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Search for Business Executive of the Year 2016

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The search is under way to find the Business Executive of the Year for 2016.

The Business Executive of the Year will be chosen from the winners of three other categories – Small, Medium and Large Business Executives of the Year.

The awards, held by the Leicester Mercury in association with the University of Leicester, aim to celebrate the business people who have seen great success with their firms throughout the year.

Other categories include Non-Executive of the Year, Young Business Executive of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Last year, Priyesh Patel, of Leicester-based Cofresh, won the Medium Business Executive award and was named the overall Business Executive of the Year.

Mr Patel, managing director of the UK’s top Asian snack company, was crowed the winner after a successful year.

This included milestones such as increasing turnover by nearly £3 million in the 12 months to December 2014 compared to the previous year, moving into new premises in Menzies Road, Leicester, and announcing plans to crack the Indian market.
At the time, Priyesh – known as Pete – said: “Accepting both awards, one has to appreciate that these awards are only achievable with the right people around you.

“That includes support from my wife and uncles and key management and everybody on the packing lines.

“Everybody puts in 100 per cent and the passion they have for the business is reflected in everything we do.

“The true inspirations are my father Dinesh who started the business and my mother Savita.

“The business has picked up many awards and my father has also picked up awards, but this is the first time I have picked up an executive award.”

The winners for this year’s event will be announced at a glamorous black tie event on Thursday, November 3 at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.

The other winners at last year’s event included Bob Woods, chairman of Enderby-based wealth management company Mattioli Woods (Lifetime Achievement), Andy Cliffe, of East Midlands Airport (Large Business Executive), Geoff Rowe, of Big Difference Company (Small Business Executive) and Will Prentice, of Elite Scooters (Young Business Executive).

The nominees for the Business Executive of the Year Awards are compiled by the Leicester Mercury business team and the judges.

The judging panel consists of Stephen Gould, from Everards Brewery, Eileen Richards, who runs Eileen Richards Recruitment, Alastair Cunningham, East Midlands agent for the Bank of England, Chris Darlington, partner at Mazars, Chris Shaw and Anjuu Trevedi, of the University of Leicester, KPMG East Midlands senior partner Ian Borley, Mike Kapur of Signum Corporate Communications, Mike Waterfield, director of Torr Waterfield, Dr Nik Kotecha, chief executive of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Tim Horrocks, head of the Quilter Cheviot Leicester office, Tim Maxted, chairman and chief executive of Berkeley Insurance, Emma Knight, of East Midlands Trains, Mercury publisher David Simms and business editor Tom Pegden.

The judges will also be joined by representatives from the following sponsors to help them in making their decisions: AON and Handlesbanken.

The University of Leicester is the headline sponsor for the awards.

A University of Leicester spokeswoman said: “This is the university’s fifth year of sponsoring the awards, which we choose to do primarily because we want to support businesses and the local area by recognising, applauding and celebrating the excellent work undertaken by leading business executives.

“It is important that we recognise and celebrate the dedication, passion and innovation that local business leaders bring to their roles, as these are essential ingredients to the success and growth of their own businesses, the Leicestershire economy and the many people they employ.

“Secondly, the university wishes to engage and build mutually beneficial long-term working relationships with innovative executives and their businesses from Leicester and Leicestershire.

“By sponsoring the Business Executive of the Year Awards, the university is able to identify successful executives and their great businesses.

“We have established a number of industry facing initiatives to enable us to work with local businesses such as the ASDEC

(Advanced Structural Dynamics Evaluation Centre), the UK’s first commercial 3D (non-contact) measurement and modal analysis centre offering specialist structural dynamics expertise based at HORIBA MIRA near Hinckley, and the Leicester Innovation Hub, a dedicated space where companies can meet and work with our research scientists.”

– IFrodsham

Could you see yourself with the ‘Business Executive of the Year’ title? If the answer is yes then check out our latest Business Development Executive role!

IT Infrastructure Worldwide Growth

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Spending on IT Infrastructure by Cloud Environments in 2016 Will Be Strong Despite First Quarter Slowdown, According to IDC

According to the latest forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Cloud IT Infrastructure Tracker, total spending on IT infrastructure products (server, enterprise storage, and Ethernet switches) for deployment in cloud environments will increase by 15.5% in 2016 to reach $37.1 billion. This amount excludes double counting between storage and servers. In comparison, spending on enterprise IT infrastructure deployed in traditional, non-cloud, environments will decline by 4.4% in 2016, but will still account for the largest share, 63.4%, of end user spending. Spending on private cloud IT infrastructure will grow by 10.3% year over year to $13.8 billion with more than 60% of this amount contributed by on-premises private cloud environments. Spending on public cloud IT infrastructure will increase by 18.8% in 2016 to $23.3 billion.

