For the event Grant Thornton UK LLP has again teamed up with fellow founding sponsors Addleshaw Goddard, FWB and Barclays Corporate Banking.

The awards, which are now open for nominations, recognise the enterprise, leadership, resilience, social impact and all-round excellence of the financial directors, CFOs, and financial teams in Scottish businesses spanning 11 categories.

The awards are open to CFOs, or the equivalent of, in all industries, whether working for a fast-growing SME or an established PLC, as well as for the benefit of the wider community in the not-for-profit category.

The shortlists will be announced in January 2025, and the winners will be announced in March 2025 during the awards ceremony at the voco Grand Central in Glasgow.

The categories for 2024 include:

• CFO of 2024 – Turnover up to £50 million
• CFO of 2024 – Turnover £50m to £200m
• CFO of 2024 – Turnover over £200m
• CFO of 2024 – Private Equity backed Company
• CFO of 2024 – Family-Owned Business
• CFO of 2024 – Not-for-Profit Organisation

Outstanding Achievement Awards:

• CFO of 2024 – Growth/Scale Up
• CFO of 2024 – One to Watch
• CFO of 2024 – Deal of the Year
• CFO of 2024 – ESG Finance Leader
• Finance Team of the Year

Finalists are invited to attend online interviews and the winners will then be selected by an independent panel of judges. Nominations can be submitted here and will close for review on 24 October 2024.

Stuart Preston, partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP in Scotland, said: “It’s a privilege for us to once again host the Scottish CFO Awards for the second year running after the success of the inaugural 2023 awards. It’s the perfect platform to celebrate the exceptional talent and leadership of finance professionals across Scotland.

“The volume and calibre of entries we received last year was outstanding, and we look forward to shining a spotlight on even more inspiring CFOs and finance teams in 2025.”

Jamie Grant, managing director Scotland at Barclays Corporate Banking, echoed: “We are delighted to be involved in the Scottish CFO awards in its second year and join the other sponsors in recognising the incredible talent we have in Scotland.

“Following on from the success of last year’s awards, we now have the opportunity to highlight and celebrate even more exceptional Scottish finance leaders.

“It is well known that Scotland houses some very talented CFOs who help steer companies through a multitude of challenges in their respective sectors, showing great leadership qualities for the benefit of their finance team and the wider business. This is a real opportunity to showcase all that they, and Scotland, has to offer.”

Alan Shanks, head of Scotland at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “We are proud to continue our support for the Scottish CFO Awards, which brought overdue recognition to some of the key players in the business world in the inaugural event.

“As last year demonstrated, finance leaders and their teams have done incredible work to help guide their businesses and institutions through challenging times, seizing opportunity and really making a difference. We would urge them to get involved with these awards and ensure their achievements are celebrated, and we look forward to honouring the finest among them.”

Michael Dickson, director at FWB, added: “FWB are delighted to partner on the CFO Awards again this year following a fantastic inaugural event.

“From exciting ‘One to Watch’ entrants like last year’s winner Lorraine MacDonald to industry and market leading CFOs like Carole Cran and Gregor Goodwin it was an exceptional ‘Class of 2023’, showcasing a diverse and talented finance community, and we are looking forward to welcoming and meeting as many applicants as possible for this year.”