The crème de la crème of the management profession were celebrated as the winners of both the prestigious Chartered Manager of the Year Award and National Management & Leadership Awards (NML Awards) were announced.

A total of ten accolades were presented bythe Chartered Management Institute (CMI), at an awards dinner in central London following the CMI National Conference. Among the winners was college manager David Belton-Cook, who took the coveted Chartered Manager of the Year title – an award that recognises a manager who can show that their excellent leadership skills have made a significant positive impact upon their workplace.

David was selected from ten finalists, who had, themselves, been drawn from an elite group of 1,000 UK managers, each holding Chartered Manager status – an accreditation awarded to individuals who have undertaken vigorous assessment in a range of management areas.

As well as David’s individual triumph, nine of the UK’s best organisations were named as winners in the inaugural National Management & Leadership Awards, including Birmingham City Council and insurer LV=. Recognising employers in a variety of sectors, the awards celebrate organisations which have achieved real success during the past 18 months, as a result of exemplary management and leadership. The NML Awards pay tribute to employers who are dedicated to supporting the professional development of future generations of managers.

The NML Awards nominees underwent intense scrutiny by a panel of experts tasked with choosing a winner. The judges considered aspects including how the organisations are structured, their integrity and sustainability, and their financial successes.

Commenting on the awards, CMI chief executive, Ruth Spellman, said: “It is fantastic to see so many examples of management and leadership excellence at a time when UK plc needs it most. To fully recover from the recession and restore confidence in our economy, we need strong leadership to steer us through change. With only one in five UK managers holding a professional qualification, there is still a culture of poor management in Britain, but the winners of these accolades prove that it is possible to excel. Last night’s winners the winners have helped to raise the bar of management and leadership excellence and should be looked to by others as examples to follow. If more managers aspire to follow their lead, this will help get the UK back to full economic health.”

Speaking of his achievements, David said: “I’m exceptionally proud to have been awarded this prestigious title, especially as the calibre of the other entries was so very high. I didn’t really expect to win! This award means a lot to me because I really think that good management skills are essential, no matter what discipline you work in. The quality of management and leadership that an individual delivers really does affect people’s lives, so it’s important to get it right.”

A full list of winners is as follows:

NML Awards:
Management Team of the Year Award: West Yorkshire Police – Criminal Justice Support Services

Change Management Award: NATS En Route (formerly National Air Traffic Services)
Workplace Wellbeing Award: LV=
Green Leadership Award: BTCV

Talent Retention Award: Birmingham City Council
Employee Engagement Strategy of the Year Award: GKN
Outstanding Organisation of the Year Award (SME): Rialto Consultancy
Outstanding Organisation of the Year (Large): Andor

Outstanding Leader of the Year: Kevin Turmore – managing director of Unity Trust Bank