Show of strength from sectors in Director of the Year Awards

The sectors feature strongly among the potential winners selected by the judges from the nominees.

Sheffield Forgemasters is represented by Gareth Barker who at 30 was the youngest director the company had appointed, while Jo Haigh, a partner at Corporate Finance Services, has helped more than 500 chief executives manage their businesses better.

Doug Baird, the founder and managing director of Harrogate-based Interim Partners, which provides senior interim managers in the private sector, is also on the list.

Another name on the shortlist is Chris Hopkins, managing director and co-founder of roofing and building maintenance company Ploughcroft in Brighouse, who has made strides in renewable energy in recent years with solar panels.

John Thompson, regional director of the IoD, said: “The range of industries represented demonstrates just why Yorkshire has weathered the recent economic storm better than many other regions and why it is now fitter and stronger to grasp the many opportunities that are being presented.

“Men and woman from all areas of the region have been selected demonstrating just how robust industry and the IoD membership in Yorkshire really are.”

Other candidates include: Hayley Erner, of High Flyers Business Coaching in Harrogate; James Lambert, of R & R Ice Cream in Northallerton; Julian Martin, of Ice Renewables in Little Holtby, North Yorkshire; Peter Roberts, of Pure Gym in Ripon; Neil Warman, of HML in Skipton; James Hinchcliffe, of Voice Marketing in Sheffield; Ken Brook Crispin, of Seabrook Crisps in Bradford; and Lawrence Tomlinson, of LNT Group in Garforth, West Yorkshire.

The winners will be announced at Aspire in Leeds on September 8.