Searching for a star

Aug 5 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

THE search is on to find the stars of the North-east business world in our prestigious North-East Business Executive of the Year Awards 2008. Three finalists from each of the sub-regions, including Tees Valley, go forward to the final in November. Here we track another successful year for one of our past winners...

SUCCESS in the 2007 North East Business Executive of the Year awards, organised by the Evening Gazette and its sister title on Tyneside, The Journal, signalled the start of a spectacular year for Owen McFarlane.

The chief executive of aerospace firm CAV, the Consett company he founded in 1990, says the firm is on track to almost double turnover from £35m to £68m - and he intends employing extra staff on top of the 100 new posts created in 2007.

McFarlane’s business is part of the booming North-east aerospace sector, which, despite turbulence in the leisure sector, has landed significant contracts in both military and civil aviation over the past 12 months.

CAV, which now has more than 400 staff, makes aircraft parts, including wing components for Airbus and ice protection systems for business jets, military and smaller aircraft.

Mr McFarlane won the ‘top exec’ award in the Durham and Wearside final - the others being Tyneside and Northumberland and Tees Valley. The winner of the overall title of North East Business Executive of the Year 2008 will be picked from these three.

It is 25 years since the awards were launched and to mark a quarter century of success we are launching a new category.

The inaugural North East Non-executive Director of the Year Award aims to recognise the key contribution that non-executive directors play in businesses across the North-east.

The winner of the inaugural award would be someone who had made a significant difference to their organisation, or who had, perhaps, helped overcome a major issue or problem. In any event, their contribution would be clearly recognised by the chairman or managing director of the organisation concerned.

There is also a lifetime achievement award and another trophy for the North East Young Business Person of the Year.

The accolades have attracted the backing of major sponsors, including Dickinson Dees, CBI, Miller, Baker Tilly, North Star, Newcastle University, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, University of Teesside Business School, University of Newcastle Business School, Knight Frank and PricewaterhouseCoopers

The winners will be announced at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park, on Thursday, October 30.

To book a table, or for further information, log on to www.nebusiness.co.uk/businessexec. Alternatively contact Kirsty Tam on 0191-201 6072 or email kirsty.tam@ncjmedia.co.uk