CEO named Business Leader of the Year
We are delighted to announce that our Chief Executive Officer, Lou Ellis‑Frankland, has been named Business Leader of the Year at The Yorkshire’s Business Awards 2025, held on Friday at the Queens Hotel in Leeds. The award was one of only five presented on the evening and recognises exceptional leadership, strategic influence and long-term impact on the regional economy.
Organised by The Yorkshire Children’s Charity and sponsored by the Yorkshire Post, the awards celebrate outstanding contributions to business, entrepreneurship and social value across the region. This year’s event featured a keynote address from entrepreneur Dave Fishwick, the figure behind the Netflix feature The Bank of Dave, and honoured Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy with the title of ‘Yorkshire Legend’.
Following the presentation, Lou joined Yorkshire Post Deputy Business Editor Greg Wright on stage for a discussion about leading a fully independent manufacturer, building resilience in challenging markets, and the responsibility of maintaining strong roots in Yorkshire while driving national and international growth.
The awards also raised vital funds and awareness for The Yorkshire Children’s Charity, whose work focuses on transforming the lives of children across the region living at a disadvantage due to disability, ill health or financial hardship. The charity’s initiatives include The Great Yorkshire Build, Schools Out, school essentials campaigns and direct support for families. Their mission is to ensure no child is left behind simply because of the circumstances they were born into.
Reflecting on the award, Lou said:
“Yorkshire is home, both for me and for Mansfield Pollard, and to receive this recognition among such an inspiring group of business leaders is deeply humbling. This award reflects the strength, resilience and dedication of the entire Mansfield Pollard team and our partners. What made the evening particularly meaningful was supporting The Yorkshire Children’s Charity and its mission to change young lives across our region. To see the passion and impact of that work first‑hand is a powerful reminder of how business success can be connected to community purpose.”
Lou’s leadership has been instrumental in Mansfield Pollard’s continued growth and in strengthening its reputation as a specialist in engineered air management, acoustic control and data centre cooling. Her approach combines commercial ambition with a deep commitment to people, quality and place.
A group photo from the evening captures the Mansfield Pollard executive team: from left to right, Ben Priestley, Chief Financial Officer; Lou Ellis‑Frankland, Chief Executive Officer; Ewelina Kaftanska, Operations Director; Nick Baldwin, Marketing Director; and Scott Donoghue, General Manager.
For a video interview following Lou’s award win, please click here
We congratulate everyone recognised at the 2025 Yorkshire Business Awards and are proud to stand alongside a business community that values leadership, integrity and impact. At Mansfield Pollard, we remain committed not only to contributing to Yorkshire’s commercial success, but to playing a positive, passionate and long-term role in the region where we live, work and grow.
Find out more about this wonderful charity here: https://www.yorkshirechildrenscharity.org