From apprenticeships and qualifications to professional development and employability skills. Supporting learners, partners, and centres with tools to deliver, assess, and grow.
Join a professional community committed to excellence in management and leadership. Access exclusive resources, and recognition pathways including Chartered Manager.
Connect, celebrate, and lead with CMI’s vibrant community. From events and awards to networks and campaigns, get involved and help shape the future of management.
Stay informed with expert insights, thought leadership, and the latest in management. From in-depth features to practical guidance, explore the ideas shaping today’s workplace.
Learn about CMI’s mission, values, and impact. From our Royal Charter to governance, careers, and sustainability commitments, discover who we are and what drives us.
13 March 2018 -
Two esteemed business leaders received prestigious awards at the annual CMI President’s Dinner 2018. Celebrating the UK’s finest industry leaders, esteemed Nestlé UK & Ireland chairman Dame Fiona Kendrick received the Chartered Management Institute President’s Gold Medal for her successful contributions to high-level management and leadership.
Meanwhile, trailblazing IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley became the first woman to win the CMI’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her stellar contribution to British engineering and technology.
The two women collected their awards in front of more than 250 business leaders at the ceremony.
CMI president Bruce Carnegie-Brown, who presented both awards, says the winners are perfect role models for the next generation of female business leaders.
"I'm delighted to recognise Dames Fiona and Steve for their outstanding leadership,” he said. “By any measure, Fiona has had a remarkable career and her commitment to skills development makes her a worthy winner of our Gold Award. Dame Steve is just as energetic and engaged today as she was 25 years ago when we awarded her our Gold medal, so I'm delighted to present her with the CMI’s Lifetime Achievement award. They are pioneering women who are blazing a trail for many others to follow in their footsteps."
Presented at each annual CMI President’s Dinner, the Gold Medal Award celebrates leaders who have made a positive social impact through their management and leadership excellence. Previous winners include Unilever CEO Paul Polman and John Lewis Partnership chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield.
A Commander of the British Empire for services to the food industry and youth talent development, Fiona Kendrick was the first woman to be appointed chief executive of Nestlé UK in 2012 and was named chairman of UK & Ireland in 2017. She is Deputy Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Chair of the new University of Hereford for Engineers.
A Gold Medal winner in 1991, Dame Steve Shirley famously provided numerous opportunities for female tech professionals after founding her own computer software company in the 1960s. Some 297 of her first 300 staff were female. By the time she sold the company 45 years later, it employed 8,500 people in a gender balanced workforce. Established in 1986, The Shirley Foundation has also organised, supported and invested more than £50m into numerous projects developing research on autism spectrum disorders.
Image credit: Shutterstock
› The persistence of presenteeism and other nuanced nonsense
› A new age of vulnerability: why inclusive leadership matters more than ever
› Ask yourself: "How do I make my employees feel?"
› Finance and the Diversity Dividend
For more information or to request interviews, contact CMI's Press Team on 020 7421 2705 or email press.office@managers.org.uk
› The 5 Greatest Examples of Change Management in Business History
› Four companies that failed spectacularly, and the lessons of their premature demise
› 6 companies that get employee engagement – and what they do right
› 4 Signs That Racism May Be An Issue In Your Workplace
› How to build an Effective Team: focus on just 3 things
