BEIJING, Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10th Anniversary British Business Awards in China were held in Beijing on the 15 November and the winners announced at a gala dinner by hosted Dame Barbara Woodward GMG, the British Ambassador to China. Organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in China, the Awards recognise companies and individuals for 'innovation, enterprise and endeavour'. The nine award categories drew over 200 entries from across China and many sectors. Winners were selected by a combination of multiple judging panels and online voting. Trophies were crafted in the UK and flown out from the UK for the presentation to the winners by sponsors which include BP, the British Council, Geely, GSK, KPMG, Harrow School, Knight Frank and Manchester Business School.
Founded in 2008 the British Business Awards are held to engage the business community in China and the UK, to showcase the many successes of British business in China and Chinese business in the UK. The Awards build a better understanding of the opportunities that are present in Sino-British relations. The British Chamber of Commerce in China is the organiser, with the active support of British Government Department for International Trade and non-Government organizations, including the China Britain Business Council, Confederation of British Industry, the British Exporters Association and 48 Group Club. At the gala dinner including the 44 finalists, the China Chamber of International Commerce was represented as a key member of the BBA creating greater collaboration with the Chinese business community.
Speaking on the night, the Patron of the Awards, Dame Barbara Woodward CMG, said, "Celebration of excellence is a great British tradition, and at the 10th Anniversary of the British Business Awards we are proud to recognise those who display innovation, enterprise and endeavour here in China and the UK. As Patron I am delighted at the depth and quality of the entries, I endorse the integrity of the process, and I congratulate the justly deserving winners of their respective Awards."
The process of selecting the finalists and the winners of the BBA took over 10 months and was focused on being engaging, transparent and exciting. The core team from the Chamber was augmented by a panel of five judges per award, who screened the applications and then interviewed in person the final five finalists allocating 40% of the weighting. Concurrently a KMPG reviewed on-line registration system drew over 6,100 unique votes accounting for 30% of the weighting. Lead judges presented a summary of key points from their interviews to a panel drawn from the supporting organisations and chaired by Mr Richard Burn, Minister for Trade from the Department of International Trade; the weighting of which was 30%. All votes were collated and tabulated by KPMG and were unknown to any single party until the night of the BBA on the 15th November 2018
Entries came for the Awards from across China, and the UK, to become the Best of British. 215 applications were made for the nine awards drawn from the full spectrum of activities reflecting the deep involvement of Britain in China, and also of Chinese companies in the UK. The education Award, sponsored by the British Council, was specifically aimed at partnerships between Chinese and British learning establishments. Other categories were judged not by sector but by the demonstration of innovation, enterprise and endeavour regardless of industry. Therefore, companies in food and finance and recycling competed with one another for 'Company of the Year' for example.
Chairman of the British Business Awards, and Vice Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce, Jim James commented, "I would like to thank all those who took part in the BBA 2018. The mission of the Awards has been to ensure that everyone can take part, that the finalists are inspiring to others, and that those who win are justly proud of their achievements. The 10th Anniversary of the BBA demonstrates that celebrating success is a vital and sustainable part of the contribution of the British Chamber of Commerce to the development of Sino-UK relations."
Winners:
Rolls-Royce PLC
40 Years of Reform Award - Sponsored by Geely
Spiraxsarco Engineering (China) Ltd
British Company of the Year Award - Sponsored by GSK
Teledyne e2v
Innovation Award - Sponsored by BP
Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG)
Chinese Investor in the UK Award - Sponsored by KPMG
David Luke
Sustainability Award - Sponsored by Harrow Beijing
University of Edinburgh
Education Institutional Partnership of the Year - Sponsored by the British Council
Atkins
Belt & Road Initiative Award - Sponsored by Manchester Business School
Rachel Pinniger
Inspiring Women Award - Sponsored by the British Council
Richard Craggs
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Sponsored by British Chamber of Commerce in China
About the British Chamber of Commerce:
The British Chamber of Commerce in China is a membership organisation for British business focused on boosting UK-China trade and investment. We operate as an independent, not-for-profit organisation with a strong and diverse membership. With over two decades' worth of business experience in China, we provide intelligence, advice, and networking opportunities for our members, helping their business grow in one of the world's fastest growing markets.
For more information please visit: https://www.britishchamber.cn/en/
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