Future Faces announce second interview session for GBYPY awards 2023

The Future Faces division of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce have announced that the second of four judges' interview sessions for the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards 2023 will be taking place tomorrow.

All four of the interview sessions will be taking place at the Assay Studios in the Jewellery Quarter.

The judges for this session will be Nicole Fleet-Milne, Stu Deeley, CJ Lloyd Webley and Laura Thursfield, who will be interviewing shortlisted applicants in the Tech & Innovation, Apprentice, and Creative Arts & Culture categories.

Nicola Fleet-Milne is the owner and founder of FleetMilne residential property agency, an independent, female-led agency. She said: “I am also incredibly active in my voluntary positions. I have been the chair of the Colmore BID board since January 2020 and was Deputy Chair for 2 years prior.

“I am co-chair of the Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Planning Forum, and an active member of Birmingham's thriving professional community; my drive and influential status have had a substantial impact on Birmingham's development.”

Stu Deeley is an executive chef at Hampton Manor, and has many years of experience working in the catering and hospitality industry.

Stu was also Masterchef Professionals champion in 2019, and has received 3 AA Rosettes in his career.

CJ Lloyd Webley is a multi award-winning writer and social entrepreneur who has been building powerful brands for clients across multiple sectors.

Utilising his background in theatre, creative writing and business, CJ has supported hundreds of entrepreneurs to craft compelling messages and develop cross-platform strategies to increase revenue and attract ideal clients.

Laura Thursfield is a director and chartered financial planner at Mazars LLP, responsible for leading the Birmingham Financial Planning team and for a wide range of Midlands-based clients.

Laura specialises in building bespoke and holistic financial plans to help individuals achieve their personal and financial objectives and has extensive experience in advising owner-managers and senior executives in businesses where personal financial planning, business planning, succession planning and inter-generational issues are interlinked.

In recognition of this, Laura was named Rising Star in the Women In Financial Advice Awards 2018 and has appeared in New Model Adviser's '35 Under 35' Advisers.

Laura is a founding member of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce, an independent body established to address the way in which the profession identifies and addresses aspects of client vulnerability.

A 2022 graduate of the Executive MBA at Aston Business School, Laura is also a Trustee of CORE Education Trust and a member of West Midland's Women's Voice Committee, all contributing towards the goal of creating a supportive environment in which all who live and work in the region can thrive.

As Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2018, Laura acted as a national ambassador for Birmingham and is committed to improving the financial literacy of the city, in particular working alongside schools to develop key skills and self-development opportunities.

For more information on the GBYPY awards, click here.

Pictured (L-R): Top- Nicola Fleet-Milne and Stu Deeley. Bottom- CJ Lloyd Webley and Laura Thursfield