THIS year’s list of female high-flyers belongs to the young. The average age is 31. This includes inventor Tanya Budd, who at 20 is the youngest in Management Today’s “35 Women Under 35” list since its inception in 2001. Then there are Emma Reynolds, co-founder of e3unlimited, 24; and Lamorna Trahair, another entrepreneur, at 23.

Generation Y has come of age, and its impact on the world of work cannot be underestimated. These women bring with them a confidence, passion and unconventional approach that is blowing through boardrooms. It is no coincidence that Reynolds has carpe diem tattooed across her foot. This generation grabs each day and wrings the most out of it.

It’s about loving what you do, too. If there’s one thing that binds all the women on the 2008 list, it’s the passion they have for their work. “I absolutely fell in love with retailing,” said Alex Holt, category manager for beauty at Tesco. “I’ve always wanted to do something I really enjoy and that I have a passion for, and, as long as I’m doing that, I love it.”

Fashion designer Sara Berman has the rag trade in her blood and enjoys the manufacturing side and number-crunching as much as the creativity. “One of the favourite places I like to be is at my desk,” she said.

It’s an attitude that can verge on the obsessive: indeed, many of our stars admit to being part control-freak. Yet this doesn’t mean that they are scared to take a risk. It’s impossible not to be impressed by their derring-do and competitiveness. Our list bulges with risk-takers who like to unwind with activities such as running marathons, playing rugby, flying helicopters, kite-surfing, skiing, swimming the Channel, racing yachts or playing pool for England.

The Generation Y flavour to the 2008 list shows itself not only in the attitude of the women but also in the types of businesses they have chosen to start up. This new kind of pioneering entrepreneur has chosen to make her mark in the areas that have most impact on today’s younger generation — mobile technology, web 2.0, the environment and travel.

Christina Domecq, a scion of the sherry family and serial entrepreneur, is co-founder and chief executive of Spinvox, a voice-to-text messaging service. She founded the firm in 2004 and now employs 300 people worldwide. She has just raised an additional $100m (£50m) for the business — no mean feat in this gloomy economic climate.

And what about Lamorna Trahair, the 23-year-old adventurer who co-founded the League of Adventurists International, a travel company that specialises in extreme holidays and is committed to donating £500,000 a year to charity?

Trahair, who says her career has so far “been typified by working on several concurrent projects”, worked in yacht racing (including the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-6) before leaving to help found the League of Adventurists in 2006. She also works for the leadership-development consultancy Talent Smoothie, advising companies on today’s millennial employees. Her motto? “Go for it. How hard can it be?”

All these women have worked doggedly to get where they are — in some cases, in professions or industries where it is difficult for women to advance.

Paulina Bozek is an executive producer at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and the woman behind the successful Sing Star music-game series. She is responsible for a multi-million-pound budget and a team of 50, and is one of the few senior women in the industry.

“When I came into Sony five years ago,” said Bozek, “it was pretty unusual to see woman producers. But Sony was welcoming and wanted to get more women involved, because the industry is trying to attract a new audience. Games have grown beyond boys’ toys.”

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