BYPY committee recruits new members for 2011
THE organisers of one of Birmingham’s flagship awards ceremonies have recruited two new team members to help sustain the competition as it enters its second decade.
Ian Cooke, of ACCA UK, and Sam Dowling, of Rewired PR, have both joined the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) committee for 2011.
Bina Ganatra, relationship manager at Lloyds Banking Group, succeeds current Birmingham Future chairman Darren Walker as BYPY committee chair, supported by deputy Rebecca Mawdsley, operations director at eNL Legal.
They will work alongside experienced committee members Sonya Bell, of Pick and Mix Media, Isabel Drabble, of Deloitte, Elizabeth Green, of Encore Communications, Robert Laugharne, of Shoosmiths, Ollie Purdom, of Pitch Consultants and Claudia Santillo, of Santillo Consulting.
Ms Ganatra said she was excited at the prospect of leading the BYPY committee into its second decade and proud of the strong reputation the annual awards, which are run by young professionals’ organisation Birmingham Future, have developed since their inception in 2001.
“BYPY has fast become one of the must-attend events on the city’s business calendar, with record numbers attending the 10th anniversary awards earlier this year,” she said.
“The positive impact BYPY winners and nominees are now making on the city’s professional landscape is testament to the value of the awards, which have become a key means of identifying and grooming the next generation of city leaders.
“With nominations for BYPY 2011 opening in January, there’s lots of work to do but I’m confident the team has the talent and dedication to deliver another fantastic event and really take the awards to the next level in this, their second decade.”
This year’s awards saw James Villarreal of Glide Utilities become the first winner of the entrepreneurial category to take the title of overall Birmingham Young Professional of the Year.
The next BYPY awards will take place in May 2011.
Pictured is the new look BYPY committee. From left: Rebecca Mawdsley, Elizabeth Green, Claudia Santillo, Ollie Purdom, Bina Ganatra, Ian Cooke, Sam Dowling, Sonya Bell, Isabel Drabble.
