Judges

Andy Irvine joined Shorts as a partner in 2007 and was appointed managing partner in 2017. He is one of a handful of professionals in the area who are both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser.

Andy has a strong commercial outlook and understanding of the challenges businesses face.

Carolynn is a career civil servant with over 30 years’ experience of delivering large projects, from establishing the first 1200-seater contact centre network to take vacancies from employers to latterly establishing a Business Architecture Function for DWP. In 2018 she was seconded to Business in the Community, the oldest and largest business led responsible business network, and given licence to do good. In 2019 she played a leading role in establishing and now running Sheffield Business Together (SBT). SBT brings together like-minded businesses to strategically connect and share resources with charities, schools, and colleges to help address some of the key challenges facing our great City and communities.

Jodie Marshall is currently the Network Coordinator for Sheffield Social Enterprise Network, and the Founder and Managing Director of her own social enterprise, A Mind Apart. Having worked in the charity and social enterprise sector for over 15 years, she has experience from delivering 'on the ground' projects for her own organisation as well as consulting for international organisations and advocating for the Third Sector as a whole. Jodie fully understands what it takes to run a not for profit organisation and is also the Chair of the charity Service of Hope, working internationally with a not-for-profit organisation in North East Brazil.

Mel Kanarek set up her first business in Sheffield in the 1990s and has been working with growing businesses here ever since. She is a champion of entrepreneurialism and innovation, particularly in the tech sector, and is one of the founders of Sheffield Digital. She is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at Sheffield Hallam University.

Richard is the CEO of Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network, and Vice Chair of the national AHSN Network. He is a private sector board member of SYMCA Local Enterprise Partnership, a member of their Business Growth Board and the chair of the SY-India Trade Advisory Board. He is a visiting fellow of Sheffield Hallam University and chairs SHU's Strategic board for the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre.

Entrepreneur Steve Adams co-founded Mattress Online in 2003, becoming sole shareholder and CEO in 2019. 

Led by Steve, the rapidly growing company, which is headquartered in Rotherham, is now a £37.5m turnover business with an excellent reputation for employee loyalty, team-focused culture, and consistent commitment to the customer.