The Institute of Directors Scotland annual awards ceremony has honoured third sector directors
Tom Halpin, of Sacro, Celine Sinclair, of The Yard, and Martin Armstrong, of the Wheatley Group, have been named amongst Scotland’s top directors.
Halpin picked up the Third Sector Director of the Year award at the Institute of Directors Scotland awards, while Sinclair was named the best director of a small business, and Armstrong won best director of a large business.
The annual awards celebrate the best leaders across Scottish business, and the third sector is becoming increasingly prominent within them.
This is the first year, however, that a third sector director has won the top award for either a small, medium or large business.
Raymond O'Hare, chair of the judging panel, said: “Martin Armstrong’s long-term leadership of Wheatley has seen a radical transformation in the financial health of the company and the contribution it has made to Scotland.”
Of the small business award winner, he said: “Reaching more people is a huge objective for The Yard and Celine Sinclair is delivering this. Terrific performance across the board. She is a director who will go far and is an example to others.”
Halpin said he was delighted and proud to have won the award. "The calibre of all the nominations was indeed inspiring and again demonstrated the quality and strength of leadership in our third sector," he said.
"Importantly I also wish to pay tribute to everyone working in the third sector whose support and dedication directors like myself rely upon."
Sinclair added: “I am thrilled to have the work of The Yard recognised at this year’s IoD Scotland Awards. It is a great reflection of the hard work of our exceptional team, who make a difference for children and families in Scotland every day.”
Helen Sykes, chief executive of social enterprise Helm Training Limited was also a winner at the ceremony, held in the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow, picking up the Tayside Regional Director of the Year.
The Scottish award winners will progress to the prestigious UK Director of the Year Awards, which take place in London, in October.
David Watt, executive director of the Institute of Directors in Scotland, said: “These awards allow us to celebrate the immensely diverse landscape of businesses across Scotland, and the women and men who lead them.
"Strong leadership remains a constant driver of performance amid overwhelming change inflicted by external forces such as economic and political uncertainty.”
