THE director of a Shropshire stationary firm was the only West Midland businessman to emerge triumphant at this year’s Institute of Directors Director of the Year Awards.
Michael Phillips, of Shrewsbury-based stationary firm West Mercia Supplies took home the Public/Third Sector Director of the Year title, during a ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel, hosted by Michael Portillo.
West Mercia Supplies is a purchasing consortium owned by four local authorities – Herefordshire Council, Shropshire Council, Telford & Wrekin Council and Worcestershire County Council.
As well as offering a ‘one stop shop’ to schools and colleges, providing an extensive range of high use office and educational products, it also supplies local government offices and other non-profit making organisations.
Jason Wouhra, head of Smethwick-based East End Foods, narrowly missed out on the Family Business Director of the Year award, receiving a Highly Commended certificate.
However, there was no joy for Craig Errington, of the Birmingham-based Wesleyan Assurance Society , who was nominated in the Director of the Year (Large Company) category, nor Stuart Laight, of Black Country haulier Aspray Transport, who shortlisted in the same category as Mr Wouhra.
Graham Honeyman CBE, chief executive officer of Sheffield Forgemasters International, won the inaugural IoD Overall Director of the Year.
Miles Templeman, Director-General of the IoD, said: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Graham. He is an outstanding winner and I wish him and Sheffield Forgemasters more success over the years to come. It is great to see a UK manufacturing firm thriving and exporting. We too often forget that manufacturing is one the UK’s biggest strengths.”
Full list of awards
Overall Director of the Year
Winner – Graham Honeyman CBE, Sheffield Forgemasters International (Yorkshire) Runner up – Simon Bitcliffe, Webmart (South)
Young Director of the Year
Winner – Cathy McCorry, Grafton Recruitment (Northern Ireland) Highly Commended – James Wollard, Polythene UK (South) and Joe Blackman, Green Ant Events, (Wales)
Public/Third Sector Director of the Year
Winner – Mike Phillips, West Mercia Supplies (West Midlands) Highly Commended – Purnima Tanuku, National Day Nurseries Association (Yorkshire) and Mark Powles, Business Stream (Scotland)
Director of the Year for Environmental Leadership
Winner – Mervyn D.Jones, Aquamarine Power (Scotland) Highly Commended – Julian Dennis C Dir, Wessex Water (South West) and Duncan Goose, Global Ethics (South)
Family Business Director of the Year
Winner – Sarah Dunning, Westmorland (North West) Highly Commended – Jason Wouhra C Dir, East End Foods (West Midlands) and Stephen Blatchford, Chas. A. Blatchford & Sons (South)
Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank Investing for Growth Award
Winner – Graham Honeyman CBE, Sheffield Forgemasters International (Yorkshire)
Global Director of the Year
Winner – Graham Honeyman CBE, Sheffield Forgemasters International (Yorkshire) Highly Commended – Conor Walsh C Dir, Andor (Northern Ireland) and David Price CBE, Chemring Group PLC (South)
Director of the Year – SME
Winner – Simon Bitcliffe, Webmart (South) Highly Commended – Patricia O’Hagan, Core Systems NI (Northern Ireland) and Mark Box, Rieke Packaging Systems (East Midlands)
Director of the Year – Large Company
Winner – Ciaran Sheehan, Care Circle Group (Northern Ireland) Highly Commended – Helen Bunbury, Ogier (Jersey) and Stephen Martin, Clugston Group (East Midlands)
If you’re not getting our daily emails, your competitors might be. Click here to check your account settings.
