On his win, Mackenzie said: "I never expect these things, of course I’m pleased but a massive shoutout to my team. They absolutely were great. Every single one of our employees were great and hopefully they will see the benefit of this award too.
"It has been a crazy two years [since joining Greene King as CEO] but I have absolutely loved it. Really enjoyed being back in the industry. I've learnt masses as a leader over the past 12 months and the industry as a whole has done an incredible job too [amid the pandemic]."
Greene King had a great night, taking the titles of Community Pub Operator of the Year and Tenanted and Leased Pub Company of the Year in addition to CEO Mackenzie scooping the Business Leader of the Year title.
Celebrating excellence
Ed Bedington, editor of The Morning Advertiser, which organises the awards, said: “This year’s event has certainly been different, going from a gathering of 1,500 in Battersea to an online ceremony in the virtual world, but the ethos remains the same – celebrating excellence and there’s plenty to celebrate.
“Many companies, having faced the challenges and disasters of 2020 could be forgiven for pulling down the shutters and sitting the crisis out. Our finalists tonight, and many others in the sector, did the exact opposite of that, rose to the challenge and did some amazing things.
“We wanted to continue with the awards this year to recognise those businesses that made sacrifices and strove to not just keep going, but to improve and thrive in the teeth of a brutal storm.
“Here’s to next year when companies can get back to doing what they do best, providing outstanding hospitality experiences for their guests.”
- Check out the full list of winners from the 2021 Publican Awards here