All regions are expected to increase spending on cloud IT infrastructure in 2016 with investments in public cloud growing at a faster rate than investments in private cloud IT infrastructure. For cloud environments combined, spending on Ethernet switches will be growing at the highest rate, 39.5%, while spending on server and storage will grow at 11.4% and 14.2%, respectively.

For the long-term forecast, IDC expects that spending on IT infrastructure for cloud environments will grow at a 13.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $59.5 billion in 2020. This will represent 48.7% of the total spending on enterprise IT infrastructure. Spending on non-cloud IT infrastructure will decline at 1.4% CAGR during the same period. Within the cloud segment, spending on public and private will grow at 18.8% and 10.3% CAGR respectively. In 2020, IDC expects public cloud service providers (CSPs) will spend $38.4 billion for delivering services, while spending on private cloud will reach $21.1 billion.

“Despite weakness in hyperscale CSP demand for IT infrastructure products in the first quarter, we expect spending on public cloud to increase in the second half of the year,” said Natalya Yezhkova, research director, Storage Systems. “Overall, we will continue to see steady growth in demand for public cloud services and, as a result, underlying spending on IT infrastructure by CSPs. The economic and financial volatility we see in some regions will push demand further as increasing sophistication of public cloud offerings allows organizations to fulfill their needs across a growing variety of IT domains while OPEX-oriented pricing models provide some relief to tightening IT budgets.”

– Business Wire

If you are interested in careers involving IT Infrastructure and Business Development, be sure to check out our most recent job role here!

Microsoft Ahead in Cloud Computing for the Enterprise

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Microsoft leads the way in Cloud Computing for the Enterprise

Almost three quarters (74%) of global organizations across a range of industries are planning to move even more of their systems to the public cloud, according to new studies. Public cloud refers to cloud computing that allows companies to build, operate, and store software and data in off-site, third-party data centers.

The study, which included survey responses from mostly decision makers, found that a plurality of businesses are looking at employing Microsoft Azure rather than going with public cloud market leader, AWS.

  • 34% of respondents indicated that they would employ Microsoft Azure for their cloud solutions.
  • 24% of respondents noted their intention to use VMware.
  • 22% of respondents said their company would pursue AWS for their cloud operations.

Microsoft Azure’s popularity is likely due to Microsoft’s brand recognition as an enterprise software company, as well as its more robust hybrid cloud offerings.

  • Microsoft is one of the only cloud vendors that offers true, end-to-end, hybrid cloud options, managing both public and private cloud aspects, notes Tech Republic. And while both Google and AWS offer hybrid cloud solutions, they often outsource their private cloud segment to third parties.
  • Microsoft is well known among businesses as a software provider due to the substantial adoption of its suite of productivity offerings, such as Office 365. As the use of cloud becomes normalized, this exposure within the enterprise is likely to help it close the gap with AWS within the broader market.

Still, for many larger legacy companies, the public cloud is still relatively new territory. Concern over data security, largely wrought from a lack of information, means that many organizations are employing hybrid cloud strategies, rather than moving all of their data across to the public cloud. 93% of respondents said that if security were better they would invest even more in cloud solutions.

-BI Intelligence

If you are interested in Cloud Computing and Enterprise then make sure you check out our latest related jobs here!

Shropshire jobs will be created as Blueprints are being drawn up

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Shropshire jobs will be created as three major development sites are the subject of discussions.

Shropshire Council has confirmed it is talking to the owners of Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury, Clive Barracks at Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, and Ironbridge Power Station in an effort to ensure any development of the sites is “sustainable”. This development will create many Shropshire Jobs should the plans go ahead.

Councillor Malcolm Price, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member responsible for planning, said the developments should include employment and potentially community facilities rather than just housing.

“The council will put the plans together in conjunction with the owners responsible for the sites. We want to maximise the use of these sites.

“The easy avenue for those sites would be just to go for housing, which is not appropriate.

Both Clive and Copthorne Barracks are owned by the Ministry of Defence.

