Saluting contribution of non executive directors

Apr 18 2008 by Andrew Hebden, The Journal

FOR the last 25 years, the cream of the North East’s business talent has been recognised at our prestigious Business Executive of the Year awards.

Now, as we prepare to celebrate this landmark anniversary, we are launching a new category to mark the occasion.

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 will be announced at the Business Executive of the Year Awards 2008 at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park, on Thursday, October 30.

Our new award is to be judged by a panel of representatives from our sponsors, who are: Muckle LLP, North East Chamber of Commerce, CBI, the Alchemists, Barclays, North Star Equity Investors, UBS Wealth Management, Newcastle University, Baker Tilly and Miller UK.

Andrew Davison, partner at law firm Muckle LLP, said the new award was designed to promote the important role that non executive directors can play in companies of all sizes, as well as charities and public sector organisations.

He said: “Having the right non executive director on the board can bring a wide range of benefits, including access to invaluable experience and specialist knowledge.

“A good non executive director can also help those running the company to take a step back from the day-to-day activity of managing the business and help them have a fresh look at the longer term plan. We are not just looking for nominations from plcs or large businesses. The role played by non executives can be beneficial to all kinds of companies and organisations.”

He said 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.

We will shortly be launching the annual Business Executive of the Year Awards in the pages of both The Journal and the Evening Gazette. As usual, we will be looking for the top business executive of the year for three sub-regions across the North East. These are: Durham and Wearside (sponsored by Knight Frank); Tees Valley (sponsored by University of Teesside Business School); and Tyneside and Northumberland (sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland).

The overall North East Business Executive of the Year (sponsored by Dickinson Dees LLP) will be selected from the winners of these three categories.

We will also once again be celebrating the contribution made by an individual to the business community in the North East through our Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers).

And a rising star of the region’s business community will be named our Young Business Person of the Year (sponsored by Newcastle University Business School).

We will be seeking nominations for all of the awards through a form available in the nebusiness pages of The Journal and the Evening Gazette, and online at www.nebusiness.co.uk

The business editors of both titles will also be using their vast knowledge of the region’s business community to suggest nominees.