TEES TECH AWARDS 2021
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY PUNCH ROBSON SOLICITORS
FINALIST
Winner – Business Leader of the Year Bob Makin , pictured with Elaine McLaine- Wood of sponsor Punch Robson , said he couldn ’ t have won without his team .
WINNER
BOB MAKIN ( SockMonkey Studios )
Managing director of award-winning Middlesbrough-based video games developer SockMonkey Studios , Bob is a visionary who has put the Tees Valley on the map for digital entertainment .
Leading his company to 10 years of sustained growth , Bob has secured contracts with companies such as SEGA and Disney and has grown his team from two to 34 , with ambitions to employ 60 by the end of 2022 and 100 in the next five years .
Representing the Tees digital sector on a number of regional , national and international platforms , Bob supports his team , students and graduates and encourages others to start their own digital businesses .
But his own firm ’ s results are startling , with 2021 set to be its biggest-ever year and a host of contracts with big players either signed or on the verge of being signed .
High-profile successes have included Kill It With Fire for TinyBuild and Totally Accurate Battlegrounds for Swedish studio Landfall .
Bob said : “ I was shocked to win , especially up against such stellar competition .
“ Every year we ’ ve doubled or trebled our turnover , but that ’ s because of our really talented team . We have some incredibly talented Teesside University graduates and fantastic people with vast experience in the games industry .
“ We ’ ve never had people leave , so we ’ ve been able to grow slowly but surely . They have kept their jobs , even when there ’ ve been bumps , and we ’ ve kept their talent .
“ It ’ s a lovely award to win , but I wouldn ’ t be here without the team .”
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
Managing partner of Punch Robson , Elaine McLaine-Wood , said : “ In 2019 Punch Robson agreed to sponsor the first Tees Tech Awards before Covid , and despite it being “ virtual ” in 2020 , we very much wanted to be a part of the live awards for 2021 – and this is something we will continue to do . Being sponsors of the Business Leader of Year is a huge award , especially in the tech sector , which has historically lacked the recognition it deserves . As a firm that represents many tech businesses in and outside of Teesside , it is great to see many businesses doing so well and obtaining well-deserved credit , putting Teesside very much on the map with our amazing talent .”
TOM HOWSAM
( Paid ) Founder and business leader at Darlingtonbased Paid , a fintech start-up focusing on decreasing the pay cycle for contractors and suppliers , helping individuals get paid quicker and securing on-time payment for services , Tom has an excellent reputation in industry .
A member of the Tees tech scene since its inception , he has created some exceptional businesses , contributed to the growth of the sector and its image and is truly invested in the area .
Tom builds on each success and reinvests his time and money to grow new companies and employment opportunities in the region .
He helps organisations achieve their goals , while also being a perfect example of what a Tees business leader should be .
FINALIST
RICHARD BENDELOW
( Aero Commerce ) At the forefront of tech in the Tees region for more than 20 years , Richard is CEO of Middlesbrough-based Aero Commerce , chief operating officer of Techquity and one of the original founders of Visualsoft .
With a broad knowledge , a strong network , a background of success and an appetite for entrepreneurship that has resulted in the creation of jobs , Richard possesses the very best attributes of a CEO .
With the pandemic bringing a rapid move to online sales , Richard engaged with the local cluster and offered his ecommerce platform to all who could benefit from it , not only increasing sales for agencies but moving Tees Valley-based businesses online .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 37