Member Article

Ghd?s Khan wins top finance awards accolade

Umar Khan, commercial finance manager at Leeds-based global hair products brand ghd, has been awarded the top prize the Yorkshire Rising Stars of the Year Awards, which celebrate the region’s up-and-coming finance professionals.

Named overall winner across all categories, Umar also won the award for businesses in North and West Yorkshire with a turnover of more than £60m.

Umar was singled out by judges for his instrumental role in growing profits at ghd – an acronym for Good Hair Day - which is a market leader in premium hair straightening irons and other hair styling products.

Since 2007, when the business was sold to Montagu Private Equity for £160m, ghd has doubled its pre-tax profits to £32m while sales have increased to over £150m.

The brand was acquired by investment firm Lion Capital in February this year.

Commenting on his award, Umar Khan said: “‘I am extremely proud to have been named the Yorkshire Rising Star of Year and as a great Yorkshire, and British, business it’s a tremendous accolade for ghd.”

Others winners at the awards included individuals from Yorkshire-based businesses and organisations including Associated Waste Management, the University of Bradford, Provident Financial, AESSEAL, Firth Rixson and Go Outdoors.

The awards were supported by Grant Thornton, RBS, DWF and Sharp Consultancy.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .