Winning women at IoD NW awards
TWO female directors walked away with the top gongs at the IoD North West director of the year awards for the first time.
Liz Russell, managing director of agricultural supplies and animal bedding company Envirosystems in Preston, took the coveted overall prize of North West director of the year.
Ms Russell founded the company with John Singleton in 2001, to develop and market a dairy cow bedding material that was cheap, hygienic, and made from recycled materials.
She said: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed. I was thinking about what it’sl ike to be a director, and its like taking an exam. You never know how hard you have to work to pass. Thank you IoD, I think I’ve finally passed this time.”
Sarah Dunning meanwhile, who is chief executive of Westmorland, was crowned young director of the year, an award that was introduced last year.
Ms Dunning, 39, joined Westmorland, which owns independent motorway services Tebay in Cumbria, in 1998 as human resources director, but she began her career in corporate finance working for NM Rothschild. Ms Dunning became chief executive when her parents, who were founding directors, retired.
Since then, she has ensured significant reinvestment in the company, which along with Tebay services owns Westmorland Hotel, the Rheged Centre in Penrith and farm shops and has an annual turnover of around £37m.
She said: “We bosses don’t get told everday that we are doing a good job so tonight is a good tonic.”
Ms Russell and Ms Dunning also won Lancashire director and young Cumbria director awards respectively.
More than 400 of the region’s business elite attended the sixth annual awards at Manchester’s Hilton hotel, which was BBC North West Tonight presenter Ranvir Singh.
Christopher Purslow of atg UV technology was named Manchester director of the year, while Christopher Jordan of Davy Liver won the award for Liverpool.
The Cumbrian award went to Martin Cotterell of Sundog Energy, while Chess Telecom’s David Pollock took the title for Cheshire.
A special chairman’s award was presented to Edwin Booth, boss of the independent supermarket chain Booths and great, great grandson of the Lancashire company’s founder.
Darrell Matthews, North West director of the IoD, said: “These awards are the culmination of a thorough and independent process and the winning directors are worthy candidates.
“In an extremely tough year for businesses in the region, many of the winners have faced the challenges with determination, talent and entrepreneurial spirit, and have succeeded.
“These awards, now entering the seventh year, 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.”
