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Midlands Finance Awards 2025 Shortlist
Congratulations to all shortlisted individuals and businesses for the 2025 Midlands Finance Awards! The 2025 shortlist is a reflection of the outstanding achievements and dedication of finance professionals and businesses across the Midlands region. If you were not shortlisted for the awards this should not deter you from entering again in 2026.
Thank you to the judges that have taken the time to be involved in this years meetings:
- Guest judges
- ACCA
- RSM
- Mills & Reeve
- Robert Walters
FINANCE DIRECTOR/CFO OF THE YEAR (OVER £100M TURNOVER)
Awarded to a Finance Director/CFO with a demonstrable legacy of delivery in financial performance, leadership and management. The winner will have clearly provided examples of where their strategic direction has positively impacted both their team and company.
- MARK COUPLAND
Lloyds Clinical Limited
- SARA HANSON
LKQ UK & Ireland
- NICHOLA BRAMLEY
Wabtec UK Ltd
- NICKY THOMAS
Wolseley
- SAM SHERWIN
BNP Paribas Personal Finance
FINANCE DIRECTOR/CFO OF THE YEAR (UP TO £100M TURNOVER)
Awarded to a Finance Director/CFO with a demonstrable legacy of delivery in financial performance, leadership and management. The winner will have clearly provided examples of where their strategic direction has positively impacted both their team and company.
- OMAR BAHAR
Spiro
- RACHEL FORTUNE-HOUGH
DRPG
- MARK JONES
Cambridge & Counties Bank
- CRAIG DEACON
Previsico
- JOE HYLAND
Attraction World Group
FINANCE DIRECTOR/CFO OF THE YEAR (NOT-FOR-PROFIT)
Awarded to a Finance Director/CFO from a not-for-profit organisation with a demonstrable legacy of delivery in financial performance, leadership and management. The winner will have clearly provided examples of where their strategic direction has positively impacted both their team and company.
- ZOE ROSSI-O'CALLAGHAN
St Basils
- OSMAN SADIQUE
Reliance Social Housing CIC
- TONY HOLMES
Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board
HEAD OF/FINANCIAL CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR (OVER £100M TURNOVER)
Awarded to a Head of/Financial Controller with a demonstrable legacy of delivery in financial performance, leadership, management and development. They will have provided examples of strengthening financial control and processes across the organisation, driving continuous improvement and developing a team.
- RICHARD FELDHAHN
BrandSafway
- TOM KAVANAGH
Cyncly
- ALISON LAWRENCE
Wolseley
- PHILIP GORMLEY
Headlam Group Plc
- KELSEY MASTERS
Wolseley
- MITCHELL GREALEY
Freightliner Group
- TEJINDER MALHI
Aston University
- GURPAL SINGH RAI
Aston University
- VIJAY SINGH
Fashion UK
HEAD OF/FINANCIAL CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR (UP TO £100M TURNOVER)
Awarded to a Head of/Financial Controller with a demonstrable legacy of delivery in financial performance, leadership, management and development. They will have provided examples of strengthening financial control and processes across the organisation, driving continuous improvement and developing a team.
- PHIL WALTON
Rem3dy Health Ltd
- HOLLIE LOWNDES
Aubrey Allen
- LUCY FENTON
Stuart Turner Limited
- LARA PARKINSON
Arvato SCM UK Limited
- COLIN TURNER
Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board
FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (20 PEOPLE OR LESS)
Sponsored By Reliance Social Housing CIC
The Finance Team of the year will have demonstrated excellence in their field, with proven examples of collective successes within the last 12 months. The winning team may have positively impacted the wider business through outstanding achievements in the delivery of projects and encompass an infectious team spirit.
- BRIDGE CHEESE LTD
- J&J GLOBAL FULFILMENT
- KELVION
- PREVISICO
- LANGDALE CARE HOMES
- LGPS CENTRAL LIMITED
- WABTEC UK LTD
- M6TOLL
FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 20 PEOPLE)
Sponsored by Cambridge & Counties Bank
The Finance Team of the year will have demonstrated excellence in their field, with proven examples of collective successes within the last 12 months. The winning team may have positively impacted the wider business through outstanding achievements in the delivery of projects and encompass an infectious team spirit.
- LLOYDS CLINICAL LIMITED
- WOLSELEY
- FASHION UK
- WORCESTER BOSCH
- XPO LOGISTICS
- BNP PARIBAS PERSONAL FINANCE
FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (NOT-FOR-PROFIT)
The Finance Team of the year will be from a not-for-profit organisation and demonstrate excellence in their field, with proven examples of collective successes within the last 12 months. The winning team may have positively impacted the wider company through outstanding achievements in the delivery of projects and encompass an infectious team spirit.
- RELIANCE SOCIAL HOUSING CIC
- AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
- ASTON UNIVERSITY
- WALSALL HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST
FINANCE TRANSFORMATION & CHANGE
The Finance Transformation & Change award will be presented to a team that has demonstrated the successful delivery and/or implementation of activities leading to the improvement or growth of its organisation. This may have been demonstrated through a range of activities with examples including (though not limited to) transformation projects, system upgrades, development of people and their careers and process re-engineering.
- FREIGHTLINER GROUP
- CYNCLY FINANCE TEAM
- WOLSELEY
- MINDERA
- M6TOLL
- NATIONAL EXPRESS
- HEADLAM GROUP PLC
- XPO LOGISTICS
FINANCE TRANSFORMATION & CHANGE (NOT-FOR-PROFIT)
The Finance Transformation & Change award will be presented to a not-for-profit team that has demonstrated the successful delivery and/or implementation of activities leading to the improvement or growth of its organisation. This may have been demonstrated through a range of activities with examples including (though not limited to) transformation projects, system upgrades, development of people and their careers and process re-engineering.
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM FINANCE
- RELIANCE SOCIAL HOUSING CIC
- MIDLAND MENCAP
- ASTON UNIVERSITY
- LGPS CENTRAL LIMITED
TRANSACTIONAL FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR
This award will go to a Midlands based Transactional Finance Team that has demonstrated excellence in its field. They will have demonstrated collective successes within the last 12 months. The winning team will have positively impacted the wider business through outstanding achievements in the delivery of projects. The team should also embody a positive team spirit.
- FREIGHTLINER GROUP
- AVANTI WEST COAST TRAINS LTD
- KINGFISHER INSURANCE SERVICES LTD
- CADENT GAS
- ASTON UNIVERSITY
- LANGDALE CARE HOMES
- HEADLAM GROUP PLC
RISING STAR OF THE YEAR (QUALIFIED)
Presented to the most passionate, driven and delivery focused person in the market. The winner of the qualified award will be a finance professional with less than 5 years of post-qualified experience. They will have provided examples of high achievement and outperforming their peer group.
- ALEX INGRAM
BT Group
- NICOLA PRATT
Aspire Pharma Group
- JEREMY COOPER
BNP Paribas Personal Finance
RISING STAR OF THE YEAR (NON/PART QUALIFIED)
Sponsored by Wabtec UK Ltd
Presented to the most passionate, driven and delivery focused person in the market. The winner of the non/part-qualified award will be a finance professional with less than 8 years of experience. They will have provided examples of high achievement and outperforming their peer group.
- JEFFREY GYAMFI
Bridge Cheese Ltd
- KAROLINA TURR
Freightliner Group
- HEATHER SALISBURY
Global Pacific UK Ltd
- IRENE BOATENG
GXO
- FIN MACHIN
Wolseley
- EMMA EATON
IMI Plc
- JORDAN ANDERSON
XPO Logistics
- ABBIE DAW
Volvo Financial Services UK
- EMEM ROBSON
Capgemini Invent
ESG EXCELLENCE
Awarded to a business that has demonstrated the key achievements the finance team has made to drive forward and integrate the companies ESG objectives over the last 12 months. The winning business will have outlined how they are driving to become a sustainable organisation, how their ESG objectives/policies are integrated into the medium term plan and what role the finance team plays within this.
- RACHEL FORTUNE-HOUGH
DRPG
- TONY HOLMES
Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board
- NICKY THOMAS
Wolseley
- SANUJA FERNANDO
Reliance Social Housing CIC
- GURPAL SINGH RAI
Aston University