Being a judge is a great opportunity to share my knowledge and experience, and at the same time, hear about all the wonderful business stories in Merton. I specialise in strategic marketing and marketing communications and as Chief Executive of Merton Chamber of Commerce, I have over 20 years’ experience of public and private sector partnerships and of running a small business. I have led and developed the business to be recognised as the most successful and largest area based Chamber of Commerce in London. I used to be an international ice skater and judge, representing Great Britain in major European competitions. The discipline and commitment required to reach this level has contributed enormously to the drive and determination I demonstrate in the world of business.
Chris joined WSM in February 2021, following a Maths Degree from the University of Bristol and completing his professional training at PwC. Chris spent six years at PwC, completing his ACA and joining the ICAEW as a full member in 2017.
Chris’ experience lies in the financial statement and controls audits of asset and wealth managers and he is currently studying towards his Chartered Tax qualification.
I joined Merton Council during the pandemic in December 2020 as a Business & Economy Officer in the Future Merton Team. Having spent over 15 years working in both the private and public sectors on various programmes; including employment, recruitment, skills and funded initiatives as well as business account management has led me to learn and understand first-hand, the challenges businesses face and the importance of providing solutions to give them a voice no matter how large or small. In addition, I have over 20 years’ experience in the broadcasting industry working closely with various communities, businesses and professionals which has enabled me to use my 360 degree knowledge and skills to be part of a proactive and productive Economic Development team and most importantly champion great initiatives such as the Merton Business Awards to highlight, invest and celebrate examples of great work in our borough!
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I’m the Ticketing and Sales Manager at New Wimbledon Theatre with over 10 years’ experience working in Sales, Marketing and Ticketing. I am honoured to represent the theatre as part of the judging team for this years’ awards.Our community in Merton is always at the forefront of our mind at New Wimbledon Theatre as we see over 225,000 patrons through our doors every year. We know how important these customers are to our local businesses and we feel it’s imperative that we are collaborating with our neighbours to serve this community. As a local resident for over 20 years, I am an ardent supporter of the borough and seeing it thrive. I’m proud to say that we are sponsoring Merton’s Best Charity Award this year and I’m most looking forward to hearing your passion and how you have made a difference in Merton. Good luck to all!
I started my career in childcare where I was a Nursery Nurse and later a Nursery Manager at St Helier Hospital and a Community Day Nursery in North London. My first experience of Apprenticeships was through St Helier where I trained as an assessor for their customer service awards. I later joined a training Centre in 2000 where I taught and assessed on Childcare Apprenticeships.
Since then I have been a Childcare and Health and Social Care tutor working with both Apprenticeships and full time classroom based courses. I have worked in this field for 14 years and am now the Head of School at South Thames Colleges Group. These awards are very important to me as they are an opportunity to showcase all that is good with British Business within Merton.
I am an audit partner in the Wimbledon office of Hartley Fowler, technical partner for the firm and lead the firm's specialist charities and not for profit team. I divide my time between advising clients on a variety of subjects, providing support to the whole firm overseeing high level accounting and auditing issues and for professional compliance matters, training and mentoring of team members. My clients come from a wide range of sectors that include technology, property, venture capital, and a number of international groups. I work closely with owner managers and family run businesses delivering professional advice that helps them manage, run and grow their organisations. By obtaining an in depth understanding of my clients and their affairs, I am able to provide solutions that balance the needs of the business with those of the founder and family behind it.
Catherine is Morr & Co’s Managing Partner. Her role as Managing Partner is to lead the firm’s management team, and play a pivotal role in driving forward the firm’s strategy. This includes working closely with partners and the heads of the operations teams, to ensure that the firm is focussed on its client and employees, as well as ensuring the firm is well managed from a financial, regulatory and technology perspective.Before becoming Managing Partner, Catherine led Morr & Co’s Dispute Resolution team, and she continues to practice as a dispute resolution lawyer.Catherine is a Solicitor-Advocate (Civil) and also sits as a Deputy District Judge on the South Eastern Circuit.
