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24 April 2009

At a time when strong leadership and management is more important than ever, the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Awards for Excellence 2009 today recognise eight outstanding individuals who have shown the skills and qualities necessary to deliver in these turbulent economic times.

The awards officially celebrate the achievements of practising managers, employers, training providers and learners who have accomplished outstanding results through innovative approaches to leadership and management.

The winners received their awards today (24 April) at a special event held at Wembley Stadium, London, announced by ILM Chief Executive Penny de Valk.

The awards were presented by Kim Winser, President and Chief Executive Officer of British luxury fashion brand Aquascutum, who also spoke during the ceremony about her vision of successful management, particularly in the current economic climate.

Maksat Kabiyev, Occupational Health and Hygiene Section Head at a Kazakhstani petroleum company, was named ILM Learner of the Year. Maksat’s native tongue is Russian, and he completed his ILM training through the use of an interpreter.

Maksat won the overall prize for his absolute commitment to professional and personal development. Judges were impressed by the speed with which he gained a detailed understanding of the mechanics of his organisation, before making changes that resulted in major improvements to risk control, planning, performance monitoring and financial management.

Lt Commander John Scivier was named ILM Achiever of the Year. John, from Gosport, previously worked as the commanding officer of HMS Victory and was instrumental in maintaining the reputation and global standing of Admiral Nelson's ship as a popular visitor attraction.

In September 2008 John took on the role of Senior Air Traffic Controller to Flag Officer Sea Training, with responsibility for air traffic control services for military and civilian aircraft within a large geographic area. The transition into an operational role following his time as Commanding Officer of HMS Victory required him to acquire highly specialised knowledge and skills within a very short space of time – a major achievement given that he undertook this substantial learning and development commitment while still in his previous role.

Kim Winser said: "In uncertain times, strong leaders and competent managers are more important than ever. My leadership style is very much driven by being 'a people person' and I put a huge amount of energy and time into building the right team. The winners' achievements prove that such investment in leadership and management development can reap huge personal and business benefits, whatever your field. Congratulations to all the ILM Award winners."
 
Penny de Valk, Chief Executive of ILM, said: "This week ILM published new research which found that people skills are still fundamental for managers in times of recession. They must have: a strong, purposeful approach; an ability to adapt quickly and develop innovative and effective solutions to problems; and a positive outlook.
"The winners have demonstrated how valuable investment in training can be in building these vital qualities. Their skills and characteristics will help them and, as a consequence, their organisations, to survive the downturn and emerge stronger."

The other ILM award winners for 2009 are:

Hannah Reynolds (Learner of the Year – England)
Hannah is the managing director of a successful marketing SME and has already won the Coventry Telegraph Young Business Person of the Year award. She came to ILM when she was forced to rebuild her business from scratch following personal upheaval. Since beginning the course she has quickly grown her business from sole trader to employing a workforce of ten.

Ruth Wildgoose (Highly Commended)
Ruth is a procurement officer who has created a highly impressive return on investment (ROI) for her training with efficiency savings of £700k in her organisation, Derby Corporate College.

David Webb (Highly Commended)
Having worked in production at a Cadbury’s factory near Bristol, David was due to be made redundant following the announcement of the site's impending closure last year. Despite this hurdle, David successfully completed his training as site improvement champion, and has gone on to become a successful trainer in his own right, specialising in manufacturing efficiency.

Sally McIntyre (Learner of the Year – Wales)
Sally works as a development officer for Voluntary Action in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.  Judges were impressed by the good work she has done for her local area, where she secured over £250,000 of funding for her organisation.

Derek Martin (Learner of the Year – Scotland)
Derek, from Glasgow, completed the ILM Level 3 Award in first line management and was extremely proactive in applying his learning back to the workplace, meaning that he is now leading his production team much more effectively.

Peter Mackel (Learner of the Year – Northern Ireland)
Peter, from Antrim, works for Schrader electronics and his project in Germany has resulted in a host of benefits for the company, bringing a clear ROI for his employer by enabling him to encourage a better understanding between customers, sales managers and engineers.

ENDS

For further information please contact Rebecca Griffiths or Ellie Backhouse at Colman Getty on 020 7631 2666. rebeccagriffiths@colmangetty.co.uk / ellie@colmangetty.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

• The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) is Europe’s leading management organisation. ILM partners with more than 90,000 individuals and organisations each year to help them fulfil their potential and achieve success through its wide range of flexible leadership and management development solutions.

From industry-leading qualifications and membership services to specialist learning resources, all ILM products and services are built on in-depth research and benchmarked against best practice standards. Supporting a fast-growing community of over 30,000 practising leaders and managers, ILM’s membership services are designed to provide ongoing continuing professional development throughout every stage of a manager’s career.

Backed by an in-depth programme of thought leadership research, ILM operates internationally, improving leadership and management skills, knowledge and outputs across all sectors, from corporate finance to the armed forces.

Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) http://www.i-l-m.com/

• To download ILM’s latest research Delivering in a Downturn, visit the new interactive website where you can listen to audio highlights from the launch event, read in-depth interviews with CEOs and join the debate in an online discussion forum. Please go to  www.i-l-m.com/research-and-comment/5260.aspx

The research, based on in-depth interviews with over 50 CEOs from small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), reveals the critical characteristics, skills and knowledge that today's managers need in order to help their organisations survive the recession.