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Barry Leahey MBE is President of Playdale Playgrounds and Honorary Teaching Fellow – Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation at Lancaster University Management School.[1] Barry is also Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University Management School and the chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Cumbria Branch.[2][3]
Education edit
Leahey received 3 A-Levels at Winstanley College. Leahey has a BSc, Sport Science, from the University of Sunderland and a P.G. Dip. Sport Science from Liverpool John Moores University where he was also a European Social Fund Scholarship winner.
Career edit
He was International Sales and Marketing Director for Playdale Playgrounds, Area Field Sales Manager for Yell, Executive Sales Manager for Caudwell Group and North West Regional Manager for Technogym.
Since he became managing director of Playdale in 2015, the company has been given the status of Commonwealth First Export Champion.[4] Playdale Playgrounds have been awarded Exporter of the Year 2015 in the CN Group Business Awards,[5] National Manufacturing Family Business of the Year 2016[6] and National Business Exporter of the Year at the Federation of Small Businesses Worldpay UK Business Awards, 2016.[7][8]
In 2018 he was one of 800 senior business leaders and heads of government from across the Commonwealth to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.[9]
Awards and nominations edit
- North West Business Insider 42 under 42 class of 2017[10]
- Global Director of the Year 2018, Institute of Directors North West Director of the Year Award[11][12]
- In 2017, Leahey was appointed an MBE for services to UK trade and exports.[13]
- In 2017, the University of Sunderland Alumni Association made Leahey their Alumni Achiever of the Year.[14][15]
- In 2018 and in conjunction with the UK's Daily Telegraph, Leahey was named one of the UK's Most Ambitious Business Leaders by the LDC.[16]
- In 2018, Leahey of Playdale Playgrounds was named Businessperson of the Year in the in-Cumbria Business Awards.[17]|[18]
- In 2019, Leahey was announced as new chair of Institute of Directors Cumbria branch.[19]
- In 2019, Leahey was granted Freedom of the City of London and became an Honorary Professorial Fellow at Lancaster University Management School in Strategy and Entrepreneurship.[20]
References edit
- ^ "Barry Leahey". www.lancaster.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Tovey, Alan (13 May 2014). "Playground manufacturer gets a boost from UKTI export schemes". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "Barry Leahey announced as new chair of Institute of Directors Cumbria branch".
- ^ "Playdale – CommonwealthFirst | World Champion in SME Support". CommonwealthFirst | World Champion in SME Support. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Winners of CN Group Business Awards revealed". The Mail. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Cumbrian firms triumph at Family Business Awards". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "FSB Worldpay Awards". www.fsb.org.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Thriving business wins national acclaim". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Playdale's Barry Leahey meets with global leaders at Commonwealth summit". Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Ltd, Insider Media. "North West 2017 42 under 42 Members | Insider Media Ltd". www.insidermedia.com. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Leahey named Global Director of the Year". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "North West entrepreneur, Barry Leahey MBE receives Global Director award". Bdaily Business News. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Barry Leahey at Pitch At Palace event at St James' Palace London-min ⋆ Business Lancashire". Business Lancashire. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "UKTI in at the start of export growth for Playdale Playgrounds". GOV.UK. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "Why this Cumbrian businesses has a hop, skip and jump in its step Cumbria Crack". Cumbria Crack. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "Meet The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders".
- ^ "Winners revealed at in-Cumbria Business Awards 2018".
- ^ "in-Cumbria Business Awards feature 2018".
- ^ "Barry Leahey announced as new chair of Institute of Directors Cumbria branch". Times and Star. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Playdale managing director granted Freedom of the City of London". The Mail. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
