Judges unveiled for NACFB Commercial Broker Awards 2025 

The full judging panel for the NACFB Commercial Broker Awards 2025 has been revealed. This year saw a record-breaking 357 entries submitted across 24 categories by the trade body’s broker firms – marking a 22% increase in submissions and a 25% rise in participating NACFB Member firms compared to the previous year. An independent panel of industry stakeholders, chosen for their specialist expertise, will now assess the entries to help determine the winners and highly commended entries. 

This year’s full judging panel is:

  • Adrian Stalley – Head of Partnerships, Reward Funding 

  • Beth Fisher – Managing Director, Bridging & Commercial 

  • Bob Lefroy – Publisher, Business Money 

  • Edward Peck – Founder, Asset Finance Connect 

  • Frazer Campbell – Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, Brickflow 

  • Gaynor Dykes – Director, British Business Bank 

  • Jason Hurwitz – Sales Director, NETSOL Technologies 

  • Jennifer Tankard – Principal, Commercial Finance, UK Finance 

  • Jess Bird – Managing Editor, The Intermediary 

  • John Phillipou – Managing Director, SME Lending, Paragon Bank 

  • Josh Harris – CEO, Doc2 

  • Lee Tillcock – Managing Editor, MoneyFacts 

  • Martin McTague – National Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) 

  • Mike Conroy – Director, Commercial Finance, UK Finance 

  • Paul Hunt – Managing Director, Square 1 Media 

  • Ray Cohen – Director, Jackson Cohen Associates 

  • Robin Skuse – Editor, Broker World 

  • Simon Goldie – Director of Business Finance & Advocacy, Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) 

  • Stephen Henman – Managing Director, Method Valuation 

  • Stephen Todd – Co-Founder, VAS

  • Theodora Hadjimichael – CEO, Responsible Finance 

  • Todd Davison – Managing Director, Purbeck 

  • Trevor Williams – Co-Founder, FX Guard; Visiting Professor, University of Derby 

  • Vic Jannels – CEO, Bridging & Development Lenders Association (BDLA) 

The judges, who have been provided with guidance on how to review submissions individually and fairly, will review submissions to help determine the shortlist in each award category.  

To ensure impartiality, submissions have been anonymised where appropriate. Categories involving only organisations were anonymised, while those featuring individuals or a mix of individuals and firms were not. Shortlisted entrants will be notified (under embargo) by email ahead of the public shortlist announcement in late July. NACFB Patron lenders and Partner suppliers will then be invited to cast their votes for the Member brokers of their choice in each relevant category. To maintain fairness, each Patron/Partner firm is limited to five votes per category. The judging panel’s scores will be combined with the Patron/Partner votes to determine both the winners and those who are highly commended in each category. An algorithm is used to calculate the final results, blending judges’ scores with the industry vote. 

Winners in each category will be announced and presented with trophies by host comedian Jayde Adams at a ceremony held at Lancashire Cricket Club, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, on the afternoon of Friday 19th September 2025.  

Early bird tickets for NACFB Member brokers are now available at £132 +VAT per person or £1,320 +VAT for a table of ten, until mid-August. After that, prices rise to £195 +VAT each or £1,950 +VAT per table. Subject to availability, tickets for NACFB Patron lenders and Partners will go on sale from mid-August at £220 +VAT per person or £2,200 +VAT per table. All tickets include a welcome drink on arrival, a three-course meal, half a bottle of wine per person and entertainment. 

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Commercial Broker Awards 2025 opens for submissions