Jack Meek, business support manager at Odissy Ltd, explains why Patrick Taggart should win the Leader of the Year category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition:
Patrick is one of the most dedicated people I have ever met and I have greatly benefitted from his leadership. He took me n in 2014 even though I had few GCSEs, and has had faith in me from the start. He takes me to meetings with large companies, trusts me work with our big clients and has given me opportunities that I would have never had anywhere else.
On top of running his own business, he is the chair of an academy of eight schools. He is a very busy man but takes the time to go the extra mile for his business, the schools and people he works with, even though he has a lot going on himself.
As an apprentice, Patrick is always there to help me develop my potential and has supported me endlessly with my work. I would not be in the position I am today without him.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the top three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