The Tern Hill site is being sold as part of an MoD drive to generate more money, and help the Government provide land for 7,000 homes. It has been anticipated that up to 600 homes could be built at the site, which is currently home to the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment.

The Copthorne site was marketed for sale as a mixed use site last year, but despite several offers the Ministry of Defence decided to take it off the market to develop an outline planning application.

Once that is complete the MoD says it will be offered for sale.

Ironbridge Power Station is owned by energy firm E.ON and ceased production in November after 46 years.

Councillor Price said that comprehensive plans for the future of the sites are essential.

He said: “They will be more sustainable if it is a mixture use site and particularly containing employment.

“We have a lot of housing being built in the county and we need more employment sites which in turn will create more Jobs in Shropshire.

“None of this will be done overnight, we are talking a number of years but we need to start planning for the future and it is an ideal opportunity.”

The cabinet member said the authority would also be looking at the development of other sites across the country to learn about schemes that have been successful.

He said: “It may be with the former military sites there are others around the country where there is some best practice and we can look at whet they are doing and what has worked well.”

“We have a lot of housing being built in the county and we need more employment sites.

“None of this will be done overnight, we are talking a number of years but we need to start planning for the future and it is an ideal opportunity.”

The cabinet member said the authority would also be looking at the development of other sites across the country to learn about schemes that have been successful.

He said: “It may be with the former military sites there are others around the country where there is some best practice and we can look at whet they are doing and what has worked well.”

A spokesman for the MoD confirmed that discussions are taking place on the future development of the sites.

Speaking about its Copthorne site, Emma Sloper of the MoD said: “The MoD is working with its agents JLL to consider submitting an outline planning application to Shropshire Council for re-development of the site. It will then be marketed later this year or early in 2017.”

On the subject of the Clive Barracks, she said: “The MoD will work closely with the local authority and other interested parties

Roxanne Postle, a spokesman for Uniper which is in charge of Ironbridge Power Station, also confirmed the company is in the process of looking at the potential future uses of the site.

She said: “Our current focus is on the decommissioning phase at Ironbridge Power Station which is due to run until 2017.

“We are beginning the process of exploring future options for the site. These are early stage considerations and further details regarding the future use of the Ironbridge site will be given as appropriate.”

The Ministry of Defence revealed it would sell Copthorne Barracks in 2014 after large areas had been left surplus to requirements following the departure of the 143 Brigade.

When Copthorne Barracks was initially marketed it was advertised as 16 hectares, including a range of buildings, living accommodation, and sports facilities – including sports pitches and tennis courts.

The barracks were built between 1877 and 1881 and initially included a hospital.

It was originally the depot of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.

Construction work on Ironbridge Power Station began in 1962.

The plant was originally designed to run on coal and at full capacity was capable of generating up to 1000MW from two 500MW units.

It was later converted to biomass and the electrical output was reduced to 740MW. But only one of the two units had been operational following a fire in 2014 and capacity was further reduced to 370MW.

There were 130 workers on site when the plant closed last November. A small team of 14 was to be kept on after the shutdown to oversee a 15-month period of the decommissioning of the plant.

The closure of the power station was required by the EU’s Large Combustion Plant Directive.

Shropshire jobs

Clive Barracks in Tern Hill is currently home to the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, but the base is expected to be sold by 2020.

The 1st Battalion, which has been based at the barracks near Market Drayton since 2007, will be forced to move to an as yet unknown location – putting its future in Shropshire in doubt.

The MoD is releasing 10 sites across the country as part of a bid to increase the efficiency of the defence department’s estate, and as a contribution to the Government’s target of releasing enough public sector land for 160,000 homes by 2020.

It is hoped the sales will generate a total of £140 million, which the Government says will be invested into the defence budget.

Announcing the sale, Defence Minister Mark Lancaster said: “Every pound we make by disposing of excess land will be reinvested into a defence budget that keeps Britain safe.

“It will make the defence estate more efficient and better suited to the needs of our armed forces. it will help thousands of people to own their own home.”

  • Shropshirestar

Software Development could be the perfect job for you – Find out why?

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Software Development could be the perfect job for you!

Have you ever thought that Software Development could be the perfect job for you? Software developers design, build and test computer systems that help organisations and equipment to work more effectively. Examples of work of software development include information databases, programs that control robotic systems, and cloud and mobile applications.

If you are keen on computing, can pay close attention to detail and enjoy solving problems, software development could be the ideal job for you.

