Press Release: Olympic achievement for Clift at FirstPro Awards

The man who has played a key part in ensuring Coventry will host Olympic football matches during London 2012 has been named as Coventry and Warwickshire’s Professional of the Year.Tom Clift, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership manager for the 2012 Games (CW2012), scooped the top award during the third Coventry and Warwickshire First FirstPro Awards, which were held at the Ricoh Arena.Around 230 people attended the FirstPro awards which aim to celebrate the skill and expertise of professionals in Coventry and Warwickshire.The awards are designed to encourage continuing professional development, raise the profile of professionals locally and recognise those individual professionals who contribute to the growth of the sector by putting something back into the community.Clift heads up CW2012 - the organisation responsible for maximising opportunities arising from the London 2012 Games for Coventry and Warwickshire.He has helped to establish a staggering number of London 2012-inspired projects across the region with the most high profile success coming as he helped Coventry beat competition from cities across the Midlands to be awarded the right to host 12 Olympic football tournament matches in 2012.“I am overwhelmed to have won this award, I did not expect it at all, it was a complete shock,” he said.“It is an honour and a lovely feeling but there is no way I could have been considered for this award without what we as a partnership have achieved collectively for Coventry and Warwickshire.“None of what has been achieved could have happened without the support of all the organisations, partners and individuals which have supported us over the last five years.“My personal highlight from 2010 would obviously be getting married! But the Ricoh Arena winning Olympic football in 2012 comes a close second and now we just have to focus on delivering all the projects we have underway to the best of our ability as we approach the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is London 2012.”The judging panel for the awards was made up by Michael Woodhead, managing director for Eon Sustainable Energy, Peter Deeley, form the Deeley Group, Philip Costigan, partner at law firm Band Hatton and chairman of Coventry and Warwickshire First.Deeley said it had been one of the most tightly contested FirstPro Awards to date and he was overwhelmed by the quality of the nominees.“All of the judges were blown away by the expertise, enthusiasm and dedication displayed by every one of the nominees,” he said.“We found each decision we took was extremely difficult and that is a glowing endorsement of the quality of the businesses and professionals we have in the region.“Awards like these are extremely important for highlighting the talent we have in the Coventry and Warwickshire and all of the winners and nominees deserve the highest of praise.“Tom is a young man who has done a superb job – not always in the easiest of circumstances – and has helped ensure that Coventry will be well and truly on an international stage.“The amount of work he and his team have done, and the results he has achieved are quite mind-blowing.”The awards are divided into five categories with Lee Thomas, from Coventry events staff firm Aesthetics, given the Business Services award, Adam Smith, from the Royal Bank of Scotland, taking the Financial Professional gong while Tracy Darke, from Coventry City Council was awarded the title of Property Professional of the Year and Tom Clift also took home the title of Young Professional of the Year.There was also success for Warwickshire as Leamington-based law firm Wright Hassall saw senior partner Nick Abell named as Legal Professional of the Year.Former England cricketer Chris Broad also attended to speak at the evening and guests raised over £4,200 for motor neurone disease charity The Broad Appeal.ENDS

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