Record number of applicants take part in GBYPY Awards 2024 interview day
Future Faces Chamber of Commerce recently held the interviews for the shortlisted applications of the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards 2024.
Hosted by Unique Venues Birmingham at the iconic Library of Birmingham building, the day saw a record number of shortlisted candidates complete the final stage of their awards application process, a 15-minute interview in front of a panel of judges from various sectors and professions.
Rebecca Mander, founder of GuruYou, sat as a judge on the panel for the Environmental, Social & Governance, Creative Arts & Culture, People & Wellbeing and Not For Profit categories. She said: “The judges were overwhelmed by the incredible young talent in our region. We left inspired, educated and excited to see who the winners would be once the scores were in! I am looking forward to the awards event on October 18th and hope to see lots of proud and happy nominees! Congratulations to everyone for getting through to the judging stage. You are awesome!”
Avni Ahuja, Business Development director at Common Purpose, sat on the panel for Property, Construction & Engineering, Events, Retail & Hospitality, Apprentice. She said: “It was truly inspiring to see the incredible talent and dedication displayed by all the shortlisted applicants at the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards. The future of Birmingham's professional landscape is undoubtedly bright with such outstanding individuals leading the way.”
Blu Hardy, marketing manager at Hardy Signs, is shortlisted for the Environmental, Social & Governance category. She said: “It was great, the panel were really lovely. I was super nervous and as soon as I walked in they were really reassuring. They introduced themselves and they made a really big effort to make me feel comfortable. I think it’s always hard to talk about yourself but they were really lovely and reassuring.”
Kaan Geundogdou, graduate structural engineer at Ramboll, is a shortlisted applicant in the Property, Construction & Engineering category. He said: “I think it went very well, I think I expressed myself well, let’s hope for the best!”
Kavita Mehey, trainee solicitor at Lawrence Kurt Solicitors, is shortlisted for the Legal category. She said: “I think the interview process went great, the panel were so warm and welcoming. They made me feel very comfortable about all the issues that I wanted to get across surrounding Birmingham and young professionals. I’m really grateful for their time.”
Dan Wharton, head of production and client comms at Ark Media Group, is shortlisted for the Creative Arts & Culture category. He said: “I think it went really well, it was a great opportunity to talk about the changes we can make within the Arts and Culture sector, and really get across how good the community is in Birmingham, with the amount of talent and skill we have got in the area and how we can build on that so we can develop and help people grow.”
Award categories are still available for sponsorship, and tickets are still on sale. For more information and to book tickets, visit the events website.
