Top world business leader to attend glittering awards ceremony

Jun 20 2007 by Bill Gleeson, Liverpool Daily Post

ONE of the world’s top business leaders will give the keynote speech at the Daily Post’s Regional Business Awards next week.

Former Burger King chairman and chief executive Barry Gibbons will tell a sell-out black-tie event, to be attended by 500 of the region’s top business leaders, how he turned Burger King into one of the leading international brands.

During his five years as US-based boss of Burger King, Barry Gibbons received international acclaim.

He was named "Turnaround Champion" by Fortune Magazine. In his words, he has ”scar tissue on scar tissue” from running a franchising business in the US and internationally.

Mr Gibbons chose to retire from big business and is now a successful author, speaker, consultant and entrepreneur on both sides of the Atlantic.

He is co-founder of Y Arriba, a Latin themed tapas-teatro that opened in Disneyland early this year and he has a gourmet coffee business in the US and UK.

He has written three books, and has two more in the pipeline. His off-beat business column appears in QSR magazine and the Knight Ridder group of newspapers in the US.

He will offer his audience at next Thursday night’s event, to be held in the splendid and recently refurbished surroundings of St George’s Hall, insights about how to stay ahead in fast-changing and unpredictable markets.

A brilliant presenter, he draws on a successful business career to illustrate why just managing is no longer enough, he says.

Instead business leaders need to energise people who work for them, with them and above them. He also talks about how to satisfy the apparently insatiable demands of customers.

The master of ceremonies for the evening will be BBC broadcaster Peter Sissons, a Liverpudlian born and bred, who always enjoys returning to his native city.

The entertainment will be provided by local group, the Vernon Sisters.

As the stars of BBC1’s prime-time show, Passport to The Sun, Rebecca, Sophia and Tasmin Penn-Critten are in constant demand throughout Europe.

They have performed with classical conductors Simon Rattle and Mark Elder at London’s Albert Hall, with TV comedy superstar Jon Culshaw to 19,000 fans at Sheffield United’s football stadium Bramall Lane.

The girls are regularly booked for events and functions at prestigious five star hotels and casinos including the Marriott, Hilton and Grosvenor chains.

Currently working on their latest album, the sisters have also recorded with recent Mute Records signing Richard Hawley and hugely successful band Boy on a Dolphin.

The awards event will see the unveiling of this year’s crop of award winners of the region’s top business accolades.

There are nine categories offering prizes for companies of all sizes, as well as awards for those firms who have achieved success from exporting or by converting scientific and technological breakthroughs into commercially viable businesses.

billgleeson