Reeves to be guest speaer at FD Awards

The Leeds West MP has been described as “shadow chancellor in exile” after choosing not to join the frontbench under party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Ms Reeves is a member of the influential Treasury Select Committee and a former economist at the Bank of England.

She entered Parliament in 2010 replacing former Labour MP John Battle who was retiring.

Having joined the Labour Party aged 16 she went on to graduate from New College at Oxford.

She moved to Leeds in 2006 to work for HBOS before eventually successfully fighting the Leeds West seat, becoming only the second woman in Leeds’s history to hold one of its parliamentary seats.

As well as holding a shadow cabinet brief for five years, Ms Reeves successfully campaigned to save the city’s Bramley Baths and backed the opening of Kirkstall Forge Railway Station, which opened in Leeds this summer.

She is married and has two children.

Ms Reeves said she was delighted to be speaking at the awards and is looking forward to “an inspiring evening” at the FD awards in Leeds on October 20.

She added: “It is usually the chief executives who get all the attention when companies are doing well, but we shouldn’t forget the important role that finance directors play in creating strong and sustainable businesses.

“In these uncertain times, it is essential that we celebrate our business success stories because it shows that Yorkshire is home to a dynamic and enterprising business community.”

She added: “As an economist, I know that we need to rebalance the UK economy and central to this will be investment in infrastructure in the North of England.

“The Government must take advantage of cheap borrowing costs to speed up links between towns and cities in Yorkshire.

“This will help our businesses become more productive and competitive and help to generate the wealth, jobs and prosperity that our country depends on.”

The Yorkshire Finance Director Awards 2016 are hosted by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP, insurance brokerage Lockton Companies LLP, recruitment specialist Sewell Business Group, and law firm Walker Morris.

The Yorkshire Post is media partner for the event.

Terry Jones, Yorkshire lead partner for BDO, described Ms Reeves as one of the pre-eminent economic voices in the Labour Party.

He said: “As champions of the mid-market we look forward to hearing her thoughts and views on these changing political and economic times.”

Matt Davies, partner at Lockton, said: “Rachel is one of the new generation of Labour MPs and after the seismic changes that have occurred in UK politics over the last few weeks, it will be very interesting to get a view ‘from the inside’.”

Cliff Sewell, chief executive at Sewell Business Group, said: “We are thrilled that Rachel will be speaking at the awards this year.

“She will be able to give a real insight into how the Government can support businesses in Yorkshire, especially after recent political events.”

Debbie Jackson, partner at Walker Morris, said: “Rachel is a politician whose strong background in economics and in-house experience at the Bank of England, the British Embassy in Washington DC and a national bank has earned her great respect within the finance community.

“Her political acumen coupled with her financial know-how make her insights on the current uncertainties of the economic and political landscape a tantalising prospect.”

The prestigious awards are open to finance directors working in limited companies, plcs, private equity businesses and the public sector.

The categories are:

Best Finance Director of Ltd company (up to £35m)

Best Finance Director of Ltd company (£35m-plus)

Best Finance Director of a Plc

-Best Finance Director of a Private Equity Company

Young Finance Director of the Year (up to 40 years of age)

Best Finance Director – Public Sector

Outstanding Achievement Award.

To enter or nominate, please visit www.fdawards.co.uk and follow the simple instructions.

The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at The Queens hotel in Leeds on October 20.

For more information on the Yorkshire Finance Director Awards 2016, please contact Hannah Dowley on 0113 242 1200 or hannah.dowley@fdawards.