Brother boss Jones crowned Director of the Year

PHIL Jones, the UK sales and marketing director for office technology brand Brother, was last night crowned North West Director of the Year at the Institute of Directors awards.

Mr Jones, one of the region’s best networked business leaders, was also named Manchester Director of the Year at the popular event at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester, hosted this year by broadcaster Nicholas Owen.

On what was a winning night for Manchester, Fajer Rabia, the founder of Longsight-based not-for-profit community learning and support group Inspired Sisters,  won the North West Young Director of the Year Award.

Businessman, speaker, author and philanthropist John Timpson, founder of the nationwide locksmiths and shoe repair business Timpson, was honoured with the Chairman’s special award for outstanding contribution to business life. 

Other notable winners were Brendan Hynes, chief executive of Vimto maker Nichols, who won Cheshire Director of the Year and Andy McNair, boss of Knowsley-based OSS Group, a specialist in waste oil collection, was named Liverpool Director of the Year.

Maria Whitehead of the Hawkshead Relish Company, who was runner up in the Cumbria Director of the Year award, won the Akroyd Award, sponsored by Yorkshire Bank, for outstanding corporate social responsibility.

Ann Jordan, regional chair for the IoD in the North West, said: “It is still a tough economic environment, and the calibre of businesses and individual directors in this year’s shortlist are great examples of the type of businesses that are driving the recovery, not only in this region, but across the UK, and further abroad.

“I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the IoD North West and the panel of judges to congratulate each of the winners who proved worthy candidates.

“These awards continue to grow in stature, and the record matching number of nominated individuals was of an exceptionally high calibre. We look forward to identifying even more of the region’s top leaders at next year’s awards.”

The List of 2010 winners:

Yorkshire Bank Ackroyd Award
Winner – Maria Whitehead. Hawkshead, Relish Company
Runners up: Gary Smith, Prism; Phil Hodgkinson, Compass Cost Consultants
 
UKTI International Award
Winner – Mark Greaves, Flowcrete
Runners up: Chris Purslow, ATG Willard; Gavin Wheeldon, Applied Langauge Solutions.

Cheshire Director of the Year
Winner – Brendan Hynes, Nichols
Runners up: Rob Crossland, Parasol; Chris Harrison, Fresenius Kabi
 
Cheshire Young Director of the Year
Winner –Steve Swift, Aerelink
Runners up: Marc Duschenes, Braemar; Gary Smith, Prism

Cumbria Director of the Year
Winner –Paul Hopper, Northern Securities
Runner up: Maria Whitehead, Hawkshead Relish
 
Lancashire Director of the Year
Winner – Jane Scott – Keystage Teacher Supply
Runners up: Peter Cousins-Brighter Futures; Kevin Moseley-SwimFin
 
Lancashire Young Director of the Year
Winner – Simon Cutler, Elite
Runners up: Richard Freye, Service Care; Natasa Sabanovic, Whittle Eastern Europe

Liverpool Director of the Year
Winner –Andrew McNair, OSS
Runners up: Elfed Thomas, i3 Group; Matt Johnson, Mando
 
Liverpool Young Director of the Year
Winner –Daniel Davies, CPL
Runners up: Rob Maxwell, Aztec; Phil Hodgkinson, Compass Cost Consultants
 
Manchester Director of the Year
Winner –Phil Jones, Brother UK
Runners up: Mottie Kessler, 2M; Peter Schofield, Tetrosyl
 
Manchester Young Director of the Year
Winner –Fajer Rabia, Inspired Sisters
Runners up: Richard Tang, Zen internet; Ben Davies, The Neighbourhood

Chairman’s Award – John Timpson