Barrie Stephen, founder and director of the Barrie Stephen Hair Group and Patron of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, has been named as a finalist for the prestigious Director of the Year – Small Medium Business award at the 2019 East Midlands Institute of Directors Awards.
The award-winning salon owner, one of Leicestershire’s most recognised hairdressers, has been shortlisted by an independent panel of judges for the Institute of Directors annual search to find the top business leaders within the East Midlands.
The Director of the Year – Small Medium Business award is designed to celebrate those directors working in a business that employs under 250 employees, has an annual turnover of less than £50 million and shows outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in the enterprise, as well as sound management practices.
Barrie Stephen established his first salon in Leicester back in 1996 with help from an interest-free loan provided by The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity – and the Barrie Stephen Hair Group now employs more than 60 individuals across its four salons in Leicester, Ashby and Narborough.
Commenting on the announcement, Barrie Stephen said: “It is an honour to be recognised by the Institute of Directors for the work we do across all of our salons. We always aim to deliver the best service possible for all of our customers by making sure that we are constantly changing and adapting to the environment in which we work.
“To be acknowledged for this work is extremely humbling and motivating and I am looking forward to the event and meeting many other like-minded business leaders from across the East Midlands.”
The East Midlands Director of the Year Awards will take place on Thursday June 20 at Winstanley House, Leicester and will be hosted by BBC East Midlands Today presenter Anne Davies.