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CMI Awards of Excellence
Professor Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak started his professional career at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) as a Tutor in 1985. Over the years, through his diligent involvement in the progress of UUM and his determination to excel in whatever he did, he moved up the academic and administrative ladder till he reached the topmost rung and was appointed the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of UUM in June 2010.
He served as the VC of UUM for eight years, till August 2018. In his capacity as the VC of UUM, he was instrumental in redefining the role of UUM and marshalling its efforts towards becoming an Eminent Management University in Malaysia. Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak played a key role in advancing UUM to become a 5-star university based on the SETARA and MYRA ratings. Additionally, he also successfully transformed UUM to be placed among the six best Malaysian public universities in the QS Asia and World Ranking.
Professor Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak was the first Malaysian to be appointed as a CMI Companion, the most senior grade of membership, which is awarded by invitation only. This rare honor had accorded him for his prodigious contribution, underscoring his tenacity of purpose, towards transforming UUM into the best management university in Malaysia. This prestigious position was conferred upon him in 2017 by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), an accredited professional institution for management, based in London. He also sits on the Board of the Regional Chapter of CMI Malaysia. He has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport since his appointment to the post in December 2011. Professor Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak was appointed Chairman of the Malaysian Examinations Council in 2016 by His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agong XIV, The King of Malaysia.
He spent almost one year in the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as the Director General. Upon retirement he served at City University Malaysia and Perdana University Malaysia as the Vice Chancellor. With 35 years of experience in both public and private universities and having held various management positions, Prof. Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak has vast experience in managing issues and challenges pertaining to higher education institutions at both local and international arenas. In July 2024 Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Bin Ishak was appointed as the Vice Chancellor/Rector of Innovative University College Malaysia.
Prof. Dato' Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak CMgr CCMI Chair, Malaysia Regional Board
"Being shortlisted is both humbling and deeply meaningful. I volunteer because I care about supporting others and contributing positively to professional and community development, and to have that recognised encourages me to continue giving my time and energy with purpose."
"Being shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year is a real honour. For me, it reflects the collective work of the CMI Northern Ireland Board and the impact that committed group of volunteers can have in strengthening leadership and management across our region."
"It means I have been seen, the energy, enthusiasm and dedication is not taken for granted by the organisation. Being shortlisted says “We see you and we appreciate you”. Sounds cheesy but these days it really matters."
Jeanne is an academic mentor and volunteer board member, currently completing an MSc in Business Psychology. Through both her professional and voluntary roles, she works directly with students and professionals to support their development, wellbeing, and leadership capability across higher education and workplace settings.
She is an active participant in the Aurora Women in Higher Education Leadership programme and a qualified Mental Health First Aider, with a strong commitment to lifelong learning and inclusive leadership. Jeanne contributes extensively through mentoring, governance, education, and community volunteering, driven by a passion for empowering others to grow with confidence, dignity, and purpose.
Steven Egan PhD fCMgr is an economic development and leadership professional, with a focus on strengthening leadership capability and inclusive growth. He is a Project Manager at InterTradeIreland, where he designs and delivers cross-border programmes supporting SMEs and social enterprises to build commercial capability and trade sustainably between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Steven has volunteered with the Chartered Management Institute since 2023 because he believes that good management and ethical leadership are fundamental to economic success, social stability and peace on the island of Ireland. As a member of the CMI Northern Ireland Regional Board, he serves as Communications and Social Media Lead, leading work to widen access to professional standards and strengthen the region’s leadership pipeline.
Alongside his CMI role, Steven is a member of the UK Young Academy, serving on its Governance Steering Group and Membership Development Group and is a trustee of Sólás, a Belfast-based charity supporting children and young people with additional needs. He holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Queen’s University Belfast and a Postgraduate Certificate in Executive Leadership from Ulster University.
Steven is currently completing his CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management and is progressing towards achieving Chartered Manager (CMgr) status in 2026, reflecting his ongoing commitment to professional standards, lifelong learning and leadership excellence.
