Following a record number of entries for the 2020 South West Business Leader Awards, the independent judging panel have begun the tough task of narrowing them down to a shortlist, which will be announced next month.

Every year, the Awards attract a panel of the region’s leading business leaders, CEOs and entrepreneurs to select the winners for each category. The independent judging panel are now hard at work analysing the entries for all 16 categories.

Who are the judges for this year’s event?

• Kate Westbrook – Thrings
• Mette Jensen – Four Wealth Management Ltd
• Nathan Guest – VWV
• Chris Walford – Albert Goodman
• Rob Crews – Momentum Corporate Finance
• Paul Falvey – BDO
• Heather Frankham – Whiteoaks Capital & Origin Workspace
• Lauren Couch – BOOST & Co
• Mike Beesley – TIMESTWO
• Ray McDowell – UWE
• Nathan Bradberry – Bevan Brittan LLP
• Paul Brown – Mail Handling International
• James Ryan – Bristol Airport
• Allan Rosengren – Investor and businessman
• Dr Alex Young – Virti
• Peter Gibbons – Sprague Gibbons
• Laura Stevens – FutureSpace
• Karen Brooks – SETsquared
• Shona Godefroy – Thomas Westcott

To ensure the event continues – but respects the current situation – a new schedule has been launched. Following this month’s work by the judges, the finalists will be announced in October – and the winners will be revealed in November.

In February/March 2021 the finalists, winners and sponsors will come together for a celebration dinner.

Mette Jensen, Financial Adviser, Four Wealth Management – and one of the judges for this year’s event – said: “I am excited to start the judging process for the Business Leader Awards 2020. I have looked over the entries for the Business of the Year 1-10 employees Award, which Four Wealth Management are sponsoring, and there is some strong competition. I look forward to meeting as many of the businesses as I can in due course.”

Founder of the Business Leader Awards, Andrew Scott, commented: “Every year we bring together the South West’s leading business leaders and entrepreneurs to oversee the independent judging process. I am excited to see who they choose for the shortlist for this year’s Awards. Good luck to the judges and all entrants!”