MEET THE JUDGES The official line-up of judges for the Niche Business Awards 2022 consists of eight local personalities from industries including law, entertainment, technology, and more. Get to know those who will be judging the 15 categories and assessing applications in the run-up to the ceremony on Friday, September 2.
EMILY SMITH Finance, HR and Health and Safety Director at Michael Smith Switchgear
An award-winning business leader in the East Midlands, Emily’s current roles also include being the Managing Director for AVW Fabrications Limited. Emily moved into the manufacturing industry in 2013 after working in an accountancy practice for eight years where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor. She has driven key changes in the businesses, focusing on employees’ health, safety, and wellbeing, as well as being a keen advocate for environmental issues. Last year, Emily was appointed Chair of the ICAEW Manufacturing Advisory Group which leads the discussion on hot topics affecting manufacturers across the UK.
SHELLEY HARVEY Partner at Macintyre Hudson
Shelley joined MHA MacIntyre Hudson in 2019 as a Director in the Leicester office. With almost 20 years of experience in practice, she has worked with many different sized businesses across many sectors from start-ups to those with multimillion-pound turnovers. Her current portfolio ranges from smaller owner-managed businesses to larger corporate entities. Prior to working in practice, Shelley spent some years within an accounts team for a manufacturing business, this gives her a ‘user perspective’ on both the audit and accounts services, allowing her to deliver as effectively as possible. She focuses on providing forward-thinking business improvement advice, tax advice, and audit and accountancy services.
AIME ARMSTRONG Kickstart Director and Managing Director at Ninja HR
Lego and sci-fi enthusiast, Aime launched Ninja HR as a trading name of Armillan Ltd to help employers thrive by supporting their staff. When the Kickstart Scheme was launched, becoming a Kickstart Gateway felt like the perfect opportunity to utilise her knowledge of the public sector gained through 20 years of managing HR teams and departments in the NHS and local government with her passion for helping employers flourish. She did this all whilst creating work placements for young people. The mum of two has undergraduate degrees in both law and psychology and an MA in HR. She has also taught HR at a PostGraduate level, ran the HR department in a local authority and had the roles of both Head of HR Shared Services and Head of Learning and Development across the NHS in Leicestershire. 34 | NICHE
