Aktar Islam

Aktar is chef director at Lasan Restaurant and Lasan Eatery, where he has carved out a reputation for himself as one of the UK’s most-exciting young chefs. A passionate champion of bringing excellence and authenticity back to the Indian menu, his innovative recipes have truly put Lasan on the map, winning several major awards including The F Word and Great British Menu. His business responsibilities include business development and delivery, marketing, finance and staff training, while he is also a tireless charity worker, actively supporting a variety of causes including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, NHS Organ Donor Campaign, Oxfam and NHS/Warwick University Spice for Life campaign.

Hilary Allen

Hilary is an associate at Davis Langdon, a chartered quantity surveyor and a University of Cambridge graduate. Hilary currently works in Davis Langdon’s banking, tax and finance team, helping to manage key client accounts and assisting with the firm’s land development initiative. Hilary is a group mentor for the civic leadership programme ‘UpRising’, which is aimed at 19-25-year-olds in Birmingham. She is an active member of Birmingham Future and contributes a lot to the organisation in her role as co-ordinator for the leadership team. She has also been a part of Birmingham Future’s strategy committee.

James Villarreal

James established Glide Utilities with Sandeep Krishan in 2006. Glide were the first utilities supplier to solve the problem of splitting bills in shared accommodation by billing each tenant individually. The following year they raised equity Investment from Birmingham based investors, helping them expand across the UK and laying the foundations for continued growth in the future. James is a committee member of the Young Directors Forum and a board member of Young Enterprise. He is very enthusiastic about enterprise and he loves promoting the benefits of entrepreneurship. James believes Birmingham has a key role to play in the future of many of the UK’s entrepreneurs.

Suzie Branch

Suzie is a founding shareholder and director of BHMG Marketing. Educated at Loughborough University (BA Hons DPS European Business) Suzie has over 10 years experience of Account Management within the marketing and media industry both within the UK and overseas.  Sheis responsible for the management of the Client Services Team and overall day to day project management and client liaison across all BHMG clients.

As Client Services / Account Director, Suzie has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of all elements of the BHMG marketing offering including: market research, consultancy, research branding, creative design, print procurement, web development, PR, event management, publishing and media.

Anthony McCourt

Anthony qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 but left the law in 2008 to pursue a career in property development and led the £92m ‘The Cube’ development out of Administration in 2010 on behalf of Lloyds Banking Group. Anthony has since helped launch Roar, a commercial voice and data company in Birmingham alongside running a property development and investment vehicle, Court Collaboration. Anthony founded Birmingham’s first Enterprise Academy in 2009 and is current Chairman of Birmingham Leadership Foundation.

Clare Edwards

Greatest professional achievement: Taking Artsites Birmingham from a city council project with a £40k budget to a charitable company with £500k budget and six staff.

Greatest role model: Dorothy Wilson, Director of MAC and my mentor.

Main ambition: To play a part in getting Birmingham the national and international reputation it deserves.

Ruth Ward

Greatest professional achievement: Growing the company from 1 person to 4 members of staff with a strong portfolio of clients within 18 months.

Greatest role model: Julia Willoughby, my previous employer and mentor.

Main ambition: To gain a national and international reputation for the work we do.

Stefan Lewandowski

Stefan Lewandowski is the managing director of 3form – a graphic design, internet and software agency. He is responsible for the company’s ongoing business development and generating new ideas for his clients.

Having graduated from Birmingham University with a degree in Sofware Engineering, Stefan founded 3form and, by the age of 26, has built an award-winning company with an impressive client list including Vivienne Westwood and the V&A.

Stefan is a keen musician and recently started a record label, Type records. He is also involved with innovative community music and arts projects around the West Midlands and has worked with disadvantaged young people and minority groups. In his spare time he enjoys hill-walking and photography.

Victoria Garrad

Victoria is a senior associate at Gateley Wareing, specialising in employment law. Along with another colleague, Victoria set up the firm’s employment department in 1998, which has since grown significantly.

Victoria studied in Bristol and the College of Law in York before qualifying with Gateley Wareing. She now manages a team of five and presents seminars and workshops to keep clients informed of changes in employment legislation.

The youngest member of the Birmingham Citizens’ Advice Bureau’s Trustee Board, Victoria helps the organisation provide free and confidential advice to the city’s residents. She is also a committee member of Women of Influence, which raises money for children’s charity NCH, and a governor of Winterfold House School.

Chris Robertson

Overall winner Chris Robertson joined the Birmingham office of accountants, Deloitte & Touche in June 2001 when he became one of the firm’s youngest partners. Chris was already at home in the city as he had previously studied Commerce at the University of Birmingham.

Chris is an Assurance and Advisory partner specialising in the technology sector. He leads the firm’s Technology, Media and Telecoms Group in the Midlands and is involved in recruiting and mentoring the up and coming talent within the firm.

He currently sits as Chair of Birmingham Future’s Graduate Fair team whose annual fair aims to help retain the talent from the region’s top universities.

Karl George

Overall winner Karl George is not only a well sought after business consultant, trainer and accountant, he’s very much a people’s person.

Apart from being focused on his own job, Karl, 34, has spent a lot of time helping others achieve in the business world, with a special emphasis on the black community.

He is the chairman of the Afro-Caribbean Business Forum and founder of the first international chapter of The mentoring organisation 100 Black Men.

At the time of winning Karl was a director of the accountant and business consultancy Andersons KBS Ltd. Since then he has moved on and is now MD at KgISS. He has recently written his first book about achieving business success.

Gary Taylor

Overall winner Gary Taylor began his career with Ove Arup and Partners, after graduating from the University of Sheffield 13 years ago with a first class honours degree in civil and structural engineering.

After six years with the company, during which time he worked on many prestigious projects, he joined Brindleyplace developer, Argent.

Gary progressed through a series of roles prior to assuming overall responsibility for the development and management of Brindleyplace in 1998.

Last year, he joined the board and became the company’s first director to be based outside London. Gary is a firm believer that businesses should strive to make a positive impact on the community and is chairman of the Business in the Community’s Ladywood Forum.

He is also a member of the fund raising committee for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s high profile ‘Full Stop Campaign’ and on the board of the Birmingham City Centre Partnership.