ASDA CEO applauds Yorkshire’s top finance directors

The event, now in its seventh year, is the leading competition of its kind in Yorkshire and is sponsored by Sewell Moorhouse, Barclays Commercial Bank, Ernst & Young and Hammonds LLP.

This year’s winners were presented with their awards by Andy Bond, Chief Executive of ASDA, who is credited with the recent upturn in the supermarket chain’s fortunes.

Amongst the winners was Peter Bland of Sheffield-based Firth Rixson Limited who was presented with the evening’s outstanding achievement award. Bland was commended for his energy and drive in leading the firm’s negotiations when it was acquired in December 2007 by leading US based private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners in a deal valued at £945m. The firm has over 160 years of specialist engineering history and is headquartered in Sheffield, with facilities in the UK, US, Hungary and China.

Other 2008 winners are:

• Best Finance Director of a Plc – Sean Christie, Croda International Plc, based near Goole in East Yorkshire
  
• Best Finance Director of a Ltd Company - Mark Phillips, Zenith Vehicle Contracts Ltd based in Calverley
• 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, Grontmij Limited based in Leeds

Andy 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.”