Winners Comments

Quotes from past IoD Director of the Year Winners, 


Suzy Brain England. OBE

"When you work hard all year round there can be no better reward than to receive an accolade like this from a prestigious organisation like the Institute of Directors.  It is an incentive to keep going and it feels great to be recognised in my home town of Leeds and home county of Yorkshire and the Humber. "   


 Todd Hannula - MD of Camberwell, said:

“Wow! Being named Young Director of the Year 2009 is a long way from the frozen pizza Friday nights in the flat with no furniture, my American dream, the dream of the entrepreneur being realised in England. This is a win for the new business paradigm, working to create wealth for society and shareholders. The award shows how the IoD continues to take a leadership role in business; in this case it’s recognising the new modern, social mission driven businesses that are growing at an outstanding rate. This is not about me but the fantastic team I am fortunate to be leading on an incredible journey.”  

Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association

"We were absolutely thrilled to bring back such a prestigious an award from the evening, and winning has really helped to raise the profile of NDNA. Childcare plays a central role in the economy, and receiving this award has helped demonstrate this nationally and has helped to create a great deal of interest in our organisation and its work.  This year we are celebrating our 10th birthday as a national charity and this award really has been the icing on the cake for us."  

Balbir Panesar's - PEC Building Services - comment.   I was surprised and delighted to be announced the winner of the judges special award .

I am very pleased and feel honoured to have been recognised by the judges for such a prestigious award and would like to thank Yorkshire Forward for nominating me.I believe that IoD held a great event which recognised many other winners from the region.

Quote from Jo Haigh, Head of Corporate Finance, fds Group  

‘I was delighted and amazed to be amongst the winners. In such illustrious company it is always lovely to win but when the award comes from such a prestigious organisation I was also very honoured’ 

Kevin Southwell, Care and Supported Housing Services Director, South Yorkshire Housing Association, Not-for-Profit and Voluntary Sector Director of the Year

“I am ecstatic to have won this award, not just because of the personal recognition it brings, but because of the message it gives about the third sector and the positive reinforcement it provides to my colleagues who work in challenging circumstances.  One of the failings of the voluntary sector is that we are often shy about recognising our worth and celebrating our successes, and this award helps to break down some of the personal and organisational barriers.”  

Craig Miller, Managing Director, Extend-A-Room. Entrepreneur of the Year

“This award is a real shot in the arm for me personally and for the whole of Team Extend-A-Room. It would be easy to become overwhelmed with today’s economic conditions and news but we will use this tremendous acknowledgement to reinvigorate our team and encourage us in our mission to be number one in our sector. We will continue to take massive action and are already working towards our next award”.  

Michael Taylor, Operations Director, Fosters Bakery. Young Director of the Year

“Our company vision is we want to be your favourite baker”  To receive such a prestigious award made me feel like the region’s favourite baker on Thursday evening.  The evening, along with the company, conversation and, best of all, my success in being voted Young Director of the Year, made it a truly great evening.   The award is also recognition of the fantastic contribution Fosters Bakery has made to the food industry over a number of years. My prize was three days of the IoD Diploma training programme which I qualified for in April 2007. I have agreed with Leeds Business School that I can transfer the three days to our company accountant towards his IoD Diploma as I have already undertaken these training courses.   So Fosters Bakery has benefited from my award in other ways and this contributes further to my vision of making our company a gold star employer.” 

 Colin Glass, Director, Winburn Glass Norfolk. Non-Executive Director of the Year

“I was greatly honoured to win the Non Executive Director of the Year Award and I believe it recognises the important part a non-exec can play in SMEs, where he or she has to me more ‘hands on’.   The non-exec can bring to the Boardroom table the experience of being involved in different businesses and contacts built up over the years.   I have learned a great deal from my board colleagues in the companies where I am a director and I count myself fortunate to be able to work alongside them to create shareholder value."   
 
Margaret Wood, Chief Executive, ICW. Judges’ Special Award

“I am honoured to win this award which recognises how people can cast off self-limiting beliefs to succeed in business as well as putting something back into their local community.   “Life is open to all of us – it’s just a case of having the right mindset and believing in our strengths and abilities. The best piece of advice I ever received was ‘be yourself’. The turning point for me was when I realised I had to understand who I was and how I could realise my potential.”   “I’m proud of my achievements in business because it hasn’t been easy. It’s been a very long, hard road to get to where I am now but I’m still doing it and I don’t ever see myself retiring. I love what I do so much and get a real buzz out of making a difference.”    

Paul Firth, Regional Managing Partner - UK Regions, DLA Piper UK LLP . Business Advisor of the Year

"I am delighted to have received the prestigious award of Business Advisor of the Year from the IoD.  Particularly in these more challenging times, obtaining the right advice can make a huge difference to a business.  The IoD in promoting this award recognises the contribution good professional advice can make to their members." 

