Future Faces GBYPY interview standards ‘highest in 25 years’, says judge

Future Faces Chamber of Commerce held the interviews for the shortlisted finalists of the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (GBYPY) Awards 2026.

The interviews were held at Arden University and saw shortlisted candidates complete the final stage of their awards applications process - a 15-minute interview held in front of a panel of judges from various sectors and professions.

The interviews marked the final stage of judging ahead of the announcement of the 16 category winners and the overall Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2026 winner.

The winners will be announced at the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards on 24 September at Birmingham Town Hall.

Ana Amona, personal career and confidence coach from Rainha Noir Coaching was shortlisted in the people and wellbeing category.

Following her interview, Ana gave advice to future applicants. 

She said: "I felt really listened to by the judges. I prepared for the interview by reflecting on all my achievements over the past year and writing down key bullet points.

"For anyone applying for the awards next year, I'd recommend asking your colleagues and friends for feedback. Sometimes we undersell ourselves when writing applications, but the people around us often recognise our strengths better than we do.

"I was nervous, but what really helped was being able to sit down with the other candidates in my category before the interview. It made me feel much more at ease."

John James, former chairman of Birmingham Forward, was a judge on the Apprentice and Creative Industries panels.

He said: "The quality and standard of candidates was extremely high. In fact, it's probably higher than it's ever been in the 25 years that I have known the BYPY Awards.

"The commitment and passion for the city stood out in all of our interviews, and this indicates a very bright future for Birmingham."

Pictured (left to right): Louise Teboul (Common Purpose), John James (Former CEO, Birmingham Forward), Nicola Fleet-Milne (FleetMilne), Fiona Teague (Mills & Reeve), Sunil Kumar Mahay (Vasu Legal), Suzie Branch-Haddow (BMET), Becca Horley (Fletchers), Rebecca Mander (Guru You), Justine Howl (Entec Si), Georgie Butler (Blackberry Events), Chris Cummings (OTD), Alex Tross (Carter Jonas), Dr Louise Reader (Arden University), Tom Green (WPP plc), Patrycja Taylor (Fogo de Chão), Nick Wylie (Arden University), Christopher Quinn (Barclays), Sophie Poduval-Morrell (Future Faces), Lillian Elekan (Head of Membership, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce), Andy Dawson (Curium Solutions), Catherine Edwards (Arden University), Uko Umotong (UB Health Care), and Ruth Pipkin (Rewired PR).