Business leaders triumph but miss out on top prize
THREE North West business leaders won praise at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards ceremony in London last night, but the top prize went to the woman behind a theatre group which runs Manchester’s Opera House and Palace Theatre.
Bill Holmes, founder of Crewe-based fuel distributor Radius Payment Solutions, won the North of England heat in June and took home the Business Products and Services Award.
Nitin Passi, managing director of Manchester-based online fashion retailer Missguided, picked up the Emerging Award having won the same category at the Northern ceremony.
And Sir Michael Bibby, managing director of the Bibby Line Group, won the Family Business Award of Excellence.
The Overall UK Entrepreneur Of The Year Award was won by Rosemary Squire, co-chief executive and founder of Woking-headquartered Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), which runs a string of venues across the UK and abroad.
She is the first woman to win the award and will now go on to compete with more than 50 other country winners at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 Awards in Monte Carlo.
Robert Crooks, partner and North West Entrepreneur Of The Year Leader at EY, said: “Bill and Nitin’s entrepreneurial spirit, focus on innovation and strong leadership have underpinned the rapid growth of their businesses in recent years, and both have been recognised as two of the best entrepreneurs in the country.
“Radius Payment Solutions and Missguided, through their respective strategies, are ideally placed to grow over the coming years and lead by example for a wider pool of high-growth, entrepreneurial talent quickly coming through in the North of England.
“It is fitting that the role of family business – which is critical for economic growth in the North of England and the wider UK – has been recognised and Sir Michael’s contribution celebrated. Bibby Line Group and Sir Michael have had a huge impact on the business landscape and the communities they operate in.”
Held at The Brewery in London and hosted by Jeremy Vine, the awards dinner honoured 10 business leaders across 11 categories, including overall winner. Each winner was judged and selected from 44 regional winners leading 38 companies from across the UK.
