Talent recognised and rewarded at FirstPro gala dinner

The depth and breadth of business-related talent within the Coventry and Warwickshire area was celebrated at the Coventry and Warwickshire First Pro gala dinner.

Warwickshire County Council hosted guests from the county's business and professional services sector, at the prestigious event on April 21.

Local professionals were nominated across a range of categories including: Banking Professional, Legal Services Professional and Property Professional. Nominees were assessed against three criteria: performance at work; their contribution to Coventry and Warwickshire; and the intangible x-factor!

The event, attended by over 200 people, culminated in the announcement of this year’s winners with many the staff of many well-known local companies receiving awards:

The category winners were:

• Legal Professional: Emma Gamble, Shakespeare Martineau
• Finance Professional: Rachel Horner, SFB Tax Solutions Limited
• Banking Professional: Ravinder Bagri: Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking
• Property Professional: Paul Rice, Wright Hassall
• Business Services Professional: Phil Ewing, Harrison Beale & Owen
• Young Professional: Jenny Simpson, Stewart Fletcher & Barrett

Louise Richardson, a senior investment officer in Warwickshire County Council's Invest in Warwickshire team was short-listed for the Property Professional award. "Her knowledge of the area and her response rate to requests are second to none," Louise's citation said.

Jenny Simpson, of Stewart Fletcher and Barrett, who carried the Olympic Torch in 2012 in recognition of her contribution to the local community, was crowned overall professional for 2016 after impressing the panel of judges.