TEES TECH AWARDS 2024
TECH BUSINESS LEADER
SPONSORED BY PUNCH ROBSON SOLICITORS
FINALIST
CHLOË CLOVER ( WANDER FILMS )
Winner – Fitfactory Technology ’ s Jason Pritchard receives the Business Leader of the Year award from Elaine McLaine-Wood of category sponsor Punch Robson Solicitors .
WINNER
JASON PRITCHARD
( FITFACTORY TECHNOLOGY )
From sleeping on a park bench , unsure of what his future held , to being named the Tees Tech Awards Business Leader of the Year – it ’ s been quite the journey for Jason Pritchard .
And a night that started with Jason telling his story to 260 guests ended with him picking up one of the event ’ s most coveted awards .
The CEO of Stockton-based software solutions firm Fitfactory – last year ’ s Tees Tech Awards Company of the Year – Jason ’ s story , which he recalled to guests during a speech as the night ’ s headline sponsor , is inspirational .
Jason left Darlington ’ s Haughton School with no GCSEs , had a family fall-out and , aged 17 , ended up sleeping on a park bench “ for a month or two ”.
Proudly clutching his Business Leader of the Year trophy , sponsored by Punch Robson Solicitors , he told Tees Business : “ It was difficult – and it was cold !
“ Then I started to deliver charity bags at 5am – but I knew I needed to do something better .
“ I found an internal drive , a drive to say , ‘ I need to do better and I can do better – I ’ m dyslexic , I ’ ve got no GCSEs but I ’ m not stupid ’.
“ How do you turn that into something that can be of value ? I struggled at school because teachers didn ’ t know how to handle me and I left school not knowing what I wanted to do .
“ I knew I needed to do something more , so I set myself some targets . As soon as those targets were in my mind , it was , ‘ Right , let ’ s get going ’ – and I ’ ve never looked back .”
Those targets – to become a director by the time he was 30 and be running a business by the time he was 40 – have been met . And for 36-year-old Jason , there are plans for much more . He said : “ Next on my list is to be able to give back to the community who supported me and to be able to help those who struggle when they leave school , not knowing what they ’ re able to do .
“ I ’ m over the moon to win this but it feels a bit weird , because we are a team .”
SPONSOR ’ S REFLECTIONS :
Elaine McLaine Wood , managing partner , Punch Robson Solicitors “ We ’ ve supported the Business Leader of the Year award since its inception and it ’ s great to recognise the individual talent from companies and businesses because it ’ s important for Teesside . This year was incredibly tough – I couldn ’ t call it – but Jason ’ s a worthy winner . And it ’ s a fabulous event – it ’ s always a key date in the diary .”
Clover , as she ’ s widely known , is the cofounder and CEO of multi-award-winning agency Wander , a “ personality first , boundarybreaking ” content agency that aims to disrupt the way businesses market themselves online .
Working with “ the biggest brands on the planet ”, Wander crafts next-level campaigns and has been creating consistent and engaging content since 2018 . Clover has appeared in the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list , highlighting her as a trailblazer and new world entrepreneur . She was also named Emerging Talent at the Entrepreneurs Forum Awards and Businesswoman of the Year at the Tees Businesswomen Awards .
FINALIST
ROSS COULMAN ( IAMTECH )
MD Ross leads a globally recognised industrial software company serving diverse sectors such as oil and gas , chemicals and power .
His hands-on approach to digital transformation and employee development , coupled with a strong focus on community engagement and philanthropy , highlights a leadership style that values both technological advancement and human-centric values , epitomising visionary leadership , marked by strategic innovation , global expansion and a deep commitment to nurturing talent and societal well-being .
Ross fosters a culture of innovation , collaboration and continuous improvement at Stockton-based IAMTech , while his commitment to employee development , community engagement and philanthropy showcases a leadership style that extends beyond business success .
WINNERS ’ ROLL CALL : 2020 : Lee Hutchinson ( Double Eleven ) 2021 : Bob Makin ( SockMonkey Studios ) 2022 : Malcolm Knott ( ITS ) 2023 : Rich Himsworth ( Salesfire UK )
The voice of business in the Tees region | 145