Sandra Tinker. Regional director of sales, News International. Tinker oversees a team of 20 generating sales of £40m plus outside London selling print and digital space on a range of titles from the Times and Sunday Times to the Sun and NOTW. Has had new responsibilities awarded to her this year including projects in Ireland and elsewhere. Has previously held senior roles with Emap Radio and IPC Media and at independent sales houses. An assuming and well-liked leader who commands her peers' respect. In her spare time, she co-owns and helps to run Fosshey stables in Cheshire.

 

Pam Cavannagh. Executive producer BBC, Daytime Out of London.  Cavannagh is based in Manchester although she reports in to Liam Keelan in London. It’s been a rewarding year for her as her budget has been increased and her remit expanded. In what is hopefully a sign of more to come, her larger regional commissioning budget has already resulted in LA Productions’ Moving On, now recommissioned. Has also exec produced Pointless, a new BBC2 game show.

 

John Pickford. Head of news, Bauer Radio Manchester. Award-winning Pickford runs the news operation out of Manchester for Bauer Radio’s Big City network covering the North's largest cities. During the year, responsibility for sport has also been passed to him. Joined Key almost 30 years ago from the Stockport Express. Has a credible claim to be the region's senior radio news journalist. Has also launched a new media training initiative this year for Bauer –seen by some as a clever way to engage clients and agencies during a slow-down.

 

Ben Hatton. Managing director, Rippleffect. Another surprisingly good year for Hatton and Rippleffect. Having with his dad trousered almost £6m from the sale of his digital agency to Trinity Mirror, he’s stuck around and has actively led what has been significant growth. Almost 60 staff are now employed and the agency recently moved to larger (and cheaper no doubt) premises within its parent’s Old Hall Street complex. With a UK-leading niche in football clubs established, the agency is now targeting the public sector and more non-sporting brands beyond the North West.

 

John Clayton. Managing editor, BBC Radio Lancashire. Began his career at Piccadilly Radio before switching allegiance to the BBC and jobs in Oxford and ultimately Blackburn. Clayton is an enthusiastic fan of social engagement with his audience and the station’s increase in market share over the year from 9.1% to 10.2% and an audience of 227,000 listeners will be satisfying.  In addition to his management duties, he still finds time to co-present a late night show on Friday evenings.

 

Jim Jones. Publisher, the Farmers Guardian. A good year for Jones personally as he was shortlisted for Publisher of the Year (business media) in the 2009 PPA awards. The economic climate for his sector was less badly affected than many others and the FG, which competes with the Farmer’s Weekly for the title of Britain’s top farming magazine, seems to have ridden the storm well and indeed is reportedly substantially increasing its investment in matters digital. The publication and its various spin-offs is a subsidiary of United Business Media. Based in Preston, the operation employs over 80 staff.

Roger Borrell. Editorial director, Archant North West. Promotion this year for the editor of Lancashire Life, the UK’s biggest selling county magazine with sales of circa 23,000 a month and over 150,000 readers.  His portfolio now includes overseeing Cheshire Life and the half dozen other niche titles Archant runs out of its Preston regional HQ. New projects have also been passed his way including a pilot targeting older national readers. Excluding the latter, the various regional titles under his remit command a readership in excess of 400,000.

 

Gordon Burns. Despite Singh’s and Meacock’s increasing regional and national exposure, Burns remains by far the best-known regional face on our TV screens. The 67-year-old, Belfast-born former newspaper man seems to take it all in his stride. His contact book is legendary and to the chagrin of many of his peers, senior politicians still come a knocking on his door when they need to communicate with the region’s electorate.

 

Richard Veal. MD, New Mind.  41 year old survivor of the original dot-com boom. His digital agency now employs over 50 staff and specialises in the travel and tourism sectors with clients across the UK and internationally. Some of the staff are based in the company’s office in Romania where primarily software development is undertaken with a further handful based in Winchester.  Veal recently signed a partnership agreement with fellow Liverpool digital agency Together which resulted in the latter taking on New Mind’s non-tourism clients.

 

Sumi Connock. Head of Entertainment, ITV Manchester. Moved across from the BBC last December. Her portfolio includes You’ve Been Framed, Animals do the Funniest Things and University Challenge. At the BBC, she was at the time the only commissioning editor for daytime and early peak to work out of London where her credits included Living in the Sun, Let Me Entertain You, Eggheads and Strictly: It Takes Two. Husband Alex runs Ten Alps plc.