Northern FD Awards launched to recognise outstanding finance leaders in the North West
The Northern Finance Director Awards are back for 2023. Nominations are now open, recognising and celebrating the exceptional talent of finance leaders and their teams across the North of England.
2023 brought new challenges to business leaders as they continued to grapple with supply chain issues and talent shortages. From rising inflation and multiple budgets announced, 2022 had it all.
The awards will once again recognise the enterprise, leadership, resilience, social impact and all-round excellence of the financial directors, chief financial officers, and financial teams in Northern businesses across 14 different categories.
The awards are open to finance directors (or equivalent) in all industries, whether working for a fast-growing SME or an innovative PLC, as well as for the benefit of the wider region. The shortlists will be announced in July, and the winners announced in October during the awards ceremony.
The categories are:
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Limited Company up to £25 million
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Limited Company of £25 million – £100 million
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Limited Company over £100 million
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Listed Company
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Private Equity-backed Company
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Northern Subsidiary of a Global Company
- Best Northern Finance Director of a Family-Owned Company
Outstanding Achievement Awards
- Northern Finance Director of the Year 2023 – Growth/Scale Up
- Northern Finance Director of the Year 2023 – Leadership
- Northern Finance Director of the Year 2023 – One to Watch
- Northern Finance Director of the Year 2023 – Turn Around
- Northern Finance Director of the Year 2023 – Deal of the Year
- Northern Finance Team of the Year 2023
Celebrating Excellence
- ESG/DEI Champion 2023
Finalists are invited to attend Zoom/ Microsoft Teams interviews, with the winners then selected by an independent panel of judges.
The awards are once again being sponsored by business advisers Grant Thornton UK LLP, global law firm Squire Patton Boggs and leading recruitment firm Michael Page. New to the awards this year and joining the sponsorship trio are Barclays Corporate Banking.
Nominations can be submitted via a Northern FD Awards website set up for the event.
Debbie Mullen, Head of Mid Corporate North, at Barclays Corporate Banking said: “We are delighted to be involved in these awards to celebrate some of the talent that we have in the region. We know that the North of England is home to some brilliant FDs who help steer companies through a multitude of challenges and these awards are a real opportunity to showcase all that they, and the North, has to offer.”
Dave Hillan, partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the North West said: “It is a privilege to be supporting the Northern Finance Director awards again. Being based in the North West, we have experienced first-hand the unprecedented market volatility and uncertainty over the last year that the region’s Finance Directors have had to negotiate.
“It is important to take the opportunity to reflect and champion some of the successes across the North, as the business community gets together for what promises to be another great occasion.”
Giles Chesher, corporate partner, Manchester at law firm Squire Patton Boogs said: “As a founding sponsor of the Northern Finance Director awards, we are always excited to announce the return of this campaign for another year.
“At Squire Patton Boggs we recognise the value that finance directors bring to their businesses, demonstrating leadership, innovation, and commercial nous, and yet they are often the unsung hero of their businesses. By continuing to champion the NFD awards, we intend to shine a light on the achievements of the exceptional finance professionals in the region.”
