Get Ahead is delighted that Fiona Ibbetson has been crowned a winner in the first-ever Great British Franchisee Awards 2021.

Organised by whichfranchise.com, the Great British Franchisee Awards focus on the people who have made UK franchising a success. They recognise the outstanding performance of franchisees, regardless of the size of their business or the sector they work in.

Judged by a prestigious panel of industry experts, all the winners, ranging from Business Doctors in Fife down to Merry Maids in Kingston Upon Thames, demonstrated what it takes to be Great British Franchisees. Alongside Fiona Ibbetson of Get Ahead Leeds, York & Harrogate, other notable winners in the north west included Sharon Allen, Grimsby – GoCruise, Jonathan Hargreaves-Townson – North West, Rainbow International and Talk Direct Leeds – West, South & North Yorkshire, North East of England, O2.

The judging panel consisted of Suki Dehal – Lloyds Bank, Head of Franchising, Aman Nirwal – BDO, Senior Key Account Manager Franchising, Euan Fraser – AMO Consulting, and Derrick Simpson, Companion of the British Franchise Association. Aman Nirwal commented:

“I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing all the applications and it has been so refreshing to see how all sizes of businesses from various sectors have coped and adapted their business in response to not only Covid-19 but looking at sustainable growth and business resilience for many years to come. It was great to see so many applications and from a cross section of franchisees,”

Talking about her win, Fiona Ibbetson said, “I am thrilled to have won this award which recognises excellence in franchisees. I started on my franchise journey in 2017, after leaving a senior corporate role. I looked at different options and met Get Ahead at an exhibition I attended as part of my research. I loved the energy and passion that founder Rebecca Newenham has for the business. I have never looked back after starting Get Ahead Leeds in January 2018 and launching Get Ahead York & Harrogate in 2021.”

Rebecca Newenham added: “I am very proud of everything Fiona has achieved over the past 3 years and delighted that her hard work has been recognised in these prestigious awards. It has been a pleasure to support her on her journey so far. I am excited to see her specialist outsourcing team grow and enable even more businesses to access the virtual support they need to get ahead.”