MITIE CEO named National Business Awards ‘Leader of the Year’

Ruby McGregor-Smith, Chief Executive for MITIE and Orange Business Leader of the Year 2011
Ruby McGregor-Smith, Chief Executive for MITIE and Orange Business Leader of the Year 2011

MITIE is delighted to announce its chief executive Ruby McGregor-Smith was named Orange Leader of the Year last night at the restigious National Business Awards in partnership with Orange.

McGregor-Smith was honoured with the evening?s highest accolade for her outstanding achievement and effective leadership, growing a successful FTSE 250 company and nurturing a dedicated and engaged workforce.

The Judging Panel for the Orange Leader of the Year award said: “Ruby has grown MITIE from half a billion in revenues to nearly £2billion, tripled her employee base to over 62,000 people, and transformed the business into one of the largest integrated facilities management providers in the UK.

“Ruby has nurtured the entrepreneurialism at the core of this growing business and developed its ‘can do’ culture.”

Accepting the award Ruby McGregor-Smith said: “This is a tremendous honour and I am pleased to share this award with all of MITIE?s people, who inspire and support me every day to make our company more successful.

“I am humbled to be in the company of the other four finalists and to have been selected.”

Led by Ruby McGregor-Smith, in 2011 MITIE has:

  • Reported profits in excess of £100m for the first time in its history
  • Launched an ‘Entrepreneurial Programme’, with a £10m fund to back management teams with innovative ideas for starting mutually owned businesses in the UK
  • Mobilised its first pan-European integrated facilities and energy management contract
  • Further developed its sustainability agenda with the introduction of Diversity Week and a twice-yearly Employee Forum to create a supportive and inclusive environment for its staff, especially for women and ethnic minorities

The only award to be voted for by the business community, finalists for the Orange Leader of the Year included Julian Dunkerton of SuperGroup, Dr Mike Lynch of Autonomy, Ian Tyler of Balfour Beatty, and Jasmine Whitbread of Save the Children.

Previous winners include Martin McCourt, CEO of Dyson and Peter Marks, CEO of Cooperative Group.

The National Business Awards were presented last night at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

MITIE Website