Oliver Bruce, Director at PinPointMedia and Emma Bateman, Managing Director at BiGDUG were recognised in the South West Institute of Directors 2018 Awards

Gloucestershire businessman Oliver Bruce has been named Start Up Director of the Year in the South West Institute of Directors 2018 Awards, celebrating leadership, talent and success in the region.

Oliver founded PinPointMedia, based in Cheltenham, in 2013 while still at University with a clear vision to produce the highest quality films at cost-effective prices, making film accessible to budgets of all sizes. Since then, the award winning team has created more than 4000 films for brands of all across the world, including the RAC, FlyBe, Barratt Developments PLC and the Prince’s Trust. This year the business expanded overseas, with contracts as far afield as North America and Tahiti. It will also see PinPointMedia hire eleven new members of staff from studio managers through to animators as well as open up a central London office by Christmas.

South West Regional Chair and Chartered Director Nick Sturge said: “Oliver has built an impressive business with energy and enthusiasm. His entry shows clear analysis of the market and a strong strategy to gain and retain some impressive clients. This is an inspirational story with a visionary leader who clearly supports the needs of his team.”

Highly commended in the New Director category was Emma Bateman, Managing Director of Gloucester-based shelving, racking and storage solutions business BiGDUG.

Emma took on the role of MD of the Gloucester–based business in June 2016 as it transitioned from private ownership to an independent brand within the Takkt AG Group.

She was runner up to Donna Whitehead, University of the West of England Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law.

Winners in the other categories were: Rebecca Scarlett, co founder and MD of global entertainment agency Scarlett Entertainment, based in Devon, who won Family Director of the Year; Alison Jordan, CEO of Exmouth-based Pete’s Dragons, a bereavement support service for anyone affected by suicide in Devon and Cornwall, who was named Third Sector Director; Dr Anil Ohri, founder and Chief Executive of Regent’s Park Healthcare, based in Downton, Wiltshire, which provides managed cardiac care services across 42 NHS hospitals, who was named Director (Innovation) and Rob Vivian, CEO of telecoms provider Pure Comms, based in Bristol and Cornwall, who won the Corporate Responsibility Award.

There were a total of 14 shortlisted directors from across the region at the event that took place at Sandy Park Stadium, near Exeter. It was sponsored by accountants Bishop Fleming who have offices throughout the South West, including Bristol, Exeter and Bath, Plymouth, Torquay, Truro and Worcester.

Guest speaker was Roy Kinnear, CCO of SW-based airline Flybe.

Nick concluded: “The South West has a well-deserved reputation for creativity, leadership and entrepreneurship. The diversity of awards this year served to demonstrate just this. We had a record number of entries so to be even shortlisted was an achievement. I want to congratulate not just our winners but our runners up too.”

All the winners from these awards will now go forward for a chance to represent the South West at the IoD National Director of the Year Awards in the autumn.

The judging panel was made up of the IoD South West Chairs and sponsor’s representatives.