Graham Smith
"I am delighted to have been voted the IoD NED  of the year by such a distinguished panel of judges.  Whilst corporate governance is always a key priority for NED s they must also be seen to add value to the business. I was therefore very pleased that that this aspect of my contribution as a NED was influential in their final decision"

Gavin Wheeldon - www.appliedlanguage.com
"I was overjoyed to have been voted IoD Entrepreneur of the year, I don't think you get a higher accolade than your peers choosing you for something like this. Being recognised for all the work that has gone into getting Applied Language Solutions to be the fastest growing translation company in the world makes it all worthwhile!"

Angelina Fixter
"I was thrilled to receive the Director of the year Award for the Third sector.  The recognition that it gave my organisation (Avalon) and my teams, without whom I would not have even been in the room, let alone win an award, was tremendous.  It was also important for the Third sector in general, as it focused in on the importance of our role in the business world.  We run our business in a competitive field, and that
brings a hunger for innovation and excellence in service delivery.  The award went along way in recognising strong and measurable practice.  We too can blaze a trail."

Anita Massarella
"After a heavy day at work, it was great to leave the IoD ceremony with the judges "special award".  I felt that my work had been recognised and that the status of the award enhances our standing in the fashion business."

Paul Sewell
"The award has resulted in an amazing amount of well wishers and has been a great lift, not only for me but my company and the city."

James Cornell
"It was very satisfying to be presented with this prestigious award, which reflects the success of Lowell Group. I head a fantastic team, who have worked extremely hard to get the business where it is today and they all deserve to share this award  with me."

Colin Glass
"I was delighted and honoured to win the IOD Business Advisor of the Year Award, especially when I saw the calibre of my fellow nominees. I have always had a passion or working with small businesses which, with help and advice are capable of serious growth. We, at Winburn Glass Norfolk look to add value to these businesses and  develop a long term relationship with them, often taking a small equity stake and a
non-executive board appointment. However, at the end of the day it is down to the entrepreneurial spirit and capabilities of the management team and I am proud to be associated with some great business people whom, collectively, have contributed significantly to the economy of Yorkshire and The Humber and beyond"

• Simon Rigby of Spice Holdings, IoD Director of the Year 2006
It was a pleasant surprise to win such a prestigious award, and the recognition that it gave my entire team was very well received. I extend my thanks to the judging panel for selecting me and to the IoD for organising an excellent ceremony.

• Etta Cohen of Forward Ladies, winner of the Judges’ Special Award
“There have been enormous benefits to winning the Award. It firmly placed Forward Ladies at the heart of the business community and was a means of spotlighting the impact the organisation is having for women in enterprise. As for me, people are still commenting on the fact that I am an award winner! Thank you on behalf of all Forward Ladies.”

• Jo Haigh of Goodbad Viner Taylor, winner of the Business Adviser of the Year Award
“I can genuinely say I was absolutely delighted and thrilled to win the Yorkshire and Humberside Business Adviser of the Year award. Being based in Sheffield it was very special for our region to have recognition outside the usual South Yorkshire territory!
“I was also particularly pleased to have been nominated for the Non Executive Director award.  It is always very rewarding to receive recognition for one’s achievements, but worth so much when it is from such a credible organisation as the IoD.”

• Leigh-Anne Stradeski, of Eureka! winner of the Voluntary Sector Director of the Year Award
I was truly honoured to win the 2006 IoD Voluntary Sector Director of the Year Award.  I view it as a tribute to the strengths and successes of Eureka! and my entire team. Over the past few years Eureka! has grown and developed as a national visitor attraction and a leader in informal learning.  Being recognised by the IoD brings added credibility and kudos which will serve us well as we move into our next phase of development.  It’s a great addition to my CV as well, and the opportunity to further develop my leadership abilities by taking up one of the Leeds Business School’s executive training courses is something I look forward to.

• Mark Cooke of Bright Finance, winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award
It was a surprise and a privilege to win such an outstanding award. Bright Finance has grown in five years from two people to a company employing nearly 200 staff. This award was a fantastic way to mark this success.

• Christopher Jones of Carey Jones, winner of the Overall Contribution to the Yorkshire Economy
I was honoured and surprised to receive the IoD Award in 2006.  As something of a “back room man” I think that the IoD is itself making a great contribution to Yorkshire & Humberside business by ensuring that people from all facets of our economy are recognised in this way.

I am sure that the Award Ceremony in 2007 will be an even greater success than 2006 and I would again like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone within the IOD who took the trouble to vote for me last year

• Dirk Mischendahl of Logistik Limited, winner of the Young Director of the Year
Obviously, it's always very flattering when you are recognised and rewarded for the work that you do. I was delighted to win the Young Director of the Year Award, largely because of what it said about us, Logistik, as a company. These types of awards are handed to the individual, but you cannot really ever win one without the efforts and support of the people you work with.

I was delighted to accept the award on behalf of Logistik and the talented, passionate team we have here; because, after all, it has been through them that my vision and ambitions have been realised.