The finalists for the 18th Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards have been unveiled.
Staff from firms such as Irwin Mitchell, Legal & General and PwC all feature among the 17 finalists who will do battle for six category awards and the overall crown of Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) 2018.
The awards will again celebrate the city's top talent aged under 35 and working in the professional services industry with the overall winner spending a year as BYPY, promoting the city and working on new initiatives and programmes within the business community.
They will also receive a fully funded executive MBA scholarship worth £20,000 from Aston Business School.
A further three finalists have been chosen for the aspiring talent category which celebrates individuals aged 16 to 24 and who are currently in education or training for a professional services career.
Organiser BPS Birmingham Future will also recognise an inspiring leader who has shown unwavering commitment to the city which will be announced on the night.
The 2018 shortlist is:
Finance
Zoe Brown, PwC
Andy Lee, NatWest
Laura Thursfield, Mazars
HR, Recruitment & Training
Gishan Abeyratne, BCL Legal
Robert Whitehouse, Sparta Global
Legal
Laura Daly, Irwin Mitchell
Ben Gardner, Pinsent Mason
Chrissie Wolfe, Irwin Mitchell
Marketing and Communications
Sunny Gill, Silver Mountain
Tru Powell, Alternate Events
Beth Sadler, Aston Business School
Property and Construction
Kuli Bajwa, RPS Group
Gurpreet Bassi, SDL Auctions
Jonathan Stott, Gateley Hamer
Technology
Rebecca Hook, Legal & General
Sarah Mullett, Legal & General
Sud Parwana, PwC
Aspiring Talent
Daniel Goddard, Trowers and Hamlins
Anil Kararra, Gowling WLG
Hector Mtsambiwa, BPS Birmingham
This year's judging panel was chaired by Deborah Cadman, chief executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority alongside BPS Birmingham Future chairman Victoria Ball and BYPY 2017 winner Michael Parker.
Completing the panel line up was Wesleyan's HR director Caroline Hill, founder of PR agency Barques Jilly Cosgrove, Deloitte partner Ian Barnes and David Hardman, chief executive of Innovation Birmingham and last year's inspiring leader winner.
Ms Cadman said: "It's been an absolute privilege to chair the judges.
"I have seen and heard from the most amazing young people who have demonstrated they really are at the top of their game.
"They've been humble, committed and, if they are to win, all of them will use the position to give back and support the bright young talent of the future.
"We're really excited by the breadth of talent in every category and of course those who have won and I think they will all continue to grow and develop and become even better."
The awards ceremony is being held at the ICC on May 24.
