2014 City A.M. awards: What the judges really said

There was a bright and early 8am start for the City A.M. awards meeting  but the judges were as sprightly and sharp as ever. 

 

As some of the judges were themselves nominated for awards, they were asked to leave the room for the deliberation and voting – but not without giving their tuppence worth. 

 

PwC’s Ian Powell was up first and gave an impassioned argument. “You should be a PR,” laughed Alliance Trust’s Katherine Garrett Cox. BAML’s Simon Mackenzie Smith was more understated when his time came. “Hmm you wouldn’t be so good in PR,” Garrett-Cox offered. 

 

During deliberation about the business services award, Finsbury’s Roland Rudd cut to the chase about one of the nominees.“Fundamentally, LinkedIn is actually for people who aren’t linked in,” he said. The laughs in the room agreed. “For people who are changing jobs it’s invaluable,” offered Mackenzie Smith. “When I get a request on LinkedIn, I immediately think; ‘I didn’t know he’d lost his job yet,’” said Slaughter & May’s Nigel Boardman. It was Nutmeg’s Nick Hungerford who had the last word though: “I’ll happily explain to anyone how useful it is over a beer.”

 

There were also few chuckles over the nominees’ photos, as published in our judges’ pack. Donald Mackenzie’s shot proved popular. “Where did you get that photo from?” asked Goldman’s Phil Raper. “He looks like a Formula 1 gangster,” laughed Boardman.