The Top 30 Under 30 is today revealed for 2023.
Rising stars of the Humber region’s business community have been selected from what was a record number of nominations. Now in its sixth year, the prestigious listing will be followed by an acclaimed development programme, helping further lift the talented pool drawn from a variety of sectors.
Representatives of some of the largest businesses, inward investors and public sector organisations join with a strong SME contingent.
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Simon Jones, creator of the scheme, said: “I am delighted to announce this year’s winners, and our class of 2023. Today’s announcement is a celebration of the work, energy and contribution of our region’s talent, who have made a significant difference to our businesses and organisations. These young people have excelled in their respective fields, plus they have shown the qualities and behaviours that have stood them out amongst a very competitive field, to be awarded a place on our prestigious list.”
He believes the number of nominations is a signal of the local economy’s positive position.
“Every year, I am amazed by the support I receive for this scheme. But having seen the scheme break records once again, it gives me a real sense of optimism about the region’s future. Reading through the nominations is not only testament to the work from our winners, but the trust the organisations they are part of have in their talent. Seeing how the region’s young people deliver increased sales, lead projects, create new products, manage supply
chains, negotiate with suppliers, help imbed new ways of working, lead new technologies, head up environmental strategy, employ and develop others - I could go on - is a real statement.”
For 2023 the Leap programme has been further enhanced, with the return of the physical sessions in 2022 following a switch to virtual delivery through Covid allowing for a better feedback and review period between cohorts.
It is delivered by industry experts in leadership, self-development, and communication.
More support than ever before to ensure the skills being learned are being embedded in behaviours in the workplace is promised. “These adjustments will see the programme go to another level, ensuring we continue to deliver the best possible experience for our winners,” Mr Jones, who heads up Hull recruitment agency Identify, said.
The Top 30 Under 30 2023:
The winners and their back stories as heard by the judges.
Charlotte Beecroft, marketing coordinator, MKM
Charlotte had worked at MKM during her placement year studying Marketing in Hull and was approached to return full-time as a marketing executive due to her "superior working performance and respect amongst the marketing team". Since then, she has been promoted to marketing coordinator having excelled in her first year.
Named ‘Most Valuable Player 2022’ in the team awards, she also received the Marketing subject prize from the University of Hull, rewarding her academic performance and outstanding achievement in business, and the International Marketing Award for the highest overall grade in the module. She’s certainly on a winning streak and is very well-deserved!
Katie Blyth, team manager, Wescot Credit Services
Katie has given her all to Wescot over the past seven years and her personal application to her role is an example to everyone! She always had the self-belief and drive to achieve greater things and took the time to support other team members with their learning journey on a daily basis. Katie’s desire and will to support others saw her progress into a coaching role in 2018 where she developed the newest customer consultants.
She is an outstanding coach with a natural ability to get the best out of everyone she interacts with. Her skills soon saw her progress into a team leader role, taking control of a team with up to 14 people. Katie has now returned to her roots, but in a more senior position.
Chris Boon, account director, Summit
Chris has been at Summit for eight years but in the past 12 months, has stepped up his commercial acumen and leadership. He has planned, executed and now leads a brand new business unit for Summit which has created an additional 25 jobs in the Hull and Humber region with a view to increase to 100 by 2024.
Chris has changed the game for Summit and digital in the region in the last year. He has built a new team in under a year, all of which are new roles and jobs which subsequently powers our local economy. It’s his accomplishments in terms of business growth and performance which gets him recognised but it’s his passion, empathy and collaboration that stand out to his team the most.
Callan Cartledge, internal communications specialist, Siemens
Since July 2021, Callan has managed the communications requirements of a site of 750-plus people. He has facilitated media visits from some of the world's largest outlets with increased interest in renewables, and in addition to this, has also hosted Guy Martin and his documentary crew to the Hull site.
