by business editor Trevor Sturgess

A Kent woman - the UK’s first female boss of a commercial vehicle manufacturer - has been hailed as a "glass ceiling breaker."

Nikki King, from Halling, was presented with the PricewaterhouseCoopers' Lifetime Achievement Award at the First Women Awards 2009 in London.

Ms King’s award came amid calls by prominent businesswomen for more females in the boardroom.

The managing director of Isuzu Truck (UK) was a company administrator until, at the age of 40, she led a £32m management buyout of the company in 2004.

Award judges said she was a "beacon of female talent, an outstanding role model and leadership figure for women at every stage of their career."

She is an active member of the commercial vehicle industry, holding a number of senior roles. She was the first female president (and vice-president) of the Society of Operations Engineers.

After receiving the award, she said: "This award came as a total surprise and I felt truly humble in front of so many inspirational women. This award is not just for me but for all women working in today’s hugely competitive transport industry."

Hosted by Real Business magazine, the First Women Awards were founded five years ago to celebrate "glass ceiling breakers" in business and public life. They are supported by the CBI and held in association with Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.

Sarah Churchman, PwC’s head of diversity, said the recession threatened to slow, if not reverse, the progress being made by the UK towards a "fairer gender balance" in corporate life.

"Now, more than ever, the business community needs to eschew the notion that gender diversity is a "solved problem" and continue to identify role models capable of inspiring a generation of women to pursue their goals.

"Nikki’s personal and professional success makes her an ideal candidate."

Isuzu Truck (UK), part of a long-established Japanese truck manufacturer, was formed in 1996 and employs 48 people. Internationally, Isuzu sells 400,000 vehicles and 1.5 million diesel engines to 170 countries a year.