IOD SCOTLAND has revealed the winners of its 2023 Director of the Year Awards during a ceremony hosted by Stephen Jardine last night at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).
One third of the evening’s 12 category awards were won by directors from the North East and Highlands, with Stuart Black, Chief Executive at Highlands and Islands Enterprise also winning the H&I regional director of the year title and Bob Keiller, Non-Executive Chair at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce taking home the Aberdeen Regional Director of the Year Award.
The annual awards, sponsored by Turcan Connell, Zero Waste Scotland, Wheatley Group, SCVO, Scottish Government, Insights, Prosperity, and transACT Technology Solutions, were a celebration of directors who have gone above and beyond to navigate and support their organisations through a fast moving and challenging 12 months.
The ceremony also saw Theresa Shearer FRSE, CEO at Enable, awarded the Director of the Year 2023 Chair’s award for her life-long commitment to leadership pushing for human rights-driven public services securing significant policy change in Scotland and internationally.
The winners from the region who took home awards in Director categories include:
- Bob Keiller, Non-Exec Chair at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, was named Director of the Year 2023 for the Non-Executive category, as well as Regional Director for Aberdeen. Judges were particularly impressed by his ability to use practical board-level skills to lead strategic work and implement change. Examples of this practice include using a strategic review to deliver clarification on the Chamber’s purpose, direction, and longer-term targets, shifting it from a culture of “can we survive?” to “we can grow.”
- Stuart Black, CEO at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), clinched the award for Director of the Year 2023 for Public Sector, as well as Regional Director in the Highlands and Islands. Judges said Stuart’s long-term commitment to HIE was a particularly powerful factor underpinning his leadership and connection to staff. Having first joined HIE in 1996 as Head of Economics, he left after 12 years to gather further experience in the region, before returning in 2020 shortly before being appointed Chief Executive. Judges commented Stuart’s ‘boomerang’ journey brought the requisite skills back into HIE, allowing him to develop and deliver a clear vision for HIE, making it an exemplary regional development agency.
- Michael Golding, CEO at Visit Inverness Loch Ness, won the Director of the Year 2023 award for Sustainability, and impressed the judges with his ‘spectacular achievement’ in the face of the headwinds of Brexit and Covid-19, blazing a path towards sustainable tourism. From his first board meeting in 2019, Michael has identified sustainability as a key goal and made it a specific item on the board agenda ever since. He has created a company culture where staff are aware of the impact of their choices, and through measurement and management, saw Inverness become the first carbon-neutral Business Improvement District in the UK, which is today regarded as a global leader in the field.
- Neale Bisset, Co-chairman at PMC Property Management & Lettings, was crowned as the Young Director of the Year 2023. The judges held Neale as an example of a young Director with drive and vision, as well as the demonstration to implement and make tough decisions. He took charge of the organisation following the death of the owner and immediately faced challenges including Covid-19, which he responded to by re-evaluating the company structure and direction. This resulted in the past two years having seen the biggest period of growth by far in the company’s history and a corresponding increase in profitability.
Catherine McWilliam, Nations Director at the Institute of Directors Scotland, said: “It has been a real privilege tonight to celebrate the leaders who are examples of the very best from Scotland’s boardrooms.
“Over the last few years, the Scottish business landscape has been tumultuous to say the least, and while we hope to see some stability ahead, there will always be challenges to face. An authentic, driven and focused leader is vital in navigating an organisation through difficult times, as well as motivating staff and driving strategic decisions.
“Our Director of the Year Awards are a fantastic way to recognise those who have demonstrated these attributes, and I hope this year’s winners offer inspiration and a source of pride for the business community across Scotland.”
