Search is on for Birmingham Young Professional of the Year
This year’s search for the area's brightest young professionals is under way as nominations open for the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year.
The BYPY awards 2009 are organised by networking group Birmingham Future, and last year’s winner was Anthony McCourt who worked as a solicitor for Wragge & Co at the time.
Mr McCourt now works for Birmingham Development Company, the company behind The Mailbox and The Cube, after the BYPY title brought him to the attention of the firm’s director Alan Chatham.
His defection from the relative security of the legal sector to an embattled property market was seen as a major coup for Birmingham Development Company and came as part of a recruitment drive to enable the developer to deliver its ambitious future development plans.
Entries for this year’s BYPY awards are being sought from six different business sectors including communications, entrepreneurial, financial, legal, property and construction and recruitment and training.
Now in its ninth year, BYPY recognises the individual achievements of members of the business community and is open to young professionals aged under 35 who work in the professional and financial services sector in Birmingham.
Last year the awards attracted a record number of nominations but this year the organisers are hoping to go one better and have booked the biggest hall at the ICC to host the event.
Roula Samaha, human resources and training manager at the Radisson SAS Hotel and BYPY committee chairman, said: “This year we are hoping to build on the already excellent quality of entries from previous competitions.
A panel of judges will select the overall BYPY winner from the winners of the six individual categories.
The winner of the 2009 award will join the BYPY roll of honour, which includes Chris Robertson of Deloitte, Victoria Garrad of Gateley Wareing, Stefan Lewandowski, managing director of web design firm 3form, Ruth Ward, former director of Neon Communications, Gary Taylor of Argent, Karl George of Andersons KBS.
2007’s overall winner was Clare Edwards of the Learning and Skills Council and founder of the Gigbeth music festival in Birmingham which celebrated its second year in November last year.
BYPY 2009’s winners will be announced at a glitzy awards ceremony at the ICC on June 4.
Nomination forms are available to download now from the BYPY website at www.birminghamyoungprofessional.co.uk and entries must be received no later than February 27.
