Howard Webb MBE announced as guest speaker at first ever Yorkshire PA of the Year Awards

On Thursday 2nd July, The PA Hub, a Yorkshire based membership network for PAs, will be holding its first ever Yorkshire PA of the Year Awards Dinner at The Pavilion, Leeds United.

The event’s guest speaker slot will be filled by Yorkshire’s very own Howard Webb.

Former World Cup referee Howard Webb has had 35 years experience as a referee; working his way up through the league system, he has become one of the best and most respected officials of all time.

In 2010 he became the first person to referee both the UEFA Champions League Final and the World Cup Final in the same year.

Howard recently departed from PGMOL to pursue more freelance professional services work.

Bdaily is thrilled to be supporting the inaugural PA of the Year Awards as media partner. Working with The PA Hub, this year’s Awards will recognise the very best talent across the PA profession in Yorkshire and really give them the recognition they deserve.

The finalists have been chosen for the black tie dinner that promises to be a fantastic celebration that will commend the best in the business across 11 award categories, including the prestigious Yorkshire PA of the Year sponsored by Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

International training company, Pitman Training, has been announced as the headline Partner for the Awards which will be hosted by Look North presenter Harry Gration.

Marion Lowrence, director of the PA Hub, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Howard Webb will be at the event. He is one of the most respected men in football in recent years and certainly a man that knows how to keep his cool. I’m sure a lot of our PAs will be able to relate to that, though I must say I don’t think any of our PAs have been able to hand out 3 yellow cards! We are also thrilled to have Bdaily supporting us as media partner. The awards are a fantastic way to recognise assistants for the amazing job they do and the support they provide to their companies every day so it’s really great to have the support of such a fantastic title.”

The judging panel is made up of four highly experienced professionals in the PA industry including Victoria Darragh, Executive Assistant to the Group HR Director and Group Technology Director for Hays Specialist Recruitment, Katie McEwan, Executive Assistant to Jacqueline Gold, CEO of Ann Summers, Jamila Juma-Ware, Head of Marketing at Pitman Training and Christopher Juliff, Private Secretary to Health Minister David Prior at Department of Health.

Katie McEwan, executive assistant to Jacqueline Gold, CEO of Ann Summers, added: “It’s a great privilege to have been invited to sit on the judging panel for these fantastic awards. Still too often PAs do not get the recognition they deserve, and I think that awards on a regional level provide a really important service. There is so much talent in the Yorkshire region; the awards are an opportunity to showcase the true stars of the industry.