Ambitious and inspirational leaders honoured
BT’s regional boss Mike Blackburn, leisure sector pioneer Tim Bacon and Mike Brown, senior partner of law firm BLM, were among the winners at the North West IoD Director of the Year awards.
Blackburn, who also chairs the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, and is a passionate supporter of community education initiatives was named Director of the Year at the ceremony last Thursday.
Cheshire-based Bacon, who has been one of the region’s leading bar and restaurant operators for more than 20 years, creating brands such as the Living Room, Artisan, The Alchemist and Gusto, was honoured with the Chairman’s Award for his outstanding contribution to the sector and business community.
The awards dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester was attended by around 400 people.
Mike Brown, who has been senior partner at insurance-focused law firm BLM since 2012, and oversaw a record year for fee income last year of £104.1m, was crowned Large Company Director of the Year.
Brown was not the only law firm leader to win as coporate lawyer Darryl Coooke, founder of new-model law firm gunnercooke, was named Small Company Director of the Year.
Paul Kenyon, one of the founders of Avecto, the fast-growing IT security firm which has recently secured backing from a US investment firm, was named Medium-sized Director of the Year.
Dr Neil Murray, chief executive of AIM-listed drug discovery company Redx Pharma, which has operations in Liverpool and Alderley Park, Cheshire, was named Science and Innovation Director of the Year.
RedX is working on a number of exciting treatments for hard-to-treat cancers and also for the MRSA infection.
Murray said: “We have come a long way in a short few years and I’m grateful for the brilliance, support and inspiration of everyone at Redx. Our business operates in a global market and drug development, by its very nature, is challenging and difficult.
“I’m immensely proud of the progress we continue to make and the assets we are developing – and we can’t think of a better place to develop our business than within the emerging Northern Powerhouse.”
The full winners were:
• Chartered Director of the Year: Jo Ritzema, WCF
• Start Up Director of the Year: Richard Wood, Grain
• Leadership in Corporate Responsibility: Diane Modahl, The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation
• Family Business Director of the Year: Jim Nicholson, Pochin’s
• International Director of the Year: Emma Sheldon, Vernacare
• Director of the Year (Large Company): Mike Brown, BLM
• Non-Executive Director of the Year and IoD North West Director of the Year: Mike Blackburn
• Public Sector/ Third Sector Director of the Year: Yvonne Harrison, GreaterSport
• Science and Innovation Director of the Year: Dr Neil Murray, Redx Pharma
• Director of the Year (Medium Company): Paul Kenyon, Avecto
• Director of the Year (Small Company): Darryl Cooke, gunnercooke LLP
• Young Director of the Year: Helen Slinger, BT Business Direct and BT Shop
Rachel Smith, NW Regional Director at the Institute of Directors said: “These ambitious and inspirational leaders announced as winners in our annual awards reflect the diversity of the North West business landscape.
“At the Institute of Directors, we champion regional business success, and support those that are making waves locally, nationally and internationally, across many sectors and sizes.”
