Britain's Best Boss 2002

Ian Barnard, Head of Benefits at Cogent Investment Operations Ltd is Best Boss 2002. A City of London manager and father of two, Ian has encouraged a level of flexibility in his team that sets a great example to the rest of the financial services industry. He has championed flexible working within Cogent by introducing annualised hours, homeworking, remote and part-time working.

Ian says: "We had a staffing crisis and I tried to come up with a win–win for staff and company. We now have cover for longer periods and we handle the peaks and troughs of business better. Most people work nine day fortnights and we've found that plenty of our work can be done from home. Productivity has risen and the extra 20 days ‘holiday' staff now enjoy (due to compressed working) has drastically reduced our previously high staff turnover."

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Madi Sharma, Managing Director of Original Eastern Foods in Nottingham is our first ever Best Boss Runner Up. As a single working parent, Madi encourages flexible working so people can cover their elder and childcare responsibilities.

She says: "I find staggered working patterns benefit my business and I see people as my most valuable asset. The people in my company are the ones who hand produce our food products and without exceptional and dedicated staff, I would have no business."

Special Commendations also went to:

Karen Billany, Senior Charge Nurse in the Orthopaedics Ward at the Hull Royal Infirmary for Building Trust and Staff Morale through Communication and Flexibility.

Heather Foote, a senior manager at the West Bromwich Building Society for Exceptional Leadership and the Introduction of Trail Blazing Practices, while she was working at the Britannia Building Society Call Centre in Leek, West Bromwich.

Sharon Macnamara, Advertising Manager at the Jersey Evening Post for the Ability to Work with a Team to Find Solutions to Problems.

The finalists for Best Boss 2002 were:

• Ian Barnard, Head of Benefits at Cogent Investment Operations Ltd
• Karen Billany, Senior Charge Nurse, Ward 9, Hull & East Yorks Hospitals
• Rachel Clarke, Director, Retail Customer Services, Charles Schwab, Europe
• Andrew Fairclough, Owner/Managing Director, Hurfar Engineering
• Heather Foote, Call Centre Senior Manager, Britannia Building Society
• Craig Hargreaves, Divisional Managing Director, Woodnook Bleaching & Dyeing
• Sharon Macnamara, Advertising Manager, Jersey Evening Post
• Madi Sharma, Managing Director, Original Eastern Foods Ltd
• Julia Smith, Integrated Team Leader, Stow Lodge Centre, Central Suffolk Primary Care NHS Trust

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