Callan is very passionate to promote the business and often attends local school events. He is a key member of the diversity and inclusion committee and recently presented to all employees in the factory at our town hall events, speaking about his personal circumstances regarding hidden disabilities. He has also supported the site with VIP visits for senior politicians including Ed Miliband, Shadow Secretary of State for Clean Energy and Net Zero and Rishi Sunak, then Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Rob Cunningham, IT infrastructure technician, Rradar
Rob has excelled in his position within Radar, even though things were initially more challenging than he could have expected. He was only two weeks into his apprenticeship position when the first lockdown was announced. Almost overnight, the business had to pivot to 100 per cent remote working, a move that significantly increased his workload. This was never an issue for Rob. His ‘can-do’ attitude has continued as he helped to facilitate the process of returning back to the office, particularly with those who has joined the team since remote working started.
Rob’s sociable outlook and his positive attitude mean that he can make the personal connections that inform others about the importance of IT – particularly when it comes to issues such as cyber security.
Ashleigh Davidson, R&D senior chemist, Ansell
Ashleigh joined Ansell straight after finishing her BSc in Chemistry as an R&D chemist. She has taken the initiative and excelled in numerous areas of her business during Covid and beyond. She was involved in a wide range of projects and activities which included working on creating a pioneering PPE test approach. As a result of this achievement, Ashleigh received a gold innovation award from Ansell, recognising the diligence, innovation, and dedication that went into the project's success.
Passionate about inspiring the next generation of women in stem, she uses her position and affiliation with WiME to regularly participate in events to give young girls a better idea of a career in science and to serve as an active role model, sharing her story in the hope of inspiring the next generation of female scientists.
Joe Donkin, quantity surveyor, Sewell Construction
Joe joined Sewell in 2017 as an assistant QS working on smaller construction projects. Growth in his skills and ability led him to be promoted to QS in 2021 which positioned him on schemes as the responsible person for managing the commercial disciplines, in conjunction with the site teams.
Since his promotion he has continued to invest in his personal development, completing his degree and is now working towards becoming chartered. In the last year, Joe has been the QS responsible for delivering a multi-million pound project, as well as being given the responsibility of managing a trainee. He has strong personal ethics, and this comes through in his delivery. People seek him out for advice and guidance and he’s always happy to help.
Jon Donoghue, service desk team leader, Giacom
Since joining Giacom less than five years ago Jon has gone from first line tech support analyst to team leader, managing not one, but two product teams. This is a testament to Jon’s hard work, dedication and super supportive nature. He’s taken the tech supportapprentices under his wing, monitored, coached and trained them, contributing to their success as well as his own.
Everyone who knows Jon will agree he has an amazing relationship with both his team, his customers and others around the business which led him to being the most recent staff member to win the Giacom Star! Jon’s passions and hard work don't just sit at the service desk, he is also a massive advocate for mental health and volunteered to become Giacom’s qualified mental health first aider, providing support to all areas of the business.
Fiona Downie, campaign manager, Forward & Thinking
Fiona joined in November 2018 as a media assistant. Her ability to thrive in a fast-paced role while keeping calm and enthusiastic progressed her to a senior artwork executive and more recently to her current position, with a team of two executives.
She is always thinking of the team and how their actions can help improve efficiencies across the full business or benefit clients. Fiona developed a client hub that is built around client’s needs, and her attention to detail and ability to create a system that is efficient for the sales team and the client shows her ability to see situations from all views. The client hub has been given great feedback, giving clients full 24-hour visibility of campaigns with on-demand support, increasing customer service and reinventing the online client area.
Thomas Elliott, group accountant, Trenton Motors Ltd
Tom joined the Business 18 months ago, bringing an excellent skillset and energy to the team, improving the quality of the accounts produced, introducing new and effective management reporting systems and hugely developing the engagement and skill set of the three staff he has within his department.
He has expanded his department recently with the successful recruitment of an apprentice business manager to enhance the quality delivery of the accounts function within Trenton. Tom is a sponge in terms of his development. Tom leaps at any opportunity to develop his business skill set in both professional accountancy qualifications and more general operational skills.
Matthew Gilbert, project manager, KCom
Matthew joined KCom in 2018 and has made a brilliant start to his career, excelling in all of his roles. From starting in technical support on the front line answering the calls from customers, he has worked his way up to a project management role in wholesale transformation.
First and foremost, throughout Matthew’s KCom career his attitude, his reputation and his performance have been excellent, earning the respect of his managers and colleagues as someone to rely on. This has given him a great career platform to build on. His versatility and appetite for progression is outstanding – within six months of becoming a project manager he’s led projects on two key strategic programmes across the group all while studying for a degree.
