Cream of region’s FDs honoured
A FINANCE director who was one of the key players in the £945m sale of Sheffield-based Firth Rixson to private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners was honoured last night.
Peter Bland received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Yorkshire Finance Director of the Year Awards 2008, which took place at Rudding Park near Harrogate.
Mr Bland was honoured for his role in helping to complete the deal last year on behalf of Firth Rixson, which has more than 160 years of specialist engineering history and is headquartered in Sheffield, with facilities in the UK, US, Hungary and China.
Other winners last night were:
– Best Finance Director of a Plc: Sean Christie, of Croda International, based near Goole in East Yorkshire,
– Best Finance Director of a Ltd Company: Mark Phillips, of Zenith Vehicle Contracts, based in Calverley, Leeds,
– Best Finance Director of an SME (up to £15m turnover): Stephen Mitchell, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
– Young Finance Director of the Year (up to 40 years of age): David Sadler, of Grontmij in Leeds.
The winners were presented with their awards by Andy Bond, president and chief executive of Leeds-based Asda.
Mr Bond said, “Last night the cream of Yorkshire’s FDs were rewarded for the part they’ve played in the success stories of their respective businesses.
The room was buzzing with a lot of talented individuals who are just a fraction of the financial expertise that exists in the region.”
The event, now in its seventh year, is sponsored by Barclays Commercial Bank, Ernst & Young, Sewell Moorhouse and Hammonds.
