Northern Leadership Awards 2019: ‘A diverse workforce is the cornerstone of a sustainable business’
With the entry deadline for the Northern Leadership Awards looming closer, we talk to previous winners about their awards and why they would encourage other business leaders to put themselves forward for an accolade.
Becky Hewitt, the director of people at Leeds Building Society, who won the Diversity and Inclusion Award at last year’s event, says she was “proud and humbled” to win an award, particularly given the outstanding quality of the D&I Leader nominees.
Hewitt, who has agreed to join TheBusinessDesk.com’s judging panel for this year’s awards, said: “Yorkshire is one of the fastest growing and most diverse economies in the UK and the high standard of leadership showcased at this event demonstrated why this is the case.
“As the chair of HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter board and leading Leeds Building Society’s diversity and inclusion strategy, I believe a diverse workforce is the cornerstone of a sustainable business. Diversity of skills, backgrounds, experiences, opinions and, therefore, thinking, enables an organisation to make better, more rounded decisions, which lead to more successful business outcomes. Creating a culture of diversity provides an environment where everyone can flourish.
“I would encourage any business leaders in the region to enter. Yorkshire is a great place to work and we need to keep leading by example and celebrating our fantastic achievements.”
TheBusinessDesk.com’s Northern Leadership awards this year, which are supported by CMS, will celebrate the people and organisations across the North who are role models for their teams and raise the bar for their competitors.
The shortlist will showcase the best qualities of modern leadership – of inspiration, collaboration and empowerment – and the winners will be revealed at an awards dinner which will be a celebration of the transformational impact great leaders are having in our region here and now.
The Northern Leadership Awards takes place at Queens Hotel, Leeds on Thursday, November 28.
Any firms looking to enter into the awards are also invited to celebratory drinks receptions held between 5pm-7pm in Leeds (July 9th), Manchester (July 11th), Liverpool (July 16th) and Sheffield (July 18th). To book your place, email leadership@thebusinessdesk.com
There are 15 award categories:
• Young leader (under 35)
• Public and third sector leader
• Emerging entrepreneur leader
• Empowering potential leader
• Diversity and inclusion leader
• Professional services leader
• Transformational leader
Company leader (up to 100 employees)
• Company leader (100+ employees)
• Best leadership programme
• Top 50 City Region leaders: Greater Manchester; Leeds; Liverpool; Sheffield
• Overall leader – chosen from the award winners
The Top 50 city region leader awards from the fastest-growing businesses in each sub-region, were revealed by TheBusinessDesk.com last week. Now, those firms are being asked to submit individuals from their businesses.
To see the top 50 lists, visit:
Leeds
Manchester
Sheffield
Liverpool
The deadline for entries is Friday 19 July, 2019
Click here to download entry form and to see full list of the awards criteria.
The Northern Leadership Awards will showcase those individuals whose leadership is having a significant impact and delivering fantastic outcomes.
It promises to be a great event, bringing together some of the leading individuals and organisations from across the North and we would love to be part of the event, to network, to share and to be inspired.
To book your tickets, click here
There are a number of high profile sponsorship opportunities available. To discuss these please contact the sales team:
Email – sales@thebusinessdesk.com
Tel – 0113 394 4324