Holly Goodwin, account manager, Catch UK
Holly has achieved an incredible amount in the seven years she has been at Catch UK. Starting as an apprentice when she was 18, she progressed to an account manager position at the age of 22, and since then has been making amazing strides. Her talent, drive, direction and leadership has led to the Catch Skills team she leads being the most successful sales team in the business' history, in addition to the team hitting and overachieving their sales targets every month in the past two years, an unbelievable statistic.
Holly now manages accounts for over 50 blue chip multi-national customers in the oil and gas, petrochemicals, power and process industries as she continues to drive the business forward. In this time she has also completed a Level Three Chartered Management Institute qualification and is now a year into her Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Lincoln, alongside her role.
Chloe Greaves, senior designer, Giacom
Chloe has an ambitious and driven mindset. She has a hands-on approach to learning and isn’t scared to fail fast and succeed faster. It’s this drive which has led to her promotion at only 24 years old.
Taking the lead on the design for Giacom’s most exclusive customer events, she has gone the extra mile by creating interactive itineraries and custom-designed webpages. The collateral she’s produced features high-profile companies and locations, including Ascot, Wimbledon and Lords.
She is completely dedicated to the success of her team and the wider business by going above and beyond at every opportunity; whether that’s stepping up and leading a project, getting involved in community and charity campaigns, or showing pure determination to get the job done.
Robbie Hunt, manufacturing production planner, Advanced Plastics
Since joining the business three years ago Robbie has transformed the way his company plans its manufacturing facility. He is an intrinsic part of the operational team and is always striving to improve the way the team thinks and plans production.
Robbie has a fresh approach to managing challenging situations on a daily basis, his positive manner is infectious and motivates the team, delivering on customer expectations.
Robbie does not work in isolation, he co-ordinates and directs the production setting team, prioritising the manufacturing plan throughout the day. This has resulted in improved efficiency and a more cohesive team culture within the wider business. He is seen as a unique individual with vast potential as a manager/leader with a strength of character that is rarely found.
Mia Jones, communications officer, Humberside Police & Crime Commissioner
Mia joined as an office apprentice in 2018, and has taken on a variety of roles in her organisation ranging from policy development, communications, public engagement, correspondence and has taken on management of the Independent Custody Visiting scheme to great success, all at just 22 years old.
Mia trains, develops and provides ongoing support to our volunteers across the Humber region, she leads a team of people who are considerably older than her in years but who look to her for advice and guidance. She also assists the communications manager in media and communications work for the Commissioner and his office, advising a leading public official on media strategy and briefing him for interviews. It’s rare to find someone of Mia’s age operating at this level, it’s scary how good she is!
Will Jones, apprentice broker, Towergate Insurance
Will is driven, ambitious, enthusiastic and a high achiever. At only 20 years old he has already proven himself an excellent broker - demonstrating a high level of care for his clients, a commitment to getting covers right and to growing the business. Will joined Towergate in January 2021 and became the team’s number one for growth within months. Will has gone from strength to strength and now looks after a book of around 200 clients.
Will is a positive and motivational team member, helping other brokers in the branch to learn and grow themselves and, in turn, grow the business. He has inspired other young brokers in the team who are keen to follow his lead and wish to develop their career in a similar way. Will put forward a concept which has now been developed into a key programme at Towergate - The Emerging Insurance Professionals Programme. This programme facilitates young brokers to network, grow and develop together.
Joel Joseph, transport administrator, Rocal
Joel came into the business aged just 19, with no previous transport experience. In less than a week he was comfortably managing driver queries over 17 routes across the UK. His passion and ability to deliver have impressed both his peers and management across the business.
Joel shows maturity beyond his years and his thirst for knowledge and improvement both personally and for the company is inspiring. As a young person entering into a team of experienced older drivers, his work ethic and passion for giving 100 per cent every day in every situation has earnt their respect and friendship. His peers have seen that Joel has such determination and drive that when opportunities arise to progress in his career, they know he will succeed and develop much further.
