 The man making top analysts and big City speculators pay homage to the humble stottie is the new North-East Business Executive of the Year. Sir Mike Darrington, headhunted 22 years ago to lead North-East baker Greggs to a stock exchange flotation - and on from there to be the UK's biggest bakery chain with more than five million takeaway customers a week - won the title last night to resounding applause. And Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, chairman of the judges who choose the winner, told the hundreds of guests at the presentation: "Two of Sir Mike's great achievements, the judges feel, are the firm's expansion into mainland Europe, and the way Greggs' share performance has reshaped City attitudes of analysts and investors to look at turnovers of North-East quoted firms with new respect." Greggs has enjoyed almost unbroken growth in share value since it floated. Sir Mike has also impressed with his promotion of the region as a whole, his provision of Greggs' breakfast clubs for schoolchildren and his anti-cancer fundraising. Sir Mike, who was also named Tyneside and Northumberland Business Executive of the Year last night, plans to stay at Greggs until 2010, and see the company raise its current turnover of half a billion pounds plus to £1bn with more than 1,700 outlets, up from the current 1,300. On receiving his award last night held at the Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel in Newcastle, he said: "Our business is very successful because it has so many North East people working for it. I feel proud and privileged." Another popular winner at the event organised by The Journal and our Teesside sister paper the Evening Gazette, was Dame Margaret Barbour, chairman of J Barbour & Sons, whose South Tyneside firm diversified a business of trawlermen's stormwear into a worldwide fashion manufacturer, through the famous Barbour jacket. Her Lifetime Achievement Award marks not only her feat in taking over a company in crisis with no business experience, to make it a world-class operation - but also her understated generosity in financially supporting, through the Barbour Foundation, countless regional and community causes and organisations. Dame Margaret was a schoolteacher before taking over the running of Barbour 33 years ago at the age of 28. The family firm had been left leaderless by the premature death of her first husband. She not only saved a company founded in 1894, but created demand for its outdoor tailoring in more than 33 countries, and with royalty and aristocracy among its customers. Dame Margaret, who has always been a low profile figure, said of her win last night: "I am overjoyed to win this award. I am dedicated to the North-East." Sir Mike's success means that, for the first time in the top individual regional award's 22-year history, one firm has produced two winners. Ian Gregg was the first winner in 1983 - the year when, as chairman, he brought in Sir Mike to spearhead the then regional firm's flotation and future take-off. Meanwhile Anne Ganley, one of Britain's few women builders' merchants, was named Wearside and County Durham Business Executive of the Year. Trevor Arnold, the export-driven managing director of Thornaby engineering consultants K Home International, was made Tees Valley Business Executive of the Year. And Daniele Cowan, 26, founder and managing director of 1st Fix Recruitment, a three-year-old Newcastle specialist in finding construction personnel, was named North-East Young Business Person 2005. Anne Ganley has developed, hands-on, what was a family rag and bone trade into, first, a builders' merchants and now also a DIY specialist vying with the like of B&Q and Wickes. Trevor Arnold's win recognises his part in taking K Home on from a business of local engineering contracting to an international, multi-disciplined operation, that now oversees contracts worth billions. It is shortly to double its workforce to 700. Daniele Cowan's young business employs 24 people and already has a turnover of £1m-plus. It has recently introduced a recruitment arm for cleaning services. * The North East Business Executive of the Year is co-sponsored by Dickinson Dees, Teesside University, Newcastle University Business School, Arriva, the Royal Bank of Scotland and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Page 2: Tough contest at the top | 
