Kibble’s Chief Executive, Jim Gillespie, has been named Director of the Year for agility and resilience, and regional director of the year for Glasgow and the West of Scotland at the annual Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland Awards.
The IoD Scotland awards are among the most prestigious accolades in business, with this year’s ceremony marking the second time in two years that Mr Gillespie has received the regional award for Glasgow and the West.
The awards are designed to celebrate the invaluable leadership qualities on display from senior executives across the country and were held in-person for the first time since 2019.
Organisers took the opportunity to commend the achievements of directors who successfully navigated their businesses through the Covid-19 Pandemic and the transition back to greater normality post-pandemic.
Kibble, which provides care, education and support to children and young people who have experienced significant trauma in their lives, had to change every facet of its operations to continue 24/7 service delivery during the Pandemic, and is now thriving thanks to Mr Gillespie’s strategic leadership.
First appointed as Kibble CEO in 2017, Jim has led Kibble on its central mission of empowering lives and fulfilling potential through care, education and opportunity. Through his leadership and direction, the organisation has exceeded its strategic goals, opened multiple services, developed staff recruitment and retention, and enhanced existing services to meet the needs of children, young people and families.
Crucially, Mr Gillespie has embedded a culture of openness, trust and ambition, listening to the views of young people and staff to drive service delivery and shape practice. Staff are encouraged to excel in their careers, with significant learning and development opportunities open for all.
Mr Gillespie said: “It’s an incredible honour to have received these awards and I accept them as a reflection of the hard work and commitment of everyone at Kibble.
“Our organisation faced significant challenges in recent years and the pandemic forced us to transform every element of our existing practices. We had to do this quickly and efficiently to ensure we kept our vital services operating round the clock and, most importantly, kept the children and young people we support safe.
“This was no small-scale operation, but thanks to our incredible staff, we were able to maintain resilience by adapting our practice accordingly and by coordinating operations in line with our business continuity plans.
“We have all worked together to get to where we are now and emerge from the pandemic a stronger organisation, so these awards are deserved recognition for the efforts of every Kibble employee.”