15. Suzie Norton, Screen West Midlands

Armed with a degree in British politics that included a gap year working in the House of Commons, Suzie Norton started her career in Westminster as a researcher for GMTV's Sunday Programme with Alastair Stuart.

She was soon promoted to political producer on GMTV's daytime show and, at the age of 23, became the youngest person to join the Parliamentary Lobby in its 200-year history.

With offices in the House of Commons and daily lobby briefings with Alastair Campbell, Ms Norton joined the elite of British political journalism.

Within two years she had become GMTV's political correspondent, reporting live to six million people from Downing Street and beyond on the key issues of the day from the 2001 General Election to the Iraq War.

After five years of 3am starts, she moved from political reporting to current affairs, joining the BBC as a senior broadcast journalist for the current affairs unit back in her home city of Birmingham.

After that, she became the inaugural director of Film Birmingham, the city's first film office.

Working closely with Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby, she established the city's first online film location service, increased filming activity by 40 per cent, which generated Birmingham's economy £14 million.

Ms Norton also developed the idea for a major new digital film and media event for Birmingham and the region which will take place in October 2008.

In September 2007, she became chief executive officer of Screen West Midlands, the regional screen agency, charged with taking the regional screen industry to its next level of growth.

In March the organisation signed a £10 million deal with Channel 4 which sees the West Midlands as the lead UK commissioning hub for the station's new digital media 4IP fund.

Ms Norton also secured £2.5 million from the UK Film Council to invest in regional film festivals, archive and education and is in charge of delivering a £4 million Feature Film Fund, resulting in 12 feature films produced in the West Midlands over the next two years.

Suzie is a member of the Royal Television Society, Creative Birmingham Partnership Board, Digital Film and Media Event, AWM's Screen, Image and Sound COG, Birmingham Cultural Partnership, New Library for Birmingham and the Cultural Olympiad Task Team.