28.05.2019

Compass celebrates Young Leader of The Year win at British Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2019!

The winners of the 2019 British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, the world’s largest celebration of military veterans in business, were recently revealed at a special ceremony in London and nearly £50,000 was raised and donated to military charities. The landmark event gathered business leaders, veterans, top employers and current serving officers to promote the significant value that ex-military personnel add to the UK economy.

Camilla Howard, currently Operations Director, in our ESS Defence South West region won Young Leader of The Year, following on from her 11 years of service in the Royal Air Force. The judges were impressed by Camilla’s ability to have carved out a buoyant commercial career at such a young age. Camilla has transferred her military-gained leadership skills into building her teams to help them reach their individual potential and her military experience also ensures she excels under pressure.

Howard commented: “It was a fantastic evening to be amongst so many ex-military personnel and sit alongside ex-military peers from ESS and Compass Group who were also nominees in the Employer of the Year category. Everyone has to leave the military at some stage and it is always a bit daunting. I was very lucky to have found Compass Group UK&I just over three years ago and joined the Defence sector of ESS as an Operations Manager. It was a brilliant surprise to win this award and I love the fact that I am still in the ‘young leader’ category being (but only just!) the right side of 40!”

The British Ex-Forces in Business Awards celebrates the accomplishments of veterans across the UK workforce. The awards highlight the military skills and values that have enabled business success and recognise organisations that support the transition of servicemen and women into second careers.

The finalists were whittled down from over 400 nominations with the winners decided by a judging panel of military veterans headed up by Admiral Sir George Zambellas, former First Sea Lord and now chairman of several companies. Other judges include the CEOs of aerospace giant Lockheed Martin (UK), pathology service provider Viapath, governing body GB Snowsport and recruitment firm Staffline Group, as well as senior leaders from EY, PwC, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Cisco and Royal Mail among others.

Mark Webster, Managing Director ESS Defence, Government Services, Offshore & Remote added: “It’s great to see Camilla being recognised for her work with us at ESS, she has contributed greatly to our team. In line with our signature of the Armed Forces Covenant, we strongly believe in ensuring those who serve or have served our country, should get the treatment and recognition they deserve. We are immensely proud of the work we do across Compass, to provide opportunities for colleagues who are part of the armed forces community and we recognise what an asset they can be to our business.”

Admiral Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord between 2013-2016 and Head Judge for the Awards, said: "I congratulate all those ex-forces men and women who, after many years focused on military delivery, have turned their hands so successfully to the business battlefield! Many of the skills needed are identical: leadership, fortitude, commitment and attention to detail. Some are new, especially in commerce and sales. But the ethos and values of ex-forces people always shine through, and I'm proud to support them."

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