The prestigious Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards took place on March 23 at Stadium MK to celebrate the business community’s achievements, the first ceremony since Milton Keynes became a city.
The theme for this year’s awards was Celebrating Diversity and many of the night’s winners demonstrated their commitment in this area, showing how their own business practices and ethos focused on inclusivity and reaching out to the wider community.
Over 600 guests packed out the ballroom to hear the 14 category winners announced on stage. The prominent Business of the Year award was won by Diversity Marketplace, who overall picked up three awards on the night. The judges commented on the organisation’s clear and strongly held ambition to make Milton Keynes a truly diverse and inclusive city.
The celebrated Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by All Things Business, went to Dr Julie Mills OBE, who recently retired after being Principal at Milton Keynes College for over 11 years. During that time, Julie has overseen several major projects at the college, greatly improving the lives of its colleagues, learners and the wider MK community.
Presenting Dr Mills with her award, Frazer Arnott, Sales Director at All Things Business, said:
“Dr Mills was principal of MK College for 11 years. First coming to college in 1990 as a finance lecturer, she eventually oversaw the transformation of the college into a group, which now includes the South Central Institute of Technology at Bletchley.
“Under her leadership, MK College Group developed and grew to an extent nobody could have imagined and her hard work and commitment to staff and learners alike cannot be overstated.”
Chair of MKBAA organisers Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership, Nicholas Mann, said,
“This year we saw a record number of entries into the awards, so that made our judging panel’s decisions even harder. So many businesses have championed their own diversity and inclusion work, so it’s fantastic to be able to celebrate that together, as a vibrant and thriving business community.
“On what was also a sell-out night, on behalf of the entire MKBAA team, I’d like to congratulate all of our winners, and to thank all entrants, judges, sponsors, speakers and guests, without whom the awards just couldn’t take place.”
The headline sponsors for MKBAA 2023 are Milton Keynes Council, The Open University and Brioche Pasquier UK.
For full details of the event and to view a gallery of the night visit, click here.
