IoD Scotland unveils its directors of the year

The chief of a energy meter firm and the boss of a cleaning company have taken the top honours in the IoD Scotland director of the year awards.

SMS chief Alan Foy took the award for directors of larger firms

Alan Foy, chief executive of Glasgow-based smart meters specialist SMS, was named director of the year for companies with a turnover of more than £15 million at last night’s IoD ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow.

Sara Speirs, managing director of Spectrum Service Solutions, the Paisley contract cleaning and facilities management business, picked up the award for smaller firms.

IoD Scotland chair Susan Deacon said: “The quality and quantity of entries received were of an impressively high standard this year, and Alan was a clear winner.

“SMS is a real Scottish success story, in no small part due to Alan’s vision and leadership. To have grown at this pace, to have listed and to have further substantial growth prospects is very impressive, and an inspiration to other start-ups. Alan fully deserves to be recognised as outstanding.”

Deacon, the former Scottish health minister, added: “Sara Speirs has built Spectrum into a top-rated facilities management provider. She has a strong vision about where the business is going and a clear commitment to best practice and sustainability, values which the IoD encourages across its membership.

“Sara has demonstrated a real ability to significantly grow her business, by focusing on employee development, quality and innovation. She is a very worthy winner of this award.”