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”.
Another North West winner at the event which took place in London, was Toby McCartney, CEO of Cumbrian-based MacRebur. Collecting the prize for best Start-up Director, 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.
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.”
