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The IoD Jersey Director of the Year Awards are open for nominations to celebrate the Island’s most inspiring and successful leaders. In the third in a series of articles looking at the categories, Natasha Egré, chair of IoD Jersey, looks forward to celebrating the achievements of our young directors, while also recognising the experience of those who serve as non-executive directors
AT IoD Jersey, we do not just aim to support those who are already established directors: we are also thinking about the future.
I particularly look forward to seeing the shortlist for the Young Director of the Year Award because it represents enthusiasm, aspiration and a positive tomorrow. The award recognises up-and-coming leaders who have demonstrated excellent entrepreneurial potential, ability, ambition, creativity and vision in new or established businesses and who have operated at director level for less than three years.
It is a critical balance between someone who is a calculated risk taker and innovator and, at the same time, recognises the importance of good corporate governance.
It is these young directors who are our leaders of the future and that is why an award like this is so critical in giving them confidence by being appreciated and valued for what they have achieved so far.
Last year Nathan Nicholls, of Switch Digital, was named Young Director of the Year. Nathan has already proved himself as a valuable member of the Switch Digital team, and we look forward to seeing how he grows in his role. Encouraging young directors is extremely rewarding and it is why many of our members enjoy mentoring.
Non-executive directors, or NEDs, are most often those directors who can bring not only independent oversight to an organisation but also skills and experience which can be invaluable to the executive directors. The most important qualities are judgment, wisdom and the ability to gain respect, and therefore action, from the boards they assist. A good NED should be able to constructively challenge, as well as support, an organisation.
The Non-Executive Director of the Year Award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the organisation’s strategy, impacted on the financial success of the company, demonstrated high ethical standards and promoted the practice of good corporate governance.
In 2022, Alan Merry, a NED at Jersey Post, won the award. He said it had been a great feeling to be nominated.
‘For someone to value what you do in this way is quite humbling,’ he explained. ‘For me, as a NED, it was more about what the Jersey Post team had achieved rather than just being about my contribution. It gives a sense of pride, both personally and for the business as a whole.’
Once someone has been nominated for an award category, they will need to complete the application form. This is the nominee’s opportunity to showcase the achievements that their nominator has highlighted.
Alan Merry has this advice: ‘The application process is quite comprehensive and you quickly realise that those who have nominated you have done their bit and it’s now up to you. It is worthwhile going through the process but you have to sit back, reflect and take the time to do it justice – you can’t rush it.
‘As a NED, you need to think carefully about how you have influenced the direction and successes of the organisation, as it is rarely you that has “done the work”. This may sound a bit obvious, but it is a bit harder than you may think. I would suggest that asking for input from your fellow NEDs will be useful.’
Every year, we are delighted to see how much being nominated for an award means to the leaders of our organisations. It is easy for us all to focus on the day-to-day responsibilities and challenges, and not celebrate our achievements, or those of others. Just the application process itself is an excellent opportunity to stand back and review your achievements and those of your team. I urge you to think about who has made a difference in your organisation and to encourage their continued growth by nominating them in one or more of our ten categories.
The ten award categories are:
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Director of the Year – Large Business (over £10 million turnover).
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Director of the Year – SME Business (under £10 million turnover).
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Family Business Director of the Year.
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Start-up Director of the Year.
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Third Sector Director of the Year.
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Public Sector Director of the Year.
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Young Director of the Year.
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Director of the Year – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
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Director of the Year – Sustainability.
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Non-Executive Director of the Year.
Nominations close on Friday 30 June. It only takes two minutes to nominate someone online and nominations can remain anonymous if you choose. To nominate someone for an award visit bit.ly/41IGjzI or iod.je/dotya.
The portal for nominees to submit their completed applications is also open at directoroftheyear.awardsplatform.com.
The gala awards dinner will take place on Thursday 19 October at the Royal Jersey Showground. You can get your tickets from eventbrite.co.uk/e/director-of-the-year-awards-2023-tickets-559402878067.