Employers look for other personal attributes and skills, beyond academic credentials, when assessing candidates’ suitability, for instance creativity, a collaborative approach and an entrepreneurial spirit are as important as aptitude and experience.

So to help present the skills needed for software development in a different light, here are 10 signs coding could be right for you; signs that aren’t always accounted for in academic tests.

  1. You’re a problem-solving pro

Lots of people will simply tolerate problems without looking for a proactive way to solve them, particularly if tolerating the problem is easier. If you don’t take this approach, but actually enjoy the challenge of solving problems of all kinds, then that’s a great sign that you could be suited to software development. If, in your desire to solve problems, you also take into account realistic constraints – such as timeframes and budgets – then this could be a real asset in your search for a career.

  1. You have a passion for strategy games

Yes, it can be true that gaming is good for you, particularly where strategy games are concerned. These help hone your ability to make decisions based on a number of relevant factors, taking into account both short and long-term consequences. As well as computer games, those who enjoy offline games like chess, bridge or risk, could also have an underlying aptitude for programming.

  1. You have a musical mind

While the evidence for the correlation between music and maths is still in debate, it seems commonplace for those with musical talent to have mathematical abilities too. You often find some IT buffs and coders have additional interests such as composing music, singing, or playing an instrument.

  1. You have a talent for winning arguments

No, we’re not talking about full-blown shouting matches. But if your logical approach to arguing your points in a structured way means that you frequently win over your opponents, this could be a sign that you have the systematic thinking needed for software development.

  1. You love making things

You can get the same sense of satisfaction from making something in the virtual world as you can in the physical world. Indeed, in the digital world, you aren’t constrained by practicalities like materials and space, so imagination is your only limit. Having a natural curiosity for how things work, and how to make them work better, is a good indication of a nascent software developer.

  1. You’re a people person

Contrary to the stereotype of the IT team hidden away from the rest of the company, working as a developer can actually involve a great deal of interaction with others across the business. This means that an enjoyment of communicating and an ability to explain things in a way that is easily understood by others are both really important.

  1. You’d like to know more about the theory of computer science

While you may not have digested the full history of computer science, an interest in the theory behind software engineering is an important aspect of a coder’s skillset. You don’t want to spend your time re-inventing the wheel, so being interested in what others have discovered, and being prepared to build on those foundations, will fast-track your potential achievements.

  1. You’re a team player

Coding itself is a very collaborative process; continuously reviewing and redefining code with others helps you to shake out bugs, makes your work more likely to meet users’ needs and is one of the best ways to learn. Developers therefore need to enjoy working together and should be prepared to study, critique and improve one another’s work.

  1. You are intrinsically motivated

Putting some amateur psychology to use, it seems to be true that the best developers are intrinsically motivated. This means they take their reward and motivation from the process of finding a solution to a problem, or creating something innovative in itself. In other words, developers often do what they do for the love of doing it, rather than just being paid to do it.

  1. You love technology

This is fairly obvious, but it is worth re-iterating that if you want to work in software engineering, you need to have an appreciation for the amazing possibilities that technology brings to the world. Being interested in how you can harness the potential of technology, for whichever company you want to work in, will definitely stand you in good stead, and is a sure sign you are on the right career track for success in coding.

Job opportunities for software engineers are expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of computer software developers is expected to increase by 30% percent from 2016 to 2020. The demand for software engineers is increasing because of the Internet’s expansion and the growing complexity of data-processing systems used in business, telecommunications, healthcare, and government.

So what do you do now?

Check out your local Colleges, Universities or online courses to find out how to get started in software development. Further information can be found below.

e-skills UK 
1 Castle Lane
London
SW1E 6DR
www.e-skills.com

British Computer Society 
1 Sanford Street
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN1 1HJ
www.bcs.org.uk

Institute for the Management of Information Systems
5 Kingfisher House
New Mill Road
Orpington
Kent
BR5 3QG
Tel: 0700 002 3456
www.imis.org.uk

Institution of Analysts and Programmers
Charles House
36 Culmington Road
London
W13 9NH
Tel: 020 8567 2118
www.iap.org.uk

Skills Framework for the Information Age 
www.sfia.org.uk

Microsoft UK
www.microsoft.com/uk

Sun Microsystems
www.uk.sun.com

Oracle 
www.oracle.com

Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
www.ciwcertified.com

Developer.com 
www.developer.com

Or you can contact us to have a chat about your options and jobs available in your area, get it touch now we would love to here from you: Contact Us

 

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