The voice of business in the Tees region | 27
THEY ARE
THE BUSINESS
Revealed: results of our annual poll on
Tees region’s most inspiring business leaders
The results are in from our
annual poll that always
creates a stir among the
thriving Tees business
scene – and we have a
second-time winner!
We asked Tees business
leaders to vote for their
counterparts who most
inspire them. Votes were
received for around 80
different businesspeople,
all inspirational in their own
way.
And after our campaign to
celebrate the achievements
of local businesswomen,
we couldn’t be prouder to
see three women in our top
10, nine in the top 20 and
12 in the top 30. Two years
ago only three made the
top 30.
1st
H
(Last year 1st)
Ben HOUCHEN
Tees Valley Mayor
aving narrowly pipped Bill Scott to top
spot in 2018, this time the Tees Valley
mayor romped home by amassing
more votes than his second and third-placed
rivals combined.
Twelve months ago we mused that
perhaps the biggest driver in Ben topping
our poll was that he had connected with
the Tees region’s business leaders in a way
that no other politician had previously even
attempted.
That remains key in 2019 but there’s
little doubt his headline achievement over
the past year was successfully fulfilling his
election promise to bring the region’s airport
back into public ownership.
A surprise Tory winner in the race to
become the first Tees Valley mayor and,
as such, chair of the Tees Valley Combined
Authority, he has committed publicly to a
long-term plan for the creation of 25,000
new jobs by 2026.
There remains, however, much work to
be done if he is to deliver on his belief that
the South Tees Development Corporation
site on the former SSI steelworks, near
Redcar, can attract thousands of jobs and
billions of pounds of investment. 2020 will
bring what may prove to be his biggest
challenge yet – attempting to be re-elected.