Shortlist revealed for 2023 Northern Leadership Awards

2022 Northern Leadership Award winners

More than 50 of the North’s outstanding leaders have been recognised by being included on the shortlist for the 2023 Northern Leadership Awards.

The awards are organised by TheBusinessDesk.com and are now in their fourth year. They were created to celebrate inspirational leaders and role models, and to recognise the traits and achievements of modern leaders.

The shortlist of 56 names includes 29 men and 27 women from companies and organisations across the North.

The Northern Leadership Awards are sponsored by CMS, Quarterdeck, Be The Business, Gilbanks, Unbranded Manchester, Vigilance, and Virtual NonExecs.

Alex Turner, joint managing director of TheBusinessDesk.com, said: “Being a leader in a business has been even more demanding than usual in the last couple of years and this has put a greater focus on the qualities of the best leaders.

“The judges were delighted and enthused by the quality of entries – and only disappointed by not being able to shortlist some really good leaders who just missed out.”

The winners of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, on Thursday, March 30. Tickets for the event are available here.

The judging panel consisted of 2019 overall winner Taryn Edge; David Bond, CEO of Sheffield Forgemasters and 2022’s overall winner; Sir Roger Marsh, chair of the NP11; Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of Bradford City of Culture 2025; Janine Smith, director of the GC Business Growth Hub in Manchester; CMS partners Ben Hendry and Eleanor Merritt; Laura Bouttell, managing director of Quarterdeck; Alex Turner, joint managing director of TheBusinessDesk.com; and Andrew Staples, Yorkshire editor of TheBusinessDesk.com.

 

The 2023 Northern Leadership awards shortlist is:

Young Leader (aged 35 and under)
George Boardman Lee – Touchstone Glazing Solutions
Hayley Brightmore Cox – Knight Transaction Services
Jess Helliar – Bongo’s Bingo
Simon Mitchell – Bear Metals
James Wood – Irish Freight Solutions

Public and Third Sector Leader
Adrian Green – Unity Enterprise
Melinda Johnson – Department of Health & Social Care
Rosemarie Whittington – Me2u Centre
Normandie Wragg – Nugent

Mentor
Peter Acton and David Seddon – Old Boltonians Association
Arif Ahmad, Pervinder Kaur, Steve Blacker – Stronger Together Leeds City Region
Paula Grizzard – She Business
Alistair Henderson – Identity Consult
Sarina Issap – AMS Accountants Group & Signature Group

Emerging Entrepreneur Leader
Hayley Brightmore Cox – Knight Transaction Services
Thomas Bray – MPCC UK
Sophie Conboy – Connect Yorkshire
Gillian Lockley – Topspeed Couriers
Hannah Wynick – Core Financial Paraplanning

Diversity & Inclusion Leader
Lee Chambers – Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing
Joanne Conway – EY
Phil Harris – Leeds and District Basketball League
Jodie Hill – Thrive Law
Nasreen Karim – Platinum Partnership Solicitors
Poonam Kaur – fds Director Services

Professional Services Leader
Debra Cooper – Shoosmiths
Graham Gordon – MHA Moore and Smalley
Peter Jackson – Hill Dickinson
Poonam Kaur – fds Director Services Limited
Claire McLean – Realise HR

Transformational Leader
Will Beer – Tunley Engineering
Rob Burgin – CorrBoard
Nicky Chance-Thompson – The Piece Hall Trust
Matt Hemmings – Openreach
Adrian Kneeshaw – Carlton Bolling Trust

Green Leader
Rebecca Armstrong – Mersey Eco Grants (MEG)
Austin Barcley – The Improveasy Group
Will Beer – Tunley Engineering
Oliver Groarke – b-gen
Ryan Johns – Marketing Manchester

Company Leader (up to 100 employees)
Adam Bradley – Corrosion Resistant Materials
Rob Burgin – CorrBoard
Dawn Carney – Fresh Pastures and School Milk UK
Mark Doherty – Identity Consult
Jonathan Gilbert – Defib Machines
Simmy Sekhon – Sekhon Group
Claire Sofield – Four Recruitment

Company Leader (100+ employees)
Gary Gallen – rradar
Claire Grasby – Party Delights
Dr Natalie Kenny – BioGrad
Paul Teasdale – Premier Technical Services Group

Greater Manchester City Region Leader
Austin Barcley – The Improveasy Group
Lee Chambers – Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing
Donald Moore – One+All

Leeds City Region Leader
Arif Ahmad, Pervinder Kaur, Steve Blacker – Stronger Together Leeds City Region
Phil Harris – Leeds and District Basketball League
Poonam Kaur – fds Director Services Limited

Liverpool City Region Leader
Prof Janet Hemingway – Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON)
Sean Keyes – Sutcliffe
Normandie Wragg – Nugent

Sheffield City Region Leader
Adam Bradley – Corrosion Resistant Materials
Louisa Harrison-Walker – Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
Jules Shiel-Boulger & Toria Chan – STEPS Rehabilitation

Leader of the Year
To be announced on the night.

Close