Toby McCartney, CEO of Cumbrian-based MacRebur has collected the prize for best Start-up Director at the national Institute of Directors (IoD), Director of the Year awards. McCartney, whose company has devised a way to use recycled plastic instead of oil to repair roads with a reduced carbon footprint, was awarded the national title. The start-up has raised over a million pounds in funding from 1200 investors, and has constructed roads across the UK and abroad.
Another North West winner at the event which took place in London, was The University of Manchester’s Dr Julian Skyrme has won the national Institute of Directors (IoD) award for Corporate Social Responsibility, at its 2018 Director of the Year awards. With Skyrme as Director for Social Responsibility, the University has led a skills initiative to help over three thousand local unemployed people find work. One judge commented that Skyrme’s work amounted to a “compelling story of impact at scale and with thoughtful strategic purpose”.
Stephen Martin, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said: “My congratulations go to all of our winning directors for the exceptional work they have put in over the year, contributing not just to the economy, but to society as well. Whether it be in private enterprise, charity, or the public sector, great leadership is immensely valuable, and our award-winners have set the bar in this regard, and well deserve to be recognised.
“An attribute shared among many of this year’s winners is the ability to harness emerging technologies, often for wider social purposes. The essence of business leadership lies in grappling with new ideas and understanding how these can fuel the success of your organisation, and our award winners set a great example.”
Full list of winners
Category Winner
- New: Daniel O’Toole, Chief Executive Officer, Retail Merchandising Services
- Family Business: Naveen Ahmed, Managing Director, The Parklane Group
- Innovation: Denis Lynn, Chairman, Lynn’s Country Foods – Finnebrogue Artisan
- Global: Danny Brooks, Managing Director, VHR
- Public & Third Sector: Simon Pirotte, CEO and Principal, Bridgend College
- Chartered Director: Tamara Sakovska, Non-Executive Director, JP Morgan Russian Securities
- SME: Simon Erlanger, Managing Director, Isle of Harris Distillery
- Student: Siti Aishah Mohd Selamat, PhD Researcher, DataDenizens.com
- Inclusivity: Gary Thompson, Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service
- Start-Up: Toby McCartney, CEO, MacRebur Limited
- Non-Exec: Jeremy Brettell, Non-Executive Director, Guarantee Protection Insurance Ltd, Anderson Strathern Asset Management Ltd, Transact, Airdrie Savings Bank, Wesleyan Bank Ltd
- CSR: Dr Julian Skyrme, Director of Social Responsibility, The University of Manchester,Dr. Neville Bain Memorial Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice, Dr Andy Palmer, President and CEO, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd
