Double the insights at awards celebrating very best of Cheshire business

Cheshire’s premier enterprise awards will feature an address by a university professor who was head of global award-winning companies and an author shortlisted for Business Book of the Year.

Professor Simon Hayward will give the keynote speech at the prestigious High Sheriff of Cheshire Awards for Enterprise. He will be joined by Isobel (Izzy) Christiansen, who has enjoyed a remarkable career in football, including playing for England, Manchester City and Everton, and is now a coach and sports broadcaster.

The awards are held in partnership with the University of Chester to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of businesses, charities and individuals across Cheshire, Halton and Warrington. Winners in six categories will be announced at the ceremony in March, 2025.

Simon will explore the area of ‘Responsible Leadership’, focusing on how leaders at all levels can create purpose-driven teams and a more balanced approach to decision-making in the broader interests of all stakeholders.

Making up the dynamic duo of speakers will be Izzy, who will offer her unique perspective on the ‘Winning Formula for Success’.

Simon is a Professor of Leadership Practice at Alliance Manchester Business School, and his research focus is on responsible leadership in a challenged world. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered Management Institute, and has founded and led successful, award-winning international consultancy businesses.

He has many years’ experience of working with major companies across Europe, North America and Asia, advising on enterprise leadership issues and designing global leadership and engagement programmes.

Simon was a Managing Director at Accenture until 2024, where he established the global Leadership and Culture practice. Prior to this he was the founder and CEO of Cirrus, an award-wining leadership and culture consultancy which was acquired by Accenture. He is also a regular conference speaker and media commentator.

Simon’s first book, Connected Leadership was published by FT Publishing and was shortlisted for Business Book of the Year in 2016 by the Chartered Management Institute. His chapter on Connected Leadership in Asia was published in 2017 in the Palgrave Macmillan Handbook of Leadership in Transforming Asia. His second book, The Agile Leader was published by Kogan Page in 2018, with a second edition published in 2021. It builds on Connected Leadership and provides a practical guide to developing a more agile business to succeed in a complex, fast-moving world.

The awards were launched by Clare Hayward MBE DL, High Sheriff of Cheshire, in the autumn, and are now open to submit entries. The categories that will be judged by a panel of senior members of the business community are:

• High Sheriff’s Award for Innovation sponsored by EA technology
• High Sheriff’s Award for Sustainable Development sponsored by Grosvenor
• High Sheriff’s Award for Promoting Social Mobility
• High Sheriff’s Award for Wellness at Work sponsored by Warrington Borough Council
• High Sheriff’s Award for Young Person in Business sponsored by Barlows
• High Sheriff’s Award for Excellence in Enterprise sponsored by Mornflake.

Simon said: “I am delighted to support these exciting awards which recognise the business leaders of today, and tomorrow.”

Associate Professor Kirstie Simpson, Dean of the University of Chester’s Business School, added: “We are thrilled to be joined by Simon and Isobel at the awards next year and to hear their insights.

“Earning two prestigious Business School of the Year titles in 2024 for our commitment to bolstering the north-west of England, we are honoured to support this annual opportunity to champion and celebrate the initiative, innovation and impact of the region’s businesses and charities – as well as the people behind them.”

The closing date for entries is Monday, January 20, 2025. To find out more, visit the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise section of the University of Chester website.

The winners will be announced at the special ceremony on Thursday March 27, 2025, at Churchill House, Queen’s Park, the home of Chester Business School which was recently crowned Business School of the Year at the UK’s Times Higher Education (THE) Awards, as well as at the Educate North Awards earlier in the year.