At the end of 2019, YTKO Group, and in particular, our CEO, Bev Hurley, were recognised for the important work we do in the SME sector.
On 6th December, members of the YTKO Senior Management Team attended the Awards Dinner for the SME National Business Awards at Wembley Stadium. The SME National Business Awards raise the profile of hardworking and enterprising SME’s nationally – the lifeblood of the UK economy.
YTKO was delighted that Bev was awarded Business Woman of the Year (Gold award). Bev is a dynamic and inspiring leader, serial entrepreneur and one of the UK’s leading authorities on small businesses, as well as a UK Female Enterprise Ambassador. She has progressed from running a micro-business as a single mum, to taking a high growth company through 35% growth each year for four years.
Bev puts her success down to a long track record of market-led innovation and her amazing team. Every three years since 2003, YTKO has responded to major unmet market needs with the successful launch and scale of a new service that has disrupted the status quo and set new regional, national and European benchmarks for outcomes and impact.
Following on from this tremendous achievement, Bev was further recognised at the National Business Women’s Awards on 12 December, where not only did she scoop runner up for the Younique Influential Business Woman of the Year, but was awarded the top prize for Social Impact.
Bev says: “It is a real honour to have received these awards. I am especially proud of gaining recognition for the social impact that YTKO and our services have made and continue to make through the work of the fantastic people in my team who are passionate about making a difference. This award is much more for them than me”.
Over the years, Bev has been the recipient of many awards, including a CBE for Services to Enterprise in the Queen’s 2014 New Year’s Honour roll. She has also just been re-elected as the Chair of the Institute for Economic Development, a post that she will continue to deliver over the next three years. The Institute of Economic Development (IED) is the UK’s leading independent professional body representing economic development and regeneration practitioners working for local and regional communities.