Libby Kerman, sustainability manager, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership
Libby joined LHP as part of the graduate management trainee programme and quickly showed a knowledge and maturity that far belied her age and experience. She quickly brought sustainability and corporate responsibility to protecting the environment to ways of working, making changes. Libby’s insight into sustainability was a real eye-opener for her organisation. It has made a difference to every single employee, and to the lives of the 33,000 customers.
Her drive, determination and ability to lead and influence those around her have seen LHP undertake several projects. She has quickly become one of the most valued members of the middle management team and is a true ambassador for the organisation. It has been said that it is impossible to envisage LHP without Libby steering them to a more sustainable future.
Sophie Lee, consultant, Shared Agenda
After starting her graduate role in 2018, Sophie settled in quickly and cemented her place as an important member of the team through her enthusiasm in volunteering to support any project which came her way.
She rapidly moved to taking a lead role on a range of projects, including the establishment of premises for the roll-out of the Covid vaccination programme across the Humber and North Yorkshire area in what was a very dynamic and fast moving environment, requiring coordinated working with partners across all parts of the NHS.
Sophie is a star that never fades, her approach as a professional, positive and supportive colleague is second to none. Ever reliable, ever reassuring and ever willing to work tremendously hard both inside and outside of work is exemplary to all.
Jessie Milburn, senior designer, Swift
Following two summers of internships, Jessie joined Swift full-time in September 2016 with a degree in Interior Design. Since then she has grown significantly in her role and has designed the Biarritz, Toronto and Edmonton holiday homes and more recently her latest project has been the new 2023 Challenger caravans.
She also created and runs the complex KPI system through her expert use of spreadsheets and ability to write complex formulas to assess workload. She manages and co-ordinates the visualisation team’s workload that involves the creation of more than 550 flat images and 360 tour visuals for the marketing team, all while completing a degree in Operational Management through Swift’s sponsored training.
Sam Moor, performance marketing manager, Green Ginger Digital
A real grafter, having gone straight into hairdressing aged 16, she worked hard to progress, eventually becoming PA to Mark Hill for several years. At 23 she completely pivoted her career – which takes guts and decisiveness – and took an entry-level position in marketing, bringing to the role her creative flair and a determination to learn a new industry. Over the past six years, Sam has developed a vast knowledge of the marketing and e-commerce industry, working across several large UK-based brands such as W7, Durex, MKM and Schiff Vitamins, with a range of responsibilities.
Sam is a breath of fresh air, and really gets stuck in and drives her clients forward. She’s not afraid to share ideas, push herself and most importantly take on board feedback to continue her own growth. She has become an integral member of the Green Ginger team, and with her work ethic and dedication, she is going to go far.
Amber Needler, digital innovation project officer, Humberside Police
Amber is at the forefront of driving high pace, high challenge, digital innovation projects. One of her most successful projects was an officer visibility application, VisiBeat. It was referenced in Humberside Police’s most recent inspection report where this area was graded as outstanding innovative practice. As well as her project work, Amber is the only member of police staff to be chosen to attend the female development programme aimed at shaping the future of female leaders within Humberside Police.
Amber is a breath of fresh air. Where there's a problem, she finds a solution. A colleague said she has never worked with a youngperson so dynamic, engaged and driven in her attempt to improve the working environment for everyone. She truly is a team player and every workplace needs someone like her.
Natalia Rudd, marketing executive, Wykeland
Natalia has been a vital part of the business since joining Wykeland in June 2021. As well as her key role overseeing and delivering all marketing and social media output, she has also embraced special projects which have elevated their positioning further.
One example was her innovative use of design and photography to produce a 3D display for Business Week 2022. The stand, in situ at Bridlington Spa’s main hall, stood out from the crowd. Another particularly successful project was the Queen’s Canopy at Melton West Business Park – a Platinum Jubilee project alongside Yorkshire Wildlife Trust – for which she coordinated six local primary schools to plant over 1,200 trees to enable habitat creation. Natalia constantly goes above and beyond, utilising her positive work ethic to support in areas outside of her remit.
Charley Seward, commercial operations executive, Arco
Charley joined the business in September 2020 to manage PR and social media and really hit the ground running! Within months of joining, she began volunteering as a member of the Arco Community Panel. As part of this, she helps shape the company-wide and regional approach to community investment decisions as part of a commitment to being a socially responsible business and employer. She is also a member of the board which is responsible for steering commercial sustainability and ethics agenda.
