Enterprising Britain 2009: Judging panel biographies
Sue Brownson OBE
Sue Brownson is currently Managing Director of the family business, Blue Bell BMW, in Cheshire. She runs six sites for both BMW and MINI. Sue is also Vice Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, Director of the Motor Sports Association and Director of Cheshire Employer & Skills Development Ltd. Sue was on the Small Business Council for five years and has been a judge for Enterprising Britain since the competition’s inception. Sue was also President of the Retail Motor Federation, Franchise Dealer Association and the Institute of Motor Industry.
Polly Gowers
Polly Gowers is a charity visionary, Internet entrepreneur and award-winning businesswoman. As founder and CEO of Everyclick.com, the search engine that has raised over £425,000 for charity, Polly is at the forefront of a new wave of social enterprises. Polly was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Women in Ethical Business Awards 2007 and recently won the Blackberry Women in Technology Award for Small to Medium Business.
Maurice Helfgott
Maurice Helfgott is the Founder Director of Amery Capital Limited (www.amerycap.co.uk). Amery Capital was founded in November 2004 with the backing of legendary retail entrepreneurs, Michael and Maurice Bennett, with a focus on investment and advisory activities in retail and consumer related business. As well as being a Director of Long Tall Sally and Kookai, Maurice is Chairman of Retail Profile (Europe) Limited. Oliver Sweeney joined Amery Capital’s growing family of investments in June 2009. Maurice also is a non-executive director of Americana International (owner of international street brand BENCH). Prior to founding Amery Capital, Maurice was an Executive Director on the main Board of Marks and Spencer plc, holding a variety of roles over a 16 year career. He holds an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.
Iqbal Wahhab
Iqbal set up his own PR firm in 1991 specialising in food, drink and restaurants and in 1994 launched Tandoori Magazine. He launched the multi award winning Cinnamon Club in 2001 - a restaurant and bar aimed to change the way we view Indian dining. In 2003 he co-authored The Cinnamon Club Cookbook and in 2005 opened Roast, a restaurant and bar in Borough Market. In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration by the University of East London. Iqbal works closely with The Prince’s Trust, educating children from under-privileged schools and he is also chair of the Government’s Ethnic Minority Advisory Group. He is Patron of Concern Worldwide, Ambassador for Rivington Place, Advisor for The Delfina Foundation and Board Member of The Prince’s Mosaic, Race for Opportunity – Business in the Community, Bright Ideas Trust, Business Leaders Advisory Group (London Development Agency). Iqbal was voted Businessman of the Year 2008 by The Drinks Business, Restaurant Personality of the Year by Menu Magazine, and one of the Top 10 Restaurateurs in Britain in an Independent on Sunday survey.
Caroline Marsh
Caroline Marsh is one of Britain’s leading female property investors. In autumn 2008 Caroline was catapulted into the media spotlight, when she was featured on prime-time Channel 4 television as a philanthropic ‘Secret Millionaire’.
Her own journey towards financial freedom was kick-started by Steve Bolton, a multi-millionaire property investor and serial entrepreneur. Within six months, Caroline was given a privileged invitation to join Platinum Property Partners, an exclusive franchise community of successful property investors, entrepreneurs and some of the best professional advisors in the UK.
Nick Taylor
Born and educated in Bolton, Nick went away to sea for two years before returning to study Hotel Management at Sheffield Polytechnic – now Sheffield Hallam University. After twenty years managing a wide range of hotels around the country, Nick switched career to take on the role of Scarborough’s Renaissance Manager. The job involves engaging the community in public participation, then linking them with the local council and Regional Development Agency to deliver projects around the town to improve the economic viability of the place. Scarborough Renaissance Partnership has been successful in such levels of engagement and participation as well as producing results that Scarborough won Enterprising Britain in 2008 and was named the most enterprising place in Europe at the European Enterprise Awards in Prague in May 2009.
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