Top operations managers announced at ALMR awards ceremony

23-Dec-2013 - Last updated on 23-Dec-2013 at 08:50 GMT

Will Fotheringham of JD Wetherspoon and Barrie Robinson of Greene King Pub Partners have been named Area Manager and Business Development Manager of the Year respectively in the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) Operations Managers Awards, 2013.

A third award, 'Rising Star', was made to Helen McKenna of Enterprise Inns in recognition of the excellent potential she has displayed throughout the competition.

Nick Bish, of the ALMR, announced the winners yesterday in front an audience of more than 1,200 ALMR members, their guests and senior industry executives at the at the Association’s Christmas Lunch at Old Billingsgate Market, London.

The two winners impressed the judges with their enthusiasm and passion for the licensed retail sector which, coupled with their wealth of experience and depth of knowledge, proved them to be worthy winners of these prestigious awards.

Standard of entries 'exceptional'

“Every year, the standard of entries is exceptional and the judging process becomes tougher as the quality of finalists and winners gets higher,” Bish said: “This year’s entrants confirmed this and the judges reported the highest ever standard of entry papers.

Steve Richards, Chairman of the ALMR, presenting the winners' trophies said: “Ops managers make a crucial difference for the reputation and performance of our industry; we can’t afford mediocre people in that role - we must have the best, and the Ops Awards plays a great part in achieving that result."

Bish added: “The Operations Managers Awards reveal and celebrate the best in class, but we do need to build performance at the lower levels and that is why I urge the industry to look even more closely at how we can define the role of the ops managers (managed or leased), refine the skills of those doing the job and offer more clearly some stepping stones of recognition to those engaged in this wonderful challenging business."

Patrons of the Awards

The ALMR is very grateful to the sponsors, the Patrons of the Awards whose generous financial support makes this competition possible. They are: