Pictured above: Gary Dewhurst
One of the West Midlands' fastest growing recruitment firms is
urging up-and-coming business leaders to seize the chance to
represent the region on the national stage.
gap personnel is sponsoring the young director of the year
category at the Institute of Directors' (IoD) West Midlands
Director of the Year awards.
The award ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 31 but the
closing date for entries is February 18.
The winner, who must be under the age of 42, will go on to the
prestigious national IoD awards being held in London in
October.
Industrial recruitment specialist gap, which last year opened a
flagship office in Hall Green, Birmingham, is encouraging the
region's brightest young company directors to submit an
application.
Founder and managing director Gary Dewhurst said: "Here at gap
personnel we value the energy and dynamism that young directors can
bring to an organisation, which is why we decided to sponsor this
category.
"Indeed, six members of our eight-strong board of directors are
aged under 42 and so would themselves qualify to enter.
"Two of them, UK operations directors Mark Roberts and Emma
Ceballos, have been with gap since the very beginning - joining us
after university in 1998 and progressing through the ranks."
He added: "The West Midlands is a key growth area for us, and
from our work with clients we know the region has plenty to shout
about.
"The recent Lloyds TSB PMI (purchasing managers' index), which
showed that strong manufacturing-led growth powered the West
Midlands to the top of the UK regional performance rankings in
December, is the latest cause for optimism.
"We are confident that whoever scoops the West Midlands title
will have an excellent chance of bringing home the national award
as well."
gap places more than 1,000 temporary workers a week in the
Midlands and 5,000 nationally.
Headquartered in North Wales, the company was recently named one
of the top 10 industrial recruiters in the UK for the second year
running.
As well as strengthening its presence in the Midlands by opening
a branch office in Birmingham, 2010 also saw gap launch a
specialist driving division and revamp its online presence.
The IoD West Midlands Director of the Year award ceremony takes
place at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston.