The committee has been revealed for the 2018 Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) Awards, taking place on Thursday 24th May at the ICC.
Taking the reigns of the new line-up is former Deputy Chair and Associate Solicitor at Squire Patton Boggs, Sophie Carlile, supported by new committee member and Deputy Chair Kirn Dibra, Risk and Control Manager at Experian.
Also new to the committee is Kate Evans, Business Development Manager for the West Midlands Growth Company, as well as Louise Bennett, Marketing & Communications Officer for RPS Group.
Taking charge of all things visual for 2018’s event is Mike Raven, Creative Director at RileyRaven, while Charlie Pette, Business Development Executive at Birmingham Hippodrome, brings his enthusiasm for events and networking to the mix.
Sarah Groves, Communications Executive at Gateley, joins the committee for the first time and will be supporting comms and digital alongside returning member Matt Walker.
Also back for the fourth year is Natalie Barnes, Senior Associate at Irwin Mitchell, as well as former BYPY finalist and Project Quantity Surveyor at RPS Group, Laura Gallagher.
BNP Paribas Personal Finance has been revealed as BYPY 2018’s headline sponsor, following a successful year as sponsor of the Marketing and Communications category in 2017.
Lynda Brennan, Director of HR at BNP Paribas Personal Finance, comments: “As a leading employer in the region with ambitious growth plans, we’re delighted to support the prestigious BYPY Awards to celebrate and recognise local talent. We’re committed to creating a great place to work and we continue to help bridge the gap between education and the workplace. BYPY is a great example of providing opportunities to build and retain young local talent in the region and we look forward to seeing a record level of great quality entries for the awards.”
Aston Business School has also confirmed its commitment to the awards for a second year, with the overall winner again receiving a fully-funded Executive MBA scholarship worth £20,100 – ranked amongst the top MBAs in the world by CEO Magazine.
Looking to next year’s awards, Sophie Carlile said: “I’m thrilled to be taking the role of Chair for 2018 and to be supported by such an enthusiastic group of professionals. Over half of the team is new to the committee and are already bringing fresh, ambitious ideas. We’re well underway with preparations to bring Birmingham another fantastic BYPY!
“The showpiece of BPS Birmingham Future, BYPY isn’t just about one night; it’s about the shining talent in the professional services sector that delivers above-and-beyond to make their mark and carve out successful careers here in the region. It’s about recognising this young talent whilst providing an ongoing platform and support network to help progress further.
Back for the 18th year, BYPY recognises and rewards under 35s across six main categories; finance, HR, legal, marketing and communications, property and construction, and technology, with one category winner named overall BYPY. In addition, the event also recognises exceptional individuals aged between 16 and 24 who are currently in full-time Higher/Further Education or training with the ‘Aspiring Talent’ award, as well as an ‘Inspiring Leader’ who inspires a generation whilst making a big impact on the region’s business and professional services sector.
BYPY 2018 will continue to support LoveBrum, BPS Birmingham’s chosen charity partner, helping to support ‘hidden gem’ charitable projects that aim to make the city and even better place to live.
Earlier this year (2017), Michael Parker, Associate Director at construction consultancy Gleeds, was named the overall winner of BYPY with the judges commending his ‘clear understanding of the strategic issues facing Birmingham over the coming years’ and calling him ‘an immensely engaging and credible ambassador for Birmingham’s professional community’.
More information, nomination forms and tickets for BYPY 2018 will be available soon at http://bpsbirmingham.co.uk/bypy/
