could help close that gap by giving women greater confidence and technical fluency.

“There’s a potential for women in AI like never before,” she said. “If we understand these tools and use them well, we can leap ahead.”

Supporting women entrepreneurs has become a core part of Woodall’s broader business mission. Earlier this year she hosted a networking and mentoring event at Beaverbrook Estate, bringing together around 60 female founders and influencers for workshops covering confidence, business growth, nutrition and AI skills.

Woodall said helping other women succeed remains central to her outlook as a business leader.

“I love giving help to people who are starting their entrepreneurial journey,” she said. “We have to help each other.”

Before building her cosmetics brand, Woodall rose to prominence as co-presenter of the fashion television series What Not to Wear. In recent years she has transitioned into a prominent business figure and returned briefly to television in 2025 as a guest investor on Dragons’ Den, where she invested alongside Deborah Meaden in eco-friendly cleaning company Seep.

Her recognition at the 2024 Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards highlighted her transformation from television personality to successful entrepreneur and business leader. The Inspiration Award, the ceremony’s top honour, celebrated her journey in building a fast-growing beauty brand and mentoring the next generation of founders.

Woodall now has her sights set on a long-term ambition: making Trinny London the leading premium beauty brand for women over 40, a demographic she believes remains overlooked by much of the global cosmetics industry.

“We’ve lived a bit more life by 40,” she said. “We know more clearly what we want, and what we don’t.”

By combining technological innovation with a focus on a mature customer base, Woodall believes her company can continue to grow while empowering women both inside and outside the business.