Business

University dean is accorded lifetime achievement award

Martin Agnew, managing director of Henderson Group, receives the Company of The Year Award from Keith Liggett of category sponsor Legacy Wealth. Included are Brenda Buckley of Business Eye and Flybe cabin crew Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd. Picture: Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Martin Agnew, managing director of Henderson Group, receives the Company of The Year Award from Keith Liggett of category sponsor Legacy Wealth. Included are Brenda Buckley of Business Eye and Flybe cabin crew Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd. Picture: Kelvin Martin Agnew, managing director of Henderson Group, receives the Company of The Year Award from Keith Liggett of category sponsor Legacy Wealth. Included are Brenda Buckley of Business Eye and Flybe cabin crew Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd. Picture: Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

ONE of the north's largest employers, Henderson Group, was named as company of the year at the 2015 UTV Business Eye Awards while Mark Regan, chief executive of Kingsbridge Private Hospital, was named business personality of the year.

And Professor Marie McHugh, the long-serving Dean of the Ulster University Business School, which has just celebrated its 40th anniversary, was accorded the lifetime achievement gong in the Flybe-sponsored awards initiative at the Culloden, attended by more than 480 guests.

Other key winners on a glittering night of awards and entertainment included Connaire McGreevy of both CTS Projects Ltd & Mourne Mountains Brewery, who won young business personality of the year, and fast-growing Belfast company M&M Contractors, which was named as the SME of the year.

The employer of the year title went to the Action Cancer charity, BA Components of Cookstown lifted the international award while Staffline Group was named as fast growth company.

“We're delighted to be the main sponsor of these awards which have established themselves among the premier awards for business in Northern Ireland over the past five years,” said Andrea Hayes, Flybe's UK general manager.

“Flybe is firmly committed to serving the Northern Ireland marketplace with a comprehensive route network out of George Best Belfast City Airport, and to serving an increasing number of business passengers on those routes.”

Michael Wilson, managing director of UTV Television, said: "We've supported these awards since their inception nine years ago, and once again businesses across Northern Ireland have showcased their innovation, strengths and credibility not only at a local level but as international players also.

“UTV strives to give the business sector the voice and strong platform to not only bring about change and investment where needed, but to recognise and celebrate all that has been achieved by the Northern Ireland business community over the last year.”

The UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe were televised for the first time this year and a special programme on the awards will be shown next Sunday at 10.50pm.