I am looking forward to being a judge at this years’ awards and use the business skills I’ve gained from working with 100’s of local businesses since Time & Leisure Magazine was established 25 years ago. As Owner and publisher for over 20 years, I have enjoyed building the Time & Leisure brand, establishing our trusted and much-loved magazines in print and digital media portfolio. Our magazines cover ten amazing areas across SW London and Surrey, plus our weekly Time & Leisure Weekend newsletter and website extend our reach to fast growing audiences online and social media. Our loyal audiences are at the heart of everything we do which is reflected on our new media website along with our Creative Design Agency. It is a genuine pleasure to extend our involvement in the community and support the creative sector in these awards. Good luck to all the participants!
I am looking forward to this year’s awards, and in particular learning about the ways in which businesses within Merton are embracing sustainable opportunities, as part of the judging panel for the Sustainable Impact Award. I hold a keen interest in environmental issues, and studied Environmental Science for my bachelor's degree, so I’m interested to see what changes and innovations are being made on the ground in Merton to pave the way for a sustainable future.I’m a health & safety professional, and I am the Quality Assurance Lead for CHAS, the leading provider of risk prevention, compliance and supply chain management services in the UK.
I am looking forward to contributing to the judging team for this year’s awards and seeing what amazing things are happening in Merton. I am an Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a RICS Registered Valuer and I hold a BSc in Land Administration and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1990. Before joining Andrew Scott Robertson in 2014, I worked as an Associate Director at DTZ and CBRE to advise clients on all aspects of commercial property from agency to development and investment with a strong emphasis on asset management. At Andrew Scott Robertson, I head up the commercial agency department and specialise in investment, development and acquisition.
As a strategic marketing professional with a commercial background, I have a wealth of experience in devising and running marketing campaigns for much loved household brands in both agency and client-side roles. In applying my skills to the Merton Giving initiative I am striving to bridge the gap between businesses and charities to mutual advantage and have, since the initiative's launch, gained valuable insight into the Merton community. I am delighted to be involved in this year's awards, to celebrate the resilience of our business community.
I started working in the technology world when windows were just a feature in the office not software! During my years in the telecoms industry, I have seen many changes, initially working in the global market with large corporate companies but now working locally with SME’s. I soon realised that the size and location of the businesses doesn’t change, it’s the challenges they meet. I have helped many businesses to review their own technologies and be able to communicate more simply, respond quickly, efficiently and seamlessly. I am delighted to join the judging panel at to share my knowledge and experience and hear how our local businesses have met their own challenges.
I am the Chief Executive of Love Wimbledon Business Improvement District (BID). While I’m passionate about making great places, I also know you cannot do this without great people, and one of the things I value most about leading a BID is the wide range of brilliant businesses I am able to work with and support – and Merton is full of many such organisations. That’s why I’m excited to be a judge and why Love Wimbledon is proud to sponsor the Business Innovation Award. We have seen such imaginative thinking from existing businesses and start-ups alike considering new markets, customer bases, products and technologies that enable them to thrive, and it is right we celebrate these achievements.
I am very excited to be part of this year’s judging team on behalf of Centre Court. Having worked at Centre Court for the last six years, in a marketing role for an agency and for the last two years as Senior Marketing Manager for Romulus, I have seen the borough develop with new businesses starting out and established enterprises growing within this thriving community. As a local resident as well as part of the business network, I am passionate about the progression of Merton, it’s economy and the community that encompasses it. Centre Court is no stranger to the challenges and adversities that affect local enterprises, in particular over the last three years, however it is at the very heart of our ethos to evolve and adapt in the way modern businesses must in order to thrive. In my role as Senior Marketing Manager, I am part of a team responsible for the day-to-day success of the Centre, the trading businesses with in it and the relationships that we maintain with our customers, our occupiers and our community, giving me a unique perspective into the working operations across a range of different types of businesses. By working with the team at the Merton Best Business Awards, we look forward to expanding our community even further and welcoming the opportunity to toast to the very best representatives of Merton and its business community.
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