Carol Ann is the award winning Co-founder of The Zebra Partnership - a Publishing and Campaigns agency. She’s a Charted Management Institute Regional Chair and CMI Women Deputy Chair.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Heritage Operations, Chief of Staff & Chair of the Public Programme Committee for The Portico Library and Newsroom, on the Northern PowerWomen Power List, Advisory Board Member for human, BBC Radio Manchester monthly contributor since 2014, guest lecturer and event host.
In 2019 she was honoured with Global Goodwill Ambassador status from the foundation and in 2021 Carol Ann was named Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Champion in the top 100 Social Media Influencers. Carol Ann was awarded the ‘Inspiring Women Worldwide’ accolade from the Womens International Network in Geneva.
Her dedication to ‘Queen Making’ and being a ‘Disruptor for Good’, Carol Ann is an Ambassador for 50:50 Parliament former Trustee the creator of the ‘Amplifying Muted Voices’ campaign, Baton Award Winner for Political Figure of the Year 2024 and Inspiring Women Award Constance award winner 2025.
During Black History Month 2024, Carol Ann received a Citation of Honour from the GEWE Global Network for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. In November 2025, she was inaugurated as an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Fellow at the University of East London, Office for Institutional Equity.
Zarina Naqvi is an experienced finance and business leader who has held senior roles at Se-Banken, USA TODAY International, and Intercontinental Hotels. A successful entrepreneur, she built and sold businesses in 2001 and 2024. She holds a master's in Tech Entrepreneurship from UCL and London Business School and is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC), and Fellow of the Institute of Consulting (FIC).
Since 2001, Zarina has focused on consultancy, optimising owner-led businesses and commercialising public sector organizations as a Non-Executive Director. She has been a key figure in professionalising the consulting industry, serving as one of CMI’s first assessors and driving innovation and growth through her board roles.
Zarina Naqvi CMC ChMC FIC Institute of Consulting Advisory Committee (ICAC), the IC Task Force and Chair of the London & South East IC Committee
Zarina’s “embodiment of CMI’s values is well articulated,” said the judges, while her “long-term commitment and passion for professionalising the consulting industry” also shone through.
"Being shortlisted holds a twofold meaning. It is a wonderful and gratefully received recognition of the hard work and discretionary effort that I have put into my role on the EME Board over the last 5 years; planning and delivering events, articles, webinars, inputting into policy, frameworks and thought leadership, and much more."
"Being selected as a CMI Volunteer for the year fills me with immense pride and gratitude. It’s a recognition that goes beyond just the title—it’s a reflection of the passion, dedication, and hard work I’ve invested in my role."
"Being shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year is a humbling honor. It reflects the positive impact I've made on the board and the community. It's a testament to my commitment and passion for this work, and a validation of my contributions."
"Being shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year by such a prestigious institution is an incredible honour. This recognition highlights not only my efforts but those of my board with whom I have built a strong relationship."
Zarina Naqvi is a seasoned finance and business leader with a diverse career across corporate, entrepreneurial, and consultancy roles. She has held senior finance positions at Se-Banken (Finansskandic Ltd), USA TODAY International, and Intercontinental Hotels. In 2001 and again in 2024, Zarina built and sold successful businesses, showcasing her entrepreneurial expertise. She took a year out in 2007 to complete a master’s in Tech Entrepreneurship from UCL and London Business School and is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC), and Fellow of the Institute of Consulting (FIC).
Since 2001, Zarina has focused on consultancy, optimising owner-led businesses and commercialising public sector entities as a Non-Executive Director. Recently, she has helped professionalise the consulting field, becoming one of the first Chartered Management Consultants and serving as an assessor for CMI. Through her work on various boards, she continues to drive the growth and professionalism of the consultancy industry, embodying her commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
Catherine is an independent management consultant who has been providing strategy and transformation consultancy to global clients for 15+ years. She is a Chartered Accountant, a Chartered Manager, and a Chartered Management Consultant. She joined the CMI EME Board 5 years ago after completing an MBA at Leicester University, through a desire to support others through their management and leadership journeys. Catherine has been a lifelong EDI champion, and has continued this through her work as a CMI Board volunteer.
