Torfaen businesswoman Victoria Bell, director and co-founder of Bell IT Solutions, has been nominated for PC Retail's Woman of the Year Award 2014.

Following her nomination, Victoria was featured in PC Retail as one of 50 of the most influential women working within the IT industry today. Bell IT Solutions was the only Welsh company to make the list.

Andrew Wooden, managing editor of Intent Media, described the list as identifying 'the industry's top female professionals from companies across the UK tech and PC industry, including distributors, vendors, retailers and the wider tech landscape'.

A 2003 Computer Science and Mathematics graduate, Victoria spent more than 10 years working for various global organisations supporting the growth of business through IT.

In March 2012 she moved back to Wales to form Bell IT Solutions Ltd with her business partner and husband Benjamin Kania.

The company is an innovative, bespoke IT consultancy specialising in website design, development and support.

It also provides internet research and marketing, search engine optimisation and mobile device compatibility programming to ensure business websites perform at optimal levels.

In 2013, Victoria was nominated for Best Female Business Newcomer at the Welsh Women Mean Business awards. Also in 2013 Bell IT Solutions became the first IT company in South Wales to receive both the CompTIA Accredit UK Trustmark+ in e-Media & e-Commerce and the CompTIA IT Business Trustmark. Additionally, the company was nominated for the South Wales Business New Start-Up of the Year award.

Victoria is currently working on a UK Initiative with CompTIA called Advancing Women in Technology.

CompTIA brings women within the IT sector together in order to create an open dialogue between IT vendors and partners. This UK initiative aims to empower women with the know-how and skills needed for successful careers in IT.

Victoria is on the Executive Council for CompTIA UK, and sits as the chairman of the Gwent Business Women’s Network in Newport.

Bell IT Solutions is also a corporate sponsor of I AM WOMAN, a national women’s business club founded in Cardiff.

Victoria said: “It is a great achievement to be nominated in the top 50 and to be in with a chance of being PCR’s Woman of the Year 2014.

"This list includes women from some of the biggest companies in the IT industry such as Microsoft, Lenovo, Intel, Ebuyer.com and Fujitsu.

"It is fantastic to see our small start-up company featured and the event will be a great opportunity to meet these women in person. There are far too few women in IT and I hope PCRs list shows and inspires other women to enter and succeed in the IT sector just as we all have done.”