Charley is a member of the Family Business Network and her nomination helped Arco win the award of Family Business of the Year, showcasing and celebrating the influence of family values in our organisational culture and heritage. In 2022 she was nominated and elected by her colleagues in the marketing team to be their representative on Arco Voice. Her commercial acumen, coupled with her articulate and personable manner led to her being further nominated and elected as the group’s chair!
Katherine Sharpe, customer experience team leader, University of Hull
Katherine joined the university library just over a year ago as a customer experience advisor and quickly progressed into a leadership role. She has really excelled in this position, taking on people management, user experience testing, social media tasks and has also been a key member of the equality, diversity and Inclusion team.
Katherine balances multiple priorities with ease, always volunteering for new opportunities and finding ways to contribute. She is the epitome of an inspirational leader and is a rising star within the wider university leadership team. Her peers use Katherine as a measuring stick and have higher aspirations because of her positive influence. Katherine is like a sponge and keen to develop her skills. We have no doubt she will continue to progress as her experience grows.
Ben Smith, principal energy and carbon officer, ERYC
Since joining as a graduate, Ben has progressed considerably in the council, gaining respect among peers across a wide range of departments. He is fast becoming one of the council’s experts in relation to funding applications and large scale renewable projects.
He is always looking to increase his knowledge and excel, his future goals include becoming chartered with a professional organisation. Ben is keen to showcase some of the decarbonisation work the council has undertaken, rarely taking the limelight, he is determined to present the council in a positive light, gaining media attention for the first solar farm and first solar carport, which has been well received. His personable approach enables him to quickly build strong working relationships which are not only a great asset to the projects he works on but also make him a pleasure to work with.
Vicky Smith, digital account manager, Bluestorm
Through hard work, perseverance, talent and a commitment to continued professional development, Vicky has transformed Bluestorm’s digital client services. Since joining in 2021, Vicky has gone from strength to strength, providing a pivotal role in the business.
The way she has efficiently carried out her role has led to client satisfaction rates that have never been higher. Feedback from every client is always that Vicky is always quick to reply and finds positive solutions. She always ensures that all her projects are managed to a high standard, which is great for clients working to tight timescales and for Bluestorm as a business.
Jarrod Teanby, engineering manager, OSI Food Solutions
Jarrod is highly regarded at OSI having been with them for nearly eight years and developing from a junior engineer position up to engineering manager. Jarrod has shown drive and determination in a very challenging fast-paced environment, accelerating his career and increasing his responsibilities.
He’s hard-working, open to learning, pushes himself, takes responsibility, and continuously looks to improve. Within a challenging manufacturing environment, Jarrod always handles what gets thrown at him in a way more mature than his years and conducts himself with a level of authority that other senior leaders look up to.
He is seen as a shining star in his organisation, and an example to other young professionals in the business and the region.
Lizzie Thirkettle, senior category manager, Ideal Heating
In the three years since Lizzie has been in the business, her commitment and growth have been recognised with two rapid promotions. This recognition has been well deserved as a result of delivering on critically important pieces of work, including successfully guiding the business to achieving 100 per cent renewable energy supply from September, the first time for the business
This has been achieved while mentoring a graduate student to the point of promotion in six months. She has consistently gone the extra mile with all the tasks and projects she has either volunteered for or been given, and there has been wide appreciation across the business for the procurement and supply chain functions.
Louise Watkinson, operations manager, Sauce Consultants Ltd
Since being a finalist for the Young Business Person of the Year in 2016, Louise has consistently set herself 10 yearly goals, both of a professional and personal nature. She always looks to give something back to the community as part of her professional roles - whether it’s activities to raise money for charity such as skydiving and Three Peak challenges or continuing to put herself through additional training all while in full-time employment.
Louise has the ability to both overcome the immediate tasks of identifying upcoming issues and coordinate the removal of blocks, all in a positive, calm and welcoming manner. She is a great example and role model for young people to break out of the mould and demonstrate you do not need to know what you want to do when you leave school and that the right attributes and goal of continuous improvement is something that can still get you far.