Dr. Guna Rethinam CMgr, a distinguished member of the CMI Malaysia Regional Board, is acclaimed for his competence managerial and leadership practices spanning diverse business realms. Demonstrating a proven aptitude for multitasking, Dr. Guna adeptly formulates strategic plans, prioritizes tasks, and deftly manages intricate projects within strict timelines. His continual exploration of groundbreaking work methodologies underscores his commitment to ensuring an organization's enduring success. Dr Guna brings extensive expertise in global strategic HR and organizational design, has steered numerous impactful digital transformation initiatives, and successfully orchestrated organizational change programs. Armed with a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development and a Master's in Organizational Communication, along with certifications in agile project management and digital business transformation. Dr. Guna's career trajectory reflects an unwavering dedication to driving transformative change and fostering innovative, employee-centric strategies across diverse industries.
Monique Yong, the Managing Partner of PeoplePlus Asia Group, embodies a life dedicated to both corporate excellence and community empowerment. With a robust career spanning two decades in HR leadership across diverse industries, including renowned companies like Singapore Airlines and McDonald's, Monique has accumulated invaluable experience in APAC and AMEA regions, exposing her to rich cultural diversity.
Her most recent role as Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Columbia Asia Group of Companies exemplified her strategic acumen, where she steered HR strategy aligning with the organization's overarching goals. She additionally took the mantle of ESG leadership, emphasizing her commitment to corporate sustainability.
Monique's drive extends beyond the boardroom. She passionately mentors and teaches B40 children, fostering their untapped potential and brighter futures. As a Major of the Malaysia Civil Defense Force, she is a dedicated officer in contributing to community safety in times of need and natural disasters.
Monique's portfolio includes certifications as a Human Resources Development Fund Trainer and Psychometric Assessor, demonstrating her commitment to developing human capital. Her scuba diving instructorship underlines her passion for positively impacting lives. Monique Yong's biography stands as an inspiration to leaders, showcasing an exemplary blend of corporate success and unwavering dedication to community.
21 years business experience spanning entrepreneurship, commercial leadership and start-ups. Most recently Co-Founder of Clockworx Systems working in the capacity of CSO. Motivated by impact and hope, Will has previously stood for Parliament and been elected to the Executive Committee of a leading political party and think tank. Always open to new ideas and high impact opportunities, Will can also be found travelling the world with his young family.
A Chartered Manager of the CMI, Kirsty is currently completing a PhD in Business and Management. Kirsty’s aspiration is to present new knowledge and micro-interventions to manoeuvre individuals of all ages from poverty and associated issues into entrepreneurship.
Her passion lies in giving back to her community. As well as her core business, she makes time to deliver a community-focused service that supports confidence-building, delivers career advice, and mentors individuals from marginalised groups to set up and run their own businesses.
Throughout this, she focuses on generating local employment opportunities, promoting economic growth, and facilitating social inclusion.
Kirsty Watson CMgr FCMI Regional Stakeholder Lead - CMI North East, Yorkshire and Humberside
I am honoured to be shortlisted for the Volunteer of the Year award. I am fortunate to be on a board where we have diversity at the forefront of our values and actions. I have learnt about myself, gained some confidence and I have been supported by my board plus the central team to flourish in my role.
"Helping others, inspires others to do the same. Is this not what volunteering and leadership is about? Putting it simply my job as a leader is to create more leaders."
"It's an absolute honour to be shortlisted for this award and shows that my contribution is being recognised as making an impact on the greater CMI community. I'm so passionate about people development and getting better led organisations and what better place to be than with CMI and aiding businesses to make these transitions!"
"I am pleased, honoured and humbled to be shortlisted for the Volunteer of the Year award. I can humbly state I am a better leader and an amazing manager since I joined the Board. I sincerely believe my journey will be an inspiration to all female managers."
