England Director of the Year Awards
Celebrating England’s finest leadership talent
The IoD Director of the Year Awards celebrates the achievements of outstanding business leaders in our society. Hosted once a year, awards are given to those who excel in areas such as innovation, sustainability, equity, diversity and inclusion, and more.
Open to all – whether you’re an executive, non-executive, partner or even a chief constable – we want to hear about the work you’re doing as a senior decision-maker to help build a better world through business.
Nominations and applications
6 March — 21 May 2025
Select an option below to start your own application or to nominate someone else. The IoD will contact those nominated to inform them and guide them to make an application.
Judging
6 June — 30 June 2025
Our external, dedicated panel of volunteer judges will scrupulously review each application multiple times to determine each category’s Director of the Year, along with any highly commended applicants.
Awards ceremony
14 November 2025, The Grand Hotel, Birmingham
This year the England Director of the Year Awards will be reaching its grand finale in the city of Birmingham; you’ll be able to book your tickets at the button below when sales go live, later this year.
Aspiring
This award recognises upcoming directors and entrepreneurs who are senior managers, have started to operate at director level or have set up their own business in the last three years. You should already demonstrate excellent innovation of thought, ability, ambition and vision, as well as a recognition of the importance of good corporate governance. Sponsored by Oriium.
Growth
This award recognises directors that have demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic insight and commitment, playing a pivotal role in driving the company’s expansion. The judges are looking for proven ability to guide transformative growth, foster innovation, and navigate challenges with distinction. Sponsored by Allica Bank.
Innovation
This award recognises directors that have achieved success through bringing an innovative or disruptive approach to their marketplace. These improvements may include but are not limited to improved commercial performance, operational effectiveness, and customer engagement. Sponsored by Diligent UK.
Sustainability
This award is aimed at directors who can demonstrate how they integrate the success and smooth running of their business with a strong sense of social responsibility and corporate values and is designed to recognise the most ethical, socially responsible or green business leader in the UK.
People
This award celebrates directors who play a leading role in establishing an environment where everyone – regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or cultural background or disability – can flourish and succeed at work. Sponsored by Gallup.
Turnaround
This award honours directors who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, strategic acumen, and resilience in steering a struggling business through significant challenges to achieve a successful turnaround. It celebrates individuals whose decisive actions, innovative thinking, and governance excellence have revitalised a company, securing its financial stability and paving the way for sustained growth. Sponsored by McCann Worldgroup.
Global
This award celebrates directors who have demonstrated exceptional governance and leadership in driving their England-based businesses to thrive on the international stage. The winner will exemplify excellence in fostering international trade, navigating global markets, and showcasing England’s business prowess worldwide, serving as a benchmark for innovation, resilience, and growth in the global economy. Sponsored by OnBoard.
Category sponsors
Gallup
For over 80 years, Gallup has collected and analysed data about workplaces and the employees who experience them. Our experts generate insights leaders can use to apply science-backed best practices and take action to boost performance outcomes. From strengths-based teams, employee engagement and leadership development we partner with organizations to improve every aspect of the employee experience.
Diligent
Diligent is the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, helping more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C-Suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster.
Allica Bank
Allica Bank is on a mission to give established businesses the banking they deserve. That means a current account that rewards business owners for using it, a relationship manager whose name and number they know, and powerful tools and technology that make their life easier, not harder. It’s how business banking used to be – just better.
Oriium
Oriium, part of The Iomart Group, is a leading data protection and recovery specialist – trusted by public and private sector clients to safeguard their most critical assets. As a Commvault Elite MSP Partner, Oriium provides fully managed backup, disaster recovery, and compliance solutions across complex and regulated environments – ensuring business continuity at every stage. Powering Your Future, Protecting What Matters.
OnBoard
OnBoard is the board platform that helps organisations simplify governance, accelerate decisions, and operate with confidence. Trusted by thousands of boards and committees across more than 60 countries, OnBoard provides secure, cloud-based technology built for the realities of modern governance.
McCann Worldgroup
McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global creative solutions company. The company is united across 100+ countries by a mission to build enduring brands together through the radical creativity of Truth Well Told. McCann Worldgroup was named Network for the Year by the Andys in 2024, Network of the Year by the EPICA Awards for the sixth time and ranked Most Effective Agency Network by the Global Effie Index 2023, for the fifth time.
Charity partner
The Access Project is a social mobility and education charity. Our vision is a fairer society where every young person, regardless of background, can thrive in education and unlock their potential. We support young people aged 14-18 from under-resourced backgrounds to grow their skills, succeed in school, and access top universities.
Sponsorship enquiries
For all IoD Director of the Year sponsorship opportunities, please contact our dedicated team.
FAQs
Here you’ll find many common questions about the Director of the Year Awards.
Do I have to be an IoD member to apply to the awards?
No, our awards are open to entry to both IoD members and non-members. The only exception is where a region awards a Chartered Director of the Year Award – only IoD members can be awarded this award.
I’m not a director, am I still able to apply?
Yes, so long as your role is one that makes decisions for a business at a senior level, then generally you can apply for our awards – please make sure to read the eligibility criteria for the category you’d like to apply for. Some categories are naturally aimed at non-directors i.e. Public and Third Sector, or Start-up & Young. Download eligibility criteria here.
Is there an entry fee?
No, our awards are completely free to enter, whether you apply to one category or to multiple categories.
Can I apply to multiple categories?
Yes you can, we encourage you to apply to all categories where you have exemplary achievements. However, you must only apply to one region i.e. if you work in both England and Wales, if you apply to IoD England then you are unable to apply to IoD Wales.
Can someone else fill in an application for me on my behalf?
Yes, it’s fine for someone else i.e. an assistant, to fill in an application on your behalf, but we would ask that they use first person to respond to questions and be clear who the nominee for the award is.
How are the awards judged?
Each region employs an impartial panel of judges – made up of previous awards winners, IoD Fellows and exceptional members of the business community – to judge all applications multiple times, once the application period has closed. Our judges follow a clear set of criteria to complete judging and finalists for each category are chosen based on the highest percentage of scorers.
Do I apply on behalf of my company?
Our Director of the Year Awards look to celebrate your personal achievements – while we recognise that many achievements are made through teamwork and the support of your colleagues and employees, we want to hear about your efforts in making it happen.
In your application you will be asked to list your company name and this information will be used in press releases; where you have ties to multiple companies, we recommend listing the name of the company which supports the evidence you give in your application best.
Why can't I apply for the 'Chair's Award for Excellence' category?
This award is the highest accolade in the Director of the Year Awards, recognising the personal imprint of the UK’s most high-profile leaders on the culture and success of their organisations through outstanding professionalism and the implementation of best practice in governance and leadership. Winners will be selected by our national or regional IoD Chair.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our team on [email protected].
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