MOST INSPIRING BUSINESS LEADERS
The results are in from our seventh annual poll on the region ’ s Most Inspiring Business Leaders – and this year ’ s winner is the first adopted Teessider to top the vote ...
We asked more than 200 Tees business leaders to vote for their counterparts who most inspire them . Votes poured in , with dozens of different businesspeople receiving support .
After their previous dominance , for a second successive year we did not allow votes for the region ’ s two popular local mayors , Ben Houchen and Andy Preston .
With Houchen and Preston – 1st and 2nd in 2020 – ruled out , the past 12 months also saw the passing of last year ’ s winner , Teesside University powerhouse and Power of Women driving force Professor Jane Turner OBE DL , the first woman to top the poll .
The increasing influence of the Power of Women campaign – together with our own Tees Businesswomen Awards – on the profile of leading female business leaders , ensured a continued strong representation of women in the top 30 .
1st ( 2nd last year ) Frans Calje
PD Ports , Middlesbrough
Having taken second place behind the late Professor Jane Turner last year , Dutchman Frans becomes the first adopted Teessider and first non-Brit to top our annual poll .
Charismatic , amiable and self-effacing , Frans has for the past five years been CEO of Middlesbrough-headquartered PD Ports , the statutory harbour authority for the River Tees .
After starting his career in Rotterdam and gaining experience in Europe and the USA before moving to Teesside , Frans has been instrumental in establishing Teesport as the UK ’ s fifth-largest maritime complex , handling more than 28m tonnes of cargo per annum and contributing in excess of £ 1.4bn to the UK economy . He was also a leading champion in the successful campaign to bring a freeport to the region .
See feature on page 23 .
2nd ( 4th ) Bill Scott OBE
Wilton Universal Group , Port Clarence The winner in 2017 , Bill has never finished outside the top four in the seven years of our poll . He is a well-known and popular voice when it comes to talking up Teesside and has an open policy of subcontracting the vast majority of work to other Tees firms .
Born in a terraced house in central Middlesbrough , he began his career as an apprentice plater , was in charge of a team of men by the age of 19 and founded Wilton Engineering with business partner Steve Glenn 28 years ago , enjoying successes within the offshore energy supply chain , initially in the oil and gas sector and later offshore wind .
The hugely respected CEO of Wilton Universal , situated alongside the Transporter in Port Clarence , Bill has proved to be a master of reinvention , riding out several wide-scale slumps to always bounce back . Now Wilton is thriving again , employing around 250 staff as a key supplier to the defence sector .
The work is all hush-hush , so we can ’ t tell you more , but they have recently bought Haverton Hill Shipyard to extend the firm ’ s base to 112 acres .
3rd ( 3rd ) Sharon Lane
Tees Components , North Skelton The 2019 Tees Businesswoman of the Year , Sharon was the highest-ranked woman in the first two years of this poll in 2016 and 2017 – and returns to the pedestal this time around . Sharon is a rare breed – the female managing director of a heavy engineering company . She joined her parents ’ East Cleveland-based family firm in 2004 and later recalled : “ When you work for your family company , you worry about people saying , ‘ She ’ s only there because she ’ s their daughter ’.”
Wanting to prove she could stand on her own two feet , she left to make her way with another firm , studied for an MBA and returned at the age of 26 .
Operating in the rail , energy , water and defence sectors , Tees Components avoided making any redundancies to its 60-strong team despite significant challenges during the pandemic and , with Sharon at the helm , is now hitting top gear once again .
4th ( 6th ) Gary Dawson
AV Dawson , Middlesbrough He stays resolutely out of the limelight , but Gary has been the spearhead of family-run freight logistics giant AV Dawson since succeeding his popular father , Maurice , as
managing director in 2000 . The firm runs the impressive Port of Middlesbrough on the River Tees , boasts one of the largest independent rail terminals in the north and is the main distribution hub for the supply of steel coils into Nissan ’ s Sunderland factory .
5th ( 14th ) Karl Pemberton
Active Chartered Financial Planners , Stockton Appearing in the top five for the first time , Karl is not only managing partner for Active , Teesside ’ s largest financial firm , but is also a long-time trustee of the Teesside Charity ( formerly the Philanthropic Foundation ) and the first president of the Tees Valley branch of the Institute of Directors .
The past 12 months has also seen Karl overcome a sudden health scare , during which time he had to temporarily step back from his hectic schedule , but he is now heading back up to speed .
6th ( 12th ) Catherine Devereux
The Russ Devereux Headlight Project , Stockton Climbing to her highest position yet , Catherine ’ s position again reflects the admiration she attracts from across all sectors for her stoic and inspiring response to the loss of her much-loved
The voice of business in the Tees region | 19