Kirsty has an MBA, a BA & BSc (Hons) in Interactive Multimedia from the University of Huddersfield and Social Psychology plus Philosophy from the Open University. A Chartered Manager of the CMI, Kirsty is currently completing a PhD in Business and Management. With a focus on latent and necessity entrepreneurial skills within individuals in marginalised communities. Kirsty’s aspiration is to present new knowledge and micro-interventions to manoeuvre individuals of all ages from poverty and associated issues into entrepreneurship.
Kirsty has run her own multimedia and digital agency since 2008. She is also the founder and managing director of Qualia Academy an apprenticeship training provider. Delivering Digital Marketing plus Management apprenticeships and training across the UK, since 2014.
Kirsty is care experienced and provides support plus mentoring for individuals that have also been care experienced to work towards higher skilled roles.
Throughout this, she focuses on generating local employment opportunities, promoting economic growth, and facilitating social inclusion. She is also a BAME ambassador at the University of Huddersfield.
An accomplished C-Level executive recognised for growing businesses, building high performing teams, and delivering improved results and mega projects for some of the world’s leading Fortune 500 engineering and construction companies. Neil brings a broad-based background in developed and emerging economies and both vertical and horizontal construction. This includes buildings, infrastructure, industrial and defence and security, high technology facilities, water and wastewater treatment, environmental solutions, transportation infrastructure as well as major programs and complex projects.
A Chartered Engineer (CEng), he also holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Civil Engineering from the University of South Wales, is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE) and is also a Chartered Companion of the Chartered Management Institute (CMgr CCMI) and a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv).
Neil serves on several Boards as a Non-Executive Chairman, Director and Advisor in the private, public and third sector. He is also a STEM Ambassador and a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators. When not working you will find him cycling that he also uses as a platform to raise money for cancer charities.
Emma has been a member of CMI since 2016 when she gained Chartered Manager status. Educated in Bristol and Manchester Universities she’s currently a Professional Development Expert at Corndel, delivering transformational leadership and management courses to senior business leaders across multiple sectors in the UK.
Previously she worked as the Head of the Exploration & Development in an energy consultancy, where her team of geoscientists helped their clients find energy resources globally. Emma has extensive strategic leadership experience and is passionate about helping people to become the best leader they can be. She is also working towards completing her Executive Coaching Level 7 diploma.
Emma joined the board in the Communications and Social Mead lead position and is looks to promote to work that CMI does, in addition she has run a number of our events covering workplace wellbeing, employability and leading through change.
Dr. Thesara Jayawardane is the Head of the Department of Industrial Management at the Faculty of Business of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
She obtained her BSc (Engineering) degree in Materials and Process Engineering from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. She obtained the PhD and MPhil in Entrepreneurship from the University of Aldersgate. She is an Attorney at Law of Sri Lanka with a LLB (Honours) from the University of London and, has a Master of Arts in Drama and Theater from the University of Kelaniya. She is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of Chartered Management Institute-UK and a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Marketing-UK. She is a Member of the Bar Association-SL, SL Institute of Marketing, American Marketing Association, and an Associate member of the Institute of Engineers SL and Engineering Council of Sri Lanka.
Thesara is a Diversity and Inclusion Lead and, Board member of the CMI-Sri Lanka Chapter for the 3rd consecutive year appointed as the Assistant Secretary from 01 May 2022 to 01 May 2023. She actively promotes Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity along with Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka and, has published over 30 research Journal articles, presented over 60 Conference papers, and delivered numerous Keynote speeches on the same.
Thesara was a Judge of the final panel of Judges choosing the CMI Management Book of the Year 2022. She is an inspirational Author of three novels and four famous Translations promoting women empowerment and, her latest publication is a Textbook on “Entrepreneurship”.
Thesara is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka and a Founder member of Aramuna organisation where she provides legal and marketing advice, while advocating Entrepreneurship among Sri Lankans.
Thesara is an award-winning actress who has starred in a few chosen movies and TV dramas, and won the Best Actress Award at UNDA OCIC 2008 and State Tele Awards 2007. She serves as the Senior Treasurer of Drama Society of UoM. As a hobby she works as a Television Presenter hosting a morning show telecasting in ART TV promoting budding female Entrepreneurs.
