Achiever of the Year
For anyone at any level of the business who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, and can be shown to have been personally instrumental in the business' success.
Luke Ashworth, managing director, Netbasic
Eton-educated Luke has built a profitable mini-empire of financial advice websites, making the Fareham firm one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the UK.
Heading a team of 14, he has driven the business forward, being responsible for servicing 9,000 life insurance customers, 6,500 debt management customers, and 4,500 loan customers.
He also arranges an annual ski trip to France for all staff, and contributes five per cent of the firm's healthy profits to the Naomi House hospice.
Luke has doubled his staff in the past 12 months.
Alan Collins, director and head of personal injuries, Verisona Solicitors & Advocates
Alan is one of the UK's experts in the grim area of historical child abuse claims.
In 2007 he took on a decades-old case concerning allegations of child abuse at a London care home. His successful investigation led to another nine people coming forward, and significant claims were settled.
Following this, yet more people came forward, and led to him settling 19 cases dealing with care homes, and he has since won clients from Australia and Europe.
The revenue generated by his efforts helped the newly-formed firm move into offices at 1000 Lakeside this year.
Samantha Fay, centre manager, Port Solent
Sam can take credit for helping spur along some of Southsea's most recent innovations, including the Love Albert Road Day run by the street's independent traders.
Earlier this year she moved jobs from Southsea town centre manager to heading up CBRE's Port Solent centre, and reinvigorating the venue.
She has garnered praise from shopping centre managers such as Rhoda Joseph at Cascades and fellow town centre chiefs across the city.
Simon Frost, chief executive, South Coast Moneyline
Managing a squad of eight people, Simon has driven the company to expand from delivering affordable home improvement loans from five council areas to 15 this year.
He has testified to HM's Treasury select committee on matters of financial inclusion, and has been one of the most prominent third-sector voices in Portsmouth since taking over five years ago.
He has won praise from other figures in the industry.
Ray Gough, proprietor, Tattoo Asylum
The committed tattoo artist is a prime example of how you do not have to be a multi-millionaire to be ranked as a true business achiever.
A former deputy chief officer at Essex County Council, Ray was driven to a nervous breakdown after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis, suffering the death of his father, and a divorce.
He lost his job in 1996, and was committed to care, but went on to get a PhD in philosophy and eventually to turn his lifetime hobby into a business, opening Tattoo Asylum in Albert Road, Southsea, in 2005.
He has been shortlisted for two business awards for his achievements, not including The News Business Excellence Awards.
Rachel Lowe, director of RTL Games
Once derided as a crackpot by an unwise panel of investors on Dragons' Den, ex-taxi driver Rachel has since turned a brainwave into a true money tree.
She set up RTL Games in 2003, and created the board game Destination, which has since been customised into a Portsmouth game, featuring landmarks around the city, and selling 10,000.
Her Destination London has even outsold Monopoly.
She has now devised Destination Hogwarts – a Harry Potter game – signing a contract with Warner Bros which will launch the game globally in 2009.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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