Selecting the head of the BYPY judging panel is far from an easy task and this year’s selection process has been no exception, not least because the charismatic and lively Glynn Purnell will be a hard act to follow.
As a committee, we have high hopes when it comes to finding the best individual to lead the panel and take to the stage on the big night. This year we started with a list made up of names contributed by each member of the committee. Big personalities from business, sport and television graced the list, as well as high fliers from the worlds of transport, law and social enterprise. For nearly two hours the names were bandied back and forth as our formidable committee chairman Bina Ganatra, armed with a red marker, ruthlessly whittled the list down to just 13 names.
There were all kinds of reasons for axing worthy candidates from the list and cries of ‘done it before’, ‘too professional’ and ‘too risky’ flew across the table at regular intervals. Consideration also had to be given to personality clashes with our list of potential comperes, and yet more cries of ‘too similar’, ‘no chemistry’ and ‘not a good combo’ echoed round the meeting room.
Now we have our shortlist it’s time to tentatively approach the select few and hope that one of them is willing to take up the cause. Watch this space to find out who has agreed to take on the challenge.