Congratulations to Professor Dilshad Sheikh CMBE CMgr CCMI, our 2022 Volunteer of the Year winner from the West Midlands & North West Regional Board.
I’m absolutely delighted to have won the award and feel that the hard work of the WMNW regional board over the past 6 years that I have been chair, has duly been recognised and valued. This is not an individual win but a CMI WMNW regional board win.
Professor Dilshad Sheikh CMBE CMgr CCMI Chair, CMI West Midlands & North West
I have over 20 years of experience in the Higher Education sector gained from multiple roles – these have ranged from teaching in the classroom right through to senior management positions.
I currently hold a dual strategic leadership position as Dean of the Faculty of Business at Arden University and I’m very proud to have been appointed as Arden’s first ever Dean, giving me the exciting opportunity to build a Faculty from scratch. I was also recently appointed as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic). My previous appointments have included working for a variety of local, national, and global organisations in supervisory, management and leadership roles.
The move into academia and the Higher Education sector came as a result of my aspirations to help equip individuals from all backgrounds with the skills and character to achieve their personal ambitions as well as giving them the means to make a positive impact on their communities. Furthermore, I was featured in the publication “We are the City” named as an inspirational woman, have made an appearance on BBC Radio 4 discussing digital technology in Higher Education and have also recently been a 2021 individual finalist in the grand prix category of the Education Investor Awards named as Business Woman to Watch in Education.
I have been the regional Chair of the West Midlands and Northwest CMI board for the past 6 years. During my tenure I have led two successful Midlands’ conferences as well as successfully delivered and hosted a variety of thought leadership events over the years with the support of the regional board.
I have a keen interest in the equality, diversity and inclusivity of organisations and have delivered several keynote presentations both locally and nationally as well as published several articles advocating the benefits of diverse and inclusive management and leadership teams. I continue to engage with audiences across a variety of sectors with the ambition to encourage and inspire more females, especially from ethnic minority backgrounds, attaining senior leadership roles.
Olivia is a passionate and innovative Educator who seeks to inspire her students to change the business narrative. Drawing on previous experience as a Marketing Manager she believes in building and working in collaborative teams. Olivia believes in developing ‘soft skills’ to enable people to cope with the demands of the workplace and become better Managers.
Derek is Director and Senior Advisor at Pathleader Education Consultants, a registered private K-12 institution in Hong Kong with working partnerships with schools in UK, US and HK and relocation agents in China. He manages a team of 10 teachers and consultants in helping families and students plan their education path.
Prior to his current role, Derek founded his first private tuition company in 2013, with an aim to help students learn to learn through innovative and connective teaching methods and more systematic teaching materials. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, he was one of the first educators in Hong Kong to facilitate online learning.
Having graduated from the London School of Economics, he is now pursuing a Masters degree in Teacher Education at the University of Oxford.
Among his many voluntary positions, Derek is also the Technology Engagement Member of the LSE Alumni Association Executive Committee and the Vice-chairman of the Friends of LSE in Hong.
Carl is CEO and founder of Westwood Management Consulting, a new consulting venture which takes an innovative approach to problem solving.
As a professional interim, Carl has developed a wide-ranging portfolio of experience in various business sectors helping leaders engage with the change process in the pursuit of improved performance. Organisations include EDF Energy, Eon, GDF Suez, Northern Gas Networks, Wates Construction, Stanley Black and Decker, and the NHS.
Carl is passionate about developing and delivering excellence in leadership and management, and personal high performance driven by an infinite purpose and a consistent passion to be the best version of yourself. He believes in the possibilities of problems, reframing them into positive catalysts for continuous change and improvement.
Driven by self improvement Carl has a love of reading and listening to podcasts. His book recommendations include, The 5am Club, Robin Sharma, Think Like a Monk, Jay Shetty and the Power Hour, Adriene Herbert. Podcasts include, The High Performance Podcast, Feel Better Live More and The Calmer You.
Carl studied at Hull University where he gained an Honours Degree in Accountancy Finance and a Masters Degree in Management Systems. Most recently Carl was awarded a Level 5 Certificate in Professional Consulting.
